andPOP » R.E.M.

Belle And Sebastian, Snow Patrol, R.E.M. Members Make Tired Pony

Sara Harowitz — Tue, 18 May 2010 16:44:05 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

As far as celebrity trends go, this one is at the top because at least it usually results in some great music.

Yet another super group has taken shape, reports CHARTattack.com, involving members from R.E.M., Snow Patrol and Belle And Sebastian.

Tired Pony consists of Belle And Sebastian drummer Richard Colburn, R.E.M.’s Peter Buck on guitar, and Snow Patrol’s Gary Lightbody on the lead.

The band has apparently already finished recording their debut album, The Place We Ran From, which has a set release date of July 12. The record is said to have an alternative country sound, and She & Him’s Zoey Deschanel (also known for the film 500 Days of Summer) apparently contributed to the album.

We think super groups may one day rule the world.

Radiohead’s Thom Yorke Reveals Side Project Name, Along With Tour Dates

Sam Rashid — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 14:32:54 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

Thom Yorke, lead singer of Radiohead, has finally given a name for his new side project: “Atoms for Peace”, reports MTV News.

The super-group consists of Flea, bassist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Joey Waronker, drummer for R.E.M., Brazilian percussionist Mauro Refosco of Forro in the Dark, and finally, Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich.

“It has been decided that we call ourselves Atoms for Peace,” Yorke said on the Radiohead web site. “Hope you like the name. It seemed bleedin’ obvious.”

In April, Atoms for Peace will begin a brief tour starting with two nights at New York’s Roseland Ballroom. The tour will come to a close on April 18, with a performance at the Coachella Festival in Indio, California.

Tickets are currently available for the Coachella Festival, while tickets for the remaining dates go on sale next week.

Atoms for Peace first assembled in October for a two night concert event at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles. The intention of the all-star musician line up was to perform tracks from Yorke’s debut solo album, The Eraser, which was released in 2006.

The fans are not the only one’s who are excited about the upcoming tour of Atoms for Peace.

“We had too much fun to just leave it there,” Yorke said.

Nine Inch Nails, R.E.M., Pearl Jam Join Campaign to Close Guantanamo

Sara Harowitz — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:15:39 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

A group of musicians joined a campaign on Tuesday that asks the Obama administration to close down the terror suspect camp at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, reports MTV News.

The musicians are all angered after hearing that their songs are reportedly being blasted at ear-bleeding levels in an attempt to break uncooperative terror suspects. Artists including Nine Inch Nails, R.E.M., Pearl Jam, Rage Against the Machine, Steve Earle, Billy Bragg, and Rosanne Cash have announced their support for the National Campaign to Close Guantanamo.

Part of the effort entails the National Security Archive in Washington, D.C. filing a Freedom of Information Act request. This is in an effort to uncover classified records that prove the use of loud music as a means of interrogation. A report by the Senate Armed Services Committee in November, 2008 makes reference to the use of loud music to unhinge terror suspects. One instance involved the case of a Mauritanian prisoner who was allegedly blasted with songs such as Drowning Pool’s “Bodies” to cause him stress because he believed that listening to music was forbidden. Drowning Pool has apparently so far not objected to the use of its music at Guantanamo Bay or other U.S. detention sites.

Some of the songs reportedly played at high volumes close to the prisoners at the camp are Metallica’s “Enter Sandman,” Don McLean’s “American Pie,” Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.,” Nine Inch Nails’ “March of the Pigs,” Queen’s “We Will Rock You,” the Meow Mix cat food jingle, music from Sesame Street, the “I Love You” song from Barney, as well as songs by R.E.M., Pearl Jam, AC/DC, Britney Spears, Marilyn Manson, the Bee Gees, and more.

While President Obama signed an executive order in January, 2009 that promises to close Guantanamo Bay within a year, since the move has drawn criticism from some Republican members of Congress, it is not clear if the proposed timetable will be reached.

A CIA spokesperson reportedly said the music was only used to stop detainees from communicating with each other, and other security purposes. A spokesperson for the Joint Task Force Guantanamo has said that loud music has not been used with Guantanamo’s detainees since the fall of 2003.

“We have spent the past 30 years supporting causes related to peace and justice,” R.E.M. said in a statement announcing their participation in the coalition, according to BBC News. “To now learn that some of our friends’ music may have been used as part of the torture tactics without their consent or knowledge is horrific. It’s anti-American, period.”

Thom Yorke and Flea Join Forces

Emma Renda — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:51:13 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

Simply uttering Thom Yorke’s name in a news release is often enough to make music bloggers and listeners the world over froth a little with excitement. But this latest news from the prolific Radiohead frontman is enough to incite hysterics.

Yorke has announced a supergroup side-project with Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, which seems to be enough talent and spunk as is. But where there’s smoke, there’s fire, so where there’s Yorke, there’s Radiohead’s long-time producer Nigel Godrich. And heck, why not throw in Beck and R.E.M.’s drummer Joey Waronker? After all.

