THE BREEDERS ***

 The Breeders are an American alternative rock band formed in 1988 by Kim Deal of the PixiesTanya Donelly of Throwing Muses. The band has experienced a number of line-up changes; the current line-up consists of Kim Deal (lead vocals and guitar), her twin sister Kelley Dealguitar and backing vocals), Jose Medeles (drums and percussion), Mando Lopez (bass guitar) and Cheryl Lyndsey (guitar); Kim Deal has been the band's sole continual member. Their first album, Pod (1990), received critical acclaim but was not commercially successful. The Breeders' most successful album, 1993's Last Splash, produced the hit single "Cannonball". The band's fourth album, Mountain Battles, was released in 2008. The band's name is gay slang for heterosexuals. 

History

Formation

In the 1970s in Dayton, Ohio, Kim and Kelley Deal had an acoustic guitar duo which played at open mic nights, and opened for John Kay of Steppenwolf. Despite reports to the contrary, this duo was just called Kim and Kelley, not The Breeders or The Breederz.

The Breeders' history began when Kim Deal, then bassist of the Pixies, began writing new material while the band were on a post-Surfer Rosa tour of Europe with Throwing Muses. As neither band had plans for the short term, Deal discussed possible side-projects with Throwing Muses guitarist Tanya Donelly. After rejecting the idea of creating a dance album together, the pair decided to form a new band. Carrie Bradley, violinist and vocalist in Ed's Redeeming Qualities, was recruited and they recorded a short demo tape. Tracks on the demo tape included early versions of "Lime House", "Doe" and "Only in 3's".

With the help of four drummers and bassist Ray Halliday The Breeders completed their demo tape and subsequently played one show at The Rathskeller in Boston, billed as a "Boston girl super-group". The band sent the tape to the English independent record label 4AD because both the Pixies and Throwing Muses had signed to the label. Upon hearing the tape 4AD head Ivo Watts-Russell remarked "This is absolutely magical, beautiful stuff", and signed them to the label.

Pod

The Breeders wanted to re-record the demo tape for a general release. 4AD gave the band an $11,000 budget and recruited Steve Albini, who had worked with Deal on the Pixies' 1988 album Surfer Rosa, to record in Edinburgh, Scotland for two weeks in December 1989. The Perfect Disaster's Josephine Wiggs joined the band as bassist. The Breeders were without a drummer, so Albini suggested Britt Walford of Slint join for the recording sessions. Deal met Walford after a Pixies concert in Chicago; Walford agreed to play drums on the album, and joined The Breeders under the assumed name of "Shannon Doughton".

The recording of Pod took only a week, so The Breeders used the remaining time to record several B-sides, a Peel Session and a video for "Hellbound". Released on 28 May 1990, Pod, although not commercially successful, received positive reviews from mainstream critics; The New York Times' Karen Schoemer wrote: "The angular melodies, shattered tempos and screeching dynamics recall elements of each of the women's full-time bands, but Pod has a smart, innovative edge all its own.". The album also was famously quoted by Kurt Cobain as one of his favorite records ever: "The main reason I like [The Breeders] is for their songs, for the way they structure them, which is totally unique, very atmospheric. I wish Kim was allowed to write more songs for the Pixies, because 'Gigantic' is the best Pixies song, and Kim wrote it." In July 2007, in a chat forum interview, Pod's engineer Steve Albini revealed that he considered the album to be amongst his best works.

Safari and Last Splash

Following Pod, The Breeders returned to their various projects. The Pixies released BossanovaTrompe le Monde in 1991, but by the end of 1991 were becoming less active. Deal, denied the opportunity to contribute material to a Pixies album, wrote new material for a Breeders release and recruited Kelley Deal on guitar. The band recorded the Safari EP in late 1991. After the recording of Safari, Donelly left The Breeders to form Belly. The Pixies became inactive in mid-1992, so Deal continued to write new material for The Breeders. By this time, Walford had become more reluctant to be identified as part of The Breeders, and was replaced by drummer Jim MacPherson. The band had become a full-time outfit, and opened for Nirvana in 1990 and on their 1992 European tour.

With the break-up of the Pixies in January 1993, The Breeders returned to the studio to record their second album. Last Splash appeared in August 1993 to widespread acclaim and commercial success. Three singles were released from the album, including "Cannonball", which made it to #2 on the Billboard Modern Rock Charts. In 1993, the band contributed the track "Iris" to the AIDS-Benefit Album No Alternative produced by the Red Hot Organization. As a result, The Breeders' visibility increased: 1994 saw Last Splash receive a platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America and the band secured a prime spot on the Lollapalooza tour.

Hiatus

In 1995, Kelley Deal was involved in a drug bust, so Kim Deal formed the side project The AmpsMacPherson, bassist Luis Lerma (member of the Dayton, Ohio band The Tasties) and guitarist Nate Farley, who later joined Guided by Voices. The Amps released the album PacerKelley Deal 6000 and also formed the Last Hard Men with Skid Row singer Sebastian Bach, Smashing Pumpkins drummer Jimmy Chamberlin, and Jimmy Flemion of The Frogs. with in October 1995. Following drug rehab, Kelley started the

In 1996 Kim Deal reclaimed the Breeders name and played several California dates; the lineup was essentially The Amps augmented by violinist Carrie Bradley. The band made another unsuccessful attempt at recording a third studio album in 1997. Kelley Deal rejoined the band the following year and wrote and recorded songs with her sister, although the only material released during this period was a cover of The Three Degrees' take on James Gang's "Collage," recorded for The Mod Squad soundtrack in 1999.

Title TK

The Deal sisters recruited new personnel to play several live shows in 2001, and returned to the studio with guitarist Richard Presley, bass player Mando Lopez and drummer Jose Medeles to record the third Breeders studio album Title TK with Steve Albini. The Breeders were also recruited, in early 2002, to perform in an episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. They were approached by the production staff, after they had been performing the show's theme, originally written by Nerf Herder, as a regular part of their concert set. The episode is entitled "Him", and aired November 5, 2002.

The Breeders contributed the track "Wicked Little Town: Hedwig Version" to the 2003 Hedwig and the Angry Inch tribute album, "Wig in a Box".

In 2004, Warner Music Group announced plans to drop the Breeders from their label following low album sales of Title TK. The decision came with Warner's plans to drop several other artists as well.

 

Mountain Battles

Mountain Battles was released in April 2008 on 4AD. It features Kim and Kelley Deal, Jose Medeles and Mando Lopez. That October they played a benefit concert in Cincinnati, Ohio, for then-presidential candidate Barack Obama.

 

 

 

 2009

The Breeders' third EP, Fate to Fatal was released on April 21, 2009. It contains a Bob MarleyMark Lanegan. The title track was recorded at The Fortress Studios, London, by The Go! Team producer Gareth Parton. The music video featured the Arch Rival Roller Girls, a St. Louis roller derby league. cover ("Chances Are") and a song with vocals by

The Breeders were curators of an edition of the All Tomorrow's Parties festival taking place in May 2009 in Minehead, England. They played the ATP New York 2010 music festival in Monticello, New York, in September 2010.

R.E.M. *****

R.E.M. is an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by Michael Stipe (lead vocals), Peter Buck (guitar), Mike Mills (bass guitar), and Bill Berry (drums and percussion). R.E.M. was one of the first popular alternative rock bands, and gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's unclear vocals. R.E.M. released its first single, "Radio Free Europe", in 1981 on the independent record label Hib-Tone. The single was followed by the Chronic Town EP in 1982, the band's first release on I.R.S. Records. In 1983, the band released its critically acclaimed debut album Murmur, and built its reputation over the next few years through subsequent releases, constant touring, and the support of college radio. Following years of underground success, R.E.M. achieved a mainstream hit in 1987 with the single "The One I Love". The group signed to Warner Bros. Records in 1988, and began to espouse political and environmental concerns while playing large arenas worldwide.

By the early 1990s, when alternative rock began to experience broad mainstream success, R.E.M. was viewed as a pioneer of the genre and released its two most commercially successful albums, Out of TimeAutomatic for the People (1992), which veered from the band's established sound. R.E.M.'s 1994 release Monster was a return to a more rock-oriented sound. The band began its first tour in six years to support the album; the tour was marred by medical emergencies suffered by three band members. In 1996, R.E.M. re-signed with Warner Bros. for a reported (1991) and US$80 million, at the time the most expensive recording contract in history. The following year, Bill Berry left the band, while Buck, Mills, and Stipe continued the group as a three-piece. Through some changes in musical style, the band continued its career into the next decade with mixed critical and commercial success. In 2007, the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

History

Formation: 1980–1981

In January 1980, Michael Stipe met Peter Buck in the Athens record store where Buck worked. The pair discovered that they shared similar tastes in music, particularly punk rock and protopunk artists like Patti Smith, Television, and The Velvet Underground. Stipe said, "It turns out that I was buying all the records that [Buck] was saving for himself." Stipe and Buck soon met fellow University of Georgia students Mike Mills and Bill Berry, who had played music together since high school. The quartet agreed to collaborate on several songs; Stipe later commented that "there was never any grand plan behind any of it". Their still-unnamed band spent several months rehearsing and played its first show on April 5, 1980 at a friend's birthday party held in a converted Episcopal church. After considering names like "Twisted Kites", "Cans of Piss", and "Negro Wives", the band settled on "R.E.M.", which Stipe selected at random from a dictionary.

