R.E.M. will unveil material intended for its 14th studio album during a five-night run of live dates in Dublin this summer. The shows, set for June 30, July 1 and July 3-5 at the Olympia Theatre, will mark the first time in a decade that the band has played new songs live before they appeared on an album.

As previously reported, R.E.M. will record the album in the coming months with producer Jacknife Lee (U2, Snow Patrol). The as-yet-untitled set is expected out before the end of the year via Warner Bros.

"The way we normally work is, (guitarist) Peter (Buck) and I are overproductive," bassist Mike Mills told Billboard earlier this month at the band`s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction. "We tend to write a lot of music. (Vocalist) Michael (Stipe) requires a little more time to focus on it. Musically, I`d say we`re pretty far along. Lyrically, we`re probably just beginning."

On the heels of 2004`s 'Around the Sun,' which offered a dearth of rock songs, Mills says R.E.M. is "certainly aiming for a more live feel and maybe a little more uptempo" approach this time around. "The trouble with making records is that you can plan all you want. But what we find is that the records tend to take on a life of their own, so it could go in any direction."

R.E.M.`s new single, a cover of John Lennon`s "#9 Dream," was released digitally earlier this month as the lead track from the Darfur benefit album 'Instant Karma.' The track features original drummer Bill Berry for the first time since he retired from the band in 1997.

Taken from M&C