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R.E.M. To Release Album Via Facebook
Written by Vince Pettit | Wednesday, March 12, 2008 |
In a bold new move, R.E.M, best known for their presence in the alternative music scene of the early nineties, have announced that they will be debuting their forthcoming album Accelerate on social networking site Facebook. The album will be available to listen to via the website’s music application iLike a week before its physical release on March 31st, a similar practice to that on rival social site MySpace, most recently with Nick Cave and The Bad Seed’s new album Dig!!! Lazarus Dig!!!
Known to experiment with technology in the dissemination of their music, R.E.M recently uploaded footage of themselves allowing their fans to edit it and create their own video for the first single off the new album, “Supernatural Superserious”. As a band with a repertoire spanning more than two decades, their acknowledgement of the changing format of the music industry was confirmed by front man Stipe in an interview with billboard.com – “I think you can either go with it or sit back and watch it happen, and I would rather be out on the field than in the bleachers.”
Amongst other established band’s attempts to co-operate with the challenge the download movement presents to the music industry (such as Radiohead’s release of latest album “In Rainbows” as a “pay-as-you-like” download) critics have aired concerns of such moves devaluing music and preventing smaller bands from accessing commercial success. However, with “Accelerate” not being available for free download coupled with the probability of albums being leaked in today’s industry, R.E.M’s decision seems a step in the direction that the sudden amalgamation of technology and music necessitates.
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