Alexisonfire Is Done For, I Am Bummed

Alexisonfire has been one of my favorite bands for the past 10 years. Today they announced that they will be breaking up. Dallas Green and City & Colour has exploded and he simply can't manage Alexis and C&C. He is choosing City & Colour over Alexis, which is understandable. Dallas is quite possibly the hardest person to replace in the entire genre, let's call it "post-hardcore". His voice is simply stunning and without him Alexis just isn't Alexis. They might do one last run of shows in Canada as a farewell and I might be visiting Canada soon.

The band gets lumped in with screamo and pop-punk bands but I've always considered them a genre within themselves. They have a passion that is rare and an enthusiasm that is even rarer. The last album was a bit of a let down and I think that had a lot to do with Dallas being spread too thin. To be honest this was inevitable. Any fan of Alexis knew that Dallas was a talent that couldn't be contained. He obviously would go on to bigger and better things at some point, which is apparently now.

I will miss this band very, very much. THE ONLY BAND EVER!

RIP Gerard Smith (TV On The Radio)

Gerard Smith of TV On The Radio has died from lung cancer. The band has announced that they will cancel a string of tour dates out of respect for their fallen friend.

Link:

Gerard Smith RIP

Kurt Cobain

Yesterday marked the anniversary of Kurt Cobain's death. I was 13 years old when Kurt Cobain killed himself. I was just reading Igor's post on DrivenByBoredom about Nirvana and how it affected him and I thought I'd write my own.

I had a friend named Greg who lived in the neighborhood. Greg was a year or two older and was absolutely obsessed with Nirvana. He had every b-side (even the super rare Hormoaning EP), poster, shirt and even a powder blue Jag-Stag guitar.

RIP Don Hill (Memorial Toast At Don Hill's Tonight)

Word is spreading that legendary club owner Don Hill has passed away. Don's club, Don Hill's, has been a major part of the NYC music and nightlife scene for a very long time. The club recently reemerged as NYC's hot spot hosting tons of secret shows by big name artists. If the rumors are true NYC has lost another legend.

Friends of Don will be gathering tonight at Don Hill's for a memorial toast around 11:30pm.

RIP Mike Starr (Alice In Chains)

When I was a teenager Alice In Chains was my favorite of the Seattle bands. Mike Starr, the original bassist, was found dead of an overdose.

RIP Captain Beefheart



Captain Beefheart died yesterday from multiple sclerosis, he was 69. The world just got a whole lot more normal.

Link:

Captain Beefheart Is Dead



Sure 'Nuff 'n' Yes, I Do. Captain Beefheart. by JudasHannibal

RIP Ariel Panero

Lots of people die (Leslie Nielsen most recently) and we put up our RIP posts and say a few kind words. But ultimately those posts are about celebrities that we really didn't know at all. They weren't part of our community and while it's sad when they pass it ultimately has little effect on our day-to-day lives.

This week the news began to spread that local promoter and musician, Ariel Panero, passed away. I met the dude several times and he was a really nice guy. He put together some of the best events in NYC and everyone knew that. Less Artists More Condos reached a legendary status in the DIY scene and yet he remained a pretty humble dude.

The few times I got to hang with him we talked about putting on some shows together. He seemed really into collaborating, despite the fact that he was much better at it than I am. The thing is, he initiated those conversations. I never would have because that dude was on another level and I just didn't think I would have much to offer from a creative standpoint. Unfortunately, nothing ever came of those chats.

He was also a musician and played in Tough Knuckles with one of my dear friends, Jamen. The funny thing is I didn't even know about this until reading about his passing. Jamen is in a new band every week so it's hard to keep up and Ariel never mentioned it to me but that's probably how I met him in the first place.

Ariel is not the first person in the DIY scene to pass but the hole this is going to leave is simply staggering. The creativity that went into a Less Artists More Condos show was second to none and cannot be replicated. New York City just got a whole lot duller. RIP Ariel Panero, I wish we got around to doing that show together.

Link:

Village Voice 

Leslie Nielsen Is Dead (Surely, You Can't Be Serious)

The great Leslie Nielsen has passed on. He's best known for his comedic roles such as in Airplane and the Naked Gun series. However, Leslie had a long and successful career as a dramatic actor on both television and film dating all the way back to 1950.

One of the greatest lines in movie history:

RIP Ronnie James Dio

I have to say I'm super surprised by the non-metalhead reaction to Dio's death. Everyone from Lars Ulrich to Perez Hilton have paid their respects to the legend. Rest In Peace, Ronnie James!

Dio w/ Ronnie Dio & The Prophets

Dio w/ ELF

Dio w/ Rainbow

Dio w/ Black Sabbath

DIO

Dio & Lemmy Interview

MP3:

Rainbow In The Dark - Dio

Tonight: Disco Vibes @ The Cove; HMHH @ Arrow Bar (Peter Steele Tribute)

After work today I highly recommend heading to Arrow Bar for Heavy Metal Happy Hour. This week it's a tribute to Peter Steele of Type O Negative you passed away yesterday. He created beautiful music and you should pay your respect. Late night we've got another edition of Kill Shop Kills dance party Disco Vibes. 

Kill Shop's Dance series continues with:

DISCO VIBES!

We're super happy to announce this month that we have snagged the lovely/super amazing PRINCESS SUPERSTAR coming in as our guest dj.

This is going to be crazy on a whole new level.

Your resident DJ's DLNGR and K!O will be holding it down, with early and late sets by DKDS and DJ Lani Love.

your hosts Devon and Dayna (Disco Down), Drat Saddam (Wckids), and Kiki Valentine (Sunday Show), will be going extra crazy on the dance floor this month.

