Stereogum — French coldwavers and recent Band To Watch Frank (Just Frank) earned their BTW stripes on the back of “Couer Hanté,” a jangling and arpeggiated, guitar-and-synth lined track that had us reaching for reference points in the directions of early R.... more info

KEXP Seattle — R.E.M. fans must be “feeling gravity’s pull” as the legendary Athens, Georgia, band celebrates the 25th anniversary of their album Fables of the Reconstruction. It was a difficult album for the boys. For the first time ever, they left their sun... more info

MTV.com News — Musician lost a two-year battle with cancer.By Kara Warner Big Star's Chris Bell, Jody Stephens, Andy Hummel and Alex Chilton in 1972 Photo: Charlie Gillett/ Redferns More sad news for Big Star fans. Almost four months to the day since Alex... more info

Guardian Music — Forum, LondonAt the end of last year, Snow Patrol's Chasing Cars was named most played song of the decade, but a request for it is given short shrift by frontman Gary Lightbody. "Boy, did you waste your money," he scoffs.Turning away from anthemic in... more info

DrownedInSound — The latest instalment in our weekly Spotifriday playlists. This one features none other than Standard Fare, Tom Jones, Women, R.E.M., HEALTH, The Wave Pictures, Broken Social Scene and more. Click here to listen to this week's playlist. Read th... more info

Allmusic Blog — R.E.M. has finished recording the band’s 15th album in Berlin with producer Jacknife Lee. The follow-up to 2008’s Accelerate doesn’t have a name yet, but it’s expected to be released in spring 2011 after being mixed this fall. The band wrote ... more info

411 Mania — Band wraps up new CD in Germany... more info

Gigwise — It's due out next spring... more info

Undercover, Australia — R.E.M. have downed tools on their next album. more info

DrownedInSound — Birthed in a haunted old South, forged in a drab England, paranoid, sensual, nonsensical and true, Fables... was undeniably something of a diversion on the route to indie rock stardom. Yet for many fans this moon-touched night walk exceeds nigh on al... more info