Music Biz Headlines, April 6, 2020
Joel Plaskett (pictured) performs for the Globe and Mail, Drake’s Toosie Slide sparks a TikTok craze, and a tribute to Wray Downes. Others in the headlines include Fiver, Leonard Cohen, Sass Jordan, Banff Centre for Arts, Cadence Weapon, Missi Gallimore, Jason Isbell, Lil Nas X, and Marianne Faithfull.
By Kerry Doole
Fiver's Simone Schmidt on how music communities can rebuild after COVID-19
"It’s going to be important for us to build things together because we really have no choice," Schmidt says ahead of their new EP, You Wanted Country? Vol. 1. – Tom Beedham, NOW
Toronto's mascots are perfecting Drake's 'Toosie Slide' from home
While we spend our days inside, finding ways to entertain ourselves seems to be a daily task. But now, thanks to Drake, we can now all hop on the latest trend sweeping the world. The "Toosie Slide" TikTok craze is alive and well, and even Toronto's sports team mascots are joining in the fun. – Narcity
Jazz pianist Wray Downes was known for his expressive right hand
He was a gifted pianist, an Oscar Peterson protege blessed with perfect pitch, impeccable tining, and one of the most expressive right hands in jazz. – Nicholas Jennings, The Globe and Mail
Bohemian tragedy: Leonard Cohen and the curse of Hydra
The musician was inspired by married writers George Johnston and Charmian Clift when he visited the Greek island of Hydra in 1960. But their golden age came at a price. – Polly Samson, The Guardian
Sass Jordan deals a dose of Rebel Moon Blues
If you’ve followed Sass’s career, however, you know that her music has always contained R & B and blues elements, so it’s really not that much of a stretch. – Roman Mitz, Music Express
Applying for EI is turning out to be a major headache for many in Canada
An estimated 1.5 million Canadians are now unemployed in the wake of coronavirus-related layoffs, but according to one study, one third of them won't be covered by Employment Insurance (EI). The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives just released an analysis that says 862,000 Canadians won't receive anything from EI or the Canada Emergency Response Benefit. – FreshDaily
COVID-19: Vancouver classical and new music plays on, in creative digital ways
From intimate, at-home commission series to full-blown virtual viewing parties, the classical and new-music community here has proven that it’s not only one of the industries hit hardest by COVID-19, but also one of the quickest to switch keys. – Janet Smith, Georgia Straight
Watch a replay of Joel Plaskett's full concert with The Globe
The East Coast indie-rock hero performed a live stream concert with The Globe to help entertain and connect people isolated during the coronavirus pandemic. –The Globe and Mail
Graham Rockingham’s pandemic playlist, Part 1
Our lives now revolve around books, crosswords, Netflix, marathon matches of solitaire, social media mining, news updates, lonely neighbourhood walks and nervous dashes to the grocery store. Music, however, persists, maybe more than ever.– The Hamilton Spectator
Banff Centre for Arts temporarily lays off 400 staff via e-mail
Some employees felt the layoff was mishandled. The notices were not communicated personally but delivered by e-mail – and those e-mails did not arrive at a uniform time. – Marsha Lederman, The Globe and Mail
Today’s self-isolation playlist? Rapper Cadence Weapon’s selections for a solo dance party at home
The Star reached out to some of the DJs, artists and creatives who have been impacted and asked about their experiences. We’ve also asked them to curate a playlist for readers looking to discover new music online. Here’s one from a noted rapper and poet laureate. – Toronto Star
International
In the Hot Seat with Larry LeBlanc: Missi Gallimore
The owner, T.R.U.T.H. Management / co-owner, Get It Done Entertainment,Missi Gallimore pays attention to song pitches the way the rest of us pay attention to our breathing; and she thanks God each and every day for being so blessed with the opportunity to discover new country music, and new country talent. – Larry LeBlanc, Celebrity Access
Judge lets rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine go home, citing COVID-19
Rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine was ordered immediately freed from a Manhattan federal lockup four months early Thursday by a judge who cited his asthma and the greater danger he would face behind bars during the coronavirus outbreak. – Larry Neumester, AP
Lil Nas X: ‘I 100% want to represent the LGBT community’
He planned to hide his sexuality before his cowboy hit Old Town Road made him a superstar at 19. Now the rapper is ready to embrace life as a queer figurehead. – André Wheeler, The Guardian
It's not what you think': behind the star-studded life of a rock star's wife
Model turned author Jenny Boyd’s new book details a life living with Mick Fleetwood, inspiring a Donovan song and working with the Beatles. – Jim Farber,The Guardian
15 memorable festival performances you can watch on YouTube
YouTube has a slew of recordings from past music festivals -- as far back the '60s -- and we've compiled the most essential, iconic, and historic performances to watch from the comfort of your couch. – Sadie Bell, Thrillist
Jason Isbell on his new LP, ‘A Star Is Born,’ and hanging with Springsteen and Crosby
“If I’d come along in the Seventies, I probably would have been a much bigger star, and I would’ve had a lot more money. And I would be dead,” says the singer-songwriter. “It would not have turned out well. – Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone
10 new albums to check out
For music fans, Fridays mean New Music, and there are albums aplenty out today to quench your thirst for a deviation from the norm (or a return to it). Choices include Canadians Ellis and TOPS. – Paste
Marianne Faithfull in hospital for COVID-19
The legendary English singer-songwriter and actress is in a London hospital having tested positive for the virus, according to her manager. In a statement on Saturday (April 4), François Ravard said Faithfull is “stable and responding to treatment.” – Best Classic Bands
