R.E.M. reveals CD tracklist

1.00pm - By JONATHAN COHEN

NEW YORK - R.E.M.'s upcoming North American tour will feature support from such acts as Joseph Arthur, Charlie Mars, Five Eight, Angela McCluskey and Now It's Overhead.

Rock outfit Five Eight, which hails from R.E.M.'s Athens, Ga., hometown, will open the first four shows of the six-week tour, which kicks off Oct. 13 in Los Angeles. Sprinkled through the subsequent 11 dates will be the lone appearance of newcomer Trent Dabbs (Oct. 22, Nashville), four opening sets by fellow Athens natives Now It's Overhead and six by former Wild Colonials vocalist McCluskey.

Akron, Ohio-bred, New York-based singer/songwriter Joseph Arthur, who will release the album "Our Shadows Will Remain" this fall via Vector, opens the next six shows through Nov. 12 in Montreal. V2 rock artist Charlie Mars will support on seven of the final eight dates, with Five Eight returning for a Nov. 19 performance in Seattle.

R.E.M. will be touring in support of its new Warner Bros. album, "Around the Sun," due Oct. 5 in North America. The first single "Leaving New York" can be streamed via the band's official

website

; a video, directed by longtime collaborator Peter Care, is in the works. The second single is tipped to be "The Boy in the Well."

A special edition of "Around the Sun" will be bundled in a two-piece wrapped box, featuring 14 four-colour posters.

In other news, the group has contributed its vintage track "We Walk" to the Epic compilation "Mary Had a Little Amp," also due Oct. 5. The Dixie Chicks, Moby, Maroon 5 and Lou Reed are among the other artists donating cuts to the album, proceeds from which will benefit Project Kid Smart and Start Smart America.

Here is the "Around the Sun" track list:

"Leaving New York"

"Electron Blue"

"The Outsiders"

"Make It All OK"

"Final Straw"

"I Wanted To Be Wrong"

"Wander Lust"

"The Boy in the Well"

"Aftermath"

"High Speed Train"

"Worst Joke Ever"

"The Ascent of Man"

"Around the Sun"

- REUTERS/BILLBOARD