It’s an election year, which means a steady stream of musicians asking candidates to stop playing their music at campaign rallies. Now comes R.E.M., which today demanded Fox News stop its “unlicensed and unauthorized” use of the band’s “Losing My Religion” in its coverage of the Democratic National Convention.

Today we celebrate one of the more significant milestones in the college-rock era, the 30th anniversary of the release of R.E.M.’s debut EP, ‘Chronic Town.’ the five-song record that launched the band and, in many ways, the ’80s indie scene. To commemorate this classic record we present audio of a 1982 concert.

The series launched this summer, and, so far, titles are available on Joy Division/New Order, The Smiths, Cocteau Twins and David Bowie. Next month sees publication of a title on Kate Bush, with books due in spring and summer 2013 on Abba, My Bloody Valentine, Kraftwerk, PIxies, R.E.M. and Roxy Music.

Welcome to the Week in Rock, where we round up all of the headlines posted on this site over the past week. This edition includes items about Dead Can Dance, R.E.M.’s Peter Buck, The Fixx, The Mission, OMD, Laibach, The Wedding Present, Killing Joke, Morrissey, Devo, Madness and more.

Scott McCaughey tells the Seattle Weekly that former R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck’s self-titled album — with guest turns by Mike Mills and Sleater-Kinney’s Corin Tucker — could be out as early as next month, when Buck debuts his new band, dubbed Richard M. Nixon, at a pair of Seattle shows with Young Fresh Fellows.

This week’s round-up of headlines includes items about The House of Love, Kate Bush, Peter Gabriel, Elizabeth Fraser, Robert Smith, World Party, My Bloody Valentine, New Order, Billy Bragg, The Stone Roses, Bob Mould, PiL, Paul Weller and more — plus our latest Auto Reverse mixtape.