Depeche Mode and R.E.M

Diesel and Dust is not an REM album, it's a Midnight Oil album.

Wow someone who liked Up,I thought I was the only one! That album for some reason reminds of The Beach Boys when Brian Wilson was doing the writing.

Murmur, Reckoning, Document, Fables of the Reconstruction, Up and Collapse Into Now. The albums up to and including Automatic for the People were astoundingly and consistently excellent. R.E.M. prresently stands as my favorite R&R band.

Depeche Mode's musical style changed as they developed so i would grab their Catching up with Depeche Mode to see if you like their early stuff. That said if you liked Violator(I did to) Songs of Faith and Devotion is a must as well as Exciter.Music for the Masses is when imo they started really putting their sound together.
Rem for me is a mixed bag but their debut Murmer is really good.
If you like Depeche Mode give The Cure a try,maybe Pornography, Bloodflowers or Facsination Street.

Wescoman
I have been a fan of both bands. Top recommendation for Depeche Mode are playing the angle, music for the masses, 101 live, and songs of faith and devotion. all great albums. R.E.M albums to consider would be Green, Out of time, Eponomous and Diesel and dust. These are all very good with lots of great music. I hope this is of some help.

Mark