Guardian Music — Enigmatic singer Michael Stipe on 'the massive insecurity of not being articulate', 30 years with REM, and why he's driven to remake his world in birch plywoodMichael Stipe wanders into the lobby of the Gramercy Park Hotel in Manhattan, looking flust... more info

The Telegraph — REM's Collapse into Now is mature and commanding. Rating: * * * more info

Powerpopulist — Weekends seem the ideal time to post a long list, especially considering up to what these great bloggers have been. Many thanks to them for hosting and posting the following. Click pretty much anything in colors below and away you shall be whisked.Se... more info

Culture Bully — New music video for "Überlin" by R.E.M., starring Aaron Johnson (Kick-Ass) and directed by Sam Taylor-Wood. more info

Stereogum — The artist and director Sam Taylor-Wood directed this kinetic video for mid-temp, slightly melancholic rocker “ÜBerlin,” an old-school standout from R.E.M.’s solid 15th album Collapse Into Now. It stars her fiance (and her Nowhere Boy star) Aa... more info

Pop Candy — - R.E.M have recruited directors including James Franco, Sam Taylor-Wood, Lance Bangs, Albert Maysles and Jem Cohen to make videos/short films ... more info

Guardian Music — (Warner Bros)REM's creative decline in the last decade coincided with the loss of drummer Bill Berry and their apparent need to make more keyboardy and acoustic albums, rather than the elemental rock that made them such a 1980s/90s force. However, Co... more info

Stereogum — Simply put, R.E.M.’s fifteenth studio album is basically as good as you can expect from the band at this point. It’s not vintage R.E.M., but it is more inspired and natural feeling than the rest of their post Bill Berry material. On 2008’s Acce... more info

ContactMusic — Michael Stipe has recruited James Franco and Sam Taylor-wood to create short films to accompany the highly-anticipated new R. E. M. album, Collapse Into Now. Franco and Taylor-Wood have signed up to direct clips inspired by different song... more info

Brooklyn Vegan — The Baseball Project at Maxwell's (more by Lori Baily) "Well, we had so much fun the first time that we just had to do it again. Scott, Peter, Linda and I spent much of the last few years on the... more info