R.E.M., Randy Travis, The Black Crowes, NIN, Senor Flavio

Hitchhiking back to Freiburg, West Germany, from Frankfurt in 1989 after seeing R.E.M. live during the “Green” world tour allowed time to reflect on the group’s steady climb from alternative college band to mainstream, lauded musicians. It also started a slow decline in R.E.M.’s appeal to me. Call it the I-liked-them-when-no-one-else-knew-who-they-were syndrome.

Whatever it was, “Accelerate” has reignited a passion. Short and rockin’, this 11-track CD represents a band that’s gotten back to basics after losing focus, especially with 2004’s “Around the Sun.” From Michael Stipes’ thought-provoking lyrics to Peter Buck’s lyrical lute, R.E.M. reinforces why the world loves this band. Mike Mills’ background vocals on “Supernatural Superserious” harkens back to “Fall on Me” from 1986’s “Life’s Rich Pageant.” The chemistry is undeniable.

Other tunes on the CD will bring back memories, but this compilation is by no means an ode to the past. It’s just good to have the boys from Athens, Ga., doing what they do best: creating memorable music.

– Toni Guagenti, The Pilot

R.E.M.: ‘Accelerate’

Rating: Go get it now

Tracks to download: “Living Well Is the Best Revenge,” “Supernatural Superserious,” “Accelerate”

It has been eight years since Randy Travis released a CD. The release date on his new offering is July 29.

“Around the Bend,” with its first single, “Faith in You,” should wind up as the best release of ’08. It’s part biographical, part sermon, part out-and-out craziness, all ultra-listenable, thanks to the singer’s sound and Kyle Lehning’s production.

In an album of outstanding offerings, the best is “Every Head Bowed,” an end-of-the-sermon phrase familiar to Southern Baptists. It is followed, as in the song, by “every eye closed.” In this case, the services are over, but some folks who came forward are still hanging in there. Many of the others go to KFC for some “finger-lickin’, fried chicken.”

Close at the heels of that quality offering are “Everything That I Owe (Has Got a Dent)” and the beautiful “Dig Two Graves.”

The final offering, “’Til I’m Dead and Gone,” is mostly an instrumental.

Admittedly, it is a long wait for “Around the Bend,” but check the Travis Web site – www.randytravis.com – for a preview of coming attractions. – Frank Roberts

Randy Travis:  ‘Around the Bend’

  Rating:  Go get it now

Tracks to download: “Every Head Bowed,” “Everything That I Owe (Has Got a Dent),” “Dig Two Graves”

Every tone and shade of The Black Crowes’ “War­paint” smacks of the early 1970s, from the long-haired, full-beard visage of singer Chris Robinson and his Rod Stewart-esque voice to the inner sleeve’s peace sign emblazoned on the blue field of Old Glory. Yep, everything you’d expect from a Crowes album.

In fact, since their 1990 debut, “Shake Your Money Maker,” which spawned the single “Hard to Handle,” The Black Crowes have keenly scavenged shreds of Southern rock a la the Allman Brothers, guitar-driven blues, boogie-woogie, gospel, not to mention the grittiest elements of the Stones and Faces.

On “Warpaint,” their first new studio album in seven years, the Crowes represent a band that has overcome turmoil and somehow improved with age. Credit the evocative songwriting, especially on “Oh Josephine” and “Walk Believer Walk,” as well as the hot slide guitar licks laid down by Luther Dickinson of the North Mississippi Allstars. Classic American rock ’n’ roll.

– Jeff Maisey, Lifestyles Magazine

The Black Crowes: ‘Warpaint’

 Rating:  Download a few tracks

Tracks to download: “Walk Believer Walk,” “Oh Josephine,” “Goodbye Daughters of the Revolution”

Musically, NIN main man Trent Reznor has put together a wide-ranging collection that is part brilliant and part leftover-song ideas with no lyrics. Which it is is up to the listener.

Present are the expected, introspective, scary-piano pieces, as well as the traditional NIN post-apocalyptic bleeps and blips set against static-soaked bed tracks. But, there are also some very creative pieces that use samples to create rhythmic sonic landscapes, some of which sound like Reznor moving around kitchen appliances, and even his own snores. Several of the tunes come off as songs that might not have made the cut on previous NIN records or early ideas that never even made it to the song stage. Regardless, for a NIN fan, it’s still a cool collection of music.

“Ghosts I-IV” is a great example of recording artistry. Reznor is an aural sculptor, using analog synths, modulation filters, samples and a Macintosh as his medium. He obviously bleeds creativity. You do have to wonder, though, why he felt this needed to be a double CD. None of this stuff is breaking any new ground in terms of NIN, and, for the most part, you get the idea from the first six or seven tracks.

– Mike Doyle

  NIN: ‘Ghosts I-IV’

Rating: Download a few tracks

Tracks to download: “Ghost 1,” “Ghost 7,” “Ghost 32”

Latin alternative rock never sounded cooler, more cutting-edge or reverential than it does on Señor Flavio’s newest solo project, “Supersaund 2012.”

El Señor (a.k.a. Flavio Cianciarulo) is considered one of the godfathers of the Latin-alt-rock movement, thanks to his work as founding member and bassist of the now-defunct, internationally popular Los Fabulosos Cadillacs.

Now wielding a guitar, a batch of strong pop originals and a killer backing combo, Flavio presents an album that skillfully mashes ska, dub, rock, punk and rap into one gleaming pop gem. There’s shake ’em ska on “Lo Mejor del Mundo,” acoustic folk-pop on “De Story of De Loko Univers-Love,” doo-wop on “La Herida,” herky-jerky New Wave on “Oportuna” and Brit-invasion rock on “Lucha Libre Lovers.” In essence, Flavio could be considered a Spanish-speaking Nick Lowe with his winking humor and natural instinct for the two-and-a-half-minute pop classic.

The album is sung primarily in Spanish – with a bit of Spanglish thrown in for good measure, but it’s an album that transcends language and origin. Call it “puro pop de ahora la gente,” (“Pure pop for now people”).

– Eric Feber, The Pilot

Señor Flavio: ‘Supersaund 2012’

Rating: Go get it now

Tracks to download: “Malito,” “Polaroid 66,” “La Herida”