R.E.M. has announced that Peter Buck’s signature Rickenbacker guitar was stolen from the stage immediately following the band’s performance on September 9th at Finnair Stadium in Helsinki, Finland.

The instrument is Buck’s iconic signature Rick, which has been the staple of the guitarist’s arsenal both live and in the studio since the band released its first EP Chronictown in 1982. The guitar means a great deal to Buck and to R.E.M.

It is R.E.M.’s sincere hope that whomever is responsible for the loss, or whomever has information leading to the guitar’s recovery will come forward. The band is offering a generous reward, no questions asked. Anyone with information is being asked to email tips to fanclub@remtour.com or call (001) 706-353-6689. For further details, please visit www.remhq.com.

R.E.M. have released a brand-new live digital EP, entitled Live in London, which is now available exclusively on iTunes. The EP features nine songs recorded during the band’s performance at the Apple Store on London’s Regent Street on March 26th, 2008. Live in London features five tracks from Accelerate — R.E.M.’s 14th studio album — including the singles “Supernatural Superserious,” “Hollow Man,” and the latest “Man-Sized Wreath,” as well as old favorites “West Of The Fields” (from 1983’s Murmur), “Fall on Me” (from 1986’s Life’s Rich Pageant), and “Man on the Moon” (from 1992’s Automatic For the People).

REM - Hollowman

“Hollow Man,” the second single from R.E.M.’s new album Accelerate, premiered exclusively on MySpace TV on Wednesday, April 23rd. The video for “Hollow Man” was created by Crush Inc. — a cutting edge graphic-design and production studio based in Toronto.

R.E.M front man Michael Stipe had this to say about the innovative clip...

"I wanted Hollow Man to be a piece that creates a chaotic universe that only really occurs on a desktop, backlit and made of light, and to allow within that universe varying levels of, and glimpses into, intimacy and distance, abstraction and distraction, focus and avoidance. All the things that flash across the conscious mind when you're trying to work your way through something. The Pixelman became the kind of unconscious; direct, calm and absolute, but ultimately unclear in his direction.

I had the idea that Crush could provide a completely made up universe that references our world but flattens it out and mixes in the turmoil and tumult of emotion; in essence, like the character in the song, overwhelmed, incomplete, emptied out, on repeat.

Crush delivered brilliant ideas which became several roughs, and we worked closely on the ideas, bouncing them off of Chris Bilheimer and a few trusted allies and artists. I was inspired by Douglas Coupland (http://www.coupland.com), various websites that invite web experimentation that I discovered with Jacknife Lee (http://www.jacknifelee.com), and Eliot's "The Hollow Men". It was great fun working with Crush (http://www.crushinc.com). I think the result is staggering. We are already at work on our next project together."

- Michael Stipe

Please click on the link to hear an in-depth 40 minute interview with R.E.M. on NPR's "Fresh Air" that aired on April 9th.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=89491734

Here's a still from R.E.M.'s appearance on the April 2nd episode of "The Colbert Report."
The band released "Accelerate" on April 1st.

Here's a still from R.E.M.'s appearance on the April 2nd episode of "The Colbert Report."
The band released "Accelerate" on April 1st.

Click on the link to view the interview with Today's Matt Lauer and performance of "Supernatural Superserious" from R.E.M.'s highly lauded April 1st release of ACCELERATE.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22425001/vp/23898741#23898741

Click on the link to see R.E.M. perform "Hollow Man" from their April 1st release "Accelerate" on NBC's TODAY.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22425001/vp/23899715#23899715