Guardian Music — Our music team pick the songs or albums, old or new, they just can't turn offBlack Randy and the Metro Squad Trouble at the Cup Among the delights of the forthcoming California punk compilation Black Hole is Black Randy, responsible for perhaps the b... more info

KEXP Seattle — After a couple different recent posts about the various producers tied to R.E.M.’s early recordings, it seems like it’s about time we stopped beating around the bush, grabbed the bull by its horns, and some other appropriate cliche, too. What I�... more info

Songs:Illinois — There was a time when songs like The Davenports “Christopher Starts” ruled the college radio airwaves. Bands like The Posies, REM, and The Bears were the norm and not the exception. That time has passed and now power pop is another maligned and... more info

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