I finally broke down and bought the (supposed) final album from R.E.M. I say supposed because Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage 1982–2011 may be the last project the band works on together in the studio, but I really doubt…

In a couple of weeks, R.E.M. will release what it calls a definitive retrospective on their 31-year career, “Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage, 1982-2011.” The band’s website has started a number of initiatives to promote the release…

Obviously, I have thought way too much about the R.E.M. breakup this week. A few friends contacted me to say that I came to mind when they heard the news, which is touching, but I’m not distraught or anything. Since…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…