News In General: RIP Mike Starr (Alice In Chains), Recod Day Store 2011, Herd Rock Band Bracket

Former and original bassist of Alice In Chains, Mike Starr, was found dead in his home in Salt Lake City on Tuesday. He was 44 years old. With lead singer Layne Staley's death almost nine years ago, that leaves Jerry Cantrell and Sean Kinney as the two surviving original members of the band. As a tribute, here's a favorite of mine from one of the most popular bleak  and druggy albums of all time, 1992's "Dirt". RIP Mr. Starr.

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Record Day Store 2011 is taking place April 16th, 2011. Been awhile since you've been to your local independent record store? Yeah, me too. This digital age is making it easier, cheaper and lazier to pick up music. Which has its benefits but you can't find EVERYTHING you want. And you don't get the satisfaction of rummaging through CD's, vinyl, imports, used, just to pick up a John Cale or New Pornographers album that was recommended on a website you read. There are tons of bands (around 240 releases) participating including Gorillaz, My Morning Jacket, Foo Fighters, Big Star and an album I haven't seen since its cassette days, The Cure's "Entreat" (a concert from their Disintegration tour released in 1990...double packed as a 2 disc LP). I may just venture down to Luna Music on the 16th of April to show some support. To find local record stores particpating and for more information on the event, check the website below.

Record Store Day 2011 Information
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Foreigner is a #15 seed, the Arkansas Pine Bluff of the tournament

Do you have some fever for March Madness starting next week? Do you like music? Over on espnradio's website, Colin Cowherd has put together an interesting showdown between sixty four bands head to head in bracket format. Some match ups are interesting (#8 Motley Crue vs. #9 Weezer. #6 Bob Marley vs. #11 Beastie Boys, #7 Nine Inch Nails vs. #10 The Grateful Dead) some bands included are head scratchers (Creed, Nickleback?!?!?!?!) and the ommisions of some artists are criminal (Neil Young, R.E.M., Bruce Springsteen, Depeche Mode, The Strokes....they ain't here). But it's good fun nonetheless to try and decide if Boston is more worthy than Aerosmith to move on to the second round. Should make a nice Sweet 16. Had fun with Troy at work picking these tonight. If I have the time and can figure out how to do something on station to station next year, I will try to do something similar...with Springsteen as a two seed at least, c'mon. Go ahead and vote with the rest of America below:

Herd Rock Band Bracket
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Source: http://www.jhostation.com/2011/03/news-in-general-rip-mike-starr-alice-in.html

The Lovely Sparrows Pernice Brothers The Postal Service St. Christopher