MOG

Pitchfork informed me that Evan Farrell, of Rogue Wave and Magnolia Electric Co., passed away 2 days before Christmas.

"Bloomington, Indiana musician Evan Farrell died on December 23 in an apartment fire in Oakland, California, according to various reports.

Farrell served as bassist for Rogue Wave until early last year and toured with Magnolia Electric Co. this past fall, playing bass and pedal steel. He was also a member of the Secretly Canadian collective the Japonize Elephants, and had a hand in numerous other bands and projects over the years.

On the Rogue Wave website, Zach Rogue wrote, "If you ever saw Evan play music, you would know he was an exceptional and passionate musician. And if you ever had the chance to hang out with him, you would have no doubt been laughing at some point, because he was one of the funniest and most charismatic people ever. Always the extrovert, Evan was meant for the stage. Sometimes I almost felt he was from some other time, some other place."

A post on the Magnolia Electric Co. website echoed these sentiments, concluding, "We love you, Evan, and we are better people for having known you."

Farrell leaves behind a wife and two young children. A memorial fund has been established to help his family during this difficult time. Contribute by clicking here .

I almost cried. In fact, tears swelled up in my eyes. I donated a little bit, and I urge anyone who still reads this to do the same.