Today’s assortment of online odds and ends includes a great new Smiths/Morrissey visual discography, a podcast of The Fall’s best Peel sessions, the first taste of Peter Buck’s and Steve Wynn’s second Baseball Project album, and an interview with Chrissie Hynde.
The influence of R.E.M. on indie-folk outfit The Decemberists is no secret, so it’s no surprise to see that Colin Meloy and Co. trotted out a cover of ‘Cuyahoga’ off ‘Lifes Rich Pageant’ during the band’s visit to KCRW’s ‘Morning Becomes Eclectic’ on Thursday.
Peter Buck is no stranger to jumping on stage for a good jam, so when former Hüsker Dü frontman Bob Mould swung through Athens, Ga., on July 25, 1990, in support of ‘Black Sheets of Rain,’ the R.E.M. guitarist pitched in on a crunchy cover of Neil Young’s classic-rock staple ‘Cinnamon Girl.’
Members of R.E.M.’s fan club have begun receiving their annual holiday single in the mail, and, like last year’s, the 2010 installment features the return of departed drummer Bill Berry on a cover of Darlene Love’s classic ‘Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)’ — as well as an instrumental mashup of three tracks off the band’s forthcoming album ‘Collapse Into Now.’
Anyone who saw the ‘Monster’ tour in 1995 no doubt remembers that ‘Country Feedback,’ off 1991’s not-toured ‘Out of Time,’ was the set’s highlight, capped off each night with a mesmerizing solo from Peter Buck — a guitarist not generally prone to long turns in the spotlight.
The latest side project from R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck — the country-tinged Tired Pony, fronted by Snow Patrol singer Gary Lightbody — stopped by the ‘Late Show with David Letterman’ last night to perform ‘Dead American Writers,’ off the band’s just-released debut ‘The Place We Ran From.’
R.E.M. tonight posted a minute-long video of the band’s recent recording sessions in Nashville, showing, in typically enigmatic fashion, Michael Stipe playing high-pitched noises off some kind of contraption while the rest of the band and assorted personnel record a round of handclaps — after which Peter Buck asks, ‘Should we double track it?’
Q&A: Daniel Ash on Love and Rockets’ reunion, his new band — and figuring out how to play “So Alive” 
Q&A: Chris Frantz talks Talking Heads, Tom Tom Club and new book ‘Remain in Love’ 
Q&A: Steve Wynn on The Dream Syndicate’s first new album in nearly 30 years 
Q&A: Bauhaus’ David J on his ‘accidental’ concept album ‘Not Long For This World’ 
Q&A: Peter Murphy on ‘Ninth,’ Bauhaus’ break-up, reuniting Dalis Car 
Q&A: Joey Santiago on Pixies’ ‘Doolittle’ tour, possible ‘Surfer Rosa’ shows, new album talk 
Q&A: Prefab Sprout’s Paddy McAloon on new album, changing the world with music 
Q&A: Peter Hook talks ‘Unknown Pleasures’ tour, re-recording Joy Division 