Mike Starr, the former bassist for Alice in Chains has died, according to police.

Police have confirmed that they checked a residence at 1:42 p.m. at 1986 South Richards Street in Salt Lake City on Tuesday, where they discovered Starr's body.

He was 44 years old. The cause of death was not immediately known.

Starr was arrested for illegal prescription drug possession in Salt Lake City in February.

Starr was the original bassist for Alice in Chains a rock band that made its mark on the "grunge" scene with roots in the Seattle area. He left the group in 1993. Another original band member Layne Staley, died from a cocaine and heroin overdose in 2002.

Starr appeared in 2010 on the VH1 cable reality show "Celebrity Rehab" after suffering from a heroin addiction. [ABC 4]

Continue reading "Mike Starr of Alice in Chains, RIP"

by BBG

Phil Vane, vocalist of the highly influential grind/crust band Extreme Noise Terror has passed away. Rumors started to fly yesterday in response to a Mick Harris (Napalm Death, Doom and Extreme Noise Terror) facebook post, the band has since confirmed his passing with the following statement:

"The rumors are true. We're sorry to announce that Phil passed away recently. The band will make a full statement soon but for now we need to take the time to come to terms with this terrible loss."

"Veteran actor Len Lesser died in his sleep Wednesday morning in Burbank, California, of complications from pneumonia. He was 88.

"It was very peaceful," his daughter, Michele Lesser, told CNN, saying the family had hoped for a quick and painless death. "He was a great grandpa, and an amazing father. He had a heart of gold -- and a sense of humor of platinum."

Best known as Jerry Seinfeld's Uncle Leo on TV's "Seinfeld," Lesser made more than 500 film, television and stage appearances. His TV roles ranged from "Studio One in Hollywood" in 1949 to a 2009 role on "Castle."" [CNN]

Continue reading "R.I.P. Uncle Leo (Len Lesser)"

The renowned rock guitarist Gary Moore has died in a hotel room while on holiday in Spain.

Moore, 58, originally from Belfast, was a former member of the legendary Irish group Thin Lizzy.

Thin Lizzy manager Adam Parsons told the BBC he was found early on Sunday.

Moore was originally drafted into Thin Lizzy by its late frontman Phil Lynott. He later gained acclaim for his solo work and was a former member of the Irish group Skid Row.

The Northern Ireland guitarist was only 16 when he moved from Belfast to Dublin in 1969, to join Skid Row, which featured Lynott as lead vocalist.

He was later brought into Thin Lizzy by Lynott to replace the departing Eric Bell, another guitarist from Northern Ireland.

Lynott died in 1986 but a new line-up of Thin Lizzy continues to tour. [BBC]

And strangely - Thin Lizzy doesn't come up in conversation very often, but I've had multiple conversations about them just in the past week because the new version of Thin Lizzy referenced in the article just announced tour dates. Tickets for shows at Starland Ballroom and Best Buy Theater literally went on sale Saturday, and most of that conversation was about whether we should even bother posting about it.

R.I.P. Gary.

Continue reading "Gary Moore of Thin Lizzy, RIP"

"Composer John Barry has died at the age of 77, following an illustrious career which encompassed work on The Ipcress file, Midnight Cowboy, Zulu, Born Free and Dances With Wolves.

His family announced in a statement: "It is with great sadness that the family of composer John Barry announce his passing on the 30th of January 2011 in New York.

"Mr Barry is survived by his wife of 33 years, Laurie, and his four children and five grandchildren. Funeral arrangements will be strictly private and a memorial service will be held later this year in the UK."

Among Barry's most celebrated work is his contribution to the James Bond franchise. His association with 007 began with Dr No, when he arranged Monty Norman's score.

He went on to produce memorable musical backdrops for Diamonds are Forever, Goldfinger, Thunderball, On Her Majesty's Secret Service and You Only Live Twice." [The Register]

Continue reading "John Barry, RIP"

Milton Babbitt, an influential composer, theorist and teacher who wrote music that was intensely rational and for many listeners impenetrably abstruse, died on Saturday. He was 94 and lived in Princeton, N.J.