The project is yet unnamed, but the group took the stage this weekend in what Yorke called a “public rehearsal” at Los Angeles’ Echoplex for a blistering set of showmanship to a very lucky exclusive audience. The set was packed with the entirety of Yorke’s first solo effort, 2006′s The Eraser, flourishing under the care of his new backing band, according to Pitchfork’s Ian Cohen (lucky bastard). Yorke played four new songs solo, “Open the Floodgates”, “Lotus Flower”, “Skirting on the Surface”, and “Judge, Jury, Executioner” and then brought the band back for a few hits off Radiohead’s Com Lag EP as well as their new song, “Super Collider”.

The more drool-worthy material came when the ensemble dished out a serving of the tracks they’ve been working on. Tracks like “Feeling Pulled Apart by Horses” and “The Hollow Earth” (which is featured on the New Moon soundtrack) were given a more full treatment than any early MP3s can attest to, resulting in a sound Cohen called “Yorke’s typically melismatic melodies surrounded by scrapyard percussion.” Yum.

If you’re anything like the rest of the world and were unable to attend the show, you can still check out the videos from both nights on YouTube.

R.E.M. Announce Canadian Dates

Eva Lam — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 13:35:52 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

R.E.M.’s Canadian fans can catch them in Vancouver and Toronto this spring, when the veteran band heads out on a cross-continent tour in support of their upcoming album, “Accelerate.”

The tour kicks off at Vancouver’s Deer Lake Park on May 23 and stops by Toronto’s Molson Amphitheatre on June 8.

Opening for the Athens, Georgia band are Modest Mouse and The National.

R.E.M. will be promoting the 11-track “Accelerate,” which is set to be released on April 1 and is the band’s 14th studio album. However, fans can check out a new video snippet every day at www.ninetynights.com.

A video for the lead single “Supernatural Superserious” was shot in New York City last week.

Those who can’t wait for R.E.M.’s May-June tour can also catch the band at the Langerado Music Festival in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on March 8, and at the South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas on March 12.

Here are R.E.M.’s tour dates with Modest Mouse and The National:
5/23 – Vancouver – Deer Lake Park
5/29 – Los Angeles – Hollywood Bowl
5/31 – Berkeley – The Greek Theatre
6/3 – Denver – Red Rocks Amphitheatre
6/6 – Chicago – United Center
6/8 – Toronto – Molson Amphitheatre
6/10 – Raleigh – Walnut Creek Amphitheatre
6/11 – Washington, DC – Merriweather Post Pavilion
6/13 – Boston – Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts
6/14 – Long Island – Jones Beach Theater
6/18 – Philadelphia – Mann Center for the Performing Arts
6/19 – New York City – TBA
6/21 – Atlanta – Lakewood Amphitheatre

R.E.M. To Play South By Southwest

Eva Lam — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 22:15:13 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

R.E.M. are among the initial slate of bands confirmed to play this year’s South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas.

The veteran act will be previewing their new album “Accelerate,” which is due for release on March 31.

According to their manager Bertis Downs, the album will feature an edgier side of R.E.M.: “It’s not like we’re going to pretend these are ballads. These are rockers.”

It will be the band’s first time performing in the Texan city in five years.

Other acts scheduled so far include Morning Jacket, Vampire Weekend, Daniel Lanois, Tech N9ne and My Brightest Diamond.

The music portion of this year’s South By Southwest festival will take place from March 12 to 16 in various venues across Austin, with Lou Reed as the keynote speaker.

R.E.M. Reunites for Hall of Fame Induction

andPOP Staff — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 22:13:52 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

In one of only a few such performances since he left the group in 1997, original R.E.M. drummer Bill Berry joined his former bandmates for a one-off concert celebrating their induction into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame.

E! Online reports that the ceremony on Saturday saw Berry, Mike Mills, Peter Buck and Michael Stipe take the stage for 3 songs in front of an intimate crowd of 1500.

“This is going to be loud,” announced Stipe before the band launched into their 1986 track “Begin the Begin.” They followed that up with “Losing My Religion” and “Man on the Moon.”

It was the fourth time Berry rejoined the band for a performance. He left the group after suffering a brain aneurysm on-stage during their 1995 Monster tour.

Last week, R.E.M. released “And I Feel Fine: The Best of the IRS Years, 1982-1987,” a set of two CDs and one DVD tracing the group’s beginnings.

REM Reunion

andPOP Staff — Tue, 11 Oct 2005 11:10:19 +0000

Posted on andPOP:

REM is kickin? it old school with its 4 original band mates for the first time together since a concert in Raleigh, North Carolina, during the “In Time” tour in 2003.

Drummer Bill Berry came together with members Michael Stipe, Peter Buck and Mike Mills for an original line-up reuninon.

It is Berry?s first shedualed show in eight years. In 2003, he made a surprise guest appearance after turning up to watch the band.

The special occasion took place this Saturday at the wedding for one of their roadies, technician Dewitt Burton.

The wedding reception, held at Kingpins Bowl and Brew in Athen, Georgia, was all ears to seven of REM?s hits.

“It was awesome to look behind me and see Bill on drums,” bass player Mills said afterwards.

Lead singer Stipe toasted the bride and groom during the set and invited requests from the 300 guests.

The bride requested “Begin The Begin” from the 1986 album “Life’s Rich Pageant.”