Summerbirds in the Cellar is playing now and it is beautiful.
posted by plexi at 6:11 PM on March 12, 2008

Cool, thanks.
posted by nzero at 6:14 PM on March 12, 2008

Their audio engineers seriously need to get their shit together...three volume drops, punctuated by ridiculous volume increases...blech.
posted by nzero at 6:20 PM on March 12, 2008

*got the bejeezus scared out of me*
posted by nzero at 6:21 PM on March 12, 2008

Wnt connect for me.

Odd
posted by Senor Cardgage at 6:29 PM on March 12, 2008

Thanks. I didn't miss being there till just....now. I think I need to pour a bunch of lukewarm beer into a big ass cup, find the best bbq in striking distance, smoke way too many cigarettes and make a mental picture of all the awesomely awesomely bad pasty white skin baking in the sun and try to properly re-create the mood.
posted by chandy72 at 6:33 PM on March 12, 2008

NPR and REM are a great combination-- only old white people like either of them.
posted by Mayor Curley at 6:37 PM on March 12, 2008 [4 favorites]

witty
posted by found missing at 6:41 PM on March 12, 2008

found missing, no you're thinking of another longtime Mefi asshole.
posted by notsnot at 7:00 PM on March 12, 2008

Kinda misleading as REM dont come on for 3 more hours
posted by Senor Cardgage at 7:01 PM on March 12, 2008

"I'm 37. I'm not old."
posted by Auden at 7:23 PM on March 12, 2008 [2 favorites]

I'm young colored and I love NPR.
posted by Shakeer at 7:26 PM on March 12, 2008

mayor curley: "hanging on to outdated imperialist dogma which perpetuates the economic and social differences in our society"
posted by found missing at 7:27 PM on March 12, 2008 [1 favorite]

Meanwhile, someone has gone through the torrent of all the bands playing at SXSW, and given each band and song a six word review. Some of them are quite funny.
posted by awfurby at 7:28 PM on March 12, 2008 [1 favorite]

only old white people like either of them.

I dunno... most of the old white people I know like Nat King Cole.
posted by flapjax at midnite at 7:41 PM on March 12, 2008

mayor curley: "hanging on to outdated imperialist dogma which perpetuates the economic and social differences in our society"

Do you mean that there wouldn't be an underclass if poor people would waste their money on REM CDs that came after "Green"? Or that there wouldn't be any more racism if only people of color would stop and listen to Terry Gross fawning over the guy who edits the New York Times crossword puzzle?

P.S. Public broadcasting paid for the computer that I'm typing this from. How's that for subversiveness and sticking it to the man? Let me know when your sociology class from 1993 lets out.
posted by Mayor Curley at 7:49 PM on March 12, 2008 [1 favorite]

Do you mean that there wouldn't be an underclass if poor people would waste their money on REM CDs that came after "Green"?

That's Green from 1988.

So who's old? Certainly not the "I stopped listening 20 years ago" guy.

By the way, alot of people much younger than you consider Automatic For The People to not only be the bands finest record, but a stone classic pop album. But whatever, you came in here to bleat like a troll so have at it.
posted by Senor Cardgage at 7:53 PM on March 12, 2008

(What I object to is that you automatically treat me like an inferior.)
posted by Auden at 7:56 PM on March 12, 2008

That's Green from 1988.

So who's old? Certainly not the "I stopped listening 20 years ago" guy.

I'm old, yes. Next Christmas I'll be 35. But I can tell when a group's long past its expiration date. Maybe that's just the wisdom that comes with my advanced age.

By the way, alot of people much younger than you consider Automatic For The People to not only be the bands finest record, but a stone classic pop album.

That's the one with the immortal classic "Everybody Hurts" on it, right? You're right-- no way you can dismiss that.
posted by Mayor Curley at 8:14 PM on March 12, 2008 [1 favorite]

(What I object to is that you automatically treat me like an inferior.)

Auden, we're essentially the same age. You're just not as cynical as I am. (C'mon, man! You're Generation X! Get more cynical! We're gonna be in charge soon!)
posted by Mayor Curley at 8:19 PM on March 12, 2008

"Everybody Hurts" is a crap song.
A crap song on a classic album.

