Lots going on leading into the weekend as R.E.M. finishes up week one of their 2010 return to the studio. Stay tuned for a report from the studio later today. In the meantime, here are some of the various things of note we’ve rounded up
Peter, Mike, and Michael are back in the studio this week and have resumed work on their next record with Jacknife Lee and his team. As we reported back in November 2009, the band recorded demos with Lee in New Orleans in the Fall for what will
Athensmusicjunkie has a nice recap of the recent five-hour R.E.M. radio marathon put together by WUOG at the University of Georgia in celebration of the band’s 30th anniversary. The station has also posted the playlist from the April 5th show.
REM @ 30
All the best
A limited edition and individually numbered, blue vinyl 12″ re-issue of R.E.M.’s long out of print debut e.p., Chronic Town, will be available at select independent record stores on Record Store Day, April 17th. Click on the link just below for a list of participating stores:
Support
Colin Meloy of the Decemberists reported via Twitter recently that Peter played alongside the Portland-based band at one of their recent recording sessions: “First official day of #6 practice; made Peter Buck play my fake-REM riffs and he didn’t seem perturbed. Nor litigious.” Read more about the
Click on the video below to watch Mike playing “Sing Their Souls Back Home,” a Billy Bragg song which Mike covered for The Voice Project. The Voice Project is a song-driven movement inspired by the women of Uganda who are using their voices and songs as
With the onset of the 30th anniversary of R.E.M., we asked a few photographers who have worked with the band over the years to send along the image they like the best for the occasion. Four answered the call, Sandra Lee Phipps and Laura Levine from the early days
Happy birthday to R.E.M. who started out thirty years ago to the day on April 5th, 1980. To commemorate the milestone, we’ve posted a photo essay including shots by a few of the essential photographers who have chronicled R.E.M.’s past in pictures. Also be sure to
The festivities surrounding the 30th anniversary of R.E.M.’s first performance conclude tonight with the final screening of the “R.E.M. @ 30: A Video Retrospective” at Cine at 7:30 p.m. The 90ish-minute collection includes clips of rare footage, interviews, performances, and other videos since the band’s beginnings up through more recent
“Shark Patrol,” the weekly Monday night DJ series curated by longtime Cambridge-based music critic Tom Kielty at the Independent in Union Square, Somerville, Massachusetts, will devote the entire evening to R.E.M. from 10PM to 1 AM on April 5th. Kielty will play official releases from throughout the band’s career
As we reported earlier this week, Athens is abuzz with activity this weekend in anticipation of R.E.M.’s 30th anniversary which takes place on Monday, April 5th. Music, film, and a music history tour are on tap. Also, be sure to have a look at two great
In a move they have considered since their earliest days, R.E.M. today announced from their Headquarters in Athens, GA, that they have finally decided to change their name to, simply, REM.
“This has been a long time in the making,” noted singer Michael Stipe, “and I am glad we finally made
WUOG 90.5 FM, the student run station at the University of Georgia in Athens, GA, will celebrate R.E.M.’s 30th anniversary by playing R.E.M. songs for 5 STRAIGHT HOURS on Monday, April 5th, 2010, from noon until 5 p.m. EST.
WUOG, 90.5 FM.
According to WUOG’s Jordan Stepp and Local Music
Bertis’ interview with Gordon Lamb of Flagpole, the Athens weekly magazine, is now available online. Read an excerpt below and visit flagpole.com for the entire interview:
A Look Back at R.E.M.’s 30-Year Career
by Gordon Lamb
Between 1997 and 2001, I was a temporary employee of R.E.M.’s home office. During that