Author Archives: paul cox

Rehearsing My Choir is the upcoming album from the Fiery Furnaces, one of the most loved and hated bands on the circuit today. I’m not gonna tell you where to get it early, but it has sprung a leak. And let me say one thing: it’s some fucked up shit.

Tracklist and a few tour dates here.

Nicole of the Madison, WI turned Chicago, IL weblog The Perfect Face For Radio reports the sad news:

“Yesterday around lunch time Doug Meis, the drummer for Exo and the Dials; John Glick, the guitarist for the Returnables; and Michael Dahlquist, the drummer for Silkworm all died in a car accident in Skokie. They were coming back to work from lunch and were hit by someone speeding while talking on a cell phone (which is now illegal in Chicago).”

She’s promised to update with details as they become available (link)

EDIT: More news has been revealed. The deaths are even more senseless than originally reported. NBC5 says:

CHICAGO — Bond was denied Friday for a 23-year-old woman accused of intentionally ramming her car into another vehicle at a Skokie intersection in a suicide attempt, killing three men from Chicago and injuring three others.

Jeanette Sliwinski was charged with three counts of first-degree murder and two counts of aggravated battery in connection with the Thursday afternoon crash at Niles Center Road and Dempster Street, according to a news release from Skokie police.

Sliwinski, of 8915 S. Parkside St. in Morton Grove, was denied bond when a hearing was held in the Skokie Courthouse in her absence, while she remains hospitalized from the crash, Cook County state’s attorney’s office spokesman Tom Stanton said.

Stanton did not know which judge presided over the hearing.

Sliwinski was accused of intentionally ramming her 2000 red Ford Mustang into a 2001 Honda Civic, which was stopped at a red light, because she was distraught and trying to kill herself, Stanton said. He said her car was travelling more than 70 mph before the impact.

Three men in the Civic were killed. They were identified as Michael Dahlquist, 39, John Glick, 35, and Douglas Meis, 29, all of Chicago, according to release.

Stanton said Sliwinski was not seriously injured.

A fair punishment would be locking Jeanette Sliwinski in a 5′ x 5′ padded room under the prison with no clothing, bedding, or any kind of instrument that could potentially be used to commit suicide and then genetically engineer a drug that would make her live 500 years. And then kill the light.

EDIT: Brian Cox and Lolly Bowean of the Chicago Tribune have written a more in-depth piece about the 3 late musicians:

“They were people who were so smart and brilliant and amazing,” said Rebecca Crawford, Glick’s wife. “Everyone feels cheated that they haven’t been able to accomplish what they set out to do.”

Dahlquist, who moved to Chicago from Washington state five years ago, played drums for Silkworm, a band praised by critics for its independence and eagerness to experiment.

Glick grew up in Boston and moved to Chicago six years ago. He was a guitarist and singer with the Returnables. Meis played drums with Glick’s wife in a band called The Dials, described by Matt Priest, a talent buyer, as “loud and noisy but super melodic and super poppy.”

“Michael was friendly to an extreme. He was a very outgoing and upbeat guy,” said Tim Midgett, who played bass and guitar with him.

Without Dahlquist, the band is over, he said. “He can’t be replaced.” (full story)

UPDATE Funeral and wake information found here.

The band’s third record Twin Cinema is scheduled for release on Matador Records on August 23rd, 2005. Curious parties should click here to view the cover art and download the mp3 of the album’s title track.

The Delgados, the Scottish indie band who’ve been recording for roughly a decade and created the Chemikal Underground label to release both their own records and those of friends, have announced plans to dissolve.

“Their two principal songwriters Emma Pollock and Alun Woodward will be pursuing individual projects and drummer Paul Savage will continue production duties at the band’s Chem19 Studios in Hamilton.”

Easytree, perhaps one of the most popular torrent sites around, unexpectedly made its grand exit today:

April 6, 2005, 16:00 GMT

Hello gals and guys,

We’re very sorry having to tell you that we had to shut down EZT just a couple of minutes ago.

We got a call from our provider, they had received a few letters from a couple of lawyers. They requested EZT to be shut down immediately, otherwise we and the hosting service would be sued.

As you may imagine, we do not have the funds to fight a battle we most probably can’t win anyway.

We would like to thank everyone here for their contributions to EZT, one way or the other, for sharing the music, sharing an ideal, for all your mails, rants, praises…

Fans of live music might have to actually start leaving the house again.

UPDATE: Thanks to new hosting, Easytree lives!

Undercover reports that drummer Paul Hester has taken his own life. Among those left behind are his two daughters.

R.I.P.

The reknowned Memphis, TN recording studio went up in flames last Wednesday, taking with it a great deal of equipment and a number of master tapes. Reported to have been among the losses is the new Silver Jews album, which had arrived the same morning and was scheduled to have been mastered this weekend.

More information here:
• Rolling Stone
• The Memphis Flyer

UPDATE: All masters were located in another part of the building which received little to no fire damage. Whew!

Forgive the egregious self promotion, but I just thought I’d mention that I’m blogging again. Some people might like to know.

Former Soft Cell leader and solo artist Marc Almond is feared to have suffered severe head and neck injuries as a result of a motorcycle vs. automobile accident in London over the weekend. A witness report doesn’t sound good at all:

?There was an almighty bang as the bike crashed with the car. The motorcyclist and passenger were thrown off into the air and landed in the road. There was blood everywhere.

?I heard someone say it was Marc Almond, he looked like he had done a lot of damage to his head.” (full story)

It was announced yesterday that following the release of their new record Rendezvous next month, Luna will be closing the book on their wonderful 12-year career. Touring will carry on into 2005, with at least two treks through the US and Canada, but then that’s it. Fin.

[credz chromewaves]