Rolling Stone — • News Ticker: Van Morrison, Blink-182 • Trent Reznor Promises New NIN Music • McCartney Live Tracks Come to Rock Band • Bono, Damien Rice Busk for Charity in Dublin • Spike Lee’s Video for Jackson’s “This Is It” • Rage Loses Seco... more info

XFM.co.uk — Michael Stipe and Patti Smith come out for the late Athens, GA singer... more info

Guardian Music — Michael Stipe, Patti Smith and others pay tribute at memorial to melancholic singer-songwriter who died on Christmas dayA memorial service has been held for the American musician Vic Chesnutt, who has died aged 45. Chesnutt, described by REM's Michae... more info

Said the Gramophone — Vic Chesnutt died on Christmas Day. He was a songwriter who lived in Athens, Georgia. He wrote one of my favourite songs of this year, a song about flirting with death, a song where he sang with forceful life: "No,... more info

Topix — Singer-songwriter Vic Chesnutt has died in an Athens, Ga. hospital after taking an overdose of muscle relaxants, said a family spokesman. more info

Live Daily — In the song "Flirted With You All My Life," Vic Chesnutt [ tickets ] wrote what he called a "break-up song with death": "When you touched a friend of mine I thought I would lose my mind, but I found out with time that really, I was not ready, no no, ... more info

411 Mania — Singer-songwriter dies of an apparent suicide attempt... more info

Brooklyn Vegan — we love you and miss you so much vic chesnutt...it was so amazing to know you and record an album with you and tour all over the world with you..you are the greatest songwriter and singer to ever come out... more info

Stereogum — As first reported by @KristinHersh, the paralyzed Athens singer/songwriter overdosed on pills and was pronounced dead on Christmas day. Constellation has collected words from admirers like Jeff Mangum and Michael Stipe, along with info on public memo... more info

Live Daily — Canadian alt-country veterans Cowboy Junkies [ tickets ] will stay busy on the road in 2010 with a slate of spring headlining dates in the US Midwest and East Coast states. The group kicks off the spring outing March 18 in Saugatuck, MI, and will ... more info