New R.E.M.

R.E.M. has released a host of new material from their forthcoming album-- most of it boring, some of it fairly good:



R.E.M. is originally from Athens, GA, where I spent most of my childhood.
I met Stipe in a bookstore two years ago in L.A. He signed one of my pickguards (I don't play- I just carry them around for signing purposes). He asked me (honestly) "which side is up?" before he signed it.
Huh... 30 years into the game he remains unknowledgable about instruments. More power to him.