Paul Lansky, a composer who studied with Mr. Babbitt and was a colleague at Princeton University, where Mr. Babbitt remained an emeritus professor of composition, said that Mr. Babbitt died at a hospital in Princeton.

Mr. Babbitt, who had a lively sense of humor despite the reputation for severity that his music fostered, sometimes referred to himself as a maximalist to stress the musical and philosophical distance between his style and the simpler, more direct style of younger contemporaries like Philip Glass, Steve Reich and other Minimalist composers. It was an apt description. [NY Times]

Continue reading "Milton Babbitt, RIP"

Charlie Louvin, a member of one of the pre-eminent brother acts in country music and an inspiration to several generations of rock musicians, died Wednesday at his home in Wartrace, Tenn. He was 83.

The cause was complications of pancreatic cancer, said Michael Manning, a friend of Mr. Louvin's and the producer of his single "Back When We Were Young," his final recording, released last year. Mr. Louvin underwent cancer surgery on July 22, 2010.

Mr. Louvin achieved his greatest fame with the Louvin Brothers, the popular duo who modernized the close-harmony singing of Depression-era acts like the Blue Sky Boys and the Delmore Brothers and who anticipated the keening vocal interplay of the Everly Brothers. Typically featuring Mr. Louvin on guitar and lead vocals and Ira, his older brother, on mandolin and high tenor harmonies, the Louvins' 1950s hits also left their mark on the country-rock of the Byrds and others. [NY Times]

Continue reading "country singer Charlie Louvin, RIP"

The Nymphs

"I heard about what happened to Alex almost immediately after the fact from his brother Whitey who played guitar alongside Alex in The Trolls, my band from 1998 to 2003. I felt terrible and although it won't bring him back I really hope they find the person who hit him and ran. Alex deserves a lot of recognition for his contributions to the arts. He was a drummer with a thunderous left hand but he was so much more than that in the arts scene around Los Angeles. He was a member of a very interesting indie band called the Nymphs and he'd had a very solid career as a set designer in major studio films and TV for some years. His son Lucius danced his debut this week with the American ballet theatre in New York and I wish Alex had been around for that he had a lot to do with it. The Kirsts are a unique and artistic family and I know they will all miss him, as I do. Alex was a very, very nice and good person he helped a lot of people, including me." - Iggy Pop

by BBG

"Last night, my beloved brother, Brendan Majewski, passed away. Words will never express the sorrow I feel. i loved him more than anyone can imagine. He was brilliant, caring, & loving. The world has suffered an immeasurable loss." - Speck Brown

The band released Decapitated Lovers last year and just released a split with Dope Body on Black Tent Press. Orphan was scheduled to play this Saturday (1/22) at Death By Audio with Universal Order of Armageddon, The Body, and Salvation.

by Bill Pearis

We lost a great one today -- Broadcast's Trish Keenan. An official statement from Warp's website:

It is with great sadness we announce that Trish Keenan from Broadcast passed away at 9am this morning in hospital. She died from complications with pnuemonia after battling the illness for two weeks in intensive care.

Our thoughts go out to James, Martin, her friends and her family and we request that the public respect their wishes for privacy at this time.

This is an untimely tragic loss and we will miss Trish dearly - a unique voice, an extraordinary talent and a beautiful human being. Rest in Peace.

Continue reading "RIP Trish Keenan (of Broadcast)"

Mick Karn (born Andonis Michaelides, 24 July 1958 - 4 January 2011) was an English multi-instrumentalist musician and songwriter, who came to fame as the bassist for the art rock band Japan, from 1974 to 1982.

