Music Biz Headlines, Jan. 23, 2019

By Kerry Doole

Justin Bieber and Hailey Baldwin are planning ‘little’ wedding event, says William Baldwin

Hailey's uncle confirms rumours of upcoming nuptials.  –  Victoria Ahearn, CP

Five Songs About: parenthood

In this edition, we bring you five songs about moms and dads and the things they do to mess up their kids. Oh, and the things they do right, too, of course. The list includes Bowie, Talking Heads, and Merle Haggard.  – Staff, Georgia Straight

Review: Assume Form is James Blake's most hopeful album yet

With his darkness and paranoia balanced by lovesick optimism, music's favourite sad boy sounds like he's finally ready to be happy – or at least try to be.  –   Kelsey Adams, NOW

The beat goes on for vinyl without the country’s leading distributor

Stores, manufacturers and customers scramble and wonder how long the vinyl fad can continue in the wake of the closure of RPM, the country’s leading vinyl wholesaler.  –   Mark McNeil, Hamilton Spectator

Lil Wayne buys Drake a diamond “6” chain by Eliantte

Lil Wayne recently commissioned a diamond-studded “6” for his protégé, Drake. The flashy nod to the “6ix God” was created by hip-hop jeweller Eliantte, based out of New York City.   –  HipHop Canada

After facing down breast cancer, soprano Erin Wall was up for an onstage challenge

Over the past year, the Canadian soprano has had to contend with the repercussions from a diagnosis of breast cancer. The Mississauga-based mother of two cut back on her engagements, but she didn’t stop working completely. She even tried to keep up with her passion for running and is now back with the COC.  –  John Terauds, Toronto Star

New assistant conductor a highlight of enjoyable, energetic symphony show

The big surprise of the evening was the introduction to ESO audiences of the orchestra’s new assistant conductor. Cosette Justo Valdés proved a vivacious diminutive figure, conducting the final movement of Kabalevsky’s Violin Concerto with precision and fire.   –  Mark Morris, Edmonton Journal

Nashville's Lanco enjoy a charmed career, bring Hallelujah Nights to Calgary

It’s a story that should give all starry-eyed country singers hope. Nashville is second only to Hollywood when it comes to young hopefuls waiting to be discovered, and few acts can boast a better discovery story than Lanco.  –  Eric Volmers, Calgary Herald

The Lemon Twigs go ape on sophomore album

You’ve heard of the “difficult second album,” right? Well, do the Lemon Twigs have a difficult second album for you. They made an album-length musical about a teenage chimpanzee raised by human parents who — surprise, surprise — doesn’t fit in with the other kids at his new school.  –  Ben Rayner, Toronto Star

International

The largest vocabulary in Hip Hop

Rappers are ranked by the number of unique words used in their lyrics. This project was originally published in 2014 and updated this month with newer lyrics data and 75 additional artists, including Lil Uzi Vert, Lil Yachty, Migos, and 21 Savage.  –  Matt Daniels, The Pudding

The five numbers that say everything about the music industry in 2018

Taking the temperature of one of the most exciting, changeable industries in existence — via five crucial statistics that all tell their own story.  – Tim Ingham, Rolling Stone

Universal's Bravado buys Epic Rights, boosting UMG's $250M + merch business

UMG's merchandising arm Bravado has fully acquired its Los Angeles-based competitor Epic Rights for an undisclosed sum. Merchandise is hot property in the music business right now: today’s news comes three months after Warner Music Group closed the $180m acquisition of Germany-based EMP Merchandising.  –  Tim Ingham, MBW

Roc Nation sues insurance carrier regarding Jordan Feldstein’s death

The company has reportedly filed a lawsuit against its insurance carrier and is seeking $11 million regarding the death of Maroon 5 manager Jordan Feldstein.  –  Joe Reinartz,  Celebrity Access

When black male singers were sex symbols

Teddy Pendergrass was the R&B singer women wanted and who men wanted to be. And the one whose life-sized cardboard cutout stood in one family’s living room.  –  Ericka Blount Danois, Longreads.com

Lady Gaga rips Trump and Pence a new one

Lady Gaga criticized Trump and Pence at her Las Vegas concert on Saturday night, called out Pence for his faux-Christian values.  – Paul Cashmere, Noise11.com

Goodbye, HMV

There has been no shortage of op-eds lamenting its recent collapse, but there appears to be no more public appetite for saving HMV than there was for George Galloway’s much-ridiculed call to nationalise Woolworths in 2008. – Conrad Landin, LRB

Bandcamp opens a brick and mortar record store and performance space – A look inside

Voivod Australian Tour kicks off Wednesday in Brisbane

Voivod, the Quebec band Dave Grohl calls “the most bad-ass band I’ve ever heard in my life”, start their Australian tour on Wednesday (23 January) in Brisbane. – Noise11.com

Fyre festival co-founder Ja Rule criticises new documentaries

The rapper claims Hulu and Netflix paid people involved in the failed music event for their participation in two new films. – Laura Snapes, The Guardian

Mott the Hoople to tour the US for the first time since 1974

The Brit rock legends tour in April. Billed as Mott The Hoople ’74, this lineup includes leader Ian Hunter and two other members from that year, Ariel Bender and Morgan Fisher. – Chris Willman, Variety

Geddy Lee refuses to 'live off the fumes' of his past

On January 19, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame hosted a Rush Fan Day, and Lee discussed his new book, Geddy Lee's Big Beautiful Book of Bass. – Ultimate Classic Rock

Marty Stuart and his collection of holy relics of country music

Country star Marty Stuart has a side gig, as the keeper of Nashville's memories, as he had built the world's largest private collection of country music memorabilia. – CBS News

Judy Collins review – a love letter to the great American songbook

Collins is the consummate storyteller as she tours through music by Mitchell, Sondheim and ‘pathetic’ Dylan in Manchester concert. –  Daniel Dylan Wray The Guardian

Beatles tiki tour - How John Lennon's plastic tiki became a Kiwi family heirloom

John, Paul, George and Ringo had landed in Wellington in June 1994. They were greeted by a Māori kapa haka group who presented them with very unusual hei tiki, a small carved pendant made of pounamu (greenstone) that is highly prized in Māori culture. – Stuff

US singer Chris Brown detained in Paris after rape complaint

The controversial Grammy Award-winning singer was detained Monday on potential charges of aggravated rape and drug infractions. Investigators have another day to decide whether to let him go or file preliminary charges. –  Angela Charlton, AP

Greta Van Fleet on why it’s time to stop the Zeppelin comparisons

Frontman Josh Kiszka also looks ahead to Grammy night – and reveals who he wants to sing with at the award show.  – Andy Greene, Rolling Stone

Grimes and Azealia Banks subpoenaed in Elon Musk lawsuit

Musicians ordered to preserve evidence related to a tweet by Musk that shareholder plaintiffs claim caused financial losses to Tesla. –  Laura Snapes, The Guardian