BAND RESUMES WORK ON NEXT RECORD


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

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R.E.M. 30: THE AIRWAVES


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

PETER & THE DECEMBERISTS TEAM UP


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

MIKE COVERS BILLY BRAGG FOR THE VOICE PROJECT


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

ALL MEMORIES ARE LOCAL


I decided to think of 30 places meaningful to the band over the years– so what follows is not by any means comprehensive– no way it could be that. It is more of a memory exercise, aided occasionally by the amazing chronology of R.E.M. performances found at

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ACTION! An Anniversary Photo Celebration:


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

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HAPPY BIRTHDAY R.E.M.


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

R.E.M. @ 30 VIDEO RETROSPECTIVE SCREENS TONIGHT


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 DJ TO HOST R.E.M. MARATHON MONDAY NIGHT


“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

R.E.M. 30TH ANNIVERSARY ROUNDUP


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

R.E.M. CHANGES NAME: NOW TO BE KNOWN AS REM


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 TO PLAY 5 STRAIGHT HOURS OF R.E.M. ON APRIL 5TH


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

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BERTIS DISCUSSES R.E.M.’S 30TH WITH FLAGPOLE


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

THE R.E.M. 30 CELEBRATION


Flagpole reports on this weekend’s 30th anniversary celebration at the Melting Point. Read an excerpt below and visit flagpole.com for the entire article…

A “Thank You”

The R.E.M. 30 Celebration

Once upon a time in Athens, there was a party held in a nearly collapsed old church on Oconee Street.