MP3: “When I Get Home” by Vic Chesnutt (Bradford Cox tribute)
For the second year in a row, Bradford Cox played a New Year’s Eve show as Atlas Sound in his hometown of Atlanta. This year he played mostly off of his excellent Logos release. The set started off with a tribute to Vic Chesnutt who passed away on Christmas after a successful suicide attempt. Bradford apologized for not being the guitarist that Vic was and admitted he couldn’t learn the song because it was too complex, so he just played the original for the audience. You can download Cox’s Vic Chesnutt tribute here or stream it below:
Download or stream the entire New Year’s Eve performance via Southern Shelter here.
RIP: Vic Chesnutt Dead at 45
Although reports have gone back and forth overnight it seems that several sources has confirmed that Singer/ songwriter Vic Chesnutt has been pronounced dead following a short time in a coma following a suicide attempt Christmas Eve. According to twitter posts from his close friend and former Throwing Muses singer Kristen Hersh, “this time, it’s real scary: *this* time, he left a note, *this* time, he asked them to call me.”
Several sources have reported that most recently Chesnutt has battled depression, and financial issues including a large unpaid hospital bill.
Anyone who witnessed one of his live performances will be sure to tell you that you are left with the chills of a pained yet brilliant songwriter that pours every ounce of his energy into every word he sang. We saw him on his tour with Elf Power earlier this year and it was a awe inspiring evening.
Chesnutt has been in a wheelchair and partially paralyzed since he was 18. He was 45.
****Update: While many news reports announced that he was pronounced dead, according to a twitter post at 1pm today from Hersh”you people are so full of love-thank you for sending it vic and tina’s way-the situation is complex and sad, but there’s still a little hope” followed up by “the biggest mistake anybody could make about Vic is to assume he’s weak…he’s the strongest person i know.” While the news was grim with talk of brain damage even if he survived, there seems to be a glimmer of hope.
His record company co-owner Don Wilkie said in the statement that “Vic is in the middle of a serious medical situation, he is in a coma, and his family and friends are with him.”
*****Update Dec 25th 6:30 EST
Sadly what was erroneously reported has come to be at Athens at 2:59pm. The official announcement came from a family spokesman and his record label Constellation Records:
Surrounded by family and friends, Vic Chesnutt died in Athens Georgia this afternoon, Friday 25 December at 14:59.
In the few short years that we knew him personally, Vic transformed our sense of what true character, grace and determination are all about. Our grief is inexpressible and Vic’s absence unfathomable.
We will make more information available according to the wishes of Vic’s family and friends.
Don and Ian
VIC CHESNUTT 1964 – 2009
The Fishpork 20: Favorite Albums of 2008
Remember this era in music. It’s a special one. We’re going to look back and talk about it like we talk about the 60s or 70s. I used to miss all the great bands that came out of the 90s, but my longing for the hay days of grunge and industrial has since dissipated. Go ahead and disagree, but this is a renaissance period for music. This year was no exception. In fact, it served as an endless discovery period of great bands and classic albums. However, our favorite album of 2008 was not a difficult choice at all. Here is our list of favorite albums of 2008:
- Deerhunter – Microcastle/Weird Era Cont.
- Crystal Castles – Crystal Castles
- Of Montreal – Skeletal Lamping
- TV on the Radio – Dear Science
- Eric Avery – Help Wanted
- Elf Power – In a Cave
- Guns N’ Roses – Chinese Democracy
- Nine Inch Nails – The Slip
- Tapes N’ Tapes – Walk It Off
- Atlas Sound – Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel
- Girl Talk – Feed the Animals
- Nine Inch Nails – Ghosts I-IV
- Portishead – Third
- Sigur Ros – Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
- Vic Chesnutt & Elf Power – Dark Developments
- Ladytron – Velocifero
- The Notwist – The Devil, You + Me
- First Wave Hello – God Bless, Devil You
- Fuck Buttons – Street Horsssing
- David Byrne & Brian Eno – Everything That Happens Will Happen Today
Honorable Mentions:
- Dub Trio – Another Sound is Dying
- Amanda Palmer – Who Killed Amanda Palmer
- Health – Disco
Most Disappointing Albums:
- Beck – Modern Guilt
- SexTapes – SexTapes
- UNKLE – End Title . . . Stories For Film
Most Overrated Albums:
- Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes
- Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend
- Cold Play – Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends
Fishpork will post our favorite songs and live shows of the year next week. Check back soon!