Pop Candy — Greetings! Today is kind of a big day on the blog, so stay tuned for some news. more info

LargeHeartedBoy — I am most looking forward to the 25th anniversary edition of R.E.M.'s Life's Rich Pageant, which as been remastered and includes a 19-track bonus CD of demos. Another reissue worth noting this week is the 4-LP Dead Can Dance's... more info

Stereogum — Thirty years ago today (7/8/81), R.E.M.’s first single, “Radio Free Europe” b/w “Sitting Still,” was released by the small independent Atlanta-based label Hib-Tone. The label’s owner Jonny Hibbert mixed both tracks. The A-Side was subsequ... more info

The Vinyl Villain — It’s Independence Day over on the other side of the pond, and I thought I’d mark the occasion with a wee mention of my favourite American band of the moment….or indeed of the past 15 years or so.I can’t claim to have known much about The Nati... more info

Guardian Music — Whether or not their later stuff really is that bad, REM were once unbeatable, says Alexis PetridisA month or so ago, the comedian Stewart Lee gave a fascinating interview to the online magazine the Quietus about his favourite albums, during which ta... more info

ContactMusic — Courtney Love has penned a song about R. E. M. star Michael Stipe. The Hole frontwoman and her late husband Kurt Cobain became friends with Stipe in the early 1990s, and after years of working on a track about the singer, Love has finally finished it... more info

Guardian Music — Trio of executives who work as a team to secure the finest pop talent and develop their brands globallyLabel executives: CEO Warner Music Europe, CEO Warner Music UK, ­chairman of Atlantic Records UKOur panel felt these three executives merited a si... more info

E! Online — The end of the world isn't here yet, and we're already over "It's the End of the World (As We Know It)." So, here's an alternative playlist for the... more info

Guardian Music — The best of your comments on the latest film and musicWas there something in the water last week? Were readers just feeling in a recitative mood? Because a fair number of people seemed inspired to cite lyrics on the comments threads beneath our Beast... more info

Yahoo! Music UK — XFM - The R.E.M. frontman has revealed he tried to reach out to the troubled singer before his death... more info