Well, it appears 2009 is shaping up to be another big year for R.E.M.. Via a news update on the group's website, the Georgians revealed that they plan to release a new live album of their 2007 "Dublin Working Rehearsals" and a deluxe version of 1984's Reckoning before the year is up. What's more, R.E.M. already plan to start work on the follow-up to 2008's Accelerate and are set to soon begin recording some new "exploratory" demos.
For the live album, the material is culled from a string of shows in Dublin in 2007, which came as a tour warm-up and as a way to test of material that would end up on Accelerate. "The Dublin package will be something very special, including more than 'just the music,'" the post reads, "although 'just the music,' those five nights at the Olympia was pretty incredible itself." (We're guessing this talk means the record may be packaged with a DVD.)
In regards to the Reckoning reissue, the post says it will be done "in the same spirit" as last year's Murmur re-release. However, at this point, there is no word on what bonus material may be included on the deluxe redux of Reckoning, or when we can expect either of these two releases to hit store shelves.
In regards to R.E.M.'s proper new studio album, guitarist Peter Buck confirmed it's in the works. "Within the next few months, Mike and I, Scott and Bill will be recording some demos that are exploratory and sort of a precursor to what will be coming soon," Buck said in an interview posted on the band's website. "We are really looking forward to starting another full studio record later this year."
And while that's all Buck is giving us to go on with the new R.E.M. record, it looks as if we can expect two - maybe three - new R.E.M. releases sometime in 2009.
For the live album, the material is culled from a string of shows in Dublin in 2007, which came as a tour warm-up and as a way to test of material that would end up on Accelerate. "The Dublin package will be something very special, including more than 'just the music,'" the post reads, "although 'just the music,' those five nights at the Olympia was pretty incredible itself." (We're guessing this talk means the record may be packaged with a DVD.)
In regards to the Reckoning reissue, the post says it will be done "in the same spirit" as last year's Murmur re-release. However, at this point, there is no word on what bonus material may be included on the deluxe redux of Reckoning, or when we can expect either of these two releases to hit store shelves.
In regards to R.E.M.'s proper new studio album, guitarist Peter Buck confirmed it's in the works. "Within the next few months, Mike and I, Scott and Bill will be recording some demos that are exploratory and sort of a precursor to what will be coming soon," Buck said in an interview posted on the band's website. "We are really looking forward to starting another full studio record later this year."
And while that's all Buck is giving us to go on with the new R.E.M. record, it looks as if we can expect two - maybe three - new R.E.M. releases sometime in 2009.