The band members eventually dropped out of school to focus on their developing group. They found a manager in Jefferson Holt, a record store clerk who was so impressed by an R.E.M. performance in his hometown of Chapel Hill, North Carolina, that he moved to Athens. R.E.M.'s success was almost immediate in Athens and surrounding areas; the band drew progressively larger crowds for shows, which caused some resentment in the Athens music scene. Over the next year and a half, R.E.M. toured throughout the Southern United States. Touring was arduous since a touring circuit for alternative rock bands did not then exist. The group had to tour in an old blue van driven by Holt, and the band members lived on a food allowance of $2 a day.

During the summer of 1981, R.E.M. recorded its first single, "Radio Free Europe", at producer Mitch Easter's Drive-In Studios in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The single was released on the local independent record label Hib-Tone with an initial pressing of one thousand copies, which quickly sold out. Despite its limited pressing, the single garnered critical acclaim, and was listed as one of the ten best singles of the year by The New York Times.

I.R.S. Records and cult success: 1982–1986

R.E.M. recorded the Chronic Town EP with Mitch Easter in October 1981, and planned to release it on a new indie label named Dasht Hopes. However, I.R.S. Records acquired a demo of the band's first recording session with Easter that had been circulating for months. The band turned down the advances of major label RCA Records in favor of I.R.S., with whom they signed a contract in May 1982. I.R.S. released Chronic Town that August as its first American release. A positive review of the EP by NME praised the songs' auras of mystery, and concluded, "R.E.M. ring true, and it's great to hear something as unforced and cunning as this."

I.R.S. first paired R.E.M. with producer Stephen Hague to record its debut album. Hague's emphasis on technical perfection left the band unsatisfied, and the band members asked the label to let them record with Easter. I.R.S. agreed to a "tryout" session, allowing the band to return to North Carolina and record the song "Pilgrimage" with Easter and producing partner Don Dixon. After hearing the track, I.R.S. permitted the group to record the album with Dixon and Easter. Because of its bad experience with Hague, the band recorded the album via a process of negation, refusing to incorporate rock music clichés such as guitar solos or then-popular synthesizers, in order to give its music a timeless feel. The completed album, Murmur, was greeted with critical acclaim upon its release in 1983, with Rolling Stone listing the album as its record of the year. The album reached number 36 on the Billboard album chart. A re-recorded version of "Radio Free Europe" was the album's lead single and reached number 78 on the Billboard singles chart in 1983. Despite the acclaim awarded the album, Murmur sold only about 200,000 copies, which I.R.S.'s Jay Boberg felt was below expectations.

R.E.M. made its first national television appearance on Late Night with David Letterman in October 1983, during which the group performed a new, unnamed song. The piece, eventually titled "So. Central Rain (I'm Sorry)", became the first single from the band's second album, Reckoning (1984), which was also recorded with Easter and Dixon. The album met with critical acclaim; NME's Mat Snow wrote that ReckoningReckoning peaked at number 27 on the US album charts—an unusually high chart placing for a "confirms R.E.M. as one of the most beautifully exciting groups on the planet". While college rock band at the time—scant airplay and poor distribution overseas resulted in it charting no higher than number 91 in Britain.

The band's third album, Fables of the Reconstruction (1985), demonstrated a change in direction. Instead of Dixon and Easter, R.E.M. chose producer Joe Boyd, who had worked with Fairport Convention and Nick Drake, to record the album in England. The band members found the sessions unexpectedly difficult, and were miserable due to the cold winter weather and poor food; the situation brought the band to the verge of break-up. The gloominess surrounding the sessions ended up providing the context for the album itself. Lyrically, Stipe began to create storylines in the mode of Southern mythology, noting in a 1985 interview that he was inspired by "the whole idea of the old men sitting around the fire, passing on ... legends and fables to the grandchildren". Fables of the Reconstruction became the highest-selling record released by I.R.S. in America at that point. However, the album performed poorly in Europe and its critical reception was mixed, with some critics regarding it as dreary and poorly recorded. As with the previous records, the singles from Fables of the Reconstruction were mostly ignored by mainstream radio. Meanwhile, I.R.S. was becoming frustrated with the band's reluctance to achieve mainstream success.

For its fourth album, R.E.M. enlisted John Mellencamp producer Don Gehman. The result, Lifes Rich Pageant (1986) featured Stipe's vocals closer to the forefront of the music. In a 1986 interview with the Chicago Tribune, Peter Buck related, "Michael is getting better at what he's doing, and he's getting more confident at it. And I think that shows up in the projection of his voice." The album improved markedly upon the sales of Fables of the Reconstruction and eventually peaked at number 21 on the Billboard album chart. The single "Fall on Me" also picked up support on commercial radio. The album was the band's first to be certified gold for selling 500,000 copies. While American college radio remained R.E.M.'s core support, the band was beginning to chart hits on mainstream rock formats; however, the music still encountered resistance from Top 40 radio. Following the success of Lifes Rich Pageant, I.R.S. issued Dead Letter Office, a compilation of tracks recorded by the band during their album sessions, many of which had either been issued as B-sides or left unreleased altogether. Shortly thereafter, I.R.S. compiled R.E.M.'s music video catalog (except "Wolves, Lower") as the band's first video release, Succumbs.

Breakthrough success: 1987–1993

Don Gehman was unable to produce R.E.M.'s fifth album, so he suggested the group work with Scott Litt. Litt would be the producer for the band's next five albums. Document (1987) featured some of Stipe's most openly political lyrics, particularly on "Welcome To the Occupation" and "Exhuming McCarthy", which were reactions to the conservative political environment of the 1980s under American President Ronald Reagan. Jon Pareles of The New York Times wrote in his review of the album, "'Document' is both confident and defiant; if R.E.M. is about to move from cult-band status to mass popularity, the album decrees that the band will get there on its own terms." Document was R.E.M.'s breakthrough album, and the first single "The One I Love" charted in the Top 20 in the US, UK, and Canada. By January 1988, Document had become the group's first album to sell a million copies. In light of the band's breakthrough, the December 1987 cover of Rolling Stone declared R.E.M. "America's Best Rock & Roll Band".

Frustrated that its records did not see satisfactory overseas distribution, R.E.M. left I.R.S. when its contract expired and signed with the major label Warner Bros. Records. In 1988, I.R.S. released the compilation Eponymous, which included most of the band's singles and a number of rarities. The band's 1988 Warner Bros. debut, Green, was recorded in Nashville, Tennessee, and showcased the group experimenting with its sound. The record's tracks ranged from the upbeat first single "Stand" (a hit in the United States), to more political material, like the rock-oriented "Orange Crush" and "World Leader Pretend", which address the Vietnam War and the Cold War, respectively. Green has gone on to sell four million copies worldwide. The band supported the album with its biggest and most visually developed tour to date, featuring back-projections and art films playing on the stage. After the Green tour, the band members unofficially decided to take the following year off, the first extended break in the band's career.

R.E.M. reconvened in mid-1990 to record its seventh album, Out of Time. In a departure from previous albums, the band members often wrote the music with non-traditional rock instrumentation including mandolin, organ, and acoustic guitar. Released in March 1991, Out of Time was the band's first album to top both the US and UK charts. The record eventually sold 4.2 million copies in the US alone, and about 12 million copies worldwide by 1996. The album's lead single "Losing My Religion" was a worldwide hit that received heavy rotation on radio, as did the music video on MTV. "Losing My Religion" was R.E.M.'s highest-charting single in the US, reaching number four on the Billboard charts. "There've been very few life-changing events in our career because our career has been so gradual," Mills said years later. "If you want to talk about life changing, I think 'Losing My Religion' is the closest it gets". The album's second single. "Shiny Happy People" (one of three songs on the record to feature vocals from Kate Pierson of fellow Athens band The B-52's), was also a major hit, reaching number 10 in the US and number six in the UK. Out of Time garnered R.E.M. seven nominations at the 1992 Grammy Awards, the most nominations of any artist that year. The band won three awards: one for Best Alternative Music Album and two for "Losing My Religion", Best Short Form Music Video and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal. R.E.M. did not tour to promote Out of Time; instead the group played a series of one-off shows, including an appearance taped for an episode of MTV Unplugged.

After spending some months off, R.E.M. returned to the studio in 1991 to record its next album. Late in 1992, the band released Automatic for the People. Though the group had intended to make a harder-rocking album after the softer textures of Out of Time, the somber Automatic for the People "[seemed] to move at an even more agonized crawl", according to Melody Maker. The album dealt with themes of loss and mourning inspired by "that sense of ... turning thirty", according to Buck. Several songs featured string arrangements by former Led Zeppelin bassist John Paul Jones. Considered by a number of critics (as well as by Buck and Mills) to be the band's best album, Automatic for the People reached numbers one and two on UK and US charts, respectively, and generated the American Top 40 hit singles "Drive", "Man on the Moon", and "Everybody Hurts".The album would sell about ten million copies worldwide. As with Out of Time, there was no tour in support of the album. The decision to forgo a tour, in conjunction with Stipe's physical appearance, generated rumors that the singer was dying, which were vehemently denied by the band.

