Who Needs Klosterman or Fricke

when you have Stephen Colbert?

This is one of the best, most insightful — and, well, damn funny — interviews with R.E.M. I’ve ever seen. The Peabodiment of TV news anchors threw some tough questions at my boys, but they held up under all that scrutiny — and made me laugh until I cried.

The boys performed “Supernatural Superserious” — and the performance is on “The Colbert Report” Web site.

I am loving Michael's style these days. The boy knows how to wear a suit, doesn't he?

Acceleration week continues!

* * * * * *

Live from Rockefeller Plaza

In case you missed R.E.M. this morning on the “Today” show:

Losing My Religion

Supernatural Superserious

It’s a weeklong Accelerate celebration — I guess that’s an Acceleration!

* * * * * *

Accelerate My Heart

Yeah, okay, maybe the title reeks of hyperbole. But just a little. I haven’t been this excited about a new R.E.M. album since New Adventures in Hi-Fi was released in the fall of 1996.

And today I get to hold Accelerate in my excited little hands!

No more online streaming. The end of leaked MP3s. I’ve downloaded my preordered iTunes, counted down the minutes to the CD clasp. Every moment not spent in meetings will be spent groovin’ to the album.

And I’m gonna rawk!

It’s a short album — but, oh, what my boys can do in thirtysomething minutes. Some say it's a return to the Document days. I think my boys have finally gotten over Bill Berry leaving, and they're having fun playing together again.

Join me in the Accelerate celebration. I hope you caught their interview with Anthony Mason on “Sunday Morning” over the weekend; it was a good interview. R.E.M. is performing on “The Today Show” this morning (which I’ll miss, seeing as I work hard for the money). They’re also scheduled to be on “The Colbert Report” tomorrow night — the first time a band has performed on the show.

Yeah, yeah. Chris Funk battled guitars with Colbert a year or so ago — but it wasn’t the full Decemberists lineup.

It’s going to be a week of R.E.M. An announcement, a love song of sorts, some trivia, great tunes.

Damn, I am one happy girl today.

* * * * * *

R.E.M. :: Supernatural Superserious

The first single/video from Accelerate. Get up offa that thing and dance, kids!



When is the new album coming out? Have you superseriously not noticed the coundtown on the navbar?

Not long before I'm dancing on lawns in your East Coast town ...

* * * * * *

Why I Love R.E.M.: Reason *69

Last Tuesday marked the 35th anniversary of Roe v. Wade. And how did my beloveds mark that anniversary?

Could they be any cuter?

By debuting one of their new songs at Babeland — a woman-friendly sex shop in New York (Seattle, too). How frickin’ cool is that????

Go here for details. Damn, what I would have paid to be there.

BTW, I’ve shopped and spent at the SoHo store, and I highly recommend a pop-in. You won’t feel uncomfortable; you’ll be relaxed and giddy — while shopping in the store, and when you get home and start sampling your stash.

UPDATE: R.E.M. just announced their North American tour! Want me to crash on your sofa and take you on the musical trip of a lifetime? (Observing me at an R.E.M. show is a hoot.) Click here to see if you can join me!

* * * * * *