St. Paul singer-songwriter Jeff Hanson, 31, found dead

His voice was sweet enough to often be mistaken for a woman's, and his songwriting was strong enough to earn him a deal with one of the country's most influential indie-rock record labels.

Jeff Hanson's rising career came to a sudden end on Friday, when he was found dead at his apartment in St. Paul.

Hanson, 31, likely died from a fall or other accident at the concrete-floored apartment, which he had just moved into days earlier, said his sister, Sara Hanson. He was found by his parents.

"He was very excited to show off his new place to my parents and show how well he was doing," Sara Hanson said.

Jeff Hanson rose to underground fame in 2003, when he was signed to Kill Rock Stars, the Olympia, Wash.-based label that launched Sleater-Kinney and Elliott Smith. His soft, effeminate voice caught the attention of the label's staff, which then flew him out for a test gig, he said in 2005.

"I think they wanted to see if I sang like that for real," Hanson quipped.

He released three records for the label, including last year's "Madam Owl" and an eponymous 2005 album that earned a 7.8 rating out of 10 from trendsetting music blog PitchforkMedia.com.

Around the Twin Cities, Hanson frequently headlined the Triple Rock, Turf Club or 7th Street Entry. He toured the West Coast and Scandinavia this spring with fellow songwriter Chris Koza.

Hanson, who grew up in Waukesha, Wis., divorced last year and did not have any children -- "besides his two dogs," said Sara Hanson, who emphasized that her brother never had any trouble with substance abuse.

Funeral arrangements have not been made pending the medical examiner's investigation.

What the hell does fall or "other accident" mean?

It's not so much that it's too soon -- that's a one-dimensional analysis of what is really a complex question. The timing of the joke is important, but we must also consider the relevance of the joke to the situation, its tastefulness, and of course its comic effect -- all of which elements bear upon one another. Allow me to demonstrate:

Timing: 3 days after Hanson's tragic death.
Relevance: extremely limited. The only relation is uncertainty about the circumstances of death and the fact that FT's reference points are excluded to Things on the First Page of the Obner Rock/Pop Forum and 1970s Television.
Tastefulness: abysmal. Given the high degree of difficulty indicated by the previous two elements, this joke could only possibly be saved by a high score in...
Comic effect: sorry, no. You're just being a dick.