Music Biz Headlines, Jan. 8, 2020
Coachella (pictured) grabs plenty of attention, Nirvana reunites in LA, and 2019's top francophone albums. Also in the headlines are Audrey Ochoa, David Francey, Queen, Concord, David Byrne, Randy Newman, Kylie Minogue, The Police, A. R. Rahman, and streaming services.
By FYI Staff
10 best Canadian francophone albums of 2019
From Sub Pop debuts to sold-out concerts at the Bell Centre and Polaris Prize nods to ambitious double LPs, the Canadian French music community's classe de 2019 is as creatively bold as it is artistically and commercially successful. — Jean-Étienne Sheehy, CBC News
Evolving sound: A look at the last 10 years of Saskatoon's music scene
A decade makes a lot of difference when it comes to the music industry, from performers to venue owners to publicists to fans. — Matt Olson, Star Phoenix
Is Toronto actually a music city?
Hundreds of artists who move to Toronto to chase the musical dream are having to move away because it’s so hard to make a living there. — Lindsay Dunn, 680 News
Folk singer takes his album on a belated tour
Juno winner David Francey hits the road after a two-year hiatus due to losing his voice. — Josef Jacobson, Nanaimo Bulletin
5 things to know about Frankenhorn by Audrey Ochoa
Edmonton trombonist Audrey Ochoa's new album is playful and progressive. — Stuart Derdeyn, Vancouver Sun
What's in your fridge: Charlie Kerr
We ask interesting Vancouverites about their life-changing concerts, favourite albums, and, most importantly, what’s sitting in their refrigerators. Today we have the leader of Hotel Mira. — Mike Usinger, Georgia Straight
Dystopian sci-fi meets the music of Queen in We Will Rock You
New Canadian production of We Will Rock You features a cast of 16 and a five-piece band. — Shawn Conner, Vancouver Sun
International
Concord buys majority stake in pop publisher Pulse
Concord has established itself as a global music business power player in these past few years. – not least via aggressive acquisitions. t has Concord Music Publishing has now acquired Fujipacific Music’s stake in Los Angeles-based Pulse Music Group, for $100M. — Tim Ingham, MBW
2010s-What Happened
The popular pundit looks at the death of physical, the triumph of streaming, and much more. — Bob Lefsetz, Celebrity Access
With 2020 headliners, Coachella wants you off your phones and in the pit
Coachella is getting back into the you-have-to-be-here business. what links the three biggest acts this year (beyond their gender) is the promise of an experience best had in person, not via the popular YouTube livestream that’s helped turn Coachella into a global brand. — Mikael Wood, Los Angeles Times
YouTube plans Coachella 20th anniversary documentary
The streamer is also returning to the desert music festival as the exclusive live-stream partner. — Natalie Jarvey THR
Randy Newman is still “definitely a dissident”
The Marriage Story composer talks about his honor from the New York Film Critics Circle, the habit that drives him to despair, and our “nuts” president. — Jordan Hoffman, Vanity Fair
David Byrne talks Broadway, U.S. citizenship on CBS Sunday Morning
Alongside footage from his American Utopia Broadway show, Byrne reflects on his life, from an “outsider” childhood—he immigrated from Scotland aged 8—to the “high-pressure” early years helming Talking Heads. — Pitchfork
20 for 2020: unmissable culture and rising stars
Lana Del Rey performs her acclaimed new album, Nick Cave and Elton John to tour, and more. — The Observer
Kylie Minogue donates AUS$500K to Australia’s fire efforts
The Oz star, her sister Dannii and other members of the Minogue family have banded together to help those fighting the bushfires in their native Australia. — MusicNews
Stewart Copeland: conflicts over music caused rifts with Sting
When we don’t play music together we get on famously, the Police drummer reveals. — Mark Brown, TheGuardian
Sour notes for Macron from striking Paris Opera musicians
French President Emmanuel Macron has called for a compromise between his government and unions over plans to change the pension system that have led to sustained strikes — including from Paris Opera musicians who staged a street concert in rebellion. — John Leicester, AP
From school dropout to famous musician: India's A. R. Rahman hits the high notes on the global stage
A. R. Rahman lost his music composer father when he was just 9, forcing his family to rent his music equipment to survive and introducing Rahman to the word “responsibility”. He started off his career as a small-time keyboard player but has since won major international awards. — Nivedita Sharma Sputnk
Nirvana reunion: Dave Grohl's 13-year-old daughter steals the show
Violet Grohl performed Heart-Shaped Box with the surviving members of Nirvana and guest performers St Vincent and Beck at an LA charity gala. — Eve Barlow The Guardian
A frustrated lifelong fan: country music must stop pigeon-holing itself | Opinion
The country music genre, post 9/11, was reduced to hyper-patriotism and disdain for dissent: Take the examples of Toby Keith versus the Dixie Chicks. Thankfully, this is now starting to change. — Katherine Carraway, Tennessean
How to be an ageing rock star in the 21st century
Streaming revenue may be negligible for most artists — and rock ‘n’ roll may be second (or third?) fiddle on the streaming charts these days — but it’s far from dead. As a concert experience, it’s thriving. — Jim Sullivan, The ARTery
Music streaming services mishandle our data—and our culture is paying for it
The arbiters of music media and streaming services must find new ways to establish and expand their presence among music movements and cultures, especially within minority communities. — Mario J. Luceco, Quartz
10 careers in music, and what they pay
Salary information is from the 2016 Edition of Music Careers Dollars and Cents by the Career Development Center at Berklee College of Music. — Hypebot
