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Home > Austin Music Source > Archives > 2008 > January > 03 > Entry
R.E.M., Daniel Lanois, French punks to play SXSW
R.E.M. is confirmed for this year’s SXSW, playing one of only a handful of American dates before its 14th album, “Accelerate,” arrives on April 1 and the band launches a larger tour later in the year. Word has it that, per the album title, the record will be a return to faster songs.
The band last played Austin in 2003 as an Austin City Limits Music Festival headliner.
R.E.M. is in need of a hit. The band’s most recent album, the 2007 double disc “Live,” tanked, debuting at No. 72 in October, and vanishing from the charts soon after, according to Nielsen Soundscan. The band’s last studio album was the mid-tempo 2004 collection, “Around the Sun,” which was met with mixed reviews and indifferent commercial response.
Other confirmed acts include Daniel Lanois, Domino Records artists the Kills, Lightspeed Champion, Sons & Daughters and French synth-punks Cheveu.
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By Steven
January 4, 2008 12:14 AM | Link to this
A good way to preview the new album is to search for “R.E.M. Dublin” on YouTube… a number of fans who attended the “working rehearsals” the band played in Dublin recorded clips of the shows, and the songs they played were definitely stronger than anything on “Around the Sun”.
By Thirteenburn
January 5, 2008 9:32 PM | Link to this
I went to Youtube (thanks for the heads up Steven!!) and played “These Days”. It’s nice to see that REM is getting back to what made them a great band, i.e. rocking songs and very little “art house” political mumbo jumbo. I like my music to be free of the PC histrionics I have to deal with on a day to day basis, much like the music of the 80’s Hollywood Hair Metal was.
Good stuff an am looking forward to hearing the new REM in it’s entirety.
By Line Waiter
January 7, 2008 9:22 PM | Link to this
Any idea when wristbands will be sold…and how? Plus, day parties are in no danger in 08, right?
By club kingsnake
January 8, 2008 11:46 PM | Link to this
We scooped the statesman! BOO YAH! One for the internet press!
From Dec. 22nd, 2007 post on club kingsnake…
“In other SXSW rumor news, a very well connected birdy has given me a list of some very likely candidates to make official showcases OR very surprise appearances. His list includes the following bands…
R.E.M. The Beastie Boys Matisyahu Les Claypool The National The Roots STS9 The Wailers Ozomatli Blind Melon Ghostland Observatory Ani DiFranco
Since most, if not all, of these bands and artists have performed at SXSW in the past, and they have all been announced at other spring festivals, odds are high that this list is correct. Peter Buck of R.E.M. has done sets at Roky Erickson’s Ice Cream Social which occurs during SXSW, including last years, and last year the rumor was that R.E.M. would make a surprise appearance. That rumor turned out to be wrong, though I don’t think anyone was disappointed when Spoon played instead.”