R.E.M. prep Live CD/DVD package, more

After 25 years of performing together as a band, a few things happened to R.E.M.:

* The group got inducted into some old boys' club in Cleveland.

* Michael Stipe learned how to an-nun-ci-ate.

* The band's formerly scraggly, college-aged fans grew up and made enough money to be able to afford numerous R.E.M. recording packages.

Owing to a terrific confluence of these three factors, R.E.M. will release R.E.M. Live, two CDs and a DVD documenting the band's 2005 domination of Dublin's Point Theatre. The busy beavers at Stereogum have a track listing and video from the Dublin performance, so give them a look. Ignore Stipe's facial stripe, if you can.

Meanwhile, as we reported last month, the pieces of the band's new album are swiftly falling into place. There's been no new word since then (the guys are really committed to promoting this live release thing), but R.E.M. album #14 is still slated for a 2008 release.

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