The FYI Bulletin, Oct. 05, 2023
Anthem Entertainment has announced a slate of executive suit
By David Farrell
Anthem Entertainment has announced a slate of executive suite appointments headlined by naming Jason Klein as CEO. Formerly he was Sr. VP of Legal Affairs and GM of the Canadian division, Gilles Godard continues as president of the Nashville division,. Noah Dewey has been promoted to a new role as VP, of Creative, with Courtney Crist continuing as Creative Senior Director.. Curiously, the company's website has been down for some time; it says that a new website is to be launched in 2023.
– Women in Music is promoting a new accelerator program with a Nov. 30 deadline for application submissions.
– Bell Media has named Sean Cohan to lead the company following the retirement of Wade Oosterman at year's end. Cohan currently resides in NYC and has 15 years at A+E Networks.
– The CLMA’s AGM on Sept. 28 coincided with the release of the org’s annual report which can be viewed here, and the new executive team here.
– Bacardi has teamed up with Canadian record producer Boi-1da to promote five emerging artists on an AI-powered album. Below is the video explainer.
– UMC topper Jeffrey Remedios explains much in a detailed Toronto Star feature that’s definitely worth a read: First, there was music, then AI began stealing voices. Here’s why the head of Canada’s largest record label isn’t worried.
– Almost 45 years on and 13 album releases, Manteca is back with The Offspring Project (Apple, Amazon, Bandcamp, et al). It’s an album that mixes a bit of the old and the new. Eleven offspring of current or former members have followed in their parent’s footsteps, becoming professional musicians and composers; The Offspring Project has the youngers make their mark, writing six of the twelve compositions on the new album and playing on the entire recording.
– Sharp eyes will have noted that Randy Lennox and Gilles Paquin are credited as executive producers on director Madison Thomas' feature documentary, Buffy Sainte Marie: Carry Me On. PBS has the rights to US broadcasts and Crave here in Canada. Cast appearances include Robbie Robertson, John Kay, Jackson Browne and Joni Mitchell. The doc was recently nominatedfor an International Emmy Award.
– Folk Music Ontario has named CLMA CEO Erin Benjamin and songstress/musician & arts educator Treasa Levasseur as this year’s recipients of the Estelle Klein Award. The awards will be presented at the Ontario Folk Music Awards on Oct. 15.
– Five musicians are announced as the recipients of the 11th annual Canada’ Walk of Fame RBC Emerging Musician Program. The acknowledgements come with a basket of professional enhancements that include appearances and access to career mentors. The winners are:
Grand Prize Winner: pop musician Josh Alexander of Montreal (see video below for Keep on Giving the Love).
Second Prize Winner: electro-pop artist Talltale of Toronto.
Third Prize: genre-bending singer/songwriter J3M of Toronto.
Fourth Prize: pop singer Murphy of Leduc, AB.
Fifth Prize: pop artist Rachel Cousins of Portugal Cove-St. Philip’s, NL
– Covid is flaring up again across the country. It’s the cause for the postponement of a trio of ON theatre dates by Cowboy Junkies this week. Those shows were quickly rescheduled, and you can check the new dates here. All tickets will be valid for the rescheduled show dates. Below is the band’s latest single, culled from the June album release, Such Ferocious Beauty.
