R.E.M. to preview Accelerate on iLike, tour this summer

Alt-rock pioneers R.E.M. will be streaming their new album Accelerate live on social networking application iLike a week ahead of its April 1 release, Billboard.com reports.

Faced with a musical landscape where many traditional retailers have seen their sales dwindle as digital music outlets such as iTunes and Rhapsody have risen in popularity, the band’s frontman Michael Stipe told Billboard the band didn’t want to be left behind. “I think you can either go with it or sit back and watch it happen,” he said, “and I would rather be out on the field than in the bleachers.”

Accelerate’s 11 tracks will be available for streaming and sharing beginning March 24 on iLike.com, or on social websites with iLike applications including Facebook.com and iTunes. The album will be accompanied by an exclusive video of the band members discussing the new album.

In anticipation of Accelerate’s release, the band played at last weekend’s Langerado Music Festival in the South Florida Everglades, and will be performing another show at SXSW this week. And in May, the band will begin a month-long North American tour before heading to Europe in August.

Dates:

May
28 - Vancouver, B.C. @ Deer Lake Park
29 - Los Angeles, Calif. @ Hollywood Bowl
31 - Berkeley, Calif. @ The Greek Theatre

June
3 - Denver, Colo. @ Red Rocks Amphitheatre
6 - Chicago, Ill. @ United Center
8 - Toronto, Ont. @ Molson Amphitheatre
10 - Raleigh, N.C. @ Walnut Creek Amphitheatre
11 - Washington D.C. @ Merriweather Post Pavillion
13 - Boston, Mass. @ Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts
14 - Long Island, N.Y. @ Jones Beach Theater
18 - Philadelphia, Pa. @ Mann Center for the Performing Arts
19 - New York City, N.Y. @ TBA
21 - Atlanta, Ga. @ Lakewood Amphitheatre

Related links:
R.E.M.com
R.E.M. on MySpace
Paste: R.E.M. Decides to Accelerate New Album Process

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