By Kerry Doole
Tory Lanez hit with third felony charge in Megan Thee Stallion shooting case
The Canadian rapper is now facing a new charge of discharging a firearm with gross negligence. – Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone
Emm Gryner talks healing, life coaching and her new album ‘Business & Pleasure’
The Ontario singer/songwriter calls her 23rd solo album set to be released in the spring ‘pure joy.’ – Nick Krewen, Toronto Star
Celine Dion reveals rare neurological disorder, postpones tour
Celine Dion has revealed she has been diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder called Stiff-Person Syndrome. She said the disorder affects approximately one in a million people. It has forced the postponement of a planned tour. – K.J. Yossman, Variety
In a new AGO exhibition, Leonard Cohen sometimes wears no clothes
Nashville photos of a shirtless Cohen are included in this far-reaching exhibit. – Brad Wheeler, The Globe and Mail
Leonard Cohen’s children in dispute with lawyer over control of estate
According to the NY Post, Adam Cohen and Lorca Cohen have been fighting to remove attorney Robert Kory as a trustee to the Leonard Cohen Family Trust for over a year in Los Angeles Superior Court. The trust currently holds numerous assets including millions of dollars in royalties for Cohen’s music, poetry, novels, and photos, as well as 243 journal notebooks. – Complex Canada
The music subgenre sadcore finds a new life with a new generation
Distinguished by minimal instrumentation and production, melancholy lyrics and slow tempo — which lends the genre its other name, slowcore — Montreal-based musician Amy Macdonald says the style resonates with many young people coming of age during a global pandemic and economic turmoil. Christian Collington, CP
Former Hey Rosetta! frontman Tim Baker says show at Massey Hall will be ‘meaningful’
Tim Baker touring in support of ’70s-inspired album “The Festival” released in October. – Ben Rayner, Toronto Star
Two of the buzziest names in Canadian pop are headlining Halifax's free New Year's Eve show.
Juno-winning rocker JJ Wilde and country-pop TikTok star Devon Cole will play Grand Parade, a free, all-ages showcase. – Morgan Mullin, The Coast
Sarah McLachlan: “Our North Star always will be putting the kids first”
20 Years of SoM: How the Sarah McLachlan School of Music helped change music education. – Gen Handle, Spin
A Dec. 16 reopening is announced for Vancouver's newly renovated Cobalt
After a half-decade absence from the Vancouver music scene, the Cobalt is about to return to the city as a live-music room. Following an extensive round of renovations that has seen the installation of everything from a new dancefloor and bar to an updated PA, the Main Street bar reopens Dec. 16 with a bill featuring garage punks the Vicious Cycles. – Mike Usinger, Georgia Straight
Everything you need know about the vibrant Oakwood Village from this up-and-coming Afrosoul singer
Amai Kuda Ile gives us a tour of Oakwood Village in Toronto: From Caribbean Queen Jerk to the Roseneath Parkette, here's what you need to see. – Briony Smith, Toronto Star
The 10 best songs of 2022
Some Canadian gems make the list. – Brad Wheeler, The Globe and Mail
The best jazz albums of 2022
In Canada, the jazz scene thrived once again, via innovative and inspired efforts by the likes of Roberto Occhipinti, Ranee Lee, Lou Pomanti, Jocelyn Gould, Monkey House, Neil Swainson, Carol Welsman, Michael Kaeshammer, Ernesto Cervini, and many more, proving once again that the country’s musical ecosystem is ripe with jazz talent. It was a year of great music. Here are 25 of our favourite albums from 2022. – JAZZ FM
The Best of 2022
As we look forward to 2023, Words & Music and Paroles & Musique also remember and celebrate 2022, with Top 10 Lists of SOCAN members’ songs from some of our regular contributors. – Howard Druckman & Eric Parazelli, Words & Music and Paroles & Musique
International
House Judiciary Committee approves bill requiring radio to pay royalties to performers
The American Music Fairness Act would still have to go through the full House, as well as meet approval from the Senate and the president, to be signed into law. – Thania Garcia, Chris Willman, Billboard
Hipgnosis Song Fund revenues climb 7.5% YOY, Streaming revenues up 15.8% YOY
There have been a lot of eyes on Hipgnosis Songs Fund (HSF) this year. The UK-listed fund, once the most active acquisitive entity in music rights, has paused its buying of catalogs over the past year, and hasn’t raised any new share capital for rights buyouts during this period. HSF has announced its half-year results for the six months to end of Sept. 2022, with some positive signs, both for investors and for the music rights business at large. – Tim Ingham, MBW
Universal Music Australia has a new boss in Sean Warner
Universal Music Australia (UMA) has announced the promotion and appointment of Sean Warner to President, Universal Music Australia & New Zealand effective January 1, 2023. Warner succeeds George Ash, who previously announced his intention to retire from his position at UMA. – Music Week
Litmus Music has acquired Keith Urban’s master recordings catalog
The deal includes ten multi-platinum, platinum or gold-certified studio albums and a greatest hits compilation. Among the catalog’s highlights are twenty-four No.1 songs and a record-breaking thirty-six consecutive Top 5s. Launched in August, New York-based Litmus was co-founded by Hank Forsyth and Dan McCarroll in partnership with Carlyle Global Credit. – MBW
Looking back at an outlier in Frank Sinatra's catalog
Each Sunday, we take an in-depth look at a significant album from the past, and any record not in our archives is eligible. Today, we revisit Watertown, a fascinating outlier in Frank Sinatra’s catalog, an unsparing and bleak concept album from 1970. – Pitchfork
Some Taylor Swift fans are getting another chance to buy concert tickets, says Ticketmaster
Following last month’s presale fiasco for Taylor Swift’s upcoming Eras Tour, Ticketmaster has offered some fans the “limited-time opportunity” to purchase two tickets to the 2023 concert tour. – Aisling Murphy, Toronto Star
The Top 15 Reissues of 2022
The best reissues of 2002 split the difference between revisionism and rediscovery. Whether expansions of classic albums or vault-clearing releases of new records, 2022's top archival releases, box sets and deluxe reissues featured some of music's biggest names. The Beatles, David Bowie, the Rolling Stones and Neil Young continued their annual visits with new collections. – Ultimate Classic Rock
Ryuichi Sakamoto performs possible last concert amid cancer battle
Japanese composer and musician Ryuichi Sakamoto streamed a pre-recorded concert on Sunday that he has said “may be my last” due to his ongoing battle with cancer. Sakamoto, known for his film scores as well as his work in the 1970s and 1980s with electronic music band Yellow Magic Orchestra, revealed in June that he is battling stage 4 cancer. – Japan Times
SZA is releasing ‘SOS’ at midnight: Here’s what to expect from her first album in five years
The 23-track project, which includes previous singles “I Hate U,” “Good Days” and “Shirt,” features appearances from Phoebe Bridgers, Don Toliver, Travis Scott and Ol’ Dirty Bastard. – Richie Assaly, Toronto Star
