Diffuser.fm » R.E.M.

12 Years Ago: R.E.M.'s 'Reveal' Album Released

Michael Gallucci — Tue, 14 May 2013 17:00:32 +0000

Drummer Bill Berry’s departure from R.E.M. following the release of 1996’s ‘New Adventures in Hi-Fi’ shook the rest of the band. You can hear their fear and uncertainty on 1998’s ‘Up,’ their first album without Berry. The drums, when they’re any presence at all, are mixed low and barely register within the songs on that downbeat release. So when the three remaining members of R.E.M. reconvened to make their 12th album, ‘Reveal,’ they swung in the opposite direction of ‘Up.’

10 Things You Didn't Know About R.E.M.

Michael Gallucci — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 19:00:21 +0000

You probably know that R.E.M. signed one of the biggest record deals known to man when they jumped from indie label I.R.S. to major label Warner Bros. at the end of the '80s. But did you know that Led Zeppelin's bassis

29 Years Ago: R.E.M.'s 'Reckoning' Album Released

Michael Gallucci — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 16:31:10 +0000

Not long after wrapping the tour in support of their debut album in 1983, R.E.M. returned to the North Carolina studio where they made ‘Murmur.’ With Don Dixon and Mitch Easter once again producing, the sessions for ‘Reckoning’ went quickly and smoothly. No surprise, since the band had worked out most of the new songs on the road. All that was really needed was a dose of the moody atmospherics that made ‘Murmur’ a hit with college-rock radio.

30 Years Ago: R.E.M.'s 'Murmur' Album Released

Michael Gallucci — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 14:00:15 +0000

By the time R.E.M. released their debut album on April 12, 1983, the buzz was already swirling. And this was before the Internet, satellite radio and MTV’s willingness to play something other than Duran Duran’s latest video. ‘Murmur’ was one of the most anticipated underground albums up to that time, all because of a 1981 super-indie single and a 1982 EP, 'Chronic Town.'

Record Store Day Releases Coming from the Cure, R.E.M., Lemonheads + More

Joe Robinson — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 17:10:53 +0000

The Cure, R.E.M. and the Lemonheads are among the many artists with music set to be released via Rhino Records on Record Store Day 2013, which is scheduled for April 20. Other releases due out on RSD 2013 from Rhino include albums from the Cure side project the Glove; classic rockers the Doors, the Band and the Grateful Dead; punk veterans the Misfits and X and a Factory Records sampler featuring Joy Division, New Order, the Durutti Column and Happy Mondays.

22 Years Ago: R.E.M.'s 'Out of Time' Album Released

Michael Gallucci — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 14:00:14 +0000

R.E.M.’s 1988 major-label debut ‘Green’ was kind of a bust. After playing the role of indie darlings for most of the decade, the Athens, Ga., quartet reportedly banked around $10 million to sign with Warner Bros. Records. Not that there’s anything downright awful about ‘Green,’ but the heavy production, sluggish songs and occasional misdirection certainly wasn’t the new-era reboot longtime fans were hoping for.

R.E.M. Announce 25th Anniversary Edition of 'Green' + Record Store Day EP

Gina Vespa — Wed, 06 Mar 2013 17:36:52 +0000

Twenty-five years ago, R.E.M. unveiled their sixth studio effort, ‘Green,’ which included such well-known hits as ‘Pop Song 89,’ ‘Stand’ and ‘Orange Crush.’ The 1988 album gained worldwide acclaim and arguably became the defining record of their career. Now, the band has announced plans to release a special 25th anniversary edition of album, along with an exclusive live EP.

Top 10 R.E.M. Videos

Michael Gallucci — Sat, 09 Feb 2013 23:00:02 +0000

Like many American indie bands from their early ’80s, R.E.M. stumbled through their early videos. Their very first, ‘Wolves, Lower,’ was a sloppily shot performance clip; their second, ‘Radio Free Europe,’ featured the band strolling through a garden. As the decade progressed, R.E.M. started experimenting with artsier music videos that resembled film-school shorts — some starred [...]

News Bits: Ben Gibbard Jams with R.E.M.'s Peter Buck and Mike Mills + More

Diffuser.fm Staff — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 22:43:00 +0000

Watch Ben Gibbard live out his Michael Stipe fantasies and jam with one-half of R.E.M.

It's about to get dark, chilly and awesome: Cold Cave have a new EP coming out.

R.E.M., 'That Someone Is You' – New Video

Joe Robinson — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 22:45:19 +0000

A few weeks ago, we were finally treated to James Franco's long-on-the-shelf video for R.E.M.'s 'Blue,' starring Lindsay Lohan. It made us curious about the fate of 'That Someone Is You,' the other clip Franco directed for the band. Both songs come from R.E.M.'s 2011 swan song, 'Collapse Into Now,' but the videos themselves couldn't be more different.

Instant Expert: R.E.M.

