RIP Mark Linkous

Strange coincidences: after posting my last Friday Night Videos, two of the artists mentioned have made the news, albeit for two very different reasons. I had mentioned indie-rock recluse Sparklehorse in passing while writing about the new Danger Mouse/James Mercer collaboration, Broken Bells. Tragically, Sparklehorse (Mark Linkous), committed suicide yesterday (Saturday, March 6). A principal collaborator on the much-delayed but finally-released project Dark Night of the Soul, Linkous' dramatic, lush music often came from a place of pain. According to Rolling Stone:

"In 1996, Linkous actually died for two minutes after ingesting a dangerous mix of Valium and antidepressants while on tour in the U.K. behind Sparklehorse's 1995 debut Vivadixiesubmarinetransmissionplot. He recovered, but the incident left him crippled -- he laid unconscious for 14 hours, cutting off circulation to his legs. He suffered a heart attack when medics attempted to straighten his legs, and underwent seven surgeries to save his damaged limbs. But after the incident, he recorded 1999's Good Morning Spider, 2001's It's A Wonderful Life and 2006's Dreamt for Light Years in the Belly of a Mountain.

"For a while there, I was really scared that when I technically died -- which I guess I did for a few minutes -- that the part of my brain that allowed me my ability to write songs would be damaged," he told Rolling Stone in 1999. Here's a remarkable video collaboration Linkous did with Thom Yorke of Radiohead, transforming Pink Floyd's Wish You Were Here into a moving meditation on impermanence and the First Noble Truth, the existence of dukha (suffering). The video deftly balances the pain and suffering in this world with simple acts of loving kindness that transcends all of that pain and suffering, if only for a moment.

On a much happier note, Josh Rouse, of whom I wrote, "I often feel that I'm in the presence of quiet genius when I listen to his music," has announced the release of his new record, El Turista. According to his record label, "Unexpected and utterly sublime, El Turista's sultry song cycle shuffles seamlessly in tandem with Getz/Gilberto and Paul Simon's Graceland, albums as boldly surprising in their eras as El Turista is in this one. The record marks a new direction for the critically acclaimed artist, while offering the musical sophistication and emotional depth Rouse's devoted constituents have come to expect. His new songs continue the consistently enthralling body of work highlighted by the modern-day landmark albums 1972 and Nashville. Throughout El Turista, simple, Spanish-influenced street rhythms unfurl into epic versions of Guaraldi-like jazz numbers, resulting in yet another career defining touchstone and a genre-blending album that is as sophisticated as it is infectious." You can hear some of these new songs on the widget below. Rouse will also be touring the U.S. this spring, although the current dates don't bring him anywhere near Atlanta. I may have to go to Portland to see him perform at the Doug Fir.