Music Biz Headlines, Aug. 20, 2018
An interview with Aretha reprised, fraud poses a problem for streaming, and Joni Mitchell's music is honoured in Saskatoon. Also making headlines are Armored Saint, Conan, Madonna, Piknic Électronik, phone songs, CNE, and Ryley Walker.
By Kerry Doole
Aretha Franklin in 2007: An interview with the Queen of Soul on family, Sinatra, and more
Here, as the whole world mourns the loss of one of music's greatest legends ever, she reflects on her early days, family, being introduced by Frank Sinatra at the Oscars and more. – Steve Baltin, Forbes
Fraud has become the latest hurdle for music streaming
For Twitter, fake accounts can create a shadow army of followers that has comparatively little monetary effect. But perform the same manipulation with music streams, and it constitutes fraud. – Cherie Hu, Variety
'We're revering her music': Circle Game all about the songs of Joni Mitchell
A production featuring the music of one of Saskatoon's greatest music icons is taking the stage at Persephone Theatre as a summer "bonus show." – Matt Olson, Star-Phoenix
Armored Saint's John Bush on the tumultuous period around Symbol of Salvation
Shortly before the band flew to Europe for a run of festival gigs, we caught up with the metal veteran for an interview. – Jason Roche, LA Weekly
‘Conan’ cuts music performances; Booker Roey Hershkovitz to exit
Beginning in January 2019, the TBS show is doing away with regular musical performances to focus more on comedy and what host Conan O’Brien calls a “leaner” late-night program. –Shirley Halperin, Variety
Aretha Franklin’s long-buried concert film could finally go public
For nearly half a century, footage of a signature performance by Aretha Franklin has stayed locked in the vault, stuck in legal limbo. Now the wait could be coming to an end. – Steven Zeitchik, Washington Post
Madonna: The business behind the music
The Queen of Pop, then a dead-broke 22-year-old, didn’t even land a full record contract on her first go-around. Within a decade, she would sign a huge deal with a reported $60M advance from Time Warner. – Courtney Smith, refinery29.com
Toronto electronic music fans should put Piknic Électronik on their summer bucket list
DJs Kim Ann Foxman and Toronto's Bambii were among the highlights from the long-running Montreal music festival. – Michelle Da Silva, NOW
Hung up on you: why nothing can disconnect pop's phone obsession
From Abba to Cardi B, songs about missed calls and answering machines are never out of the charts. But why are there so few hits about texting?– Peter Robinson, The Guardian
Labour dispute heats up as CNE opens amid worker lockout
A war of words has erupted between the City of Toronto and workers locked out from the CNE, with the former claiming union rules are making Exhibition Place uncompetitive and the latter arguing the city wants to contract out good jobs. – Sara Mojtehedzadeh, Toronto Star
The Enthusiast: I love Ryley Walker’s music, but his tweets? He’s a social media mastermind
The underdog and self-deprecating US indie singer/songwriter is attracting a cult following. – Brad Wheeler, The Globe and Mail
