R.E.M.
Indie kids turned alt-rock gods By Jim AllenSingle-handedly brought the term “jangle” into the rock-crit lexicon.
R.E.M. came tumbling out of the then-obscure college town of Athens, Georgia with a homegrown sound that processed post-punk sensibilities through a love of ‘60s folk-rockers like The Byrds, pretty much single-handedly bringing the term “jangle” into the rock-crit lexicon. Their first full-length was called Murmur for a reason – R.E.M.’s early sound was a mysterious, evanescent thing that dashed in and out of daylight and shadow, with Michael Stipe's muttered, oblique vocals and Peter Buck's pealing Rickenbacker riffs laid over a propulsive rhythm section adding the crucial forward motion that helped the band become college-rock kings. By the time the new wave era made way for the rise of the alternative nation, R.E.M. expanded their sound and became bona-fide rock stars. Though they retained a smart, arch attitude, something vital was lost when drummer Bill Berry left in the mid ‘90s. The remaining trio's albums were far removed from their best work in both intent and energy level, and they became the kind of well-meaning but dull elder rock statesmen more admired for their sociopolitical causes than their contemporary output.
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