R.E.M. Releasing Dublin Rehearsals

Although R.E.M. aren't touring or recording this year, they'll release a live album culled from their 2007 Dublin, Ireland working rehearsals and a deluxe version of 1984's Reckoning.

The "Dublin package will be something very special including more than 'just the music,' although 'just the music' those five nights at the Olympia was pretty incredible itself," says a message posted on Wednesday on R.E.M.'s website.

R.E.M. played a string of shows in Dublin in July 2007 to warm up for their tour and test new material that ended up on last year's Accelerate.

There's no word on the bonus material that will be included on the deluxe Reckoning that's expected toward the end of spring, but it will be done "in the same spirit" of Universal's 2008 deluxe release of 1983's Murmur. Reckoning was originally reissued in 1992 with five bonus tracks, including a cover of the standard "Moon River."

R.E.M. plan to regroup in the next few months to begin work on "exploratory demos" for a new album.

An R.E.M. tribute concert featuring Vic Chesnutt, Guster, Bob Mould, Calexico, Kimya Dawson, Rachel Yamagata, Patti Smith and others was held earlier this month at New York City’s Carnegie Hall.

R.E.M. guitarist Peter Buck, drummer Bill Rieflin and multi-instrumentalist Scott McCaughey are touring Australia as part of Robyn Hitchcock & The Venus 3 in support of last month's release of the band's second album, Goodnight Oslo. The band will play 13 U.S. shows and an April 16 gig at Toronto's Mod Club next month and will also perform at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in Manchester, Tenn. on June 13.

R.E.M. bassist Mike Mills recorded "Gift Of The Fathers" for the closing credits of Favorite Son, which will be screened at the Garden State Film Festival in Asbury Park, N.J. next week.

Here's a clip of R.E.M. in Dublin: