R.E.M. Calls It Quits
I remember the first time I heard R.E.M. They opened for The Police in August 1983, and the thing I remember most is that I don’t remember anything. My siblings told me opening acts sucked and I should not pay […]
ITEOTWAWKI: Modern Day Prophet
When the earthquake hit the East Cost on Tuesday, I made a joke in reference to the lyrics to “It’s The End of the World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine).” Now that a hurricane is bearing down […]
ITEOTWAWKI: Wait Almost Over
I didn’t realize until now that I hadn’t posted at all about the upcoming re-release of “Lifes Rich Pageant.” The new version comes out on July 12 with a bonus disc of demos from March 1986. The “Athens Demos” are […]
Why the Go-Go’s Matter to Me
A number of years ago, I went to the mall to purchase a CD. I only had the songs I wanted on cassette and wanted to upgrade my collection. After I handed the disc to the clerk at the register, […]
More Go-Go’s
My column for this coming week focuses on the motivations and meaning of the Go-Go’s concert I saw last week. That will post on Tuesday. I wanted to talk a little here about the actual show, which was also blogged […]
Hooray! Another Singing Competition
I was just sitting around the other week thinking, “We don’t have enough television shows which judge people’s singing ability.” Well, to be honest, I didn’t say that. I would never say that. But some television executive said it at […]
ITEOTWAWKI: Stop Thinking So Hard
I have thought about posting a review of R.E.M.’s new album “Collapse Into Now” a bunch of times since its release in early March. Lord knows I have listened to the album a bunch of times. The problem is, I […]
ITEOTWAWKI: Best Songs Covered By R.E.M.
In anticipation of the release of “Collapse Into Now” next week, Paste Magazine took a unique look at R.E.M.’s legacy by posting a list of the 20 best cover versions of the band’s work. I loved this piece because I […]
ITEOTWAWKI: Getting Closer
One of the reasons R.E.M. continues to fascinate me is their commitment to openness. They seem genuine and honest when they sit down and discuss how they do what they do. They don’t put on airs even though Stipe can […]
ITEOTWAWKI: Disappointed
The trickle of information about R.E.M.’s upcoming album Collapse Into Now continues. The first single is out and another “lyric video” for a new song has popped up. But the real news comes from an interview Mike Mills gave to […]