Features
Thursday, October 6 2011
R.E.M's 'Out of Time' Over Time
On Out of Time, R.E.M. wasn't too big to be cool -- yet.
Friday, September 30 2011
The Year Alternative Went Massive and Defined a Decade
Above all else, musically 1991 will forever be remembered as the year alterna-rock conquered the masses. PopMatters explores how alternative became the dominant form of rock music in the '90s.
Thursday, September 22 2011
R.E.M.: The Greatest American Band. Ever.
Where R.E.M -- like any band -- really distances themselves and makes their true case for greatness is in the lesser-known and semi-obscure songs.
Tuesday, August 2 2011
10 Albums That Supposedly Suck (But Don't)
Some of these are hopefully no-brainers, others may be head-scratchers. All of them are albums that deserve a fresh appraisal.
Friday, December 24 2010
The Best 20 Re-Issues of 2010
The year's best re-issues are highlighted by a trio of rock gods in the Stones, Lennon and Bowie as well as a bona fide American jazz genius and a bevy seminal '70s and '80s British bands.
Reviews
Monday, November 28 2011
R.E.M.: Part Lies, Part Heart, Part Truth, Part Garbage, 1982 - 2011
Part Lies, which is the band’s seventh (!) greatest hits album not counting live records, is the one to get your mitts on – particularly if you’re like me and are more of a casual fan than a rabid diehard.
Friday, July 15 2011
R.E.M.: Lifes Rich Pageant (Deluxe Edition)
Dutifully repressed and remastered to commemorate its 25th anniversary, Lifes Rich Pageant might very well be the best R.E.M. album from the '80s.
Monday, March 7 2011
R.E.M.: Collapse Into Now
After returning to form with their 2008 album Accelerate, the veteran alt-rockers decide the best way to follow it up is to offer more energetic romps with a few ballads mixed in.
Monday, December 6 2010
'R.E.M.: Live from Austin, TX' May Not Be History in the Making, but It's Certainly Entertaining
R.E.M. made their Austin City Limits debut less than a month before the release of Accelerate. It's clear that they were excited about the album.
Friday, July 9 2010
R.E.M.: Fables of the Reconstruction (Deluxe Edition)
The “difficult second album” is a hoary old music biz cliché, but it was R.E.M.’s third album that really put the pioneering alt-rock group to the test.
Blogs
Friday, January 20 2012
Counterbalance No. 65: R.E.M.’s 'Murmur'
This week’s look at the all-time most acclaimed albums talks about the passion, and the 1983 debut from the pride of Athens, GA. Combien de temps? Depends on how fast you read.
Wednesday, October 12 2011
Ranking R.E.M.: The 10 Best Albums
One author's farewell ranking of the top 10 R.E.M. LPs illustrates that some albums that were monster hits have not aged especially well, while another album entitled Monster has, and that the usual suspects remain indelible after all these years.
Friday, October 7 2011
Counterbalance No. 53: R.E.M.’s 'Automatic for the People'
For this week's Counterbalance, Klinger and Mendelsohn discuss Acclaimed Music's 53rd Greatest Album of All Time. Grab some beans or black-eyed peas, some Nescafe on ice, and join them.
Wednesday, September 28 2011
10 Songs That Will Make You Love R.E.M.
Amidst all the laudatory goodwill being sent R.E.M.'s way in the wake of its breakup last week, not everyone is convinced they should give a hoot in the first place. Here are ten songs that might change your mind.
Friday, September 23 2011
The End of R.E.M.
On Wednesday, R.E.M. -- one of the most important alternative rock bands of all time -- announced it was calling it quits. But with the group having been described as "important" for so long, it's possible that it's been all too often taken for granted.
News
Monday, September 26 2011
R.E.M. leaves behind career that balanced hits, integrity
R.E.M. broke up Wednesday, with an exit nearly as modest as its entrance. You couldn’t get much more humble than touring America in a beat-up…

