Monster and New Adventures in Hi-Fi: 1994–1996

After the band released two slow-paced albums in a row, R.E.M.'s 1994 album Monster was, as Buck said, "a 'rock' record, with the rock in quotation marks." In contrast to the sound of its predecessors, the music of Monster consisted of distorted guitar tones, minimal overdubs, and touches of 1970s glam rock. Like Out of Time, Monster topped the charts in both the US and UK. The record sold about nine million copies worldwide. The singles "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" and "Bang and Blame" were the band's last American Top 40 hits, although all the singles from Monster reached the Top 30 on the British charts.

In January 1995 R.E.M. set out on its first tour in six years. The tour was a huge commercial success, but the period was difficult for the group. On March 1, Berry collapsed on stage during a performance in Lausanne, Switzerland, having suffered a brain aneurysm. He had surgery immediately and recovered fully within a month. Berry's aneurysm was only the beginning of a series of health problems that plagued the Monster Tour. Mills had to undergo abdominal surgery to remove an intestinal adhesion in July; a month later, Stipe had to have an emergency surgery to repair a hernia. Despite all the problems, the group had recorded the bulk of a new album while on the road. The band brought along eight-track recorders to capture its shows, and used the recordings as the base elements for the album.

R.E.M. re-signed with Warner Bros. Records in 1996 for a reported $80 million, the largest recording contract in history at that point. The group's 1996 album New Adventures in Hi-Fi debuted at number two in the US and number one in the UK. The five million copies of the album sold were a reversal of the group's commercial fortunes of the previous five years. Time writer Christopher John Farley argued that the lesser sales of the album were due to the declining commercial power of alternative rock as a whole. That same year, R.E.M. parted ways with manager Jefferson Holt, allegedly due to sexual harassment charges levied against him by a member of the band's home office in Athens. The group's lawyer, Bertis Downs, assumed managerial duties.

Berry's departure and Up: 1997–2000

Stipe at the 1999 Glastonbury Festival.

In April 1997, the band convened at Buck's Kauai holiday home to record demos of material intended for the next album. The band sought to reinvent its sound and intended to incorporate drum loops and percussion experiments. Just as the sessions were due to begin in October, Berry decided, after months of contemplation and discussions with Downs and Mills, to tell the rest of the band that he was quitting. Berry told his band mates that he would not quit if they would break up as a result, so Stipe, Mills, and Buck agreed to carry on as a three-piece with his blessing. Berry publicly announced his departure three weeks later in October 1997. Berry told the press, "I'm just not as enthusiastic as I have been in the past about doing this anymore . . . I have the best job in the world. But I'm kind of ready to sit back and reflect and maybe not be a pop star anymore." Stipe admitted that the band would be different without a major contributor: "For me, Mike, and Peter, as R.E.M., are we still R.E.M.? I guess a three-legged dog is still a dog. It just has to learn to run differently."

The band canceled its scheduled recording sessions as a result of Berry's departure. "Without Bill it was different, confusing", Mills later said. "We didn't know exactly what to do. We couldn't rehearse without a drummer." The remaining members of R.E.M. resumed work on the album in February 1998 at Toast Studios in San Francisco. The band ended its decade-long collaboration with Scott Litt and hired Pat McCarthy to produce the record. Nigel Godrich was taken on as assistant producer, and drafted in ex-Screaming Trees member Barrett Martin and Beck's touring drummer Joey Waronker. The recording process was plagued with tension, and the group came close to disbanding. Bertis Downs called an emergency meeting where the band members sorted out their problems and agreed to continue as a group. Led off by the single "Daysleeper", Up (1998) debuted in the top ten in the US and UK. However, the album was a relative failure, selling 900,000 copies in the US by mid-1999 and eventually selling just over two million copies worldwide. While R.E.M.'s American sales were declining, the group's commercial base was shifting to the UK, where more R.E.M. records were sold per capita than any other country and the band's singles regularly entered the Top 20.

A year after Up's release, R.E.M. wrote the instrumental score to the Andy Kaufman biopic Man on the Moon, a first for the group. The film took its title from the Automatic for the People song of the same name. The song "The Great Beyond" was released as a single from the Man on the Moon soundtrack album. "The Great Beyond" only reached number 57 on the American pop charts, but was the band's highest-charting single ever in the UK, reaching number three in 2000.

Reveal and Around the Sun: 2001–2005

R.E.M. recorded the majority of its twelfth album Reveal (2001) in Canada and Ireland from May to October 2000. Reveal shared the "lugubrious pace" of Up, and featured drumming by Joey Waronker, as well as contributions by Scott McCaughey (a co-founder of the band The Minus 5 with Buck) and Posies founder Ken Stringfellow. Global sales of the album were over four million, but in the United States RevealUp. The album was led by the single " sold about the same number of copies as Imitation of Life," which reached number six in the UK. Writing for Rock's Backpages, The Rev. Al Friston described the album as "loaded with golden loveliness at every twist and turn", in comparison to the group's "essentially unconvincing work on New Adventures in Hi-Fi and Up." Similarly, Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone called Reveal "a spiritual renewal rooted in a musical one" and praised its "ceaselessly astonishing beauty."

In 2003, Warner Bros. released the compilation album In Time: The Best of R.E.M. 1988-2003, which featured two new songs, "Bad Day" and "Animal". That same year Berry made a surprise appearance during an R.E.M. concert in Raleigh, North Carolina, performing backing vocals on "Radio Free Europe". He then sat behind the drum kit for a performance of the early R.E.M. song "Permanent Vacation", marking his first performance with the band since his retirement.

R.E.M. released Around the Sun in 2004. During production of the album in 2002, Stipe said, "[The album] sounds like it's taking off from the last couple of records into unchartered R.E.M. territory. Kind of primitive and howling". After the album's release, Mills said, "I think, honestly, it turned out a little slower than we intended for it to, just in terms of the overall speed of songs." Around the Sun received a mixed critical reception, and peaked at number 13 on the Billboard charts. The first single from the album, "Leaving New York", was a Top 5 hit in the UK. For the record and subsequent tour, the band hired a new full-time touring drummer, Bill Rieflin, who had previously been a member of Ministry. In late 2004 R.E.M. toured with Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, Pearl Jam, Bright Eyes and others on the Vote for Change tour. Throughout 2005, the band embarked on its first full-length world tour since the Monster Tour ten years earlier. During the tour, R.E.M. participated in the London event of Live 8.

Accelerate: 2006–present

EMI, which owns the I.R.S. catalogue, released a compilation album covering R.E.M.'s work during its tenure on the label in 2006 called And I Feel Fine... The Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982-1987. The DVD When the Light Is Mine: The Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982-1987 was released simultaneously. That same month, all four original band members performed during the ceremony for their induction into the Georgia Music Hall of Fame. While rehearsing for the ceremony, the band recorded a cover of John Lennon's "#9 Dream" for Instant Karma: The Amnesty International Campaign to Save Darfur, a tribute album benefiting Amnesty International. The song, released as a single for the album and the campaign, featured Bill Berry's first studio recording with the band since his departure almost a decade earlier. In October 2006, R.E.M. was nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in its first year of eligibility. The band was one of five nominees accepted into the Hall that year, and the induction ceremony took place in March 2007 at New York's Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. The group, which was inducted by Pearl Jam lead singer Eddie Vedder, performed four songs with Bill Berry.

Work on the group's fourteenth album commenced in early 2007. The band recorded with producer Jacknife Lee in Vancouver and Dublin, where it played five nights in the Olympia Theatre between June 30 and July 5 as part of a "working rehearsal". R.E.M. Live, the band's first live album (featuring songs from a 2005 Dublin show), was released in October 2007. The group followed this effort with the 2009 live album Live at The Olympia. R.E.M. released Accelerate in early 2008. The album debuted at number two on the BillboardRolling Stone reviewer charts, and became the band's eighth album to top the British album charts. David Fricke considered Accelerate an improvement over the band's previous post-Berry albums, calling it "one of the best records R.E.M. have ever made." R.E.M. has since announced that it has completed recording its forthcoming album, which will be mixed later this year and is due for release spring 2011.

Musical style

In a 1988 interview, Peter Buck described typical R.E.M. songs as, "Minor key, mid-tempo, enigmatic, semi-folk-rock-balladish things. That's what everyone thinks and to a certain degree, that's true." All songwriting is credited to the entire band, even though individual members are sometimes responsible for writing the majority of a particular song. Each member is given an equal vote in the songwriting process; however, Buck has conceded that Stipe, as the band's lyricist, can rarely be persuaded to follow an idea he does not favor. Among the original line-up, there were divisions of labor in the songwriting process: Stipe would write lyrics and devise melodies, Buck would edge the band in new musical directions, and Mills and Berry would fine-tune the compositions due to their greater musical experience.

