Music Biz Headlines, Dec.10, 2018
Neon Dreams' Frank Kadillac (pictured) on the reality of karma, CBC Music's top 10 new Canadian artists, and Phil Shaw Bova's first Grammy nomination make headlines today. Also in the news are a Bach fest, Marie Davidson, tribute acts, Cassandra Maze, Earl Sweatshirt, Sony Music, artist managers, top Xmas songs, Buju Banton, Rapper 2 Milly, Ariana Grande, Pete Shelley, and Devo.
By Kerry Doole
'You help somebody, the universe will help you,' Neon Dreams singer says
Lead vocalist Frank Kadillac performed on Metro Morning's Sounds of the Season broadcast and spoke of karma. – CBC News
Montreal’s Bach fest full of fresh discoveries
The Montreal Bach festival closed last night with a remarkable event unparalleled in Toronto, a presentation of all six of Bach’s Suites for solo cello, performed without intermission by perhaps the greatest cellist of our day, Yo-Yo Ma. – William Littler, Toronto Star
10 new Canadian artists who ruled 2018
This year, Canada produced some incredible new talent, from a rising francophone star to this year's Polaris Music Prize winner. – CBC Music
Advance Base touts creature comfort with Animal Companionship
For a man who’s made one of the best records of 2018, Owen Ashworth isn’t, strangely, one to suggest that he’s doing anything particularly new on Advance Base’s new album. – Mike Usinger, Georgia Straight
Marie Davidson: "It’s good for people to have that 5 am experience"
The prolific Montreal techno artist discusses the cultural importance of dancing till dawn and why work is an insidious addiction. – Kevin Ritchie, NOW
Almost Almost Famous: Tribute act doc probes what it means to be someone else
What leads some musical performers to produce original stuff while others emerge as interpreters or, if they go really deep, as tribute artists pushing a fully inhabited experience? – Kim Hughes, Original Cin
10 best Canadian francophone albums of 2018
2018 will be remembered as a year that debut francophone albums sent a shockwave through the country's pop music. It was not, however, the year that French-language artists broke through to English markets overall. – Jean-Etienne Sheehy, CBC Music
On Our Radar: Cassandra Maze serves up something five times more powerful than a triple espresso with "Boom"
In case it's not obvious right from the opening moments of "Boom", Cassandra Maze certainly doesn't seem to lack for confidence, charisma, or a general enthusiasm for life. – Mike Usinger, Georgia Straight
Ottawa sound engineer 'completely honoured' by Grammy nomination
Phil Shaw Bova's first nomination is for his work on the latest Bahamas album. – Mario Carlucci, CBC News
Review: Earl Sweatshirt's Some Rap Songs demands heavy replay to figure out
The album could be a blueprint for the future sound of hip-hop, but for now, it’s unlikely the avant-garde lyricism will dominate RapCaviar anytime soon. – Claudia McNeilly, NOW
International
Sony's secret sessions: Inside the songwriting summits making hits for Sony Music Latin's roster
The executives started the sessions in 2015, hoping to create big, impactful hits, particularly for their female artists, as the music industry rebounded. – Leila Cobo, Billboard
Why artist managers are getting into the label game
As streaming's healthy growth pumps money into the recorded-music business, Udell is one of an array of artist managers launching their own independent record companies or joint ventures and, in some cases, moving away from traditional management deals altogether. – Jewel Wicker, Billboard
A ranking of 100 — yes, 100 — Christmas songs
If you are on the Internet long enough, there comes a year when you will be forced to rank something. Now it is my time. – Alexandra Petri, Washington Post
'Man is a king': controversial star Buju Banton comes home to Jamaica
Having served seven years in a US prison on drugs charges, Banton is returning to a hero’s welcome – though to many he’s still notorious for a song inciting the murder of gay people. – Erin MacLeod and Kate Chappell, The Guardian
Rapper 2 Milly claims ’Fortnite’ makers stole his dance moves
The Brooklyn-based rapper, whose real name is Terrence Ferguson, alleges that North Carolina-based “Fortnite”-maker Epic Games misappropriated his moves without compensation or credit in the lawsuit filed in federal court in Los Angeles. – AP
Ariana Grande suggests she might drop new album during 2019 tour
The pop star admits she’s tired of having to pre-promote everything she releases and would like to follow Beyonce and Drake’s leads and surprise fans with new material. – WENN
‘The British music industry needs to update’: Paloma Faith, Nao, Sleaford Mods and others on 2018’s music controversies
Artists including Kojey Radical, Let’s Eat Grandma and Róisín Murphy discuss the year’s biggest stories, from Childish Gambino’s This Is America to the rise of K-pop and Jessie J’s success in China. – Alexis Petridis, The Guardian
Pete Shelley: the smart, sardonic punk bard of unrequited romance
Packed with hooks and waspishly funny lines, the Buzzcocks frontman effortlessly created singles which became part of the musical landscape. – Alexis Petridis, The Guardian
We are drowning in a Devolved world: An open letter from Devo
Following the band's Rock Hall nomination, founder Gerald Casale reflects on its dystopian legacy in the age of Trump. – Noisey
