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.
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
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
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
