Scott McCaughey, leader of the Young Fresh Fellows and the Minus 5, and who spent 17 years as a touring guitarist and multi-instrumentalist for R.E.M., suffered a stroke while on a tour of the West Coast with Alejandro Escovedo, his wife announced today. He is in stable condition, but a long recovery is expected.

Peter Buck is back with his second solo album, another vinyl-only release — ambitiously titled I Am Back To Blow Your Mind Once Again — that he’ll support with a short round of dates later this month in the Midwest and South opening for and then backing roots-rocker Alejandro Escovedo

Former Replacements bassist Tommy Stinson will take a break from his gigs with Guns N’ Roses and Soul Asylum to embark on a short solo tour this spring, playing six gigs in four days at South By Southwest in Austin, Texas, next month before hitting the East Coast four a handful of shows in April.