Music Biz Headlines, Feb. 7, 2022
Ruby Singh (pictured) is a force to be reckoned with, Measha Brueggergosman-Lee has an eclectic new series, and more strife for Spotify. Others in the headlines include DijahSB, Bad Pop, Rainbow Robert, Failure, Apple Music, Nikki Sixx, The Smiths, Ronnie Wood, cassettes, Lady A, and David Byrne.
By Kerry Doole
Guided by voices, Vancouver musician Ruby Singh is criminally undersung
Singh is a Vancouver-based arts facilitator, cultural convenor and experimental musician interested in beat boxing, polyphonic vocals and improvisation. His latest album is Vox.Infold, an a cappella soundscape of Indigenous, Inuit, Black and South Asian voices. Singh isn’t just crossing genres, he’s straddling astral planes. –Brad Wheeler, Globe and Mail
Rapper DijahSB shares tales from the TTC, plus new music from Mitski, Donovan Woods, Jacques Greene and more
This week’s Star Tracks playlist also includes new music from Luna Li, Arlo Parks, Animal Collective, Amber Mark, 2 Chainz, and Black Country, New Road. –Toronto Star
On Our Radar: Bad Pop shows Vancouver there's nothing wrong with flying a freak flag high with "Ostrich" video
What’s interesting in Bad Pop’s “Ostrich” is that there’s mostly no one else around despite Chris Connelly hitting some of the most-touristed spots in the city. – Mike Usinger, Georgia Straight
Soprano Measha Brueggergosman-Lee’s concerts will make you feel alive again
The internationally acclaimed, Nova Scotia-based Measha Brueggergosman-Lee pivots between genres and mediums in The Measha Series. – Morgan Mullin, The Coast
‘I’m an Albertan’: Jazz legend Big Miller left swinging legacy in his adopted home
“They call me Big,” he said. And in almost every way, he was. There was the outsized physique, large enough to fill a telephone booth. There was the powerful, blues-shouting voice honed in jazz clubs and lounges across the continent. But the biggest thing about Clarence (Big) Miller may have been the legacy he left in Edmonton, his adopted home. – Bob Weber, CP
Rainbow Robert, managing director of the Vancouver jazz festival, steps down
The Coastal Jazz & Blues Society (CJBS) announced Feb. 4 that Rainbow Robert, the managing director of Vancouver's annual jazz festival, has stepped down. No reason was given for the departure of the longtime employee. CJBS was founded as a charitable arts organization in 1985 and has produced the TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival since 1986. – Martin Dunphy, Georgia Straight
International
Spotify’s attempt to use the Facebook playbook over Joe Rogan won’t wash
Founder Daniel Ek’s bid to make the anti-vaxxer controversy go away ignores the fact that it is paying the US comedian to appear on its service. – John Naughton The Guardian
Failure are removing their music from Spotify: “It’s been a scam for artists since the beginning”
Three months ago, alt-rockers Failure announced their new album and dropped its first single. But now, you’ll only be able to find that album on their Bandcamp, as it looks like Failure are joining the ranks of artists who are removing their music from streaming service Spotify. – Metal Sucks
Want to cancel Spotify? It’s tricky, but here’s how to do it
The first thing to know if you want to cancel your Spotify premium subscription is that the company makes its pretty darn difficult. – Jim Harrington, The Mercury News
Just got Apple Music? Here’s how to keep your Spotify playlists
You’re unmoved by Joe Rogan’s pledges to “try harder,” or maybe just ready to try something new. Either way, you’ll want to hang on to your curated lists. – Wired
WWE posts $1bn in revenue in 2021
Wrestling promotion, World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., announced it generated more than a billion dollars in revenue in 2021. “In 2021, we reached a significant milestone of over $1 billion in revenue, for the first time in the Company’s history," says conpany head Vince McMahon. – CelebrityAccess
‘The music will be amazing’: Trump the DJ at Mar-a-Lago dinner, memo says
Guests of club in Palm Beach, Florida to be treated to ‘great music … with President Trump playing the role of disc jockey.’ – Lauren Aratani, The Guardian
This Missouri company still makes cassette tapes, and they're flying off the factory floor
National Audio Company is the largest manufacturer in the world for this retro sound. – Jennifer Billock, Smithsonianmag
Ronnie Wood unveils Rolling Stones artwork, talks tour hopes
Ronnie Wood had to use stairs to sign his name on his latest work of art — a giant abstract painting of the Rolling Stones. Unveiled on the corner of the aptly named Wood Lane and Ariel Way in the Shepherd’s Bush area of west London, the music star painted his name on a billboard showing his work. – Hilary Fox, CP
International orchestras tour US for 1st time in 2 years
With their own instruments and evening clothes in hand, the Royal Philharmonic completed a 14-concert, nine-city U.S. tour on Monday night, the first international orchestra to play Carnegie since Feb. 24, 2020, a gap caused by the pandemic. The tour shows that such events can be done as the pandemic continues. – Canadian Press
Country trio Lady A and Seattle’s Lady A settle lawsuit
Seattle blues singer Lady A and country group Lady A (formerly known as Lady Antebellum) have agreed to the settlement of a lawsuit over the rights to their shared name. As of yet, details have not been made public—so, it’s unclear if money has been paid to the Seattle singer, who claimed her identity was being erased when Lady Antebellum moved to change its name to Lady A given the historical and racist meaning of the word “Antebellum.” – American Songwriter
Animal Collective discover a renewed sense of harmony on ‘Time Skiffs’
The Star spoke with Deakin, one of the four members of Animal Collective’s amorphous lineup, about the band’s eleventh studio album, released Friday. – Richie Assaly, Toronto Star
David Byrne announces new immersive theatre experience show
“Side effects may include a distrust of your own senses, a disorientation of self, and a mild to severely good time." – Elizabeth Aubrey, NME
For Euphoria music supervisor Jen Malone, only “f---ing bangers” will do
From Yellowjackets to Euphoria and Atlanta, meet the music supervisor crafting the sound of our favorite television shows. – Armeta Diop, Vanity Fair
Nikki Sixx calls Pearl Jam “one of the most boring bands in history”
The slam came after PJ singer Eddie Vedder dissed Mötley Crüe. Sixx called Pearl Jam a “brown haired band for brown haired fans” and compared Eddie Vedder’s vocals to singing “with marbles in your mouth.” – Stereogum
‘MJ’ Broadway musical removes Variety reporter for asking about Michael Jackson sexual abuse allegations
On Tuesday evening in NYC, “MJ The Musical,” a new biographical musical celebrating the life and work of Michael Jackson, opened on Broadway. And the show’s backers were quick to shut down any mention of the scandal that still clouds the King of Pop’s life and legacy at the red-carpet premiere of the musical, kicking out this Variety journalist for bringing up the topic of Jackson’s alleged abuse. – Michael Appler, Variety
Johnny Marr: ‘When I play Smiths songs I experience this huge wave of elation’
On the eve of his new double album, the songwriter takes questions from Observer readers and celebrity fans on being a style icon, marrying young, and 20 years without booze. – The Guardian
