a decent article about elliot (my entry follows the article below)


Will Bryant reports:
Elliott Smith has died at age 34, according to an obituary posted late Tuesday on Sweet Adeline, Smith's official website. Rumors had been circulating on the Internet yesterday afternoon about Smith's apparent suicide; by early evening, the overwhelming traffic from well-wishers and fans was crashing Sweet Adeline's discussion board. A handful of posts indicated that representatives from Smith's label, Dreamworks, were attempting to contact Charlie Ramirez, the webmaster for Sweet Adeline.

Within hours, Ramirez posted the following: "As you probably realize, I'm pretty devastated about having to say goodbye to Elliott... it's never easy to put into words what someone means to you... Elliott was such a lovely man... I will always have his love, kindness, intelligence, humbleness, creativeness, greatness and so much more in me forever because that's what he was and i'll always love him for being who he was... I'll miss you so much. We will all miss you. See you in heaven, Elliott."

Kill Rock Stars, who released Smith's 1995 self-titled solo album and 1997's Either/Or, changed their website's splash page to a pensive photo of Smith this afternoon in silent tribute to the beloved songwriter.

"We are deeply saddened by Elliott Smith's tragic death and send our condolences to his friends and family," read a statement released by Dreamworks and reported by Reuters' wire service. "He was perhaps his generation's most gifted songwriter. His enormous talent could change your life in a whisper. We will miss him."

Wire reports from the Associated Press and Reuters today confirm that Los Angeles county coroner's officials believe the death is a suicide, indicating that the singer's body had sustained a single stab wound to the chest. Smith's body was found by his live-in girlfriend yesterday afternoon, according to the AP report. He was rushed to a local hospital, where he died about an hour later.

Smith had been working on his sixth studio album, From A Basement On The Hill, since late 2001. At various points, the self-recorded album was being shopped to indie labels and later, tentatively scheduled as a double-disc offering on Dreamworks' 2003 schedule.

Last November, Smith was reportedly involved in a scuffle with Los Angeles county sheriffs at a Flaming Lips show. Smith retained the services of an attorney in the matter, and had publicly sought witnesses to the incident on Sweet Adeline. Smith reportedly claimed his hand was injured in the fracas, causing the cancellation of at least one planned show this spring. But this wasn't the first time Smith had cancelled a show because of pain in his arm. A February 2002 London concert was postponed after Smith had flown all the way across the Atlantic-- claiming he'd slept on the arm during the flight. In May 2002, Smith flubbed more than half of his planned setlist at a Chicago show, again claiming difficulties with an uncooperative hand.

Smith's continued difficulty with live performances and the multiple delays with Basement-- including claims that Smith disappeared for days and couldn't be found-- led many to speculate that the singer might be using heroin or other hard drugs. Smith had written very candidly about past drug use in his songwriting, most notably in the 1995 track "The White Lady Loves You More." In January, Smith even played a benefit show for a free needle exchange aimed at preventing the spread of AIDS and hepatitis among intravenous drug users. And in a recent, extensive interview with Under The Radar magazine, Smith admitted having undergone an intravenous treatment meant to clear his body of toxins resulting from drug and alcohol abuse.

Smith's new songs deal frankly and obsessively with drug use and suicide: a quick perusal of the Basement song titles alone yields the now-poignant "Memory Lane," "Strung Out Again," "Let's Get Lost," "Shooting Star," "A Distorted Reality Is Now A Necessity To Be Free" and "Fond Farewell." "Give me one reason not to do it," Smith taunts in "King's Crossing," another unreleased Basement cut.

I last saw Elliott Smith at the Henry Fonda Theater in Los Angeles nine months ago, a birthday gift from my girlfriend. Out of all the live shows I've ever witnessed-- and I've witnessed a lot-- I've never left a show feeling more uneasy and concerned for the well-being of the artist performing. Smith's live sets have always been hit-or-miss; in particular, his live gigs from the past couple of years have often been marred by forgotten lyrics, butterfingers on his own florid guitar parts, and so on. But on this night, Smith performed beautifully-- mostly unaccompanied on acoustic guitar, but also with some spare drumming and backup vocals on a few songs.

It was his between-songs banter, fractured and urgent, that really fostered my concern. Smith couldn't have asked for any better-- a sold-out, shoulder-to-shoulder crowd, focused intently on the frail and inarticulate figure center stage. "My heart's weak because, like, uh..." Smith started at one point, trailing off in mid-sentence before launching into the obscure single "No Confidence Man." As soon as the song began, Smith became erudite, focused, passionate. Between songs, he stuttered and aborted sentences mid-thought, as if utterly unable to communicate without his music.

Smith was scheduled to play the Los Angeles-area incarnation of this year's All Tomorrow's Parties festival in November. As previously reported, Smith released the single "Pretty (Ugly Before)" as a limited-edition seven-inch on Suicide Squeeze in August; the single was expected to serve as a teaser for the forthcoming album. In June, Smith was awarded a "Best Rock/Pop Songwriter/Composer" award from the alternative paper LA Weekly.

Like me, Smith grew up in Dallas, TX and was physically and emotionally tormented by insensitive schoolmates before moving west. Smith went to high school in Portland, OR and attended college in Massachusetts. In 1992, Smith formed Heatmiser with bandmates Neil Gust, Tony Lash, and later Sam Coomes. Heatmiser released three albums and an EP, but it was Smith's self-recorded 1994 effort Roman Candle that drew attention to Smith's spare, confessional songwriting and innovative guitar work. After Heatmiser disbanded in 1996, Smith's solo career took off-- eventually landing the singer several songs on the soundtrack to Gus Van Sant's 1997 film Good Will Hunting, including the Oscar-nominated "Miss Misery."