Let's approach this this way:

Curley, you tell me what new, if any, bands youre into.
Im not going to judge you over the internet based on the quality of the bands, as that is subjective and stupid.

But if, as I suspect may well be the case, there really arent any or the newest one is from the 20th century, then your thoughts on this matter say less about the quality of the bands post-Green work and more to do with you yourself.

By the way, Ill be 34 in a couple months.
posted by Senor Cardgage at 8:24 PM on March 12, 2008

It was all downhill after the band left IRS Records. And I sometimes have doubts about Document.
posted by notyou at 8:30 PM on March 12, 2008 [1 favorite]

Wait, state-financed public broadcasting? I thought we were an autonomous collective.
posted by phooky at 8:30 PM on March 12, 2008

Next Christmas I'll be 35.

By the way, Ill be 34 in a couple months.

Ah, you youngsters, always arguing about music! And the funny thing is, all yer favorite bands suck!
posted by flapjax at midnite at 8:35 PM on March 12, 2008

awfurby wrote: six word reviews

Or to put it another way: When you were 23 and living alone without many friends and definitely no girlfriends, did you ever jerk off and cry at the same time? This is your song.


THAT is funny!
posted by lattiboy at 8:36 PM on March 12, 2008 [1 favorite]

REM 20 minutes away. Enjoying!
posted by humannaire at 8:49 PM on March 12, 2008

Look I grew up listening to REM and as much as I loved every album they put out, right up to "Monster" I'm with that fucking Yankee piece of shit Mayor Curley on this one ( may he never set foot on southern soil in danger of his life)
in all seriousness Mike if you're reading this stop, stop making music man. You guys had a good run, it's time to stop being so fucking lame.
posted by nola at 8:59 PM on March 12, 2008

I tend to agree with you nola, but the new songs are great.
Have you heard last summer's Dublin rehearsal shows?

This isnt a "pandering for past glory" U2 thing here, this is a really good turnaround.
posted by Senor Cardgage at 9:15 PM on March 12, 2008

No I've not heard any of their stuff for a while, I think I gave up around the release of . . . .(looking it up) . . . Up yeah that was the end of my fathful run with those guys, but I'd be willing to hear their new stuff; I just don't have much hope for it.
posted by nola at 9:19 PM on March 12, 2008

Do yourself a favor and check out the show when it starts here shortly.

They play fast again.
Buck tears up the guitar again.
Mike Mills backup vocals fly again.

By all accounts they killed at Langerado last weekend.

Just check out tonites show.

Plus, theyve been peppering the sets with alot of IRS-era stuff.
posted by Senor Cardgage at 9:21 PM on March 12, 2008

Now we see the violence inherent in the system!
posted by jokeefe at 10:06 PM on March 12, 2008

Wow, I kept wanting to complain about the discussion of REM by the MeFi gang, but the commentary on NPR right now is making all of us look like Greil Marcus.
posted by escabeche at 10:08 PM on March 12, 2008 [2 favorites]

On Peter Buck: "He's always played an amazing unique style."

Really! Please tell me more about this Peter Buck.

"He really does drive a lot of this R.E.M. sound and is really instrumental, frankly, in their comeback."

Do go on!

"What's great about R.E.M. is, they're a band."

Thanks for clearing that up!

"I can't wait to hear the roar of this crowd when R.E.M. takes the stage."

You and me both.
posted by escabeche at 10:10 PM on March 12, 2008 [2 favorites]

The bass guitar is on fire.
posted by plexi at 10:15 PM on March 12, 2008

They sound GOOD. Yes!

Thanks so much for the heads up.
posted by jokeefe at 10:18 PM on March 12, 2008

I'm starting to really have hopes for the new album....


Oh yeah, and "You don't vote for King!"
posted by jokeefe at 10:19 PM on March 12, 2008

Okay, who was the dork who just requested Shiny Happy People? Oy.
posted by jokeefe at 10:20 PM on March 12, 2008

sadly, I can't get it working in os x with firefox.
posted by mecran01 at 11:00 PM on March 12, 2008

Ah, got it. I can't believe they've been around for 20+ years.
posted by mecran01 at 11:03 PM on March 12, 2008

Best part of this thread was when Mayor Curley couldn't even tell that the imperialist dogma was a quote from Monty Python.

