Alt-Rock band R.E.M. created a music release with sales proceed benefits going to fund US anti-communism propaganda network, Radio Free Europe

80s, 90s rock band. You might remember songs such as "Losing my religion", "Everybody hurts", "The one I love", "Man on the Moon"

They made this music project in response to Trump cutting USAID funding.

https://variety.com/2025/music/news/rem-radio-free-europe-2025-ep-benefit-trump-cuts-1236384894/

https://archive.is/mThRV << radiofree europe article

24 comments

that's me in the corner
that's me in the spotlight
fighting communism
- Oh, man. That made me laugh out loud.

Contribute to literally any other much more materially helpful cause (immigrant rights, LGBTQ rights, women's rights, etc)

Contribute to American propaganda machine aborad

The record label owner of IRS Records who first signed and developed them was the son of one of the founders of the CIA who ran the coups in Syria in '49 and Iran in '53.

I never realized that R.E.M. had an anti-communism stance. They first recorded the song "Radio Free Europe" in 1981, using nonsensical lyrics. Some music critics interpreted the song to be a criticism of Radio Free Europe, using nonsensical lyrics to symbolize misinformation. This new re-recording of the song with new lyrics, just outright supports Radio Free Europe.
Some articles refer to R.E.M. as a Georgian band. They are from Georgia the US state, not Soviet Georgia.
- I think the Ukraine war put the pacifist crowd firmly into the US hegemony camp. Everyone seems to think the war is entirely about Russian territorial expansion, rather than responding to NATO. If you believe that it's only natural you'll drink the red white and blue cool aid
  
  Ukraine was a relief to most libs I knew because it finally allowed them to be the mask off jingoistic war hawks they always wanted to be, but couldn't because its a bad look. Which is why stuff like Trump being fully extortionist really makes them mad, because then it is giving up the game of it actually being about influence and material resources and not 'protecting democracy'. Basically, they are always looking to fall for this stuff.
  
  It’s so weird to me, I feel like if you were already even slightly poised towards “The US does bad shit” it was so incredibly obvious that the Ukraine war is the US’s fault and Russia was defending itself.
  Why the fuck are my fellow westerners, including a lot of self-described leftists (I’m looking at you, Trashfuture discord) too stupid to recognize that incredibly obvious fact?

Censorship is when you stop using tax payer funds to pay shitty journalists a guaranteed income if they keep writing slop

"What's the frequency, Kenneth" is about how cool it is being a Gladio asset activated by a numbers station to terrorize immigrant communities.

Pearl Jam played during the Kosovo bullshit, and Rage Against The Machine played in that ''Free Tibet'' concert along with The Beastie Boys and I forget who else.
Edit: Find your band.
And here's Wikipedia with more
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibetan_Freedom_Concert
- I wonder why only one of the Oasis guys was there, must've been during one of their many fights. They have bad takes on just about everything, though.
  Radiohead also played in Israel several times and Thom Yorke whined about people criticizing them for it.
  
  I wonder why only one of the Oasis guys was there
  They fucking HATE each other and only come together when they need money. I can not emphasise enough how much these two do not get along, at all.

What giant pieces of shit.

God fucking damnit can literally any of my karaoke bands stop sucking so much PLEASE

I remember the pervasive rumor that their track "Shiny Happy People" was an anti-China anticommunist song about tiny man square. It was never confirmed afaik but it's seeming more likely now...

🎵Stand in the place where you work🎵
🎵Now face right🎵
🎵Think about direction, wonder why fascism is on the rise🎵

More like CREMge

like u2, rem is definitely one of those bands that tarnished their legacy by staying around too long

omg, always thought REM was a band that was on the left, and their Radio Free Europe song was against the CIA front. Their lyrics were always obscure, so it was always open to interpretation, but now that they are out right supporting CIA Radio Free Europe, no interpretation necessary.
Their song Orange Crush, which many interpreted as a song about Agent Orange and against US involvement in Vietnam. Now I question that interpretation.