The influence of R.E.M. on indie-folk outfit The Decemberists is no secret, so it’s no surprise to see that Colin Meloy and Co. trotted out a cover of ‘Cuyahoga’ off ‘Lifes Rich Pageant’ during the band’s visit to KCRW’s ‘Morning Becomes Eclectic’ on Thursday.

Back on Dec. 19, visitors to New York City’s Museum of Modern Art witnessed a surprise ‘walk-in concert’ by R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe and Patti Smith as part of the museum’s celebration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of French political activist and writer Jean Genet.

Members of R.E.M.’s fan club have begun receiving their annual holiday single in the mail, and, like last year’s, the 2010 installment features the return of departed drummer Bill Berry on a cover of Darlene Love’s classic ‘Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)’ — as well as an instrumental mashup of three tracks off the band’s forthcoming album ‘Collapse Into Now.’

R.E.M. employed a decidedly old-school medium to announce the full tracklist of its new album ‘Collapse Into Now’: The band revealed the titles of the record’s 12 songs via its snail-mail fanclub newsletter.

The full 17-song concert R.E.M. recorded for the ‘Austin City Limits’ TV show in 2008 — including three songs that never have been broadcast — will be released on DVD late next month, the band announced today.

R.E.M. tonight posted a minute-long video of the band’s recent recording sessions in Nashville, showing, in typically enigmatic fashion, Michael Stipe playing high-pitched noises off some kind of contraption while the rest of the band and assorted personnel record a round of handclaps — after which Peter Buck asks, ‘Should we double track it?’

The 2010 installment of Athens PopFest will feature headlining sets by Mission of Burma and The Wedding Present — which will play 1989’s ‘Bizarro’ in its entirety — as well as Dead Milkmen singer Joe Jack Talcum and the reunited Oh-OK, the early ’80s act featuring Lynda Stipe, sister of R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe.

In this late-’70s news footage from a Kansas City TV station, R.E.M.’s Michael Stipe is among the fans interviewed about the ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ phenomenon — in full Frank-N-Furter regalia.

Apparently taking a break from recording R.E.M.’s next album in New Orleans, Michael Stipe last week uploaded a series of five short, someone nonsensical videos titled ‘Tribute to YouTube 5 Year.’

The 1985-’87 Syd Straw-fronted lineup of Anton Fier’s experimental and ever-shifting Golden Palominos will perform live next month for the first time in more than 20 years in what may be a precursor to a full-time reunion of the band beginning this fall.

This week’s new releases include Record Store Day-related reissues from R.E.M., Sonic Youth and Devo, plus the expanded edition of Iggy and the Stooges’ classic ‘Raw Power,’ and a new Revolting Cocks album.

Thirty years ago today, R.E.M. played its first-ever concert — reportedly billed as Twisted Kites — performing to several hundred friends and Athens townsfolk at a birthday party inside St. Mary’s Episcopal Church.

The Sundance Channel next week will re-air the R.E.M. concert documentary ‘This Is Not a Show: Live at the Olympia in Dublin,’ which is included in the 2CD/1DVD editions of the band’s new live album, ‘Live at the Olympia,’ and premiered on the cable network in December.