I recently got a pretty cool little press release via email regarding a tribute to one of my favorite bands of all time, R.E.M. A group of Athens artists are getting together to release Finest Worksongs: Athens Bands Play The Music Of R.E.M. later this month on May 29th.

The best thing about this tribute to me is how much Patterson Hood of the Drive By Truckers contributes. Hood performs 5 songs in all, including “Burning Hell” and “So. Central Rain”, which is a personal favorite of mine. The Drive By Truckers frontman also does a sixth tune if you buy the digital version of the disc, “(Don’t Go Back To) Rockville.”

The albums genesis was in September of 2006, when the group of Athens artists were scheduled to cover their favorite R.E.M. songs as part of Finest Worksongs: Athens Bands Play the Music of R.E.M. The event continued a tradition started in 1992 of holding listening parties in Athens for R.E.M.’s new releases to benefit local organizations, this time for the “best of” collection And I Feel Fine from the band’s early years that was released that day.

This release captures the energy from that night, and is a great tribute to an amazing band. Have a listen to two songs from the record.

Patterson Hood – Burning Hell( R.E.M. cover, originally from the album, Dead Letter Office)
The Observatory – Feeling Gravitys Pull (R.E.M. cover, originally on the album, Fables Of Reconstruction)

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