The combination of a small city and art-school students was as important to 1980s indie rock as it was to contemporaneous British punk. “The land-grant university,” wrote the music journalist ...

REM in 1994. Bound for the tour’s opening concert ... more glimpses behind the scenes of the moment’s biggest rock band. How did they keep themselves entertained during long flights?

The book also explores the band's political activism, including their work on environmental causes and promotion of the Rock the Vote campaign. The band members didn't agree to interviews for ...