The band Japan, whose other members included David Sylvian, keyboardist Richard Barbieri and Sylvian's brother Steve Jansen as drummer, began as a group of friends, who all studied at the same school... They christened themselves Japan in 1974, signed a recording contract with German disco label Hansa, and became an alternative glam rock outfit in the mould of David Bowie, T.Rex, and The New York Dolls.

As the band started to achieve commercial success with the release of their Tin Drum album, and "Ghosts", which reached the top 5 in 1982, tensions and personality conflicts between band members rose, Tin Drum was to be the band's final studio album.

After Japan broke up, he recorded a solo album before forming Dalis Car with Peter Murphy of the gothic post-punk group Bauhaus, who recorded one album in 1984. In the 1990s he worked with artist David Torn and a number of Japanese musicians, and formed the multinational New Wave band, NiNa. Since then he has worked as a solo artist and as a sculptor, photographer.

Karn has also played on recordings by other artists, contributing bass guitar and saxophone to Gary Numan's Dance album, and playing with Kate Bush and Joan Armatrading.

As Peter Murphy announced on his Facebook page in August and later confirmed by Mick Karn, Dalis Car had reunited and new material was being written for a forthcoming LP. No word on the status of that LP, but Peter Murphy did confirm that they worked together on new material and offered his condolences on his Facebook page:

It's with great sadness and affection and that I hear the news of Mick Karn's passing today. My Love goes out to Kyoko his wife, his son Metis and Mick's unfailing assistant and close friend Debi Zornes who I had the pleasure to meet during the brief spell that Mick and I got to work together this past autumn. Mick's wry sense of humo...ur, keen creativity and graciousness were there even in the times of most physical distress. May he rest in the lap of Compassion.

Till we meet again.

The singer-songwriter Gerry Rafferty, whose songs such as "Stuck in the Middle with You", "Baker Street" and "Get it Right Next Time" soundtracked the 1970s, has died aged 63 after a long illness.

His family said he died at home peacefully with his daughter Martha this morning.

The Scot was born in Paisley, near Glasgow, played with Billy Connolly's folk outfit the Humblebums, and co-founded the soft-rock group Stealer's Wheel, before enjoying a successful solo career. Baker Street, released in 1978, was still netting him £80,000 a year more than 30 years later. -[The Guardian]

Continue reading "Gerry Rafferty, RIP"

The death of R&B legend Teena Marie continues to shock fans, who still can't comprehend the "Lovergirl" singer's unexpected passing at age 54 on Sunday.

"My heart is broken," "The Talk" co-host Holly Robinson Peete told CNN analyst Roland S. Martin. "Teena Marie was an R&B Empress, a music pioneer, a brilliant songwriter/producer with the most original powerhouse vocals ever. Nobody sang like Teena! But above all she was an exceptional human being, a humanitarian and an authentic friend who I will miss dearly."

En Vogue member Cindy Herron echoed Peete's sentiments: "It's a loss for those who loves her music, but also the music world," she told Martin. "She still had so much to offer."

According to Marie's publicist, Lynn Jeter, the superstar suffered a grand mal seizure last month while watching a movie with her 18-year-old daughter. She was then put on medication that made her suicidal, so Marie "reduced the meds herself," says Jeter. Marie was looking forward to performing at a gig in Atlanta this week, but that concert never came to pass. "She evidently died in her sleep and her daughter found her," Jeter says.

Still, the "Square Biz" singer's legacy will live on, says Lionel Richie. [CNN]

Continue reading "Teena Marie, RIP"

Don Van Vliet, who became a rock legend as Captain Beefheart, died today (12/17) from complications from multiple sclerosis in California. His passing was announced by the New York-based Michael Werner Gallery, which represented his work as a painter...

