R.E.M.: Übermatic for the People

They both hail from Georgia, but on the surface the B-52’s and R.E.M. sound like they’re from different planets. While the B-52’s are bouncy, wild, and fun, Michael Stipe’s grave, puzzling lyrics and the crashing doom of R.E.M.’s alt-wave guitars are just the opposite. Certainly songs like Welcome to the Occupation and Drive, which kick off this week’s wog, envelope the listener with an almost dirge-like plunge into Southern Angst. They’re also gorgeous, irresistible, and yes, woggable. And the rest of the songs in this 57-minute Vigorous wog, like Bittersweet Me and the classically introspective Losing My Religion, wrap themselves with the same iconic cloth. Yet the two groups share a similar off-center worldview, fueled by Athen’s alternative social scene; they delight in presenting the listener with quirky takes on a culture they both reject and embrace. It's all part of this week's wog.

Whatever, dude. Get your Pod, rev up your dream cycles, and wog. Oh, and BTW—Happy Spring! And Happy Birthday to Me!

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