Michael Stipe sings in what R.E.M. biographer David Buckley described as "wailing, keening, arching vocal figures". Stipe often harmonizes with Mills in songs; in the chorus for "Stand," Mills and Stipe alternate singing lyrics, creating a dialogue. Early articles about the band focused on Stipe's singing style (described as "mumbling" by The Washington Post), which often rendered his lyrics indecipherable. CreemMurmur, "I still have no idea what these songs are about, because neither me nor anyone else I know has ever been able to discern R.E.M.'s lyrics." Stipe commented in 1984, "It's just the way I sing. If I tried to control it, it would be pretty false." Producer Joe Boyd convinced Stipe to begin singing more clearly during the recording of Fables of the Reconstruction. writer John Morthland wrote in his review of

Stipe insisted that many of his early lyrics were "nonsense", saying in a 1994 online chat, "You all know there aren't words, per se, to a lot of the early stuff. I can't even remember them." In truth, Stipe carefully crafted the lyrics to many early R.E.M. songs. Stipe explained in 1984 that when he started writing lyrics they were like "simple pictures", but after a year he grew tired of the approach and "started experimenting with lyrics that didn't make exact linear sense, and it's just gone from there." In the mid-1980s, as Stipe's pronunciation while singing became clearer, the band decided that its lyrics should convey ideas on a more literal level. Mills explained, "After you've made three records and you've written several songs and they've gotten better and better lyrically the next step would be to have somebody question you and say, are you saying anything? And Michael had the confidence at that point to say yes . . ." Songs like "Cuyahoga" and "Fall on Me" on Lifes Rich Pageant dealt with such concerns as pollution. Stipe incorporated more politically-oriented concerns into his lyrics on Document and Green. "Our political activism and the content of the songs was just a reaction to where we were, and what we were surrounded by, which was just abject horror," Stipe said later. "In 1987 and '88 there was nothing to do but be active." Stipe has since explored other lyrical topics. Automatic for the People dealt with "mortality and dying. Pretty turgid stuff", according to Stipe, while Monster critiqued love and mass culture.

Peter Buck's style of playing guitar has been singled out by many as the most distinctive aspect of R.E.M.'s music. During the 1980s, Buck's "economical, arpeggiated, poetic" style reminded British music journalists of 1960s American folk rock band The Byrds. Buck has stated "[Byrds guitarist] Roger McGuinn was a big influence on me as a guitar player", but said it was Byrds-influenced bands, including Big Star and The Soft Boys, that inspired him more. Comparisons were also made with the guitar playing of Johnny Marr of alternative rock contemporaries The Smiths. While Buck professed being a fan of the group, he admitted he initially criticized the band simply because he was tired of fans asking him if he was influenced by Marr, whose band had in fact made their debut several years after R.E.M. Buck generally eschews guitar solos; he explained in 2002, "I know that when guitarists rip into this hot solo, people go nuts, but I don't write songs that suit that, and I am not interested in that. I can do it if I have to, but I don't like it." Mike Mills' melodic approach to bass playing is inspired by Paul McCartney of The Beatles and Chris Squire of Yes; Mills has said, "I always played a melodic bass, like a piano bass in some ways . . . I never wanted to play the traditional locked into the kick drum, root note bass work." Mills has more musical training than his band mates, which he has said "made it easier to turn abstract musical ideas into reality."

Legacy

R.E.M. was pivotal in the creation and development of the alternative rock genre. Allmusic states, "R.E.M. mark the point when post-punk turned into alternative rock." In the early 1980s, the alternative rock of R.E.M. stood in contrast to the post-punk and New Wave genres that had preceded it. Music journalist Simon Reynolds noted that the post-punk movement of the late 1970s and early 1980s "had taken whole swaths of music off the menu", particularly that of the 1960s, and that "After postpunk's demystification and New Pop's schematics, it felt liberating to listen to music rooted in mystical awe and blissed-out surrender." Reynolds declared R.E.M., a band that recalled the music of the 1960s with its "plangent guitar chimes and folk-styled vocals" and who "wistfully and abstractly conjured visions and new frontiers for America", one of "the two most important alt-rock bands of the day." With the release of Murmur, R.E.M. had the most impact musically and commercially of the developing alternative genre's early groups, leaving in its wake a number of jangle pop followers.

R.E.M.'s early breakthrough success served as an inspiration for other alternative bands. Spin referred to the "R.E.M. model"—career decisions that R.E.M. made which set guidelines for other underground artists to follow in their own careers. Spin's Charles Aaron wrote that by 1985, "They'd shown how far an underground, punk-inspired rock band could go within the industry without whoring out its artistic integrity in any obvious way. They'd figured out how to buy in, not sellout-in other words, they'd achieved the American Bohemian Dream." Steve Wynn of Dream Syndicate said, "They invented a whole new ballgame for all of the other bands to follow whether it was Sonic Youth or the Replacements or Nirvana or Butthole Surfers. R.E.M. staked the claim. Musically, the bands did different things, but R.E.M. was first to show us you can be big and still be cool." Biographer David Buckley stated that between 1991 and 1994, a period that saw the band sell an estimated 30 million albums, R.E.M. "asserted themselves as rivals to U2 for the title of biggest rock band in the world."

Later alternative bands such as Nirvana, Pavement and Live have drawn inspiration from R.E.M.'s music. "When I was 15 years old in Richmond, Virginia, they were a very important part of my life," Pavement's Bob Nastanovich said, "as they were for all the members of our band." Pavement devoted the song "Unseen Power of the Picket Fence" from the No Alternative compilation (1993) to discussing R.E.M's first two albums at length. Kurt Cobain of Nirvana was a vocal fan of R.E.M., and had plans to collaborate on a musical project with Stipe before his death in April 1994. Cobain told Rolling Stone in an interview earlier that year, "I don’t know how that band does what they do. God, they’re the greatest. They’ve dealt with their success like saints, and they keep delivering great music."

Campaigning and activism

Throughout R.E.M.'s career, its members have sought to highlight social and political issues. According to the Los Angeles Times, R.E.M. is considered to be one of the United States' "most liberal and politically correct rock groups." The band's members are "on the same page" politically, sharing a liberal and progressive outlook. Mills has admitted that there is occasionally dissension between band members on what causes they might support, but acknowledged "Out of respect for the people who disagree, those discussions tend to stay in-house, just because we'd rather not let people know where the divisions lie, so people can't exploit them for their own purposes." An example is that in 1990 Buck noted that Stipe was involved with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, but the rest of the band was not.

R.E.M. has helped raise funds for environmental, feminist and human rights causes, and has been involved in campaigns to encourage voter registration. During the Green tour, Stipe took time during sets to inform the audience about a variety of pressing socio-political issues. Through the late 1980s and 1990s, the band (particularly Stipe) increasingly used its media coverage on national television to mention a variety of causes it felt were important. One example is when the band attended the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards, during which Stipe wore a half-dozen white shirts emblazoned with slogans including "rainforest", "love knows no colors", and "handgun control now". R.E.M. helped raise awareness of Aung San Suu Kyi and human rights violations in Burma, when they worked with the Freedom Campaign and the US Campaign for Burma. Stipe himself ran ads for the 1988 supporting Democratic presidential candidate and Massachusetts governor Michael Dukakis over then-Vice President George H. W. Bush. In 2004, the band participated in the Vote for Change tour that sought to mobilize American voters to support Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry R.E.M.'s political stance, particularly coming from a wealthy rock band under contract to a label owned by a multinational corporation, has received criticism from some quarters. Former Q editor Paul Du Noyer criticized the band's "celebrity liberalism", saying, "It's an entirely pain-free form of rebellion that they're adopting. There's no risk involved in it whatsoever, but quite a bit of shoring up of customer loyalty."

Since the late 1980s, R.E.M. has been involved in the local politics of its hometown of Athens, Georgia. Buck explained to Sounds in 1987, "Michael always says think local and act local—we have been doing a lot of stuff in our town to try and make it a better place." The band has often donated funds to local charities and to help renovate and preserve historic buildings in the town. R.E.M.'s political clout was credited with the narrow election of Athens mayor Gwen O'Looney twice in the 1990s.

AMERICAN Hi-Fi **

American Hi-Fi is an American rock band from Los Angeles, California, which originally hailed from Boston, Massachusetts. The band consists of vocalist Stacy Jones, guitarist Jamie Arentzen, bassist Drew Parsons, and drummer Brian Nolan. Prior to the group's formation, Stacy Jones was well-known for being a drummer in the successful alternative rock bands Veruca Salt and Letters to Cleo.American Hi-Fi has a close relationship with Miley Cyrus, whose band shares three quarters of the same members as American Hi-Fi. The group has a mixed musical style that includes influences from pop punk, alternative rock, pop rock, and power pop.

American Hi-Fi este o formatie de rock americana din Los Angeles, California, care a provenit initial din Boston, Massachusetts. Formatia este alcatuita din vocalistul Stacy Jones, chitaristul Jamie Arentzen, basistul Drew Parsons si bateristul Brian Nolan. Inaintea formarii trupei, Stacy Jones era bine cunoscut ca tobosar al trupelor rock alternativ de succes Veruca Salt si Letters to Cleo. American Hi-Fi are o relatie apropiata cu Miley Cyrus, al carui formatie este alcatuita din trei sferturi din membrii trupei American Hi-Fi. Grupul are un stil muzical mixt care include infleunte din pop punk, rock alternativ si power pop.

