Today I’m joined by a journalist of such lethal cunning... Chris Hewitt - news editor for film journal Empire Magazine and host of their massively popular podcast - joins me to talk about an overlooked classic in the catalogue of Georgian alt-rockers REM - 1996′s ‘New Adventures in Hi-Fi’.

How does the near death of drummer Bill Berry hang over the atmosphere of the album? How did Michael Stipe’s vocal style evolve from Murmur to this album and beyond? Why does Chris think Ringo Starr is the worst drummer in rock history? What was the REM’s controversial original name? How did the band end up outlasting some of the acts it influenced? and most importantly - which members of the Avengers cast will play REM in the movie that tells the story of their reunion to take down President Donald Trump?

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My Favorite Album is a podcast unpacking the great works of pop music. Each episode features a different songwriter or musician discussing their favorite album of all time - their history with it, the making of the album, individual songs and the album’s influence on their own music. Jeremy Dylan is a filmmaker, journalist and photographer from Sydney, Australia. He directed the the feature music documentary Jim Lauderdale: The King of Broken Hearts and the feature film Benjamin Sniddlegrass and the Cauldron of Penguins, in addition to many commercials and music videos. He writes for Capital News magazine.

If you’ve got any feedback or suggestions, drop us a line at [email protected].