ContactMusic — R.E.M.'s new album will feature "more ballads" but also "straight ahead rockers".The 'Orange Crush' band recorded their 15th album in Berlin earlier this year... more info

Guardian Music — Ex-Warner Music head believes 'revolutionary' reduction in price would combat piracy and give sales a massive boostA former major-label boss has called for a radical drop in the price of albums.Rob Dickins, who ran the UK division of Warner Music for... more info

NME — Band to release 15th studio album next year more info

Aquarium Drunkard — As the last remnants of Summer began to burn off throughout the length of September, the stage was set for taking in the reissue of R.E.M.’s third LP, 1985′s Fables of The Reconstruction, as a whole. If context is indeed everything, then Fables i... more info

Mjsbigblog — I got last-minute tickets Thursday night–thanks to Melinda from Top Idol–to see Constantine Maroulis in Rock of Ages at the Colonial Theater here in Boston. Rock of Ages is a “jukebox musical”. That is, take the songs from ... more info

Guardian Music — (World Connection)One of the most rousing and inventive folk-rock albums of the year comes from the grasslands of Inner Mongolia, via Beijing. Hanggai's fearsome-looking singer Ilchi started out playing in punk bands, then travelled from the Chinese ... more info

Idolator — Last night’s spiritual Glee episode, “Grilled Cheesus”, was all about faith. And we have faith that Ryan Murphy will never again allow Cory Monteith (who was otherwise all sorts of man-ditz adorable) to sing R.E.M. ever again, because, dear gri... more info

Stereogum — PRS for Music, a UK music licensing organization, conducted a survey of what songs make grown British men cry. The 1,757 respondents chose R.E.M.’s “Everybody Hurts” as the top song. There are a couple of other artists on here (Robbie Williams)... more info

Stereogum — PRS for Music, a UK music licensing organization, conducted a survey of what songs make grown British men cry. The 1,757 respondents chose R.E.M.’s “Everybody Hurts” as the top song. There are a couple of other artists on here (Robbie Williams)... more info

ContactMusic — R.E.M guitarist Peter Buck refuses to do more than three takes when recording songs.The 'The Great Beyond' rocker has been in the studio with the band recording... more info