The group issued its eponymous debut album in 2001, which lead to their hit single "Flavor of the Weak". After successful touring, they released the live album Rock N' Roll Noodle Shop: Live from Tokyo and then the full album The Art of Losing, in 2002 and 2003 respectively. The group was dropped from their label, Island Records, and they then moved to Los Angeles to remake their production and sound. Working with veteran music producer Butch Walker, they released Hearts on Parade in 2005. The band has toured since to a widespread fan base in Japan and in the U.S.

Trupa editeaza albumul cu acelasi nume in 2001, din care este extras hitul “Flavor of the Weak”. Dupa un turneu de succes, ei lanseaza albumul live Rock N’ Roll Noodle Shop: Live from Tokyo, dupa care albumul de studio The Art of Losing, in 2002, respectiv, 2003. Grupul renunta la casa lor de inregistrari, Island Records si se muta in Los Angeles pentru a-si reprocesa inregistrarile. Lucrand cu veteranul producator de muzica, Butch Walker, ei scot pe piata materialul Hearts on Parade in 2005. Formatia porneste intr-un turneu adresat unui mai larg numar de fani din Japonia si din State.

History/ Povestea trupei

Formation, self-titled album and The Art of Losing (1998–2003)

Infiintarea, albumul eponim si The Art of Losing (1998-2003)

American Hi-Fi initially formed under the name BMX Girl, and Jones changed to a name personally suggested to him by Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones.

American Hi-Fi ia fiinta initial sub numele BMX Girl, dar Jones schimba numele dupa o sugestie primita din partea lui Keith Richards de la Rolling Stones.

American Hi-Fi's released self-titled debut album through Island Records on February 27, 2001. It was an Allmusic 'Album Pick'. Critic Mario Mesquita Borges praised it and stated that "[t]he future of rock & roll is surely guaranteed with acts such as American Hi-Fi." The album reached #81 on the The Billboard 200 list and #1 on the Heatseekers list. The band also achieved a commercial breakthrough through their debut single, "Flavor of the Weak", which ran up the Hot Modern Rock Tracks, the Billboard Hot 100, and other charts.

American Hi-Fi lanseaza albumul cu acelasi nume la studiourile Island Records, pe data de 27 februarie, 2001. Albumul este remarcat de AllMusic. Criticul Mario Masquita Borges il elogiaza, declarand ca ,,viitorul rock’n’roll-ului este categoric garantat de aparitii precum American Hi-Fi”. Albumul ajunge pe locul 81 in top 200 Billboard si pe locul 1 in clasamentul Heatseekers. De asemenea, trupa cunoaste un succes comercial prin piesa lor de debut "Flavor of the Weak", care urca in topurile Hot Modern Rock Tracks, The Billboard Hot 100 si alte topuri.

In February 2003, the band released their second studio album, The Art of Losing. The album featured the successful singles "The Art of Losing" and "The Breakup Song" which made the band famous. The album was produced by producer Nick Launay, who worked with such artists as Talking Heads, Public Image Ltd. and Silverchair. It is when the album failed to reach the success of the band's first album, that the band was dropped by Island Records.

In februarie, 2003, formatia lanseaza cel de-al doilea album, The Art Of Losing. Albumul contine piesele de succes “The Art of Losing” si "The Breakup Song" care aduc consacrarea formatiei. Albumul este produs de catre producatorul Nick Launay, care mai lucrase cu artisti ca Talking Heads, Public Image Ltd si Silverchair. Pentru ca acest album nu se ridica la succesul primului, casa Island Records renunat la colaborarea cu trupa.

Hearts on Parade and label troubles (2004–2006)

Hearts on Parade si problemele cu casa de discuri (2004-2006)

In early 2004 and without a backing label, the band headed to Los Angeles, to begin work on a new album with producer Butch Walker. The album, Hearts on Parade, was released in Japan on July 14, 2004.

La inceputul lui 2004 si fara sprijinul unei case de discuri, trupa pleaca la Los Angeles pentru a incepe lucrul la un nou album impreuna cu producatorul Butch Walker. Albumul Hearts on Parad apare in Japonia pe 14 iulie, 2004.

In 2005, American Hi-Fi were signed by Maverick Records, a division of Island. Maverick helped promote the lead single from Hearts on Parade, "The Geeks Get the Girls", releasing it as a single for radio airplay and following with a music video in February 2005. American release of the full album was repeatedly delayed, finally occurring on April 12, 2005, almost a year after the initial release in Japan. Neither single released with the album broke into the Billboard Modern Rock charts. Fans complained that the new album was too pop. Maverick dropped the band in autumn 2005 citing poor record sales.

In 2005, American Hi-Fi semneaza cu Maverick Records, o diviziune a casei de discuri Island. Maverick ajuta la promovarea single-ului de pe Hearts on Parade, “The Geeks Get the Girls”, lansandu-l ca single pentru radiouri, dupa care urmeaza un videoclip in februarie, 2005. Lansarea din State a albumului se tot amana, in cele din urma acest lucru se intampla pe 12 aprilie, 2005, la aproape un an dupa lansarea oficiala din Japonia. Niciun single lansat de pe acest album nu intra in topul Billboard Modern Rock. Fanii se plang de faptul ca noul album este prea pop. Maverick renunta la contractul cu trupa in toamna lui 2005 invocand vanzarile slabe ale albumului.

In the winter of 2005, Playtone Records began seeking submissions for the Superman Returns soundtrack. The band submitted a demo, "The Rescue", which had been recorded for Hearts on Parade but was cut from the album. "The Rescue" was selected for the soundtrack and ran in promotions for the film. "The Rescue" also received frequent radio airplay into the spring of 2006, but did not result in a new record contract for the band.

In iarna lui 2005, Playtone Records incep cautarile pentru realizarea coloanei sonore a filmului Superman Returns. Formatia trimite un demo, “The Rescue”, care fusese inregistrat pentru albumul Hearts on Parade, pentru ca mai apoi sa fie scos de pe album. “The Rescue” este ales ca soundtrack si ascultat in prezentarea filmului. “The Rescue” are parte si de difuzare frecventa la radio in primavera lui 2006, dar acest lucru nu duce la semnarea unui nou contract cu o casa de discuri pentru trupa.

Fight the Frequency and creation of Hi-Fi Killers label (2006–present)

Fight the Frequency si infiintarea casei de discuri Hi-Fi Killers (2006-prezent)

In December 2006, Parsons and Jones met for plans for a follow-up album, the plans were put on hold due to Jones' busy schedule and Arentzen's plans to join Butch Walker's touring band in Spring 2007.
In decembrie, 2006, Parsons si Jones se intalnesc pentru planificarea albumului urmator, planurile sunt intarziate din cauza programului incarcat al lui Jones si din cauza planurilor lui Arentzen de a canta cu Butch Walker in turneul acestuia in primavera lui 2007.

In April 2007, American Hi-Fi announced that the band would record their fourth record in May 2007. Soon after, former drummer Brian Nolan re-joined the band for their follow up and will stay in the band until further notice.

In aprilie 2007, American Hi-Fi anunta ca va inregistra cel de-al patrulea album in mai, 2007. La scurt timp dupa, fostul baterist, Brian Nolan, reintra in formatie temporar, dupa care ramane.

On January 8, 2008, American Hi-Fi released two new tracks on their MySpace page, both unfinished mixes off their upcoming fourth album. "Keep It Like a Secret" was the first track released followed by "A Taste for Crime". Frontman Stacy Jones described the new album as sounding "...a little like Elliott Smith partying with the Foo Fighters at a kegger with My Bloody Valentine and Superdrag". The band also released eight demos, a few of which were recorded live in the studio sans overdubs on their MySpace page including "Fight the Frequency", "Frat Chump", "Acetate", "Bullet", "This Is a Low", "Recover the Stars", "Lost" and "Where Love Is a Lie".
Pe data de 8 ianuarie, 2008, American Hi-Fi lanseaza doua noi piese pe pagina lor de MySpace, ambele fiind mixaje neterminate de pe cel de-al patrulea album. “Keep It Like a Secret” este prima piesa lansata, urmata de “A Taste for Crime”. Liderul trupeil, Stacy Jones descrie noul album declarand ca suna “… putin in genul lui Elliott Smith la o bauta cu Foo Fighers, My Bloddy Valentine si cu Superdrag”. Trupa scoate opt piese demo, dintre care cateva sunt inregistrate live neprelucrate, pe pagina de MySpace, printer care “Fight the Frequency”, “Frat Chump”, “Acetate”, “Bullet”, “This Is a Low”, “Recover the Stars”, “Lost” si “Where Loves Is a Lie”.

On December 4, 2008, Drew Parsons was interviewed about the band and its upcoming fourth record. Parsons talked about the struggles with their past two labels; Island Records and Maverick Records. He also pointed out that they had signed with Original Sound records and would be releasing a new record in April/May 2009. "The record is complete," says Parsons, "but now it comes down to selecting the songs that will make it on the record". However, later in the year, the band had decided not to go through with plans on Original Sound.