"Don Van Vliet was a complex and influential figure in the visual and performing arts," the gallery said in a statement. "He is perhaps best known as the incomparable Captain Beefheart who, together with his Magic Band, rose to prominence in the 1960s with a totally unique style of blues-inspired, experimental rock & roll. This would ultimately secure Van Vliet's place in music history as one of the most original recording artists of his time. After two decades in the spotlight as an avant-garde composer and performer, Van Vliet retired from performing to devote himself wholeheartedly to painting and drawing. Like his music, Van Vliet's lush paintings are the product of a truly rare and unique vision." -[RollingStone]

Continue reading "Captain Beefheart, RIP"

NYC show promoter, Grooms band manger and Tough Knuckles band member Ariel Panero passed away suddenly this week. The music community and especially the NYC (I almost wrote Brooklyn) DIY community is mourning the loss of the man who helped found both Less Artists More Condos and Under 100. The Village Voice (who as they point out have had their share of interaction with him) have a really nice writeup about him, and it in they posted a video which is the last piece of music Ariel ever recorded. Listen to it below....

Continue reading "the last song Ariel Panero ever recorded (RIP Ariel)"

by BBG

Atakke played their final show at Knitting Factory (more pics)

Atakke has decided to call it a day. It's been a great ride over the last 4 years. We've met a ton of great people, had the opportunity to play with more than a couple of our heroes and friends, and gotten to make some of the best music I've ever had the pleasure of playing. I've always said that my only goal in a band was to play music that I like, with people that I like, to people that I like. If nothing else can be said about this band, it is that we did just that... Thanks to everybody that played with us in one capacity or another, and most especially, we dedicate this band to the memory of our fallen friend and brother, Nick Poot. The LP will be released posthumously on vinyl if we can afford it, and on CD with all of the recorded material on it, including some live footage of the last shows we got to play with Nick. There is a new project in the works, with a demo and shows happening early 2011. We're thankful for what we've had, and excited about what the future holds.

For Victory.
Atakke

In Atakke's statement, the band also took pause to honor Nick Poot, former bassist for the band (also Absurd System) who recently lost his battle with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. The punk community banded behind Poot, throwing benefit shows in his honor. RIP Nick "Poot" Mardanes.

Atakke have thus far released a pair of 7"s, the latter of which was produced by Philip Cope (Kylesa). No word on when their final and posthumous disc of new and unreleased material will be released.

The good news is, in addition to the new project they reference above, other Atakke-related projects are ongoing, including Mutant Supremacy (who played on 12/4 with Evoken and Gorephobia at Brooklyn Fireproof). MS will play Union Pool on 1/23 with Cannabis Corpse, the second time in three months that the pair have played together (the last was at Bowery Electric at the end of October). Mutant Supremacy released their new LP Infinite Suffering earlier this year.

Attake's full statement and some video is below.

Continue reading "Atakke breaks up, Nick Poot RIP"

by BBG

Leslie William Nielsen, OC (February 11, 1926 - November 28, 2010) was a Canadian actor and comedian. Although his acting career crosses a variety of genres in both television and films, Nielsen achieved his greatest successes in the comedy films Airplane! and The Naked Gun. His portrayal of serious characters seemingly oblivious to (and complicit in) their absurd surroundings gave him a reputation as a comedian.

Nielsen's lead roles in the films Forbidden Planet and The Poseidon Adventure came long before he considered a turn to comedy. His deadpan delivery as a doctor in 1980's Airplane! marked a turning point in Nielsen's career, one that would make him, in the words of film critic Roger Ebert, "the Olivier of spoofs." Nielsen appeared in over 100 films and 1,500 television programs over the span of his career, portraying over 220 characters.-[Wikipedia]

Continue reading "Leslie Nielsen, RIP"

Peter 'Sleazy' Christopherson (1955 - 2010) (photo by Greg Cristman)

Throbbing Gristle sadly report:

We are saddened to announce the death of Peter Christopherson.
Sleazy passed away peacefully in his sleep on the
24th November 2010 at his home in Bankok.

Throbbing Gristle recently ended a tour early, but were still scheduled to play ATP's upcoming The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Throbbing Gristle played multiple NYC reunion shows in 2009. Those were at Le Poisson Rouge and Brooklyn Masonic Temple (more than once).

