Gregory Scott Slay, former drummer and songwriter from Remy Zero—the Birmingham, Alabama based band highly touted by Radiohead, Zach Braff, and numerous TV/film soundtracks over the years—passed away this morning, according to former Remy Zero bassist and current O+S member Cedric LeMoyne. He was only 40.

“He was in a peaceful place and surrounded by his family,” reads a statement by the surviving members of Remy Zero. “We are so grateful for the time we were allowed with each other and for the wonderful opportunity to create with him for so many years. Gregory inspired all who had the chance to see him perform,  to hear the music that he made or just to be around his bountiful spirit.  He will be greatly missed.”

Most recently, Slay collaborated with Remy Zero’s Cedric LeMoyne and Jeffrey Cain on fellow Alabama-based singer/songwriter Eliot Morris’ new album All Things in Time.

Our thoughts and condolences go out to all those close to Gregory Slay.

It has only been one day since Vic Chesnutt died of an apparent suicide at the age of 45, but memorials are already flooding in from friends, collaborators, fans, and new fans of the departed singer/songwriter.

“I was at the hospital yesterday when he passed,” said Michael Stipe (who produced Chesnutt’s first two albums) in a telephone interview with NPR. What will he remember most about Chesnutt? “I think the thing I would have to say is his laugh, and his ability to take a kind of dark moment and twist it and make everyone laugh at themselves,” Stipe said after getting briefly choked up over the question. “He had a brilliant way of doing that and I will miss that for the rest of my life.”

In a post on R.E.M.’s official site, fellow Georgia-based musician and reclusive Neutral Milk Hotel frontman Jeff Mangum made a profound statement about Chesnutt:

in 1991 i moved to athens georgia in search of god, but what I discovered instead was vic chesnutt. hearing his music completely transformed the way i thought about writing songs, and i will forever be in his debt.

Rock legend Patti Smith also offered a brilliantly worded memorial to Chesnutt, taking comfort in the idea that his statements and lyrics may have presaged his death, but they also offered a kind of hopeful harbinger. “Before he made an album he said he was a bum,” Smith said on Christmas Day. “Now he is in flight bumming round beyond the little room [a reference to the song “Supernatural”]. With his angel voice.”

Cardinals bassist Chris Feinstein has passed away at his Manhattan home. He was 42.

Feinstein, endearingly known by the awesome nickname of Spacewolf by bandmates and fans alike, recorded and toured as a member of Ryan Adams & the Cardinals for their last two full-length albums, Easy Tiger and Cardinology. His discography also includes numerous songwriting credits for Santigold’s then-eponymous album Santogold, and bass performance on Albert Hammond, Jr.’s song “Scared” from his solo album, Yours to Keep.

Most recently, Feinstein and fellow Cardinals Jon Graboff, Brad Pemberton, and Neal Casal recorded and performed with New Zealand-born singer/songwriter Gin Wigmore.

All three surviving Cardinals members have posted reactions to this sad news online, including a series of photographs on guitarist Neal Casal’s blog and drummer Brad Pemberton’s Facebook message: “This is the saddest day of my life. I lost my best friend today…things will never be quite the same.” Matthew Ryan a friend and former collaborator with Feinstein also posted a tribute on YouTube earlier today.

**Update: Chris Feinstein’s family have started a memorial fund in his honor, as they are hoping for donations to help handle funeral expenses. Please donate, if you can, to their Paypal account at feinstein.memorial@gmail.com or check out their Facebook page here.