The new record will be released August 17, 2010.

Pe 4 decembrie, 2008, Drew Parsons este intervievat legat de formatie si de cel de-al patrulea album asteptat. Parsons vorbeste despre conflictele cu cele doua case de discuri anterioare; Island Records si Maverick Records. De asemenea, el subliniaza faptul ca au semnat cu casa Original Records si ca vor lansa un nou album in aprilie/mai 2009. “Albumul este gata”, spune Parson, “dar acum ne ocupam de selectarea pieselor care vor face parte din album”. Cu toate acestea, spre finele anului, trupa hotaraste sa nu continue cu Original Sounds.

Noul album apare pe 17 august, 2010.

According to Stacy Jones in a recent interview, the band has created their own record label "Hi-Fi Killers/The Ascot Club" (through Megafice/RED/Sony) as a means of the band owning their music and to have more input and control for the overall direction and promotion of the band's releases.

Potrivit lui Stacy Jones intr-un interviu recent, trupa si-a infiintat propria casa de discuri “Hi-Fi Killers/ The Ascot Club” (prin Megafice/RED/Sony) pentru ca trupa sa poata avea drepturi de proprietate asupra realizarilor ei si pentru a putea avea mai mult control asupra directiei si promovarii propriilor materiale discografice.

In July 2010 the band released a new music video for the new single "Lost" as well as a EP on iTunes containing four songs, "Lost", "This is a Low", "Where Love is a Lie" and "A Taste for Crime". As well as a new fully developed website.

In iulie, 2010, formatia lanseaza un nou videoclip pentru noul single “Lost”, dar si un EP pe iTunes care contine patru cantece, "Lost", "This is a Low", "Where Love is a Lie" si "A Taste for Crime". De asemenea, apare un nou website foarte bine pus la punct.

Band members/ Membrii formatiei

Current members/ Membrii actuali

• Stacy Jones – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, drums (1998–present)
• Jamie Arentzen – lead guitar, backing vocals (1998–present)
• Drew Parsons – bass guitar, backing vocals (1998–present)
• Brian Nolan – drums, percussion (1998–2003, 2007–present)

Former members/ Fosti membri

• Jason Sutter – drums, percussion (2003–2006)

Discography

American Hi-Fi    
 

1.	Surround	3:11
2.	Flavor of the Weak	3:08
3.	A Bigger Mood	3:38
4.	Safer on the Outside	4:01
5.	I'm a Fool	4:00
6.	Hi-Fi Killer	3:05
7.	Blue Day	3:33
8.	My Only Enemy	3:27
9.	Don't Wait for the Sun	3:50
10.	Another Perfect Day	3:38
11.	Scar	4:03
12.	What About Today	3:34
13.	Wall of Sound	5:48
	UK bonus track
14.	Black Satellite	3:29
15.	Still Sideways	2:48

The Art of Losing

1. "The Art of Losing" - 3:23
2. "The Breakup Song" - 2:55
3. "Beautiful Disaster" - 2:37
4. "Save Me" - 3:55
5. "Nothing Left to Lose" - 2:57
6. "Teenage Alien Nation" - 3:01
7. "Rise" - 3:11
8. "This is the Sound" - 4:11
9. "The Gold Rush" - 3:38
10. "Built for Speed" - 2:48
11. "Happy" - 4:04

UK bonus tracks

12. "A Bigger Mood" (Live) - 4:21
13. "Hi-Fi Killer" (Live) - 3:20

12. "When the Breeders Were Big" - 3:48

Hearts on Parade 
 

1. "Maybe Won't Do" – 3:26
2. "Hell Yeah!" – 3:06
3. "The Geeks Get the Girls" – 2:50
4. "We Can't Be Friends" – 3:22
5. "Something Real" – 3:50
6. "Highs and Lows" – 3:17
7. "The Everlasting Fall" – 3:29
8. "Separation Anxiety" – 3:35
9. "Baby Come Home" – 2:51
10. "Where Did We Go Wrong" – 3:06
11. "Hearts on Parade" – 7:55

Fight the Frequency
Released:  August 17, 2010. Length: 44:03. Label: RED Distribution/ Hi-Fi Killers

 