Smith signed with Dreamworks in 1998, quickly serving up the baroque XO and ambitious Figure 8, backing both releases up with extensive full-band tours. Last year, Smith enlisted Flaming Lips manager Scott Booker to manage his career and shop Basement to indie labels. In the last ten months, Smith had played acoustic sets extensively across the U.S., including stops in Los Angeles, New York, Austin, Philly, and Hoboken. Smith's last public performance was at the University of Utah's Redfest festival last month in Salt Lake City.

In addition to his work with Heatmiser and his brief but productive solo career, Smith also lent his songs and musicianship to friends and fellow artists including Mary Lou Lord, Pete Krebs, Lois, The Spinanes, Quasi, No. 2, Guided By Voices, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, and Goldenboy.

dear faithful reader,

as you know i have a tendency to only post entries when i feel influenced enough to actually care to express some sort of sentiment or opinion. however, i would do anything to not have to write this entry right now. some of you may have heard of the passing away of elliott smith...

i dont really know how to explain this, im not much of a celebrity monger and when artists pass away whether it be a plane crash or a drug overdose, or even a heart attack....its unfortunate but life goes on.

however, i feel strongly that by losing elliott the music community as a whole has taken a huge blow.

his music is eerily haunting with a seventies style technicolor undertone, his lyrics are so raw that even if you dont understand the literal translation you can always still feel the meaning and energy behind it.

my biggest regret is not being introduced to him earlier so that i perhaps may have had a chance to see him in concert. he would have been in los angeles in november.

i feel that elliott is one of my reflections of who you are type criteria, meaning if you don't like his music then i most likely will not like you. i believe strongly that your likes and dislikes are a strong reflection of who you are as a person.

do yourself a favor, if you have not listened to any elliott smith then do so now. if you like his music then buy an album, if you want an album recommendation i would say either either/or or x/o.

on a slightly lighter note there has been a lot of controversy lately about the band "the network". if you havent heard the network is a band that is signed on to billie joes record label adeline records. there are a lot of similarities in the sound of the two bands, and in addition a lot of connection btwn the information given about the network and the information we already know on green day. now a couple of you smartasses are wondering why anybody cant just tell the difference by lookin at the ppl in the band...all the members in the network wear masks and costumes, its actually pretty grotesque.

regardless its a genius marketing move, not only does it generate free publicity, but it causes consumers to transfer the positive opinions and emotions from green day to the network. if it really isnt green day then no big deal, they got a huge compliment, plenty of free publicity, and an instant fan base. if it is however really green day.....let us just hope.

thats it for today. check out elliott smith.

rest in peace elliott smith and thank you for what you have given us.

August 6, 1969 - October 21, 2003

theres a lot going on lately isnt there? i've talked about the whole process of graduating in the past...things are different and yet so not. one thing i've really learned to pick up on is just how hollywood everything in los angeles really is. from seeing that cabin fever guy at saddle ranch, to mike tyson at the standard...or even random people at costco talking about producers and directors.

as most of you know i've been working (or not working) on the nokia launch for the ngage; the official launch was the other day and i worked two events to get that going. i spent my entire time with a bunch of models talking to them about their respective agency and how so-and-so was a bitch etc etc. the only true conclusion that i could come up with is that los angeles is made up of a plethora of people who promote themselves and whatever the product is to each other. imagine a community of ppl who pass out flyers to one another.

this somewhat naturally transitions to my next topic which is the shallowness of los angeles and what it has done to me. i've been saying that it really feels as if being here has effectively made me as shallow and materialistic as possible. i swear it seems as if everything is about physical appearance. i was actually relieved yesterday to debate about politics with the roommates and remind myself that maybe there is still some substance within me.

we've gone such a far way haven't we? as i meet more and more people i realize just how difficult it is to meet people that you truly connect with and appreciate their company. strange seeing that i just talked about how shallow i am, but the good people that you meet....the ones that you really do love and cherish...that never seems to change; its solid as a rock. everybody has fleeting moments of passion, of love, of agony; but when it comes down to it you know deep inside what's true and what isnt.

so why do we get lost in such fleeting moments? i guess my point is that after all those years i've begun to realize the temporary permanence of our existance. i don't want to waste my time with fake smiles and awkward tensions. i dont want to go on dates and dig deep for conversation that i'll actually be interested in. i don't want to settle. i don't want to argue about anything and everything and write it off as just "part of the relationship". i want my life to be free of the bullshit. free of drama. and free of artificial sweetners. the people that i have loved and still love have never changed and this remains truer than anything else. accuse me all you want of being flirty, or being girl crazy, or whatever because i have said time and time again that that was a crock of dinty moore crap. to those that i went on those little dates with, they were fun but please don't begin to think that i was truly in love with you or that i harbored strong desires to be with you, i enjoy good company over dinner and that is about it. i am sick of all the bullshit that i have had to deal with, and will deal with it no longer. those who are true, you KNOW who you are. and if you don't then im sorry. but if i consistently talk to you, if i have ever cried at any time (not over a movie) while i was with you, if i call on you in times of need, and if you see me smile when i see you...then chances are pretty good that i don't think that you are bullshit. maybe its maturity who knows, i am picky as hell, and my standards for the people whose company i seek have risen dramatically.

i think the biggest lesson is patience. i've learned to be patient for the things that i seek to come. almost sounds religious doesn't it? but its true. patience for all the things in life that we all seek to achieve: success, love, happiness, and of course a porsche 911 turbo.

maybe i'm not as shallow as i thought.