With a whole host of things going on in the R.E.M. world between the Vancouver and Dublin recording sessions, here’s your summer installment of the HQ Update (R.E.M.-related happenings and miscellany):
PETER BUCK HITS THE ROAD IN EUROPE
Peter is out on the road with Robyn Hitchcock and the Venus 3 for
Beyond his well-documented contributions to the musical canon, in life and death, John Lennon remains a symbol of peace. It is apt then that a selection of some of his greatest songs are the basis for Instant Karma: The Campaign to Save Darfur, a compilation being released June 12 to
If you happen to be in the Macon, Georgia, area tonight, the Georgia Music Hall of Fame is hosting a First Friday tribute concert and exhibition in honor of R.E.M. this evening beginning at 6pm. First Friday Around The Sun will feature a performance by Athens’ band Modern Skirts
Congratulations to the founders of CINÃ, the wonderful new art-house in Athens, which officially opens tonight and gives our little town a real big city movie appearance. Some great local coverage so far…
onlineathens.com
flagpole.com
onlineathens.com
…and another reason to celebrate life in Athens!
Flagpole.com has posted a good article on athensmusic.net’s CD release of the September 12th Finest Worksongs show at the 40 Watt. Please click here to read.
Happy to report the recording went great in Vancouver. Hard to believe 3 weeks went by that fast. Many songs shaping up nicely, although I will resist the temptation to try and describe them, especially since many will be able to hear them live in Dublin in
The following supporting acts have been confirmed for the Olympia Theatre in Dublin, Ireland this summer :
June
30th: David Kitt
July
1st: Simple Kid
3rd: Cathy Davey
4th: Viarosa
5th: Mundy
A short clip of Peter playing dulcimer in the studio in Vancouver has been posted on the R.E.M. channel at youtube.com. Check it out by clicking here.
3rd week in . . . lots of tunes and takes . . . pictures worth stories . . .5 weeks til Dublin
R.E.M will begin their recording sessions with producer Jacknife Lee in Vancouver, BC, next week. The band and Lee will spend a few weeks in Canada and will then set up shop in Ireland, where they will continue to record as well as perform a five-night stand of
Patti Smith’s new record, Twelve, hits stores today, April 24th. Twelve, which includes covers of twelve songs by various artists, including Neil Young, Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, George Harrison, and Nirvana, also features an exclusive bonus track of R.E.M.’s Everybody Hurts available at iTunes and Target
Michael will appear on Sirius Radio’s program Jane, channel 102, Friday at 6pm ET. Jane Pratt, founder of Jane Magazine, will chat with Michael live from Athens, so please be sure to tune in. You can get more information on Jane’s show right here.
We are saddened to learn of the passing of film editor and artist James Lyons. Michael wrote, “Jim was an amazing artist, editor and friend. His death is an enormous loss to the arts community and countless people he inspired.”
Please click the following links to read more
Michael is one of fifteen artists to join Spanish singer/songwriter Miguel Bose on his duets album, Papito, celebrating Bose’s 30-year career.
The album, which consists of duets of Bose’s past hits, was released in March and has already reached number one in Spain and Mexico.
Warner Music Spain executive Adriana Gonzalez says
R.E.M is one of 15 artists featured on KCRW’s newly released CD: “Sounds Eclectic: The Covers Project,” available at hearmusic.com. R.E.M. covers John Hartford’s Grammy-award winning classic “Gentle On My Mind,” made famous by Glenn Campbell in 1967. The CD was spearheaded by KCRW