R.E.M. never really reverted to their "vintage" sound. Listen to Peter Buck on The Decemberists' "Calamity song" or "Down by the Water": that's vintage R.E.M. - I can' think of any R.E.M. songs after 1986 that sound like that.

Well, he writes songs about lunatics killing women, which is slightly different.

True, but his delivery on "I believe in God, I believe in mermaids too, I believe in 72 virgins on a chain… why not why not why not."

Dammit, I felt so cool being the first kid in my class to get the internet in 1997.

Ripley's Game is absolutely fantastic, beautifully directed and Malkovich is the perfect Ripley.

Seeing it in a Belgian theatre was great and the huge laughs gave me a great sense of my nation's self-loathing. (Or maybe we were just pleased to be acknowledged)

Seeing it in a Belgian theatre was great and the huge laughs gave me a great sense of my nation's self-loathing. (Or maybe we were just pleased to be acknowledged)

Don't know man, copycat killers!

It's so much better I can seriously hardly believe it's the same band. "We are young" is one of the songs I hated most this year, while "Some Nights" is probably in my top 5 favourites.

It's so much better I can seriously hardly believe it's the same band. "We are young" is one of the songs I hated most this year, while "Some Nights" is probably in my top 5 favourites.

http://www.youtube.com/watc… Go to 2 minutes in this video. That does not sound like Queen at all, right?

http://www.youtube.com/watc… Go to 2 minutes in this video. That does not sound like Queen at all, right?

It was also some really clumsy exposition. "As you know…"-level stuff, just like Matthews adding "Before Doakes blew it up!" to La Guerta's "Here's where the cabin used to be…"

It was also some really clumsy exposition. "As you know…"-level stuff, just like Matthews adding "Before Doakes blew it up!" to La Guerta's "Here's where the cabin used to be…"

I liked it better when it was a subplot in "You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger". OK no, I hated it then as well.

I liked it better when it was a subplot in "You Will Meet a Tall Dark Stranger". OK no, I hated it then as well.

"Rhiannon" by Best Coast is my favorite on this album, and I'm usually not too crazy about them.

"Rhiannon" by Best Coast is my favorite on this album, and I'm usually not too crazy about them.

I hear Patti Smith's version of "Are you experienced?" http://www.youtube.com/watc…

I hear Patti Smith's version of "Are you experienced?" http://www.youtube.com/watc…