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FYI

Music Biz Headlines, Feb. 2, 2018

Acclaimed TO hip-hop crew Keys N Krates finds a new groove, and Justin, Beyonce et al find a new language. Also in the headlines are Roxy Music, WHFS, Cuneiform, The Smiths, Moog, Vancouver shows, Hillsburn, Mike Nesmith, Omhouse, Tafelmusik, and Leaving Thomas.

Music Biz Headlines, Feb. 2, 2018

By Kerry Doole

Keys N Krates find a new groove on Cura

Longtime Toronto hip-hop crew live drops its first full album — and changes its tune just a bit –  Raju Mudhar, Toronto Star


Meet the Spanish-language coaches who helped Beyonce, Justin Bieber & more sing like a native

With bilingual remixes soaring, meet the emergency language coaches being called in at the last minute to help artists roll their R’s –  Leila Cobo, Billboard

Bryan Ferry on how Roxy Music invented art pop: 'We were game for anything'

With their thrillingly strange 1972 debut, Roxy Music announced themselves as a band unlike any other. The singer looks back at how they created a new kind of music – out of Stax, oboes and Marilyn Monroe  –  Jon Savage The Guardian

Remembering WHFS: The beloved progressive station that was ‘exactly the opposite’ of radio today

Mention the call letters “WHFS” to music lovers of a certain age, and don’t be surprised if a smile instantly appears on their face, or a twinkle seems to light up their eye  –  Chris Kaltenbach, Baltimore Sun

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Grammy winner Serban Ghenea has 24K Magic touch as mixing engineer

Beyond his work on Bruno Mars's latest blockbuster, the ex-Montrealer's portfolio includes projects by Taylor Swift, Adele and many more  – T'Cha Dunlevy, Montreal Gazette

DC-Area record label Cuneiform has gone on hiatus and may not come back

It looks like there will be exactly 33 1/3 years between the company's first and last releases. "I can’t run an office on free,” says Mike Janssen, owner of the left-field imprint – The Washingtonian

I started something I couldn't finish: the Smiths reunion that wasn't

Three former members of the indie band were due to reunite for a series of gigs that fell apart as soon as they were announced. Mike Joyce and Craig Gannon explain why they tried to make it happen –  David Barnett, The Guardian

Leonard Bernstein introduced the Moog synthesizer to the world in 1969

The maestro played an electrified version of Bach's "Little Fugue in G" –  openculture.com

Nine shows guaranteed to help you forget the black winter rains

With pop queens, R&B upstarts, and metal veterans coming to Vancouver, you might even forget the monsoons –   Mike Usinger, Georgia Straight

Hillsburn’s wilder heart 

The Halifax band discusses its gradual expansion, ascension and a new album  – Tara Thorne, The Coast

Inside the stunning resurrection of Michael Nesmith's First National Band

How a half-forgotten Seventies country-rock group led by the Monkee in the green wool hat returned from oblivion –  Andy Greene, Rolling Stone

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Omhouse distils years of exploration into an epic debut

Eye To Eye, the first LP from Toronto's Steven Foster and his band, fixes a stadium grandiosity onto dense, idiosyncratic guitar pop songs  –  Mark Streeter, NOW

Tafelmusik unveils its 40th anniversary season

The renowned baroque orchestra and choir will produce Harlequin Salon, by oboist Marco Cera, in January 2019 –  Debra Yeo, Toronto Star

Friendship fuels Calgary country duo Leaving Thomas

“We are the best duo. We are the best combination because we are not dating, but we’re really, really close," says Annika Odegard –  Eric Volmers, Calgary Herald

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Owen Riegling
Courtesy Photo

Owen Riegling

Country

Owen Riegling, The Washboard Union, MacKenzie Porter to play CCMA House in Kelowna

The lineup for the two-day event that is part of Country Music Week 2025 is crammed with past CCMA Award winners and many of this year's top nominees.

The Canadian Country Music Association (CCMA) has announced CCMA House: Live at Waterfront Park, a two-day all-ages event set for Sept. 12 and 13 that appears poised to be a highlight of Country Music Week 2025, in Kelowna, B.C. A truckload full of established and emerging Canadian country stars will perform, including Jade Eagleson, Andrew Hyatt, James Barker Band, Alexandra Kay, JoJo Mason, Madeline Merlo, Tyler Joe Miller, Jess Moskaluke, Meghan Patrick, MacKenzie Porter, Restless Road, Owen Riegling, SACHA, Thelma & James, The Washboard Union and more.

Introducing the event (produced by Thick as Thieves Entertainment), Amy Jeninga, president of the CCMA, states that "Kelowna’s stunning waterfront provides the perfect backdrop for a celebration of community, connection, and the incredible depth of talent in country music." A vendor market, food trucks and a fully licensed area are also features of CCMA House.

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