Music Biz Headlines, Feb. 7, 2020

By FYI Staff

Danko Jones enjoys an underground rock & roll life

The veteran Toronto band weighs in on touring and the outlook of rock & roll. — Brett Callwood, SF Weekly

Acclaimed musician Marc Jordan tackles the standards on ‘Both Sides’

“In a way I’ve been putting most of this song list together for about 25 years,” producer/musician Marc Jordan says of Both Sides, his new collection consisting mostly of covers. “I’ve been singing these songs and others in my head for such a long time, only because I love them.” — American Songwriter

Frazey Ford: U Kin B the Sun review – bright shoots from knotted roots of American song

The former Be Good Tanyas member develops her intimate version of southern soul – but fills it with strife from relationship breakdowns to gun issues. — Alexis Petridis, The Guardan

Tick... tick... Chickaboom! How Tami Neilson lit a fuse under America

With her new album, Chickaboom!, Canadan turned Kiwi Tami Neilson looks set to blow up America. And all she had to do was light a fuse under her own high heel-clad feet. "I changed the template," she tells me. — Karl Puschmann, New Zealand Herald

Gustavo Gimeno walked the streets of Toronto. Then he programmed an eclectic new season for the TSO

If there are two words to describe the Toronto Symphony Orchestra’s incoming music director, Gustavo Gimeno, they are laser intensity. Gimeno was in Toronto on Wednesday to introduce the orchestra’s 2020-21 season, his first as music director. And that intensity is already in full view. — John Terauds, Toronto Star

Caribou finds his voice after life-changing surprises, with some help from Four Tet

The last few years for Dan Snaith, better known to music fans by his recording moniker Caribou, were littered with momentous changes that cropped up out of nowhere. The death of one family member, coupled with the deteriorating health of others, were all part of Snaith's recent life, and as such, are part of his latest album, Suddenly. — Daryl Keating,Exclaim!

At 91, Charlie Parker protege Sheila Jordan still dedicating her life to the jazz music she loves

The 91-year-old, Detroit-born jazz vocalist begins to list her upcoming engagements, revealing a hectic schedule that highlights her dual role as performer and teacher. In fact, she is booked straight to 2021. — Eric Volmers, Calgary Herald

'The audience was spellbound': World-renowned violinist performs at maximum-security prison

Eminent violinist Gidon Kremer performed for prisoners at Pacific Institution in Abbotsford, B.C., on Wednesday. — CBC

Music industry trailblazer Elaine Bomberry says more investment in artists needed

Elaine Bomberry is a trailblazer in the music industry. For the past three decades, she has produced award winning shows like Rez Bluez on APTN, and managed Juno award winning artists. But at the start of her career, there were very few Indigenous people working behind the scenes in the music industry. — APTN

Vadell Gabriel loses at love but wins with rhymes 

Halifax’s hero of new jack swing drops an EP for the brokenhearted. — Alec Martin, The Coast

Newt's Guitar-star Roundup: when and where to hear wicked pickers in Vancouver, February 2020 edition

Axemen coming to town include Billy Gibbons, Jesse Cook, Colin James, and Bonnie Raitt. — Steve Newton, Georgia Straight

CCMA, SOCAN present second annual song camp

Held in late Jan in the Muskokas, the four-day camp gathered 12 country music artists, songwriters, and producers, and created 15 incredible songs. — Words & Music

International

Whoa - Warner Music Group is going public - again

Well, less than two months into 2020, it looks like we might have the biggest news of the year: Warner Music Group has just announced its intention to IPO. Len Blavatnik and his Access Industries bought the company for $3.3bn. Blavatnik must know that, in comparative terms, WMG is now worth many multiples of that $3.3bn he paid nine years ago. — Tim Ingham, MBW

Identifyy sees massive growth — HAAWK now represents YouTube, Facebook & Instagram rights for over 75,000 artists

 Could it be that only the biggest labels and distributors are granted direct access to YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram’s content recognition and claiming platforms? According to Identifyy/HAAWK founder Ryan Born, access is based on a simple numbers game. — Paul Resnikoff, Digital Music News

“It’s going to be devastating” – here’s how Brexit will screw over British touring artists

But all is not lost – sign the petition now to grant British artists a Musicians’ Passport.  — Andrew Trendell, NME

Google’s DEMAND startup wants to transform live-event ticketing for musicians

Google’s in-house incubator has launched DEMAND, a company designed to leverage big data so musicians, their managers and promoters can figure out where they should schedule concerts, with what support acts, and at what ticket price. — Forbes

What’s your favorite album?

Today's post headline is a question people have been asking one another for decades and decades. Most of us have favorite albums.  The challenge is narrowing them down to just one.  At least for many of us. — Fred Jacobs,Jacobs Media Strategies

Amoeba Music reveals its new Hollywood location

As developers prepare to replace its current digs with a 26-story mixed-use development, Amoeba Music has finally announced that, come fall, it will set up shop at the corner of Hollywood Boulevard and Argyle Avenue in another mixed-use complex called El Centro. — Gwynedd Stuart,  LA Mag

Green Day’s drummer on the song that has changed the band and ‘opened the floodgates’

When California punk-rock superstars Green Day finally reconvened to plan their first album since 2016’s “Revolution Radio,” only one decision plagued them. “Were we going to pick up where we left off or strip it all away and start from scratch?” Tré Cool recalled. — Nick Krewen,Toronto Star

Florida Georgia Line joins Azoff's Full Stop Management following Big Loud split

Three days after announcing a split with longtime management home, Big Loud, Florida Georgia Line has inked with Full Stop Management, the Los Angeles-based management company under the umbrella of Irving Azoff’s The Azoff Company. — Melinda Newman, Billboard

What’s the best hip-hop song to name-drop Kobe Bryant?

Kobe Bryant was many things: a husband, dad, coach, gold medallist, brand spokesman, role model and, of course, one of the greatest basketball players to ever grace the court. You know: a hero. — Randall Roberts, Los Angeles Times