Released by Warner Bros. Records on April 1st, "Accelerate" is also a hitaround the world, with No. 1 debuts in Canada, Ireland (where part of thealbum was recorded), Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, the Czech Republic andthe U.K., as well as Top 5 debuts in Austria (#2), Germany (#2), Holland(#2) and Italy (#2).

The album's impressive U.S. chart showing is due in part to severalhigh-profile TV appearances that singer Michael Stipe, guitarist PeterBuck, and bassist Mike Mills made last week, including a performance ofthree songs on "The Today Show" (www.todayshow.com), interviews with "CBSSunday Morning" (www.cbsnews.com), and nationally syndicated radio showRockline and a memorable interview and performance on "The Colbert Report"-- the first time, Stephen Colbert noted, that a rock band has ever playedon the show (www.colbertnation.com).

Sales of "Accelerate" were also no doubt fueled by the strong advancereviews the album received from critics. It has been called "a classicblast of rock and roll from a band at a new peak of its powers" by RollingStone, "a breathless tumble of hooks and harmonies" by the New York Times,and proof that "amplified, guitar-based songs can bring people together andeven form the basis for a larger life," by the Los Angeles Times.Entertainment Weekly raved: "Damn if 'Accelerate' doesn't live up to itspedal-to-the-metal title!" The band also appears on the cover of Spinmagazine's April issue.

Additionally, at the 2007 South By Southwest Music Festival, R.E.M. took tothe airwaves completing several interviews with various formats of radiostations across the country, including extensive interviews on NPR'sMorning Edition, Fresh Air and NPR.org with a live broadcast of theirStubbs BBQ performance (www.npr.org). They also shot an episode of thePBS' legendary Austin City Limits that will air later this spring andsimultaneously prepared their "take over" of Sirius Satellite Radio for theweek of release with R.E.M. Radio, a channel hosted exclusively by bandmembers Michael Stipe, Peter Buck and Mike Mills that featured insightsfrom the band on the inspiration for each song on "Accelerate." As anApril Fools Day joke, R.E.M. "interrupted" six channels on XM Radiothroughout the day with various interviews and performances from "R.E.M.Offsite," a one-hour special that debuted on XM on April 6th.

Finally, fan excitement about the album's release mounted as R.E.M. and itsteam launched a series of online promotions leading up to April 1st,including four brand-new websites, geared toward generating awareness of"Accelerate" and creating an interactive experience for fans. Additionally,"Accelerate" made its online debut exclusively via social music discoveryservice iLike, which has been streaming the album in its entirety sinceMarch 24th.

"Accelerate" was recorded in Vancouver, Dublin, and Athens, GA, last springwith Grammy Award winning-producer Jacknife Lee, who is noted for his workwith U2 ("How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb"), as well as Snow Patrol, BlocParty, and Kasabian.

R.E.M. will tour North America in May and June with opening acts ModestMouse and The National before launching an extensive European tour in July.Please see below for all tour dates and visit www.remhq.com for all thelatest news about the band.



R.E.M. 2008 World Tour dates:May23 Vancouver, B.C. Deer Lake Park29 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl31 Berkeley, CA The Greek TheatreJune01 Berkeley, CA The Greek Theatre03 Denver, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre06 Chicago, IL United Center08 Toronto, ONT Molson Amphitheatre10 Raleigh, NC Walnut Creek Amphitheatre11 Washington, DC Merriweather Post Pavilion13 Boston, MA Tweeter Center14 Wantagh, NY Jones Beach Theater18 Philadelphia, PA Mann Center19 New York, NY Madison Square Garden21 Atlanta, GA Lakewood AmphitheatreJuly02 Amsterdam, Netherlands Westerpark03 Werchter, Belgium Werchter Festival05 Bilbao, Spain Bilbao Festival06 Castello D'Empuries, Spain Doctor Loft 05.00 Festival08 Lyon, France Le Nuits de Fourvieres09 Nice, France Theatre De Verdure12 Dublin, Ireland Oxygen Festival13 Balado, U.K. T in the Park15 Dresden, Germany Elbufer16 Berlin, Germany Waldbuhne18 Locarno, Switzerland Moon and Stars, City Square20 Perugia, Italy Umbria Jazz Festival21 Verona, Italy Arena23 Naples, Italy Neapolis Rock Festival24 Udine, Italy Villa Manin26 Milan, Italy Arena CivicaAugust14 Salzburg, Austria Frequency Festival16 Budapest, Hungary Sziget Festival17 Prague, Czech Republic Slavia Stadium19 Stuttgart, Germany Ehrenhof20 Rhine, Germany Loreley22 Wurzburg, Germany Marienfeste24 Manchester, U.K. L.C.C.C25 Cardiff, Wales Millennium Stadium27 Southampton, U.K. Rosebowl30 London, U.K. TwickenhamSeptember03 Oslo, Norway Ullevaal Stadium04 Bergen, Norway Koengen Stadium06 Cophenhagen, Denmark Parken Stadium07 Stockholm, Sweden Stockholm Stadion09 Helsinki, Finland Finnair Stadium

For further information, please contact Warner Bros. Records Publicity:Brian Bumberybrian.bumbery@wbr.com818-953-3203Renee Harrisonrenee.harrison@wbr.com818-953-3311