RIP Ronnie James Dio
The metal world has become a touch darker with the passing of one of metal’s acknowledged gods, Ronnie James Dio. More »
Sparklehorse’s Mark Linkous: 1962 – 2010
It is with great sadness that I write this. Mark Linkous took his life last March 6. Linkous is the brains behind the experimental blues outfit Sparklehorse. More »
RIP Rowland S. Howard, ex-Birthday Party
At the risk of bumming out everyone and kind of turning this into an obituary page, I still feel that I have to write about it.
Rowland S. Howard, the former guitarist in two Nick Cave’s previous bands, The Boys Next Door and the seminal post-punk band The Birthday Party, has passed away from complications from liver cancer. Howard was 50.
Howard was a big part of The Birthday Party and since its disbandment, he has consistently worked by collaborating with various artists like Lydia Lunch, Henry Rollins and Nikki Sudden of Swell Maps. He released his last solo album, Pop Crimes, last October.
This is turning out to be bleak Christmas for the music world.
RIP Vic Chestnutt
Folk singer songwriter Vic Chestnutt has passed away.
The 45 year old Athens, Georgia native was reportedly in a coma due to a suicide attempt, as tweeted by one of Chestnutt’s close friends, The Throwing Muses’ Kristin Hersh. Chestnutt has been wheelchair-bound since the age of 18 because of a car accident.
Chestnutt was a very well respected and prolific artist. He released more than a dozen album in the early 90s and have collaborated with some of the best music artists, among them Michael Stipe, Elf Power, Lamb Chop, and Van Dyke Parks. Sweet Relief II, a 1996 tribute album, saw different artists like The Smashing Pumpkins, Madonna, Garbage, Indigo Girls and Sparklehors, cover Chestnutt songs.
