More than a week later it's still hard to believe Elliott Smith is gone. The circumstances of his death are hard to accept, but along with that, there's the awful sense of inevitability that comes with it, particularly for those who followed him closely in recent years. When Johnny Cash died last month, we shed a tear, sure: a legend no longer walked among us. But Cash lived a long, full life, to say the least; we could look back at the broad trail he blazed and smile. With Elliott, that admiration is tempered by dismay and disappointment and thoughts of what might have been. It's a more bitter loss. All we can do is feel thanks for what Elliott Smith did give us -- some of the most enduring and personal songs in a generation. It's truly remarkable what he accomplished by age 34. We'll miss his voice, his presence on planet earth, and we wish our very best to the many who knew him personally and adored him.

While many of the musicians at last weekend's CMJ Marathon in New York were no doubt feeling heavy with the knowledge of Elliott's passing a few days earlier, the peformances they gave offered ample cause for celebration. Many of the labels Epitonic works closely with, including Tiger Style, Sub Pop, Ghostly International, File 13, Arena Rock, Dim Mak, and Troubleman, presented showcases of their current roster and these shows demonstrated that despite the mediocrity of the majors and the blandness of Clear Channel-dominated commercial radio, music is exciting here in 2003. Tune into your local freeform radio station (or stream one half a world away), go down to your local independent record store, and check out what's going on!

Directors Label Launches

While you're down at your local independent record store, pick up the new Directors Label DVDs. Just released by Palm Pictures, these career retrospectives of acclaimed music video directors Spike Jonze, Michel Gondry, and Chris Cunningham are awesome -- and essential. Each of the directors was closely involved in the assembly of these DVDS, which include music videos, interviews, short films, rare and unseen footage, and extensive liner notes with commentary from the directors. For more on the Directors Label, visit www.directorslabel.com. You can also buy the DVDs in the RES Store.

Happy Halloween

We hope you have a happy Halloween, kiddies. Don't take candy from strangers & have your moms slice open those apples to check for razorblades.