R.E.M. might be getting inducted into the USA's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame this evening, but the influential outfit aren't resting on their laurels. The trio are set to record their 14th album over the next three months, teaming this time with Irish producer Jacknife Lee (who worked on U2's How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb and Snow Patrol's Final Straw). Due out at the end of 2008, Michael Stipe, Mike Mills and Peter Buck's latest longplayer is the follow-up to 2004's Around The Sun. That album, a resounding flop in comparison to the band's past efforts, sold just 232,000 copies in the US. Bassist Mills defended the LP late last year. "I like Around The Sun, but I think, honestly, it turned out a little slower than we intended, just in terms of the overall speed of songs. "I don't think in terms of directions, but I think this next record might have a little more rock to it," he said.