Author Archives: David Bell

Read The Times article on the festival which featured performances by Peter Buck, Mike Mils, & Scott McCaughey among others…   The Times photo from The Times

On the heels of the exciting news that Michael returned to the stage earlier this week at the Beacon Theatre in New York where he opened up for Patti Smith with a set of covers, here’s a roundup of various articles from around the web:

Michael is one of 20 musicians to name their favorite Rock and Roll memoirs in a post by Vulture: 20 Musicians’ Favorite Rock and Roll memoirs… R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe, author of Two Times Intro: On the Road With Patti Smith, also recommends Just Kids “She breathes art and revolution through the medium of rock and roll.” … Continued

More news from the extreme reaches of Norway in Finnmark…  earlier tonight, Mike Mills channeled Robert Plant and sang lead vocals on Led Zeppelin’s “When The Levee Breaks.” He was joined by John Paul Jones, Kurt Bloch, Scott McCaughey, Linda Pitmon, Josh Kantor, and Steve Wynn. Video

We posted a photo earlier of Mike, Peter, and Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones rehearsing backstage at ‪#‎icestationvadsø‬… prepping “Rockville” for the show that took place tonight. That was a cool moment, and here’s another from our intrepid man in the field, Bertis Downs, who snapped this shot of Kurt Bloch on guitar, Mike Mills … Continued

Great photo of Mike, John Paul Jones, and Peter rehearsing backstage at #‎icestationvadsø‬…  

As noted earlier here and elsewhere, tonight was the first of two shows of‪ #‎IceStationVadsø‬ and it was quite a night for music lovers in Norway, wherever they were from. And quite a few had traveled to be here. Peter and Mike played in various concoctions of the immense musical talent on stage. There are … Continued

Farmhouse on the edge of Vadso, Norway, where the visiting musicians are doing a session with some Sami (indigenous people from the far north) musicians. That’s Peter Buck and John Paul Jones on the left, Steve Wynn on the right, and amazing Finnmark singer Elle Marja Eira who sings hypnotic trance like improvisations called yoiks. … Continued

Peter Buck will be in the lineup at the the Cross-Linx festival which was just announced yesterday… 4 shows of eclectic musicians playing all over Holland in February… more to come: Cross-Link Festival News

Old-school record store days! Check out the hand-made Foamcore wall display made by the artists at Tower Records Berkeley to promote LIFES RICH PAGEANT in 1986. For more on those crazy heavy metal loving Tower Records Berkeley store artists (that helped influence the in-store look of Tower Records stores moving forward in the 80’s), check … Continued

On November 9, 1984, R.E.M. won two CMJ Music Awards for their sophomore album RECKONING: Best Group & Best Album. Mitch Easter also won Best Producer for his work on the album. photo by Robert Toren.

R.E.M.’s sixth studio album and first on Warner Bros. was released on this date in history in 1988. The album was produced by Scott Litt and the band and featured the following track listing: Side one – “Air side” “Pop Song 89” – 3:04 “Get Up” – 2:39 “You Are the Everything” – 3:41 “Stand” – 3:10 “World Leader Pretend” – … Continued

November 6 marks the anniversary of R.E.M.’s legendary UP promo show from 1998 at the Orpheum. The show was special for a number of reasons–the gathering of fan club members from countries all around the former east and our long and wonderful connection to Klaus Hoffmann of Warner Austria, a longtime friend and fan of … Continued