R.E.M. has announced that Peter Buck’s signature Rickenbacker guitar was stolen from the stage immediately following the band’s performance on September 9th at Finnair Stadium in Helsinki, Finland.

The instrument is Buck’s iconic signature Rick, which has been the staple of the guitarist’s arsenal both live and in the studio since the band released its first EP Chronictown in 1982. The guitar means a great deal to Buck and to R.E.M.

It is R.E.M.’s sincere hope that whomever is responsible for the loss, or whomever has information leading to the guitar’s recovery will come forward. The band is offering a generous reward, no questions asked. Anyone with information is being asked to email tips to fanclub@remtour.com or call (001) 706-353-6689. For further details, please visit www.remhq.com.

First off, THE CRIBS ARE FUCKING GREAT! Secondly, THE CRIBS are now even greater as ex-Smiths guitarist/songwriter JOHNNY MARR has joined the band and will continue to write, record and tour as the fourth band member which DOES NOT SUCK. They've just finished a spate of UK dates which drew raves (as expected). The good news is they will begin recording again soon. For now, what this clip from the NME Awrds of them covering the Smiths "Panic" w/ Mr. Marr springling some magic jangle into the works. I've heard a few new demos already AND THEY ARE AMAZING!!!!!!!!!! So Dig this shiznit...

Er, sorry about my mysterious posting of Billy Lunn playing "Lostboy" acousticially live from the WBR NY office last week for Alloy.Com - the link didn't fuction properly and neither did i - so while we fix that, have a look at their first UK siongel/video from the new album ALL OT NOTHING, out in the US on Sep 9. 2008. More new soon!

Up-and-coming artist Jason Reeves will hit the road with fellow singer-songwriter Tyrone Wells for a two-month tour that launches August 28th in San Francisco. Reeves is touring in support of his major label debut album, The Magnificent Adventures of Heartache (and Other Frightening Tales), which will be released on Warner Bros. Records September 9th.

Tour dates:
8/28 San Francisco, CA, Café Du Nord
8/30 Spokane, WA, The Big Easy
9/03 Portland, OR, Aladdin Theatre
9/05 Provo, UT, Velour
9/07 Boulder, CO, B-Side Lounge
9/09 Denver, CO, Walnut Room
9/11 Santa Fe, NM, Santa Fe Brewing Company
9/12 Phoenix, AZ, The Clubhouse
9/13 Pomona, CA, The Glass House
9/14 San Diego, CA, SOMA
9/25 Tucson, AZ, Congress Hotel
10/7 New York, NY, Knitting Factory
10/9 Boston, MA, 939 Café
10/10 Philadelphia, PA, World Café
10/11 Hoboken, NY, Maxwells
10/15 Syracuse, NY, Syracuse University
10/16 Vienna, VA, Jammin Java
10/17 College Park, MD, Santa Fe Café
10/18 Pittsburgh, PA, Hard Rock Café
10/20 Indianapolis, IN, Birdy’s
10/22 Chicago, IL, Beat Kitchen
10/23 Iowa City, IA, The Englert
10/27 Minneapolis, MN, Varsity Theatre

(photo credit: Jill Augusto)

E-40 sits down with Flow TV at Stankonia Studios and talks "Ball Street Journal," the Yay Area music scene, business inventures, and "stayin woke."

AllHipHop.com catches up with Murs at the DNC.

Black Holes and Revelations, the latest studio album from Muse, has been certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America, having shipping 500,000 units. It is the British rock trio’s second gold album in the U.S., following 2003’s Absolution, which was certified gold last year. Both albums have also recently been certified gold in Canada.

Metallica has won this year’s “Inspiration” Award, given by British hard-rock weekly magazine, Kerrang!. The band were present at the ceremony in London on August 21st to receive the award, which “honors the band that is still setting the standard by which all heavy metal bands aspire to.”

A7X won "Best Album" at the Kerrang! Awards in London on August 21st for their self-titled, self-produced album.