"Hard as we may try to make something supercool, it's just not going to happen." --Michael Stipe

The frontman says that while his band has a "geeky" style, it "may be one of our strengths." We'd agree: Geek is chic.

Social and political commentary abound in R.E.M.'s latest video from 'Accelerate.' Shot during a concert in Dublin, the song's clip is an exercise in stark, high-contrast black & white. Check out the Spinner exclusive premiere below.
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R.E.M. have always had a thing or two to say about the world at large. The alt-rock legends' most recent album, 'Accelerate,' is as much an unapologetic commentary on the state of the nation as it is a return to the band's raw, guitar-driven sound. For their latest single, 'Man-Sized Wreath,' Michael Stipe and the boys sought out the Toronto-based production studio Crush to provide an animated vision for their song's socially conscious message.

Fans who attended the June 19 concert at Madison Square Garden in New York were treated to a sneak peek of the video, which mainly features computer-generated graphics and photo-collaged imagery. In the clip, a CG trail of cubes and a crudely designed motorcade are used to make a bold statement on the callous power of authority, and the distractions that keep people from recognizing the trouble around them.

Top Summer Tours

'Stand'
--R.E.M. (1988)

The beloved Athens, Ga. band really stopped giving it the old college try with this inane dance instructional. Pop music being what it is, these melancholy babies had one of their first big hits with this self-consciously annoying, frivolous song. "Think about direction, wonder why you haven't before," Michael Stipe sings. Ironically, this was the moment his band began to lose its way.

"We went from being the greatest band on earth to being old, miserable has-beens." --Peter Buck

In a recent interview in support of their new album, 'Accelerate,' R.E.M.'s guitarist reflected on the band's roller-coaster career.

Our decidedly New York Spinner staff has descended on Austin, Texas, and we aren't looking back. Wednesday night we warmed things up a bit with some blissful familiarity, catching up with both R.E.M. and the Lemonheads. Yesterday morning we started things off right with gingerbread pancakes, then promptly ventured off to see some young blood.

Settling in at NPR's handpicked showcases, we caught up with Jens Lekman, Shout Out Louds, Yeasayer, Bon Iver and Vampire Weekend at the Parish Room venue on 6th Street. Ra Ra Riot also provided us with some hometown flavor with their show at Emo's. Get the visuals from these shows and more of our outings after the jump.

'The One I Love'
--R.E.M. (1987)

The Kiss-Off: "A simple prop to occupy my time"

Oh, Monsieur Stipe, you are a clever, clever man. Wholly uninterested in writing the old, formulaic type of romantic ditty, the singer crafted his band's first big pop hit by masking a wicked putdown as an old, formulaic type of love song.