I can't stand "your music sucks, I don't even listen to them anymore" wankers. Go be elitists somewhere else.

btw, os x with firefox is just fine over here, but i see you've got it now.
posted by damclean2 at 11:22 PM on March 12, 2008

This is a badass show
posted by Senor Cardgage at 11:29 PM on March 12, 2008

but the commentary on NPR right now is making all of us look like Greil Marcus.

The commentary on NPR is fun, non-wanky and untedious?
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 12:03 AM on March 13, 2008

When I bought Murmer back in 1983, I remember a bunch of people telling me that their first record - Chronic Town EP was their high water mark. This continued with each album until they left IRS, at which point most of those folks started complaining that REM's high water mark was their years at IRS. Then, when Bill Berry left, most of those folks started complaining that the band should have broken up then.

I don't know. I've liked songs from pretty much every R.E.M. album from the first to the most recent. Most likely, I'll like songs from this album, too. Yeah, their sound has changed over the years, but sort of "thank heavens for that." I admire that they try different things.

In related Athens, GA music news, the B-52s have a new album coming out this month, too. The first single is good fun.
posted by Joey Michaels at 1:00 AM on March 13, 2008

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=IDTDTOO2

Das sh?w
posted by Senor Cardgage at 1:58 AM on March 13, 2008 [1 favorite]

I can't believe you people managed to make a flamewar out of this.

Also, everyone knows the best R.E.M. album is New Adventures in Hi-Fi.
posted by Target Practice at 4:08 AM on March 13, 2008

Best part of this thread was when Mayor Curley couldn't even tell that the imperialist dogma was a quote from Monty Python.

Yeah. I was a bit embarrassed when someone pointed it out to me in an email. Then I remembered the gamers at my college who used to sit in the student lounge every day and just repeat Holy Grail dialogue until they needed their inhalers, and I felt pretty good about missing it.
posted by Mayor Curley at 4:10 AM on March 13, 2008

I'm 45. (waaaaay old).
I cut my teeth on these boys. (they were an important part of my younger days and I swim in fond memories).
Bite me. (do I make fun of Snow Patrol?).
Hate is boring. (do I make fun of Snow Patrol?)
posted by Dizzy at 5:01 AM on March 13, 2008

Thanks Senor Cardgage! The band is clearly pretty fired up for this show.

Ah, got it. I can't believe they've been around for 20+ years

Much closer to 30, now.
posted by Adam_S at 6:09 AM on March 13, 2008

awfurby's six word reviews link can redeem this thread. I know it can. An excerpt:

"SOMETHING ELSE I GLEANED: Many people don¡¯t write songs for an audience. They write songs for Gray¡¯s Anatomy, for Zach Braff, and for Apple advertisements (Volkswagen if they¡¯re not ambitious). If I was in a band I would write a slow song with an 808, reverb, and a female vocalist, and call that song 'Zach Braff¡¯s Eyes Reflected in My Nano.' I would make sure it got to the right people. By which I mean Zach Braff, or one of the leech-like marketing creatures that feed from the skin of Steve Jobs under his mock turtleneck."
posted by sdodd at 9:03 AM on March 13, 2008

I'm 27 and person of color, and I love REM and NPR.

Though Around the Sun sucked big time.
posted by every_one_needs_a_hug_sometimes at 1:27 PM on March 13, 2008

Oh yes, Thanks for the Link, Plexi! :)
posted by every_one_needs_a_hug_sometimes at 1:27 PM on March 13, 2008

NPR has the concert up on their website to listen to. I'm enjoying it right now!

They sound really good.

I heard one of their new songs on the radio the other day and at first was like, "Who is this?" and then my synapses connected and I was like, "This is R.E.M?!" I haven't liked them since Monster. I might start liking them again.
posted by backwords at 2:53 PM on March 13, 2008

im 28. and i love NPR. and i have a lot of respect for what REM has done for popular music. and I'm from India. you should reserve this sort of logical reasoning and/or shock commentary for an I'm Judgemental and Sheltered thread. maybe you could start one.
posted by locoindio at 4:29 PM on March 13, 2008