Consequence of Sound — A day in the life of James Franco. more info

Guardian Music — The greatest of bands can be as opaque as they wish – you'll still somehow understand exactly what they mean Reading on mobile? Watch hereIt took me a while to get up to speed with REM. I had, in the way of dogmatic and foolish adolescence, dismiss... more info

Guardian Music — Wembley arena, LondonIt started in a log cabin and it has led to Wembley. When little-known singer-songwriter Justin Vernon retreated to his father's Wisconsin woodland hideaway late in 2006 and recorded an album about a breakup, he would not have ex... more info

411 Mania — From R.E.M.'s "The One I Love" and Filter's "Hey Man, Nice Shot" to Timbuk 3's "The Future's So Bright (I Gotta Wear Shades)," the Beastie Boys' "Fight For Your Right (To Party)" and more, 411's Jeremy Thomas counts down the top 8 misconstrued songs ... more info

Time — Cooped up in your house because of Hurricane Sandy? We have the perfect playlist for the “Perfect Storm.” If you are trying to stay positive, then R.E.M.’s “It’s The End of The World As We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” may be your jam. If ra... more info

Prefix — Michael Stipe is many things: former frontman for R.E.M., political activist, and indie rock hero. It's hard to imagine we'd ... Read the full article at http://www.prefixmag.com/news/meet-michael-stipe-animated-gif-contest-judge/70838/ more info

Consequence of Sound — Catching up on life post-R.E.M. more info

Guardian Music — Bruce Springsteen will be hitting the road once more in support of Barack Obama. But can rock stars really make much difference in the brutal world of politics?Just when he thought he was out, they pull him back in. Having told the New Yorker that he... more info

Guardian Music — Cinematographer at the forefront of digital experimentation and celebrated for his avant-garde work with Gus van SantThe cinematographer Harris Savides, who has died of brain cancer aged 55, brought an evocative aesthetic to films made by some of the... more info

Guardian Music — DaddyPig gives us his choices from last week's threadThis week's playlist has been selected by Tim Sanders, who goes by the username DaddyPig.Telephones both connect and frustrate; disembodying us even as we whisper into each others' ears. Earth's or... more info