Theres no reason to miss this party.

plus The Dandilion King, Driven By Boredom and Dr.Photog will be snapping pictures of all you cute kids.

come out for a night of Disco, House, Electro, Sexy.

Get down on it!

sponsored by Kill Shop Kill and Boom Boom Chik.

Peter Steele Is Dead (RIP)

There was a time when I listened to Type O Negative religiously. To this day they are one of those few bands that all these years later I still get that same feeling I got the first time I heard them. Without Peter Steele they would have been nothing.

He was a giant of a man with a booming, deep voice that - along with a very unique guitar sound - set TON apart from other heavy bands. Not only were they an amazing band, they were also incredibly unique which is a very rare quality. Additionally, they never put out one bad album. That's an incredible feat for any band but for one so humble and modest it's even more amazing.

One of my favorite concert memories involves Type O at Ozzfest. Peter invited Phil Anselmo from Pantera on stage to help with vocals on "Kill All The White People." Phil always seemed like a big, scary, tough guy but when he walked on stage he looked like a kid standing next to his dad. Peter simply towered over him and was double his size. He greeted Phil with "Hello Phillip" in his deep baritone voice. It was a memorable moment indeed.

I'm bummed that Pete is dead. TON were a huge part of my life and certainly influenced me creatively. To think I'll never get to see him on stage towering over everyone is depressing. Fuck. Rest in piece Pete.

Type O Negative - Everything Dies (PV)
Uploaded by FuneralCry.

Jay Reatard Is Dead

Jay Reatard was found dead last night. Dude was only 29 years old and so far no one seems to know how he died. The rumors started earlier today on Twitter and then Goner Records confirmed that Jay was in fact dead. Although I know there are still quite a few people out there that are convinced this is some kind of hoax involving the recent beef with Liquor Store. However, it appears that the cops are involved so it's past the point of elaborate scam and seems pretty real at this point.

RIP: Les Paul

The great Les Paul died today. Without him the entire history of American music (and most of the world too) would be drastically different. No Rock N' Roll, no Dylan goes electric, and no wall of sound. The impact this dude had on music cannot be understated. That said, it's not a sad day. The man lived to be 94 years old and was still performing until very recently. I'm bummed I never saw him. I planned on it a few times but always said, "eh, he'll play again next week." Looks like I waited too long.

Link:
Read About Les Paul (You Really Should)

Les Paul - Chasing Sound


w/Mary Ford


w/Chet Atkins

RIP: Michael, Ed, & Farrah

What a bummer these last few days have been. First Ed McMahon takes the bus and then Farrah. Just when you think it can't get any worse Michael Jackson suddenly drops dead. WTF? All deaths are tragic but at least these three made the most of their time here and will be remembered for a long time.

Anyone else kinda creeped out by the fact that Farrah, a 70's TV star, died just before one of the all-time legendary musicians, Michael Jackson? Sound familiar? Ritter/Cash - 70's TV star, legendary musician. Creepy.

RIP

Cramps Singer Dead. RIP Lux.

Man, I was listening to the Cramps this weekend and was wondering why i don't listen to them more often. Then today I open up an email telling me that Lux Interior is dead. What a bummer, dude was only 62. Luckily I got to see the Cramps live a couple of years ago.

R.I.P. Ron Asheton (The Stooges)

There isn't much I can say about The Stooges that hasn't been said 1,000 times over. They're without question one of the single most important bands in rock n' roll history, especially punk. I'm sad to report that Ron Asheton, founding member and guitar player, was found dead today. The cause of death is still unknown. Ron was 60 years old.

I was fortunate enough to catch The Stooges this summer at the Virgin Festival. They were on fucking fire that day and from what I've heard this was the standard for all of there shows since their reunited. It's a damn shame that this happened so soon after the band finally put aside their differences and started destroying stages again.

Link:
Ron Asheton Dead At 60

MP3:
Idea Of Fun - The Stooges

***When I was 14 (or so) I got my first electric guitar. I immediately started a band with a drummer I knew. The very first song I ever wrote on guitar had the EXACT same riff as "I Wanna Be Your Dog". The thing is I had yet to discover The Stooges at that point. About a year later I heard The Stooges and was surprised to hear that I unknowingly ripped them off. Of course I instantly loved The Stooges since my early playing was apparently very "Ron Asheton".

R.I.P. Hilly Kristal

Hilly Kristal, the man who brought the world CBGB and with it some of the best punk bands ever has passed away. He has been fighting cancer for a while but it finally caught up with him. It's a bummer to see him go but everyone has a memory of CBGB's so he will be remembered.

Link:
Hilly Kristal

R.I.P. Kurt Vonnegut

Damn, I was just about to go to bed when I read the news that Kurt Vonnegut has passed away. One of the great American writers of all time is dead. The author of one of my all-time favorite books "Breakfast Of Champions" is no more. I'm really authentically sad by this.

I am not a reader of fiction - I like history and facts. Yet the style in which Kurt wrote was absolutely fascinating. He spoke to his readers and largely ignored stuffy composition structures. His books read as if he was actually sitting there telling you a story. And that's the other thing - the stories were amazingly creative.

I do not fancy myself a writer but when I do write I try to keep it simple and in a speaking manner. But I also try to acknowledge rhythm and timing, so it flows. My point is the reason I do this is because of Kurt Vonnegut and Hunter S. Thompson. The two writers I was most inspired by are now gone. 'Tis a sad day...

Link:
Kurt Vonnegut Dead at 84