First Listen: R.E.M. – “Mine Smell Like Honey”

Out today is R.E.M.’s first official single from Collapse Into Now (Out March 8th): “Mine Smell Like Honey.”  And longtime fans will be happy to hear that it’s got all those vintage things we’ve come to see in the post-Accelerate Renaissance: a hook-driven chorus with Mike Mills’ soaring voice, guitars that… jangle (seriously, can we find another word for Peter Buck’s style), and a confidence that shines through.  Yet, unlike the bombast of Accelerate, this track has a more relaxed, lived-in kind of feel… it’s the sound of a band playing for the sake of it, and with nothing to prove.  In short, it’s everything that made R.E.M. great in the first place.

And here it is… If you like it, consider picking it up on iTunes, Amazon, or wherever digital music is sold…

First Listen: R.E.M. – “Oh My Heart”

Another great one from NPR today, as the track “Oh My Heart” from R.E.M.’s forthcoming Collapse Into Now has been released for our listening pleasure.  The song, which features a nice callback to Accelerate‘s “Houston” (“The storm didn’t kill me… the government changed.”) is a lovely continuance of the energy and focus of that earlier record into a more acoustic setting.

Michael Stipe told NPR this about the song:

It’s a very quiet and very meditative song dedicated to New Orleans — about New Orleans. Jacknife [Lee] is great as a producer, because he saw that we were struggling with what is a very quiet song. We were standing really far away from each other in the room, and it was hard not only to actually physically hear each other, but it felt dispersed. He brought us into the middle, and instantly, of course, the song worked.

Head on over to NPR and check it out!

R.E.M. Announce New Album: “Collapse Into Now”

The gang over at R.E.M. have announced that Collapse Into Now – the follow-up to 2008’s Accelerate – will be released in Spring 2011.  The album features guest stars like Eddie Vedder, Patti Smith, and Peaches.  (Yes, you read that right).  You can read interviews with Mike Mills over on Spin and Rolling Stone for more info.

Other Stuff You Might Like: Mountain Stage

Ages ago, I found this R.E.M. bootleg at a now-defunct record shop.  It was wonderful, and intimate, and full of strange cover versions I had never heard.  Just before launching into “World Leader Pretend,” Michael Stipe says: “We’re really happy to be here at Mountain Stage.  We’re surrounded by really good people, and we’re gonna do a couple songs for you.”  At the time, I had no idea where, or what, Mountain Stage was… but I wanted to be there.  Years later, thanks to the magic of the Internet and NPR Music, I get to experience amazing, live concerts by an enormous array of musicians. And so can you!

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Other Stuff You Might Like: La Blogotheque

Many of the sites I’ve featured in the “Other Stuff You Might Like” series have a common thread: excellent, impromptu concerts by established and upcoming musicians.  We’ve looked at Luxury Wafers, Black Cab Sessions, They Shoot Music – Don’t They, and NPR Music.  (And I’m sure to get around to Daytrotter before too long…)  Now, from France, we’ve got the excellent blog La Blogotheque, and its excellent Take-Away Shows (or, if you prefer, Les Concerts à Emporter).  The site’s catalog of artists is truly amazing, as are the performances, and so I invite you to come have a look…

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