I Am Trying to Break Your Wallet

We're just back from mastering the record... so it's done & in the can and everyone's ready to hit the road all spring, summer and beyond. The dates and presales are going up fast and furious.

Already on sale are: Berkeley and Lake Tahoe (Stateline, NV).

Just announced: Cincinnati, Oklahoma City, El Paso, Tucson, Pomona and two shows in LA

And more are coming very shortly. We'll hit you with another email later this week detailing further plans for the East coast in July.

I love getting email on Monday mornings from a favourite band. This one with new release and touring news. Summer 09 may indeed shape up to be one of the best music summers in a long time. Oh, and loyal Tweedyites musn't forget the Ashes of American Flags DVD out next Saturday (April 18th) for Record Store Day. Wilco will also be kicking off the new touring season with a live webcast from Milwaukee's Pabst Theater this Wednesday night at http://wilcoworld.net/roadcase/Prior to the first show, Wilco will be at Miller Park for the Brewers game on Monday night where Jeff Tweedy is scheduled to throw out the first pitch.

Good to be a Wilco fan huh?

Begin the Begin (Again)

R.E.M. Releasing Dublin Rehearsals and Deluxe Reckoning

I honestly didn’t think I would still be talking about a band I fell in love with over twenty seven years ago let alone getting excited about the prospect of more additions to my music library. But a certain Athens band does have a certain effect on me. After what could be best be described as a “stellar” 2008, R.E.M. have a couple of releases planned for the current year. Although no new music is planned they'll release a live album culled from their 2007 Dublin, Ireland working rehearsals and a deluxe version of 1984's pivotal album Reckoning.

According to a recent posting on R.E.M.’s website REMHQ- “…the Dublin package will be something very special including more than 'just the music,' although 'just the music' those five nights at the Olympia was pretty incredible itself".

R.E.M. played a string of shows in Dublin in July 2007 to warm up for their tour and test new material that ended up on last year's Accelerate.

Also planned this year is a deluxe version of the band’s seminal 1984 album Reckoning. Let’s hope it maintains the same artistic integrity and creative vision their deluxe version of Murmur had late last year. No word yet on what bonus material will be included. Personally I’m hoping for nicely remastered cover versions the "Velvet’s Pale Blue Eyes" and "Femme Fatale".

Lastly, in a recent REMHQ interview Peter Buck has said R.E.M. plan to regroup in the next few months to begin work on "exploratory demos" for a new album for likely release in 2010.

R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck, drummer Bill Rieflin and multi-instrumentalist Scott McCaughey are touring Australia as part of Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3 in support of last month's release of the band's second album, Goodnight Oslo. The band will play 13 U.S. shows and an April 16 gig at Toronto's Mod Club next month and will also perform at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Manchester, Tennessee on June 13th.