1.	Fight the Frequency	3:57
2.	This Is a Low	3:57
3.	Where Love is a Lie	3:51
4.	Acetate	3:32
5.	Lost	4:03
6.	Keep It Like a Secret	3:09
7.	Frat Clump	2:13
8.	Lookout for Hope	3:18
9.	A Taste for Crime	3:09
10.	Stargazer	3:42
11.	Bullet	3:55
12. 13.	Tiny Spark   Recover the Stars  (bonus track) Lyrics  "American Hi-FI" Sorround I need a better way to get my head straight it's not like anybody would know gotta silver cloud high above me running circles around and round me Turn it up again we're going nowhere let the sound surround everyone I play the static with the noise in my head let the sound surround everyone Go out the deep end I've got nothing to prove I've got nothing better to do I'm so happy so fucken happy now that I'm far from the glare of the city Turn it up again we're going nowhere let the sound surround everyone I play the static with the noise in my head let the sound surround everyone Better way, better way, better way I need a better way I heard the white noise with waves in radiation they're falling from the sky Turn it up again we're going nowhere let the sound surround everyone I play the static with the noise in my head let the sound surround everyone Turn it up again we're going nowhere I play the static with the noise in my head and let the sound surround turn it up again let the sound surround uhhh... Flavor of the Week She paints her nails and she don't know, He's got her best friend on the phone. She'll wash her hair, his dirty clothes, Or all he gives to her. And he's got posters on the wall Of all the girls he wished she was. And he means everything to her. Her boyfriend, He don't know Anything About her. He's too stoned, Nintendo. I wish that I could make her see, She's just the flavor of the weak. It's Friday night and she's all alone, He's a million miles away. She's dressed to kill, but the TV's on, He's connected to the sound. And he's got pictures on the wall Of all the girls he's loved before, And she knows all his favorite songs. Her boyfriend, He don't know Anything About her. He's too stoned, Nintendo. I wish that I could make her see, She's just the flavor of the weak. Yeah. Her boyfriend, He don't know Anything About her. He's too stoned, He's too stoned, He's too stoned, He's too stoned. Her boyfriend, He don't know Anything About her. He's too stoned, Nintendo. I wish that I could make her see, She's just the flavor of the weak. Yeah she's the flavor of the weak. She makes me weak. A Bigger Mood I need a bigger mood to block out the sun I don't wanna see what I've become and you could fight your way give back what you really want it's nothing special anyway chorus: yeah you're always in my way I'm falling faster everyday yeah you're always in my way I gotta spit you out you bring me down everything just crashes to the ground cause you were always in my way I can feel a brake a bruise from another day it's hard to say just what I feel it all seems broken now when I'm stuck on the in between staring at something out of reach repeat chorus go! yeah you're always in my way yeah you're always in my way you bring me down everything just crashes to the ground cause you were always in my way cause you were always in my way cause you were always in my way yeah Safer on the Outside i'm no good i feel too small something's gonna burn sink on you drunken highways someone take the wheel [chorus:] faded in the blackout you left me in it's safer on the outside i'm swimming in this kerosene it's hard to breathe statics got me down i can't sleep i'm disconnected everything went wrong and certain stars are sad and bruised like someone's cheating heart [repeat chorus 3x] got me down, got me down, got me down safer on the outside, safer on the outside safer on the outside    I'm a Fool got nothing to loose this time and I'm bored with the same old lines I never know what to do or what to say to you one look and you'll knock me out you put me on the floor with a ten count I don't wanna make a scene I gotta make you see that I've been waiting for a girl like you and I know there's nothing I could do chorus: don't wanna make you hurt don't wanna make you feel like the world ain't on your side like you're never gonna get it right no I can't fight I can't sleep at night just thinking about you girl I'm a fool for you yes I am you've been on my mind since I saw you walking by I knew I had to know you better you were everything but I didn't know what to say so you just walked away I couldn't believe what a fool I was to let you go cause that I've been waiting for a girl like you and I know there's nothing I could do repeat chorus yeah then I saw you at the beach talking with my friends I couldn't believe my eyes it was my lucky day so I just asked you out to the Forum to see No Doubt when you said you would go I thought I might explode cause that I've been waiting for a girl like you and I know there's nothing I could do repeat chorus (2x) yes I am I am a fool for you yes I am I am Hi-Fi Killer i wanna turn you on again turn you around and maybe then tune you out i don't know how to make it real what ever you want it's not big deal change my tone [chorus:] i gotta disappear don't wanna hear that sound on the radio yeah we could all hum along cause it's the same old song i don't know how to make it stop (go left to the dial) to really rock but i'm not sure yeah i'll kick it over anyway it's cool but your starting to decay it's in your face [repeat chorus] you could watch me come undone you could watch me come undone yeah you you could watch me come undone (two) freak you you could hum along, you could hum along you could hum along, you could hum along i wanna turn you on again turn you around and maybe then [repeat chorus] i gotta disappear don't wanna hear that sound on the radio yeah we could all hum along yeah we could hum along yeah Blue Day i wanna get out when everything's alright can't you see i'm a wreck gonna crash and burn i wanna get out i've done my time if you fuck with me i might blow your mind yeah i'm not qualified to answer anyone if the world can wait then why can't i you're not justified in what you do or say empty heads in a line yeah you're on your way [chorus:] i'm not asking for much just get outta my way i'm in the eye of the storm beautiful blue day [repeat 1st verse] [repeat chorus 2x] blue day [3x] My Only Enemy I don't ever try to keep the love alive I've found the frequency you sucked it out of me I'm not the only one to hold a smoking gun you felt the gravity you think you're finally free I don't even know which way it oughta go get out before you drown before they bring us down it's all inside of me my only enemy you sucked it out of me you fucked it outta me watch the world turn on watch the world turn on watch the world turn on my only enemy I want it all before you go I want it all before you go I want it all before you go I don't ever try to keep the love alive I've found the frequency you sucked it out of me you sucked it out of me you sucked it out of me my only enemy, my only enemy watch the world turn on watch the world turn on watch the world turn on my only enemy, my only enemy my only enemy, my only enemy my only enemy well fuck you, well fuck you  Don't Wait for the Sun i don't need to know why cause tommorow i'll be fine i should learn to be still if i close my eye i'll realize what you meant [chorus:] don't wait for the sun it could turn black any day i lost my hat in the clouds when will the haze go away i never wanted this now it's all i've got someone else is keeping time i think i'm falling apart if you were me would you do it like i do [repeat chorus 2x] so don't wait for the sun don't wait for the sun don't wait for the sun it could turn black any day you're all that i wanted Another Perfect Day I'm holdin on waitin for your call it's simple but I can't explain this I'm sinking down I feel like I could die I'm falling off I don't know why I still believe it when you say, It's another perfect day another perfect day. I still believe it when you say, It's another perfect day another perfect day. So I might try to leave it all behind I know tomorrow's not so bright now I'll say goodbye cause nothing good can last you wear and fade, you're no where fast but today I don't know how to keep it all inside but I guess I'll let it slide. I still believe it when you say, It's another perfect day another perfect day. I still believe it when you say, It's another perfect day another perfect day. Today, I don't know why I thought that it was real but I guess it's no big deal I still believe it when you say, It's another perfect day another perfect day. I still believe it when you say, It's another perfect day another perfect day. I don't know how I don't know how I don't know how to let it slide...  Scar I could hang around you could let me down again but it's killing me I can't waste a sound again you'll break me if you can you'll break me if you can Drag me down again it's hard to be your scar a frozen satellite you never got that far it's hard to be your scar be cool like you Every sorry lie I can't live that down no so you'll wait and see I'm caught between the seam and me you'll break me if you can you'll break me, break me if you can Drag me down again it's hard to be your scar a frozen satellite you never got that far it's hard to be your scar be cool like you I could hang around you could let me down Drag me down again it's hard to be your scar a frozen satellite you never got that far (never got that far) So drag me down again it's hard to be your scar a frozen satellite you never got that far (never got that far) Never got that far (never got that far) never got that far  What About Today it's getting hard but you don't even know maybe you can't see i'm getting tired i've been still i'll panic on [chorus:] hearts are sinkin' blind yeah well you don't even know all you gotta do just stop and ask me silver, chrome and steel set the tone and set me out it's everything you want complete the failure no more to say what about today what's really going on and between the blind and blood shot eyes i'd thought i'd see my way see my way [repeat chorus] yeah you're getting awfully close yeah you're getting awfully close [repeat chorus] complete the failure complete the failure Wall of Sound it don't mean nothing when you say it's gonna be alright cause you'll tell me anything i wanna hear and it don't mean nothing when you laugh at my jokes cause it's all or nothing when i fall apart fade, fade, fade into you you're under my skin now i could shut out the world that we know i'll try to be everything you want me to be and i've gotta head start but i'm making the same mistakes cause it's all or nothing when i fall apart fade, fade, fade into you [chorus:] caught in the rush of the crowd lost in a wall of sound you were ringing in my ear caught in the rush of the crowd lost in a wall of sound you were ringing in my ear my ear fade, fade, fade, fade [repeat chorus] Black Satellite quicksilver and wax you don't have to ask, black satellite and i'm ok but every time you call i can't hear a sound so i'll try to stay but when i feel a wave i'm already gone quicksilver and wax you don't have to ask, black satellite just when i'm starting to crash i'll fastforward back, black satellite feet where I stand but everything's the same and watch me walk away and something's wrong you're nothing like before and im already gone quicksilver and wax you don't have to ask, black satellite just when i'm starting to crash i fastforward back, black satellite but i feel the same i'll get it straight and no more to say i'll get it straight back to nowhere quicksilver and wax you don't have to ask, black satellite just when i'm starting to crash i'll reach you at last, black satellite i think i'm starting to crash at last i think i'm starting to crash i think i'm starting to crash at last i think i'm startïng to crash Still Sideways And you need me every time, I'll wait it out for a while, But someone get me outta here. It's better now that I'm not around. Maybe you can see I'm still kinda sideways, I'm wasting away, And something's got me thinking... It might be nothing, But I'm wasting away. Maybe I'm just tired... Tomorrow never let's me see, But I don't know who you are. It's hard enough to feel this way. I'm holding on but you move too slow. Maybe you can see I'm still kinda sideways, I'm wasting away, And something's got me thinking... It might be nothing, But I'm wasting away. Maybe I'm just tired... No one can get inside, No way, no, not this time. It's too late to get it right, I'll try today. And you need me every time, I'll wait it out for a while, But someone get me outta here. It's better now that i'm not around. Maybe you can see I'm still kinda sideways, I'm wasting away, And something's got me thinking... It might be nothing, But I'm wasting away. I'll never let you see, Never let you see, Never let you see... Maybe you can see I'm still kinda sideways, I'm wasting away. "The Art of Losing" The Art of Losing Last call now I'm outta time And I don't got no valentine Singled out, now I stand alone The underdog in a modern world Suburbia is hot tonight But nothing seems to feel alright I don't want your sympathy I just need a little therapy At least that's what they say to me Hey ho let's go I'm gonna start a riot You don't wanna fight it One two fuck you Don't tell me what to do I don't wanna be like you Can't you see it's killing me I'm my own worst enemy Knock me down I'll keep on moving It's the art of losing Fit the mold and do what you're told Get a job and start growing old 9 to 5 can make your dreams come true But I don't wanna be like you I'm not cool and I'll never be I break the rules and I guarantee