Music Biz Headlines, July 17, 2019
Steven Page (pictured) is working with the Stratford Festival, songs for the Toronto summer, and Buffy Sainte-Marie on the value of masters. Others in the headlines include Bad Child, Sheila E., The Kinks, Ed Sheeran, Linda Perry, Apollo 11 music, Burning Man, David Bromberg, Ringo, kd lang, and The Deviants.
By Kerry Doole
Toronto's songs of summer 2019
From Raptors anthems to a reggaeton time machine to the city's own Yeehaw king, these are the songs to fuel your next patio day. – Staff, NOW
Steven Page and son Ben channel their love of musical theatre with projects for Stratford and off-Broadway
Since he went solo from the Barenaked Ladies a decade ago, Steven Page has also been working behind-the-scenes on a secret passion – composing songs for a number of musical-theatre projects for Broadway and the Stratford Festival. But the 49-year-old singer-songwriter is about to be beaten to a full Page stage production by a nose – by his son. – J. Kelly Nestruck, Globe and Mail
Check out this lovely tribute to Gord Downie by Toronto band FourOneSix
I somehow missed it when the Toronto band released it on their album, …And We All Shine On back in April. Let’s get caught up, shall we? – Alan Cross ajournalofmusicalthings
What's the value of a master recording? Buffy Sainte-Marie and other Canadian artists weigh in
Buffy Sainte-Marie was frustrated when she saw her name among hundreds of musicians whose master tapes may have burned in the 2008 fire on Universal Studios’ LA backlot. She wasn’t so concerned about her own work, but dismayed by the loss of original recordings from other legendary musicians, many who died years ago. It reminded her of how little the music industry respects the cultural contributions of its performers. – David Friend CP
Kitchener musician Bad Child playing some of the most famous music festivals in the world this summer
Isaiah Steinberg’s music career catapulted into the big leagues with the song Bad Child.– Terry Pender, Waterloo Region Record
Jazz Fest Profile: Sheila E.
The 61-year-old drum god is fuelled by family, community and the active choice to pick love over hate. – Stephanie Johns, the Coast
Eldest Hunter Brother talks Craven, camaraderie and quick turnarounds
J.J. Hunter chatted in advance of The Hunter Brothers’ Sunday night show in the Country Thunder Saskatchewan beer gardens. – Ashley Martin, Regina Leader-Post
Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars, and Chris Stapleton just put out a heavy rock tune and it’s time to accept that genres aren’t a thing anymore
When you clicked play on a team-up between some of the most popular leading men in pop, R&B, and country music after it was released to the world on July 5, immediately being hit with a fuzzy electric guitar riff, a live drumbeat, and the extended, shouted high note of a pure rock n’ roll frontman was likely the last thing you expected. – Ben Boddez, Georgia Straight
Linda Perry on why the music industry is on the verge of a breakdown
Linda Perry, who rose to fame with the group 4 Non Blondes, says the music industry is on the verge of a breakdown. In a Canadian TV exclusive, the musician and producer tells Lindsay Dunn what she thinks needs to happen to save the music industry. – CityNews
Festival d’été de Québec 2019: five things you missed
Gucci Mane's first performance in Canada, Blink-182's full-album performance of Enema Of The State, Mariah Carey makes it through the rain and more. –Richard Trapunski, NOW
Warner acquires musical theater label First Night Records
Warner Music Group’s Arts Music division -- which specializes in classical, musical theater, jazz, family entertainment and film scores -- continues to grow with the acquisition of London-based First Night Records Ltd. As part of the acquisition, First Night co-founder John Craig will join the major’s Arts Music team under a multi-year consulting. – Billboard
There was music on Apollo 11. Here’s what astronauts listened to for their moon walk
Long before playlists were a thing, the astronauts aboard Apollo 11 chose their favourite tunes to listen to on the space flight and for their historic moon walk. As the 50th anniversary of Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins’ moon landing on July 20, 1969, approaches, it seems everyone is suggesting a moon-oriented Spotify playlist. – Howard Cohen, Miami Herald
Federal clampdown on Burning Man imperils festival's free spirit ethos, say Burners
Now, event organizers say the counterculture gathering of arts, music and communal living is eyeing attendance in the six figures, leading to a months-long struggle with federal regulators over whether its swelling size will cause long-term harm to the environment and even make the event vulnerable to a terrorist attack. – Emma Bowman, NPR
David Bromberg fears huge violin collection must be split up
A master of stringed-instrument Americana, he says a deal to sell his massive collection of historic violins to the Library of Congress has fallen through. He has compiled a collection of 263 historic American violins over the years. – AP
The Kinks will reunite after 20 years, lead singer Ray Davies confirms.
The group's leader has revealed that his long-feuding band The Kinks are planning to reunite after 20 years apart. – The Independent
Ringo joins Paul McCartney on stage at Dodger Stadium
As former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney closed out his Freshen Up tour in LA on the weekend, he staged a brief reunion with his former bandmate Ringo Starr. The performance was the first time the two have played together in public since 2014. – Ian Courtney, Celebrity Access
Mexican musicians speak loud about the struggles migrants face
Randy Ebright of the band Molotov helps lead the way. – Rodrigo Cervantes, Fronteras
Vanderbilt pledges $2M for African American Music Museum
Vanderbilt University is supporting the National Museum of African American Music, which is scheduled to open a 56,000-square-foot facility in downtown Nashville next year. The gift includes in-kind contributions and direct financial support, and will help expand the museum’s archives, contribute to innovative programming, support the completion of the facility and more. – Black Voice News
kd lang review – hypnotic revival of an LGBT classic
lang’s Ingénue album may be 27 years old, but it’s more relevant than ever, in a crystalline show of humour and humanity. – Dave Simpson, Guardian
The means by which the hundreds of voices of the Tabernacle Choir are captured and sent out across the media airwaves around the world each week have changed drastically in the 90 years since the choir's first live radio broadcast of "Music and the Spoken Word." What hasn't changed is the message and purpose behind the broadcast. – Aubrey Eyre, Church News
The Deviants were the people who perverted your children and led them astray
"This is British amphetamine psychosis music and if you don’t like it you can f*ck off and listen to your Iron Butterfly albums”—Mick Farren in Toronto, 1969. – Richard Metzger Dangerous Minds
