Music Biz Headlines, Jan. 4, 2019

By Kerry Doole

NOW's predictions for 2019 in Toronto music

As the scene explodes in various directions, here’s what we think will happen this year. – Richard Trapunski, NOW

The year in classical music

Spec columnist Leonard Turnevicius takes a final look back at 2018. Highlights included James Ehnes, The Dover String Quartet, and Eric Hall. – Hamilton Spectator

Here are Exclaim!'s 22 most anticipated Canadian albums of 2019

We're only days into the new year, and there's already a heap of exciting new albums set to come out in 2019. Here are the ones we're most excited for, presented in alphabetical order. – Alex Hudson, Exclaim!

'Mom is gone': Jann Arden says her mother, who struggled with Alzheimer's disease, has died

The singer highlighted some of her happier experiences in “Feeding My Mother,” a 2017 book about sharing time in the kitchen and cooking food with her. – CP

Ten music concerts to see in 2019

Combing through the hundreds of dates announced in the coming year to come up with 10 Vancouver shows you should see in 2019 was hard, but here is what is undoubtedly going to be a debatable list. Candidates include Vince Staples, Robyn, and Kiss. – Stuart Derdeyn, Postmedia

Embracing technology in the ever-evolving Edmonton music world

“We even suggest that students bring their teachers with them to try out the instrument because we like to make sure they get what's right for them. We're very passionate about what we do.” - Brian Taylor, owner of The Gramophone. – Roger Levesque, Edmonton Journal

Review: Pro Coro presents thoughtful New Year's Eve program

The concert was at times very beautiful, at times merrily celebratory, ideally suited to the warm glow of the wide spaces of the All Saints' Anglican Cathedral, and sung entirely a capella.  – Mark Morris, Postmedia

19-year-old Kitchener organist has ‘the chops to mesmerize an audience’

Joshua Ehlebracht, who served as music director at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church over the summer, hopes to bring his love of organ music to a new generation. – Barbara Aggerholm Grand magazine

International

2019 in pop culture: from Adele’s 30 to ‘zapping’ your TV

A guide to everything you’ll need to know about TV, film and music next year. – Leonie Cooper, The Guardian

More than 1/4 of all music streamed in the US last year was hip-hop

Hip-hop’s domination of the modern American music streaming business is reaching new heights. Some 25.4% of US-based streams across audio and video platforms were of hip-hop music in 2018. – Tim Ingham, MBW

The Top 10 music business stories of 2018

While the December stock market fluctuations have made everyone take a deep breath, 2018 was another boom year for the music business. A recovery that many of us could not have hoped for in our wildest dreams during the desolate years of the late 2000s continues to take hold, thanks almost entirely to streaming. – Jem Aswad, Variety

Why is the music of 1968 so enduring? 'It was allowed to be art'

One of the most tumultuous years of the 20th century also produced some of its greatest popular music. And it's not just baby boomers who are nostalgic for the sounds of their youth: Even to people born decades later, the music of 1968 stands out.  – Joel Rose, NPR

2019 Preview: What to expect from the year’s notable events

Date changes, hot headliners, and program highlights from C.E.S., the Super Bowl, Oscars, Met Gala, and more. – Ian Zelaya   Biz Bash

Japan extends its copyright protection to 70 years

Under pressure from entertainment companies, Japan has just extended its copyright protection term. As part of a new trade agreement with the US and Mexico, Canada will extend its current copyright term to 70 years after the creator’s death. In theory, extending the copyright term will allow rights holders to generate more profit. – Digital Music News

Harlem Hellfighters: The black soldiers who brought jazz to Europe

World War One brought many social changes - not least, the introduction of jazz to Europe. Thanks to a black American regiment of musicians called the Harlem Hellfighters, the French discovered the joys of syncopation. – BBC.com

European Content quota for streaming services to be finalized by end of 2019

The European Commission is in talks with the entertainment industry and national authorities to finalize the details of its European content quota for on-demand players. –  Stewart Clarke, Variety

New life for old classics, as their copyrights run out

On Jan. 1,  “The Prophet” entered the public domain, along with works by thousands of other artists and writers, including Marcel Proust, D. H. Lawrence, Agatha Christie, Joseph Conrad, P. G. Wodehouse, Rudyard Kipling, Katherine Mansfield, Robert Frost and Wallace Stevens.  – Alexandra Alter, NY Times

The Golden Age of Memphis power pop

From Big Star to the Hot Dogs: With no rules and no formula, these artists followed their hearts and made an impact that lasts to this day. – Alex Greene, Memphis Magazine

Taylor Swift's Netflix special gave fans a reason to stay in on New Year's Eve

Netflix made Swift’s sold-out Oct. 6 show in Arlington, Texas’ AT&T Stadium accessible to both kinds of viewers by streaming a full-length film starting on Monday. – Nardine Saad, LA Times

Barack Obama hits the Billboard chart with Lin-Manuel Miranda

The former president has made the chart via his appearance on the song "One Last Time (44 Remix)," which is a gospel-inspired remix of a song from the hit Broadway show Hamilton.–  Lisa Respers France, CNN 

Kanye West pledges to perform in Maga hat and reaffirms presidential ambitions

The rapper started the new year with a string of pro-Trump and anti-Democrat tweets. –  Laura Snapes, The Guardian

How our cruelty killed Hootie and the Blowfish—and damaged our souls

For 2019, we need forgiveness for what we did in 1996. The Blowfish Backlash was the debut of a very new-millennium kind of viciousness, and it came out of nowhere. – Dave Holmes, Forbes