Photo by James Cadden

This weekend, we learned the sad news that Sparklehorse frontman Mark Linkous had taken his own life. The New York Times reports that Linkous shot himself in the heart in Knoxville, Tennessee. He was 47.

Over the course of his career, Linkous toured and collaborated with a lots of musicians, and he made admirers of many more. As the news of his death circulated, many of those artists took to the internet, Twitter especially, to air out their feelings for Linkous. Below, we've rounded up some of those reactions.

Radiohead bassist Colin Greenwood: "I was very sad to hear the news that Mark Linkous has died. He and his band toured with us in Europe, at the start of OK Computer, and they were great every night. His first two records were very important to me, and I carried his music from the tour into my life, and my friends' lives too. He was softly spoken, with an Old South courtesy I hadn't heard before: he introduced me to Daniel Johnston's music, and the West Virginian writing of Pinckney Benedict. Mark wrote and played some beautiful music, and we're lucky to have it. Rest in Peace."

Death Cab for Cutie guitarist Chris Walla: "Rest in peace, Mark Linkous. I...

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The genius of Mark Linkous, who died tragically on Saturday, was to transform the twisted and cruel into the tender and transcendent

My introduction to Sparklehorse was an ugly and brutal experience. Detuned guitars hammering away relentlessly, as unforgiving as a smithy's forge, with a distorted vocal over the top. I might never have listened again had I not read an interview with Mark Linkous, in which he revealed the inspiration for the song: finding an injured bird and nursing it back to health. Never one for the literal, the lyrics to Hammering the Cramps run: "Hey little dog, can you fly? Hammering the cramps ..."

It was heartbreaking on Sunday morning to hear that Linkous had taken his own life. Any sudden death comes as a shock, but as with Elliott Smith or Kurt Cobain, the news can't be totally unexpected for Sparklehorse fans. Linkous had already been declared technically dead once before in 1996, after an overdose of valium and anti-depressants while on tour with Radiohead.

Linkous channelled whatever optimism he could muster after his near-death experience into the second Sparklehorse album, 1998's Good Morning Spider. Animals and escaping into nature are recurring themes in Linkous's lyrics. "The owls have been talking to me," he sang on the shimmering Spirit Ditch. Elswhere, Linkous transformed a biblical passage from Luke 12:6 over glockenspiel: "Every hair on your head is counted/You are worth hundreds of sparrows."

Whether using squealing grunge guitars (

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Linkous had toured with the Oxford band in the 1990s

I was very sad to hear the news that Mark Linkous has died. He and his band toured with us in Europe, at the start of OK Computer, and they were great every night. His first two records were very important to me, and I carried his music from the tour into my life, and my friends lives too. He was softly spoken, with an Old South courtesy I hadnt heard before: he introduced me to Daniel Johnstons music, and the West Virginian writing of Pinckney Benedict. Mark wrote and played some beautiful music, and were lucky to have it. Rest in Peace.

Colin

For those who dont know or remember, Senor Chieftain Mews,as he likes to be addressed now, was our slightly disturbing host on the most gigantic lying mouth of all time . Well, his comrade in arms and occasional masseuse, Chris Bran (who has also been hugely involved in our webcasts since we started them back in 2000), has a pilot out of his new comedy called This is Jinsy .. it went out last Monday night on BBC 3 and you can still watch it on the BBC iplayer, but only for a few more days hurray whilst stocks last Go check it out .. Its mental:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00r8z4r/This_Is_Jinsy/
If we are on the subject of things you should watch then allow me to point you in the direction of the film 1 2 3 4. It was written and directed by an old friend of ours from Oxford, Giles Borg. Giles was a true mensch of the Oxford scene back in the day .. he directed videos (Colin starred in one he made for the Candyskins, and it's on youtube..),and made a fine documentary on Ride. Well, hes made his first feature film and its the story of an indie band forming and trying to get a deal Sound familiar?...I love it.. You can see a trailer of it at:
http://www.1234themovie.co.uk/

Its showing around the UK at the moment:
http://www.nbcq.co.uk/

Spring is sprunging


Ed

2003 film set to come out this month

He labels BBC Director General as 'Herr' Mark Thompson

When the British Broadcasting Corporation announced plans to potentially shut down 6 Music, the digital radio station they launched in 2002, people were not happy.

According to its website, 6 Music "brings together the cutting edge music of today, the iconic and groundbreaking music of the past 40 years and unlimited access to the BBC's wonderful music archive." It focuses on more non-mainstream tunes than the BBC's more popular radio stations.

Though heavily rumored for days, the official announcement came at a BBC press conference yesterday, as Billboard reports. At the press conference, BBC Director-General Mark Thompson put forward a cost-cutting plan called Putting Quality First, which proposes closing 6 Music and the Asian culture station the Asian Network, and reducing funds for the BBC's websites. For now, though, it's only a proposal, subject to "a 12-week public consultation," according to Billboard. For the plan to go into effect, the BBC Trust will have to approve it this autumn. The public can contribute their opinions here.

Many high-profile artists have responded to the news with dismay. Reuters reports that David Bowie issued a quick statement on his website: "6music keeps the spirit of broadcasters like John Peel alive and for new artists to lose this station would be a great shame."

On Radiohead's Dead Air Space website, guitarist

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For the double-disc edition of their new album Sisterworld (out March 9 on Mute), Liars called on a bunch of friends to "reinterpret" the tracks from the album. Friends like Radiohead's Thom Yorke, TV on the Radio's Tunde Adebimpe, and Bradford Cox of Deerhunter/Atlas Sound. And Blonde Redhead frontwoman Kazu Makino, whose take on "Drip" you can hear right here, right now.

You can also stream Sisterworld in its entirety over at Liars' MySpace.

Mark Thompson, Herr Director General of the BBC, announced yesterday that 6 music was to be closed ... which is obviously a ludicrous decision for those who actually love hearing great music on the radio ... so I've written to the BBC Trust, who apparently have the ability to reverse the decision, and if you feel this way inclined the link is https://consultations.external.bbc.co.uk/departments/bbc/bbc-strategy-review/consultation/consult_view
Here's what I wrote:




To whom it may concern,

I am writing regarding the news today that 6 Music is going to be closed, in the hope that you reconsider this decision. To be honest I, along with a vast number of other musicians, music industry types and real music fans, are completely shocked and baffled by this news. I wonder if those who made this decision are actually aware of the hugely important role that 6 music plays in fostering and promoting new bands, as well as still playing the likes of the band that I am in. It literally is the radio lifeblood for music outside of the mainstream. Not to denigrate Radio's 1 and 2, but it really is the only station that puts music first, and that's from a punters point of view and not some bloke in a band. Nowhere else can you hear an archived session track from T Rex juxtaposed next to Midlake's latest release. As David Bowie, put it ... it keeps the spirit of...

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