Tremendous news for Thin Lizzy addicts announced today! According to the Belfast Telegraph a cache of up to 700 Thin Lizzy songs found among 'a treasure trove of tapes stashed away by Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott' have been slated for release later this year as a box set via Universal Music.

Apparently, shortly before the Dublin rocker's death in 1986, the then 36 year old Lynott gave a heap of 150 tapes to a third party for safe keeping - here's hoping the good folks at Universal treat the twenty-six year old find kind.

"In every group there's a member who lovingly collects their recordings and in Thin Lizzy that was Phil Lynott, because Lizzy was his baby and his band."

"There are out-takes, unheard versions of Thin Lizzy hits and, most exciting of all, material which was recorded but never released at the time," said Mr Hammonds.

The scheduled June release won't be the first collection in the last few years to feature archive work by the band as it follows on last year's Live At The BBC release, not to mention all those long-awaited deluxe remastered editions of Lizzy's back catalog. [and while we're on the subject, powers that be, howsabout getting around to taking the TBD out of the promised 2CD/DVD edish of Live and Dangerous equation already]

It reminds me of when you see a girl who’s so fine, she almost becomes a villain. Like she’s doing it just to torment you. Like, wow you are the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen you asshole.

Is there anyone out there with technical know-how who lives in LA that can help me put together my podcast? You must be house-broken, not say mean things about diet Coke, know how to record and broadcast a podcast, and never trick me into getting addicted to heroin (please).

I’m drinking kiefer and listening to Lil’ Kim. Don’t take it personally.

I’m concerned, a teeny bit, about the phenomena of cute cats on the Internet. Increasingly, I’m seeing how the no-fail excitement of kitty-cams and what-not is impacting, not only the World Wide Web, but TV commercials as well. Word is out, and cat footage has gone viral on our screens like AIDS on the prettiest boys of 1984.

Now I’m listening to Jayne County and the Electric Chairs. I’m out of kiefer, so I’m drinking coffee.

At any given time, diehard Phil Lynott fans can find good reason to visit Dublin, Ireland -- but recently the incentive to visit the late great Thin Lizzy singer's hometown has increased greatly due to the ongoing Philip Lynott Exhibition, an impressive, large scale and reverential expo dedicated to the iconic Irish rock figure.

Since his premature death 25 years ago Lizzy fanatics (and there are many) have been making pilgrimages to Lynott's grave in Saint Fintan’s Cemetery in Sutton (8 miles north of Dublin City centre on the Howth Peninsula) and placing flowers and sundry Thin Lizzy memorabilia by the singer's headstone which, fittingly, is designed by Irish artist Jim Fitzpatrick, whose traditional Celtic designs graced the covers of many Lizzy records such as Vagabonds of the Western World and Johnny The Fox.

Another major attraction in Dublin for Lynott/Lizzy fans is the life size bronze statue (above with temporary Amoeba sticker) of Lynott leaning on his guitar outside outside Bruxelles pub on Harry Street just off Grafton Street -- a high foot traffic Dublin city centre thoroughfare. Since it was erected six years ago the statue's draw has matched that of monuments and statues dedicated to key Irish historical figures. Similarly, Phil Lynott's figure at the Dublin Waxwork Museum is one of its most popular attractions. But it is the ongoing exhibit, which runs through next month, that has been the most rewarding shrine of all for the legions of visiting Lizzy/Lynott fanatics.

Sad news for guitar-loving hard rock fans everywhere. Northern Ireland's Gary Moore, who played guitar intermittently with Thin Lizzy as well as enjoying his own successful solo career, died yesterday at age 58. So far no confirmation of cause of death. Growing up in Ireland as fan of hard rock from a young age, I was fortunate to have seen Moore play with both the Dublin Ireland band Skid Row (with Brush Shiels) and later with Thin Lizzy -- with whom he was guitarist in three different stages during their career. Rest in peace, Gary Moore.