A few days after canceling their tour due to a family emergency, the Dum Dum Girls posted the above picture to Facebook with the note, "R.I.P. to the original Dee Dee. May her face grace record collections all over the world." Though that's not the exact picture above, as "Dee Dee" of the Dum Dum Girls once wrote, her mom's "senior year high school yearbook photo is on the cover of Dum Dum Girls' first 12-inch." Her mom's picture is also on the cover of their debut full length, I Will Be, that was released via Sub Pop in March. I hope she's hanging in there. R.I.P. original Dee Dee.

Dum Dum Girls will return to the stage on December 21st for a one-off LA show with Abe Vigoda. They'll return to the road in February for a tour that has them at Bowery Ballroom in NYC on March 4th. No word yet on who will be touring with them, though I vote for Crocodiles who cancelled their tour for the same reason. If that happens, then there would be dueling indie rock couple touring going on, as Wavves and Best Coast will be on the road together around the same time.

All Dum Dum Girls dates below...

Continue reading "Dum Dum Girls schedule new tour after the passing of Dee Dee's mom (who you might recognize) "

photos by Alysse Gafkjen

"The Preservation Hall Jazz Band suffered a serious blow, earlier this week, with the passing of bassist Walter Payton. Still, they played on (bassless) - with a photo of Walter, surrounded by flowers, sitting on a pedestal amid life-size wooden cutouts depicting departed PHJB members like John Brunious and Sweet Emma Barrett. My Morning Jacket's Jim James joined the band, as he had at Jazz Fest 2010 (MMJ appears on the band's latest album, "Preservation") for a short set that included a fierce double interpretation of "St. James Infirmary." James sang it straight, as a bluesy dirge; once he concluded, Hallahan grabbed a pair of sticks and joined drummer Joe Lastie for a hot, swung-out version. Hall vocalist Clint Maedgen scorched the mic; plenty of cowbell and tambourine gave the number a street-parade, Mardi Gras Indian feel (sort of like Wardell Quezergue's famous production of the Dixie Cups' "Iko Iko," which, legend has it, utilized ashtrays and water glasses for its unforgettably clanky percussion.)

After the song, the band second-lined out and into the crowd, then returned to the stage for a closing version of Leadbelly's "Goodnight Irene."

From somewhere, Payton surely felt well sent off." [Nola.com]

Continue reading "Preservation Hall Jazz Band played Voodoo w/ Jim James (pics, video), on tour (RIP Walter Payton) "

by Klaus Kinski

Billy Ruane posing w/ Amanda Palmer,
Lamb The Beekeper, Dilly Dilly & Jenna Q in Maine (more by Bryan Bruchman)

In my opinion, being an iconic figure, a staple if you will, of any music scene is definitely a lost art. It takes personality, energy, stamina, and an almost robotic ability to mentally catalogue scores of bands, big and small. It takes having the desire to catch any show spanning every genre on the planet, and not just going to the ones that might have more 'cred' than others. It takes a knack for contributing to the scene and not just being a familiar face. It also requires a lot of respect from fans, bands, and venues. Sadly, Boston lost one such icon with the recent passing of enfant terrible Billy Ruane on October 26th, 2010 at the age of 52. For three decades, Billy was an integral part of Boston's rock scene. And Jazz scene. And cinema scene. He was everywhere and anywhere and had a Christlike ability to make you believe he was 3 places at once on a given night.

One of his most notable contributions to the Boston live music scene was back in 1987. The Middle East in Cambridge had been established as a Lebanese restaurant in 1970, but as it gradually expanded so did its live music offerings. Early on they had Arabic music and belly dancers. The programming then evolved to include Jazz and Blues. Then, in 1987 it hosted its first ever rock show with a solo gig by Roger Miller of Mission of Burma. Later that year, Billy Ruane had booked a birthday party rock show at TT the Bears which is situated just down the street from the Middle East. He overbooked the TTs show and asked the Satar brothers (who ran the Middle East) to house the spillover and allow bands to play there as well. From there, the rest is history and the Middle East is regarded as the best independent live music venue in the Beantown area. On the 20 year anniversary of that fateful evening, Billy is quoted as saying "You remember what happened - I threw a fuckin' party that got too fuckin' big".

