John Peel R.I.P.

If you became of musical age in the late-70's or early-80's, you're probably familiar with the name John Peel. He was a legendary - and in an age when enconiums are handed out like Purple Hearts for anyone willing to fill out the paperwork, it's a label that kinda understates the man's quality - DJ for BBC's Radio 1/Radio 4 who was instrumental in breaking bands from the Sex Pistols to the White Stripes. Without him, depressed kids wouldn't have had goth to provide the soundtrack to their black-clad days and South Park would've been destroyed by MechaStreisand.

Check out his obit at the Guardian then roll over to the BBC site and tune into the tribute broadcasts.

American radio has no equivalent voice - heck, the closest we're fed is Carson "Massive Tool" Daly as if TRL could break as many influential acts as Peel did. Yuck.

Combined with the recent passing of Greg Shaw, founder of Bomp Records, the people who did so much to bring "alternative" music to the people are dwindling in numbers.

Honor their lives by going to the mall record store and if you see anyone buying an Ashlee Simpson CD, go ahead and punch them in the friggin' nose!