R.E.M.’s Peter Buck releasing second vinyl-only solo album, touring with Alejandro Escovedo

Former R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck is back with his second solo album, another vinyl-only release — ambitiously titled I Am Back To Blow Your Mind Once Again — that he’ll support with a short round of dates later this month in the Midwest and South opening for and then backing roots-rocker Alejandro Escovedo

Like his 2012 self-titled solo debut, Buck’s new album is being released through Mississippi Records, and can be ordered through the label. Amazon.com also shows it being released Tuesday.

Buck announced the effort via a recent posting to R.E.M.’s website (see below), and more recently, discussed the pending tour with Escovedo, which opens next week in Milwaukee: “I’ve known Alejandro since the ‘True Believer’ days, and it’s an honor to be able to open for him. I’m also looking forward to backing him during his set. See y’all there.”

See full tour dates below.

From Peter Buck: “Bo Diddley 3AM”

Hey everybody, this is Peter. I am back in Mexico gearing up for the 3rd annual Todos Santos Music Festival. By gearing up I mean that I am drinking tequila at 3am and listening to Bo Diddley. What a mighty, mighty man he was, ever changing always the same. But that has nothing to do with this screed. I am here to talk about my second solo record.

The record is finished and will be available any day now. It is called “I Am Back To Blow Your Mind Once Again.” No false modesty, maybe no modesty at all, I once saw an orangutan try to break into a box of live lobsters on Hollywood Blvd. That blew my mind. I am hoping my album does the same for yours. If you can’t find it at your local small retailer the best way to obtain it is on the web at www.littleaxerecords.com. They will be taking orders soon and the record should be available to ship by the end of the month. This being indie world all dates are approximate.

The last record I put out I gave the working phone number of the record company as a contact point. I got a panicked phone call at 12:30pm the next day from Eric who owns and manages Mississippi Records. He was completely freaked out, their answering machine was full and the phone was ringing every 15 seconds. In an outraged voice he told me, “We had to unplug the phone!”

A sane person might ask, who wants to be on a record label who unplugs their phone on the day of release because of too many orders? That person would be me. I spent over 30 years in what is laughably called the professional music business, and I came to the conclusion that there were 3 things that I loved: writing songs, recording songs, and playing songs. So that is how I run my business in conjunction with Mississippi Records: no interviews, no photos, no videos, no promo copies for radio play or reviews. The record is out there. It can be found. And I am pleasured beyond belief that 6,000 of you managed to find the last one. We have pressed up more this time so they should be easier to get. I am doing exactly what I love in exactly the way I want to do it.

I will be hitting the road in certain places this Spring, starting in February with Alejandro Escovedo. Keep up with REMHQ.com. It’s the only way I seem to be able to communicate regularly with the outside world beyond personal conversations.

Peter Buck

Alejandro Escovedo and Peter Buck tour dates:

Feb. 20: Turner Hall Ballroom, Milwaukee, WI
Feb. 21: The Magic Bag, Ferndale, MI
Feb. 22: Lincoln Hall, Chicago, IL
Feb. 23: Stuart’s Opera House, Nelsonville, OH
Feb. 25: The Kent Stage, Kent, OH
Feb. 26: Taft Theatre, Cincinnati, OH
Feb. 28: The Georgia Theater, Athens, GA
March 1: The Earl, Atlanta, GA

PREVIOUSLY ON SLICING UP EYEBALLS

• Video: R.E.M.’s Peter Buck, Bill Berry and Mike Mills play ‘Superman’ in Portland
• R.E.M. carefully avoids actual reunion as all 4 members play Peter Buck’s wedding
• R.E.M.’s Peter Buck to release ‘monkey concept single,’ re-press solo debut
• Video: R.E.M.’s Peter Buck, Mike Mills go back to ‘Rockville’ with Ed Kowalczyk of Live