Folks are saying it had to do with a heart ailment. So sad. The Boston Phoenix is definitely your source for developing news, eulogies, and other important information. I can say for sure that there will be was a vigil at the Middle East Tonight last night at 11:00pm. RIP Billy.

John and Nora have asked us to let everyone know that Nora's daughter Arianna (aka Ari-Up) died today (Wednesday, October 20th) after a serious illness. She will be sadly missed.

Everyone at JohnLydon.com and PiLofficial.Com would like to pass on their heartfelt condolences to John , Nora and family.

Rest in Peace.
[JohnLydon.com]

John Lydon and his wife Nora were introduced by Nora's daughter Ari-Up, who was just 48 years old this year.

The Slits released their first new record in 25 years, exactly one year ago TODAY.

a selection of videos below...

Continue reading "Ari-Up RIP (John Lydon reports Slits member dead)"

Continue reading "RIP Tom Bosley"

DOWNLOAD: Eyedea & Abilities - "This Story" (MP3)

"It is with great pain and sadness that I tell you my son Mikey (Eyedea) has passed away. At this time we kindly request your respect and our privacy as we process this devastating loss.On behalf of Mikey's family, close friends and fans. Thank you Kathy Averill (Mikey'...s mom)"

A selection of videos below...

Continue reading "Eyedea aka Micheal Larsen, RIP "

by Klaus Kinski

Even though I'm an active member, I find Twitter to be a mind-numbing nuisance on about 97 different levels. For example, from where I'm standing, it looks like a veritable batting practice for your funny and unfunny friends to workshop really lame observations and supremely terrible Seinfeldian puns. Few things are sadder than seeing one of your "in reality" soft spoken, non-jokey mates attempt humor in blurb-speak. Also, if something epic (good or bad) happens, you are faced with the irritating mind-fuck that is seeing hundreds of peoples' 140 character takes (many of which are identical) on said epic event. Therefore, no sane human being should be exposed to that site for more than 5 minutes at a time, 10 times a day, max.

What's my point? Well, I don't know. But what I do know is that Twitter is sometimes the best place to get really, really bad news; you cannot help but be succinct and straight to the goddamned point. Which is exactly what happened this afternoon when I saw Patton Oswalt's tweet, "Really, Universe? Greg Giraldo? Fuck off." I didn't want to believe what those 6 words were implying, but a trip to Dead Frog and google quickly brought my worst fears to reality. Roast Master, gut-bustingly hilarious, and supremely great guy Greg Giraldo passed away this morning after overdosing on prescription drugs just a few days ago. I honestly don't know (or care) how Giraldo was regarded by the so-called alternative comedy community, but, personally, I thought he was one of the best out there. Greg was an absolute pro who at turns could kill me with a pretty banal joke and then a second later kill me again with some seriously disgusting blue material. He wasn't just some comedian who frequented the Comedy Central Roasts... he was one of the guys on the panel whose presence was not only a given, but was also an eagerly awaited highlight. And he was smart as a whip. His comedy speaks for itself, but I think few people realize that he began his career as a lawyer, graduating from Columbia University and Harvard Law School. He was also a native New Yorker and the father of three boys. Nobody saw this coming. I simply cannot get my head around the fact that he's gone.

Giraldo was also a Tweeter/Twitterer. He only squeezed out 29 tweets and had about 6000 followers. Yet, one of those tweets from less than a month ago resonates more than ever now.

Very sad about comedy great Robert Schimmel. We lost a brilliant brave and original comedian and one of the most decent guys I've ever met. -- Greg Giraldo, 9/4/2010