Little-known Big Star cover band side project R.E.M. is releasing a six-DVD set of its televised live performances.

The set, dubbed REMTV, will include R.E.M.'s 1991 and 2001 "MTV Unplugged" sets, 1998 "VH1 Storytellers" appearance, 2007 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction, a rare 1984 cover of "Smokin' in the Boys Room" (?), a 2001 concert in Cologne, France and a 2008 concert in the Athens of Greece, plus a documentary and lots more rarities and never-before-released stuff.

Pre-order and get a download code for a mono version of the 2003 MTV Sonic Show in Milan, Italy.

In addition, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their Monster album, R.E.M. HQ is opening up the vaults and selling nine T-shirts from the subsequent world tour.

Snark all you want about leftover Monster merchandise (it's one of the band's least-loved albums). As someone whose first-ever concert was R.E.M. in 1995 and who even owned that T-shirt Stipe wore in the "What's the Frequency, Kenneth?" video, this is relevant to my interests.

Click here to check 'em out, fellow Gen X-ers. Once they're gone, they're gone.