R.E.M. [ tickets ] will forego a traditional in-person listening party for the band's forthcoming album and instead stream a preview of the disc over a web-based music service.

"Accelerate," the veteran band's 14th studio album, will hit stores April in physical form, but fans can tune into iLike.com's Worldwide Listening Party from March 24-26 to hear the set in its entirety. The preview will be available on iLike's website as well as through the iLike Sidebar plugin available for both iTunes and Windows Media Player.

"Collaborating with iLike and debuting 'Accelerate' across the Web is in keeping with the spirit and immediacy of the album," said R.E.M. [ tickets ] frontman Michael Stipe in a press statement. "We wanted to do something superfast and super real. Music, art, and pop culture are about right now, and nothing else matters. 'Accelerate' is our turbo-charged response to the times we live in."

"With 11 songs clocking in at just 34 minutes, 'Accelerate' is intense and relevant, with songs inspired by the WTO riots in Seattle, the Hurricane Katrina disaster, and other topical themes," added iLike's CEO, Ali Partovi. "We are honored to play a role in helping R.E.M. introduce this album to their fans across the Web. This is our first-ever Worldwide Listening Party and R.E.M. has set a very high bar."

The first single from "Accelerate," titled "Supernatural Superserious," was released last month. The track debuted at No. 36 on Billboard's Modern Rock tracks chart.

The group is preparing to launch a worldwide tour this summer, kicking off the initial North American leg of the trek May 23 in Vancouver and hitting 13 cities through late June. An extensive European outing will follow.

US and Canadian dates are included below. The group's full international schedule can be found at the official R.E.M. website.