R.E.M. —"Around The Sun" Concord Records; The thirteenth studio album from R.E.M., released in 2004, it is now released on R.E.M.'s new label Concord. Around the Sun is notable for being one of the band’s more straightforward and polished productions. Though it was very much a protest album, focused around the American political climate at the time, and the ongoing war, the band took a delicate and mature approach to the songs. Includes “The Outsiders,” featuring rapper Q-Tip, and UK hit single “Leaving New York.”