The Library of Congress today added R.E.M.’s debut single ‘Radio Free Europe’ — one of the cornerstones of ’80s college rock — to its National Recording Registry, honoring the landmark song as ‘culturally, historically or aesthetically significant.’

The 2010 installment of Athens PopFest will feature headlining sets by Mission of Burma and The Wedding Present — which will play 1989’s ‘Bizarro’ in its entirety — as well as Dead Milkmen singer Joe Jack Talcum and the reunited Oh-OK, the early ’80s act featuring Lynda Stipe, sister of R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe.

In this late-’70s news footage from a Kansas City TV station, R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe is among the fans interviewed about the ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ phenomenon — in full Frank-N-Furter regalia.

R.E.M. will mark the 25th anniversary of their third album, ‘Fables of the Reconstruction,’ this summer with the third installment in the band’s ongoing reissue series, a double-disc re-release featuring 14 previously unreleased demos — including one never-before-heard song.

Apparently taking a break from recording R.E.M.’s next album in New Orleans, Michael Stipe last week uploaded a series of five short, someone nonsensical videos titled ‘Tribute to YouTube 5 Year.’

Promise Ring offshoot Maritime covers the Depeche Mode classic ‘Enjoy the Silence,’ with a keytar no less, for the A.V. Club’s ‘Undercover’ series.

Attention tapeheads: The ever-iconoclastic Robyn Hitchcock is releasing an ultra-limited run of his new album ‘Propellor Time’ — on which he’s backed by members of R.E.M. and The Smiths — on ‘hand-assembled’ cassette.