I don't want your sympathy I just need a little therapy At least that's what they say to me Hey ho let's go I'm gonna start a riot You don't wanna fight it One two fuck you Don't tell me what to do I don't wanna be like you Can't you see it's killing me I'm my own worst enemy Knock me down I'll keep on moving It's the art of losing You call me a loser Say I'm just a user But I'll just keep on moving Cause that's the art of losing Hey ho let's go I'm gonna start a riot You don't wanna fight it One two fuck you Don't tell me what to do I don't wanna be like you Can't you see it's killing me I'm my own worst enemy Knock me down I'll keep on moving It's the art of losing Wahhhooo (It's the art of losing) Wahhhooo (It's the art of losing) We're the kids We're the kids We're the kids in America We're the kids We're the kids We're the kids in America The Break Up Song I can’t believe I hung around with you All this time You drove me crazy with your ocd Girl your out of your mind I’m counting on ufo’s to beam me up I just don’t know How long I can take this shit I’m over it girl you gotta go It’s over were over Just like in crimson and clover Were sinking and I’m thinking How the hell did we get so stupid It’s the end ex girlfriend I don’t care what you think of me now So long your gone This is the break up song One more thing before you go Would you please give me my records back My bloody valentine, the pixies, cheap trick and back in black You can keep the dog we bought But you can’t go near the standard bar Don’t hang around Don’t call my friends They wont know who you are Its over we’re over Just like in crimson and clover Were sinking and I’m thinking How the hell did we get so stupid It’s the end ex girlfriend I don’t care what you think of me now So long your gone This is the break up song So long your gone This is the break up song Its over we’re over Just like in crimson and clover Were sinking and I’m thinking How the hell did we get so stupid It’s the end ex girlfriend I don’t care what you think of me now So long your gone This is the break up song So long your gone This is the break up song [x3] THIS IS THE BREAKUP SONG Beautiful Disaster I’ll make you a 5 star enemy I’ve taken a fall would you like to see Choke it down what a sound run away from me Keep on laughing girl do you see me Break it down now What chu want anyway Right about now What chu want anyway I’ll fuck it up again What chu want anyway We keep falling in love What a beautiful disaster Connect my skull to the socket burn baby burning like a rocket Cant sell no tell would you buy it Thick skin now don’t you wanna try it Break it down now What chu want anyway Right about now What chu want anyway I’ll fuck it up again What chu want anyway We keep falling in love What a beautiful disaster What a beautiful disaster [x3] Connect my skull to the socket burn baby burning like a rocket Choke it down what a sound run away from me Keep on laughing girl do you see me Break it down now [x2] Break it down now What chu want anyway Right about now What chu want anyway I’ll fuck it up again What chu want anyway We keep falling in love We keep falling in love Break it down now What chu want anyway Right about now What chu want anyway I’ll fuck it up again What chu want anyway We keep falling in love What a beautiful disaster What a beautiful disaster [x3] Save Me I’ve been so low Yeah I’ve been so strung out Can you picture this I’ll take something It’s better than nothing, anything That you’ve go to give I can’t let go I don’t want you to know I’ve been down so long Could you save me I’ll fight my way Just to hear you say If I go up in flames Could you save me The more you whisper The words keep stinging in my ear We’re never gonna be the same Sunshine fading and black sheets Raining down on me They cover up everything I can’t let go I don’t want you to know I’ve been down so long Could you save me I’ll fight my way Just to hear you say If I go up in flames Could you save me I’ve been so selfish I get so high Don’t wanna come down I’ve been so low Yeah I’ve been so strung out Can you picture this I can’t let go I don’t want you to know I’ve been down so long Could you save me I’ll fight my way Just to hear you say If I go up in flames Could you save me Yeah could you save me Oh could you save me Nothing Left to Lose Nothing left to lose Except you and your baby blues Microphone check this rhyme Pancho villa was a friend of mine I get fucked up holla back y’all And I kick it like Jackie Chan With my kung fu style I’ll get rid of you in a while (yeah) Hey hey hey All the bitches in the back C’mon c’mon get up get up (woah) I know you know its never forever C’mon c’mon get up get up (woah) You wanna hear I’m sorry whatever Now that you gone I’m moving on You wrecked it all There’s nothing left to lose Except for you Hell yeah Get my teenage kicks Pull in down boards like rodman All the lipstick chicks sing Na na na na na na I get fucked up holla back y’all And I rock it like Jackson Browne Let me tell ya right now what I like strippers better anyhow Hey hey hey All the bitches in the back C’mon c’mon get up get up (woah) I know you know its never forever C’mon c’mon get up get up (woah) You wanna hear I’m sorry whatever Now that you gone I’m moving on You wrecked it all There’s nothing left to lose Except for you There’ nothing left to lose except for you Go 1 2 C’mon c’mon get up get up (woah) I know you know its never forever C’mon c’mon get up get up (woah) You wanna hear I’m sorry whatever Now that you gone I’m moving on You wrecked it all There’s nothing left to lose Except for you Now that you gone I’m moving on You wrecked it all There’s nothing left to lose Except for you There’s nothing left to lose Except for you [x2]   Teenage Alien Nation I want it all No matter what thought you heard me say No matter what you know you can’t escape today Is there any other way So what if you don’t like me I don’t give a fuck if you don’t like me I can change my lock It seems that I’m rotten to the core Forget about tomorrow You and me we’re going down in sorrow Youth of the nation going nowhere Station to station Teenage alien nation (woah) Teenage alien nation (yeah) It’s all wrong I guess that some of us have come and gone I guess we kinda shudda known it all along Never going anywhere Sometimes you gotta pick it up and roll the dice Your looking back and you don’t think twice Bout feeling lonely everyday Forget about tomorrow You and me we’re going down in sorrow Youth of the nation going nowhere Station to station [x3] Teenage alien nation [x4] Rise I don’t know what I can take Can you feel the pressure break I’ve been getting by on nothing How long so long Feeling like I lost my vision Transmission full of dead ambition Kinda sorta gotta get it together I can’t wait forever Rise out of the atmosphere I gotta disappear I gotta get out of here You got the best of me Rise up and outta here Into the stratosphere I gotta get out of here You got the best of me I could never be that clever Even though it’s now or never Counting down the seconds till it blows 4 3 2 1 Disappear without a trace Could I be in outer space Staring at the sun till I get how high so high Rise out of the atmosphere I gotta disappear I gotta get out of here You got the best of me Rise up and outta here Into the stratosphere I gotta get out of here You got the best of me Did I break down Can we slow down I wanna get out I don’t wanna be so bored Rise out of the atmosphere I gotta disappear I gotta get out of here You got the best of me Rise up and outta here Into the stratosphere I gotta get out of here You got the best of me You got the best of me [x8] This is the Sound Empty hearts can fill an empty room Because of you The sky above remains clear and blue It’s nothing new The radio keeps playing static or your favourite songs And why does everyone keep on bringing me back to you And this is the sound of the broken down And this is the last train home…….the underground And this is the fall don’t catch me if I fall Just catch me when I fall back to the ground Lightening crashes all around me now I hear its sound Broken down wings can carry us to where the people stare Fall asleep against the windowpane Outside the rain covers everyone Now we’re never gonna see the sun And this is the sound of the broken down And this is the last train home…….the underground And this is the fall don’t catch me if I fall Just catch me when I fall Don’t catch me if I fall back to the ground And if you wanted to stay I’ll have you any day And if you wanted to stay I’ll have you any way And this is the sound of the broken down And this is the last train home…….the underground And this is the fall don’t catch me if I fall Just catch me when I fall back to the ground And this is the sound [x2] And this is the fall don’t catch me if I fall Just catch me when I fall Don’t catch me if I fall back to the ground The Gold Rush She caught the gold rush I could never get enough She’s been in magazines What a little beauty queen She’ll stay a stick around a while With such a winning smile She could be in black and white I’m colour blind I’ll make it right Her head keeps spinning round I’m in over my head There’s an art to falling down Hey hey I got a message for ya You’re gonna blow it girl Stuck in your little world Fight fight till we get it right I got you right where I want you She caught the goldrush I must of lost my touch She’s on the movie screen Acting like a rocket queen She’ll so the long mile With such a winning smile Break it down forever I don’t want her anyhow Her head keeps spinning round I’m in over my head There’s an art to falling down Hey hey I got a message for ya You’re gonna blow it girl Stuck in your little world Fight fight till we get it right I got you right where I want you Golden girl She’s just a golden girl My little rocket queen On the movie screen Hey hey I got a message for ya You’re gonna blow it girl Stuck in your little world Fight fight till we get it right I got you right where I want you Hey hey I got a message for ya You’re gonna blow it girl Stuck in your little world Fight fight till we get it right I got you right where I want you Built for Speed She’s on fire like a rocket spinning out of control Try to stop her but you just don’tknow How to keep it inside Can you keep on turning out I’ll wait for my turn Same old story coz you never learn Gotta make it in time She don’t know what she does to me The girl got soul and rhythm in between I crash and burn like every other time She’s my little rock n roll queen I got a girl like that My baby’s built for speed Shoot to kill built to spill Got a mind take your pills But your never gonna get to what thrills All of us inside Can you put the pedal to the metal this time You gotta want it like I want it alright We gotta start tonight She don’t know what she does to me The girl got soul and rhythm in between I crash and burn like every other time She’s my little rock n roll queen I got a girl like that My baby’s built for speed She’s on fire like a rocket spinning out of control Try to stop her but you just don’tknow How to keep it inside She don’t know what she does to me The girl got soul and rhythm in between I crash and burn like every other time She’s my little rock n roll queen I got a girl like that My baby’s built for speed I got a girl like that My baby’s built for speed Yeah my baby’s built for speed [x2] Happy I see you in a daydream Turn it on now make a big scene You kiss you kiss when you want something Fake a smile now You got it all And that oughta get you nowhere What you say to me I know how to stay outta focus Keep your head down till the bitter end Make believe that you my best friend You trade passion for fashion Nothings cool like when we were cool And that oughta get you nowhere What you say to me I know how to stay outta focus You fall through to cracks of the city street You can’t see straight You can’t see straight I see you in a daydream Turn it on now make a big scene It makes you happy It makes you happy It makes you happy It makes you happy And that oughta get you nowhere What you say to me I know how to stay outta focus And that oughta get you nowhere What you say to me You fall through to cracks of the city street You can’t see straight You can’t see straight You can’t see straight When the Breeders Were Big Do you remember when the radio would play our favorite songs and we would sing along, got some records of 'Super Chunk And Hum'. Knew it all along. We never get along. I gotta try get you off mind but it never works every other time, I heard canon ball it brings me back to you on my stereo. Let cross some 'Sonic Youth' To back the sound and what we dig, make it like when 'The Breeders' were big, everyone would sing along, sing along our favorite songs I got a picture of a photograph of you, riding in my car playing 'Big Star' it's never growing old blasted mellow cold. Knew it all along we love the 'Sweater Song' To back the sound and what we dig, make it like when 'The Breeders' were big, everyone would sing along, sing along our favorite songs To back the sound and what we dig, make it like when 'The Breeders' were big, everyone would sing along, sing along our favorite songs To back the sound and what we dig, make it like when 'The Breeders' were big, everyone would sing along, sing along our favorite songs... Sing along Sing along Sing along Sing along...

Videos

American Hi-Fi - Flavor of theWeek                                                     American Hi-Fi - The Art of Losing

American Hi-Fi - Another Perfect Day                                             American Hi-Fi - The Break Up Song

American Hi-Fi - Beautiful Disaster