Michael Gallucci — Thu, 22 Nov 2012 16:00:43 +0000

You’ve seen them at parties, lurking in the corner, waiting to engage in battle disguised as conversation. They’re indie rock know-it-alls, and no matter what band or musician you mention, they’ve got an opinion — strong and almost certainly negative — ready to ram down your throat. With Instant Expert, we offer preparation for these [...]

R.E.M., 'Blue' – New Video

Joe Robinson — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 19:00:40 +0000

Just because R.E.M. split up last year doesn't mean they still can't release new videos. Case in point? Their clip for 'Blue,' which was directed by Renaissance Man James Franco and features Lindsay Lohan, photographer Terry Richardson and a bunch of bird's-eye-view images of Los Angeles.

24 Years Ago: R.E.M.'s 'Green' Album Released

Michael Gallucci — Sun, 11 Nov 2012 16:00:38 +0000

In 1988, after kicking around for more than five years as America’s indie-rock kings, R.E.M. finally decided to take advantage of their growing fan base, increased record sales and recent Top 10 hit. They left the hip indie label I.R.S. Records for Warner Bros., a major record company that reportedly offered them around $10 million, and retreated to Memphis to begin working on the follow-up to ‘Document,’ which spawned the group’s first hit single, ‘The One I Love.’

R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe to Judge GIFs in Digital Art Contest

Amy Sciarretto — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 16:49:26 +0000

There's embracing the digital age we live in, and then there's really embracing the digital age we live in. Former R.E.M. singer Michael Stipe isn't running from technology or the Internet, as some more established acts have. He's all about it, and as such, he's serving on a Selection Council that will judge GIF submissions in a digital arts festival dubbed 'Moving the Still.'

Win a Copy of the 25th Anniversary Edition of R.E.M.'s 'Document'

Kenneth Partridge — Mon, 15 Oct 2012 15:27:49 +0000

It's hard to imagine, but there once was a time -- a dark period known as the mid-1980s -- when the world wasn't quite ready for R.E.M. Despite their brilliant run of early releases -- four albums that mark one of the most impressive starts in rock history -- the band spent the bulk of the decade on the margins, playing for the benefit of critics and in-the-know college kids. It wasn't until 1987's 'Document' that things began to change. The album spawned the hit 'The One I Love' -- the group's first entry in the Billboard 100 -- and crept into the Top 10, setting the stage for R.E.M.'s eventual superstardom. Capitol/I.R.S. recently released a 25th Anniversary Edition of 'Document' -- a two-CD set that includes expanded liner notes, a poster, four collectible postcards and a concert recorded in Holland in 1987 -- and Diffuser.fm is giving away a copy. Enter to win below.

10 Best R.E.M. Songs

Michael Gallucci — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 17:00:41 +0000

When R.E.M. released their debut single, 'Radio Free Europe,' from the tiny college town of Athens, Ga., in 1981, there really wasn't an indie-rock scene. There was punk, post-punk and New Wave, all of which contained elements of what would become known as Amerindie, but few bands were making that blend of music without big-label [...]

R.E.M. – Rock Star Cameos on 'The Simpsons'

Joe Robinson — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 17:37:34 +0000

When Moe’s Tavern goes upscale, all his regulars start hanging out in Homer’s garage, where R.E.M. somehow show up to perform ‘It’s the End of the World As We Know It’ — and the song’s quick-flowing lyrics inspire Homer to come with his own ridiculous words. After a family hunting adventure for Thanksgiving dinner goes [...]

Former R.E.M. Guitarist Peter Buck to Release Solo Album Oct. 5

Amy Sciarretto — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 18:58:42 +0000

R.E.M. may have hung it up as a unit, but former guitarist Peter Buck is gearing up to release his debut solo album, which is coming down the pike -- and quick. It's going to be a hot ticket, and not just because the guest list is impressive. A run of just 2,000 vinyl records will be pressed. The album goes on sale this Friday, Oct. 5, via Mississippi Records, a label that focuses on mid-20th century blues, gospel and folk music.

R.E.M. Slam Fox News for Playing 'Losing My Religion'

Joe Robinson — Fri, 07 Sep 2012 15:40:34 +0000

R.E.M. have issued a cease-and-desist order against Fox News demanding that the network stop playing the band’s 1991 hit ‘Losing My Religion’ after the song was used without the band’s consent on Thursday night during the network’s coverage of the Democratic National Convention. R.E.M. addressed the situation with a statement posted on their official website. [...]

Michael Stipe of R.E.M. Says the Republican Party Wants a 'Permanent Aristocracy'

Dave Lifton — Sun, 02 Sep 2012 19:00:53 +0000

The Republican Party are looking to create a permanent aristocracy. That’s what Michael Stipe of R.E.M. and independent filmmaker Tom Gilroy say in a new essay as part of the ’90 Days, 90 Reasons’ project. “America is a democracy founded on the ideal of all men being created equal, with equal opportunity, equal access to [...]