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FYI

Music Biz Headlines, July 26, 2019

Zaki Ibrahim (pictured) takes a cosmic journey, Canadian music's value gap, and AC/DC's 20 best tunes. Also in the headlines are Rise Up, Laura Repo, the Shangs, Tegan & Sara, Rheostatics, Thom Yorke, Braun and Borchetta, Drake, world music, Bohemian Rhapsody, Alan Rogan, Tinariwen, and cassettes.

Music Biz Headlines, July 26, 2019

By Kerry Doole

 


Zaki Ibrahim takes cosmic journey skirting two ends of the planet, birth and death

“We're taking our time to explore some intricate harmonies and a cappella singing too. It's high energy and theatrical and pretty intense emotionally, but mostly just fun. It's a party and a place.” - Zaki Ibrahim. – Roger Levesque, Edmonton Journal

Toronto was just ranked the top city in Canada for live music and concerts

As the biggest city in Canada, it's no secret that Toronto has a ton to offer in the way of live music. Ticketmaster just revealed the top five Canadian concert cities by volume of concert-goers and Toronto is at the top of the list when it comes to volume of concert-goers in Canada, at 31 percent. Vancouver is second with 13 per cent. – Hector Vasquez, BlogTO.

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Is it too late to close Canadian music's value gap?

According to a new report from Music Canada, the music industry's middle class is disappearing and many working artists are struggling to make a living. – Chaka V. Grier, NOW

Lorraine Segato’s 35-year-old anthem Rise Up still provides a needed tonic

The Hamilton native releases two new versions of “Rise Up” to help empower today’s youth. – Graham Rockingham, The Hamilton Spectator

AC/DC's 20 best tunes: something to listen to (and argue about) while we wait for those freakin' tour dates

There's been lots of rumours flying around in the last couple weeks that AC/DC was set to announce a 2019-2020 world tour, and at the same time let everybody know who's actually in the band right now.  At this moment the notoriously secretive AC/DC isn't sayin' shit, so until we get an official announcement, here's a list of their 20 best tunes. – Steve Newton Georgia Straight 

Laura Repo is making a scene

Toronto songwriter, singer and guitarist Laura Repo’s folk-pop fourth album, This Is My Room, stakes a claim to space devoted to creativity. – Making A Scene

Golden Hits of the Shangs

David Byers is one of the unsung names in Hamilton's musical history although his influence and participation would shape some serious milestones. – Ric Taylor, The View

The Garrys: On pickled eggs, family, and acclaimed boy band The Sadies

The Garrys have high hopes for Gateway Festival, including rocking out to Kim MItchell, drinking Hey Y'All and — oh yeah — performing. – Ashley Martin, Regina Leader-Post

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Rained-out Jesse Jams and the Flams return to Interstellar Rodeo

While Courtney Barnett rocking Interstellar Rodeo last year was the buzz act of the summer, a quirky, hilarious local band making its concert premiere still pops up in nostalgic conversation: Jesse Jams and the Flams. – Fish Griwkowsky, Edmonton Journal

Tegan & Sara are bringing their book and concert tour to Toronto

The Canadian singer/songwriters' new memoir and album brings them to the Winter Garden Theatre. – NOW 

Nearing 40 years since first gig, Rheostatics bring distinctive sound to Interstellar Rodeo

If you’re into food analogies, then the band can be described as being something like a cafe au lait. “You know, where the milk and coffee mix together, and you can’t tell between one or the other,” says Rheostatics guitarist and vocalist Dave Bidini over the phone from his Toronto home. – Tom Murray, Edmonton Journal

From Winnipeg to Calgary: An old folkie goes back to where it all began

As Calgarians prepare for its folk festival on Prince’s Island Park July 25-28, I thought it might be fun to go back to ground zero to search for the recipe for Winnipeg’s special folkie sauce. – Stephen Hunt, Calgary Herald

International

Thom Yorke says ‘f*** you’ to Boris Johnson in angry response to Tory leadership election win

Stormzy, Slowthai and Nigella Lawson were among the other stars to react with horror today.– Adam White, Independent

Scott Borchetta and Scooter Braun open up about their industry-rocking new alliance

As the deal closed, Braun and Borchetta spoke about their plans for their new company -- and how they plan to maintain an independent spirit. –  Hannah Karp, Billboard

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Drake has partnered with SiriusXM Pandora.

The deal will bring a dedicated station, playlists, collabs and more in what is not only the first major pact since the DSP and satellite giants were conjoined but is also being described as the biggest either has struck with an artist, though a price hasn't been disclosed. – Hits Daily Double

'So flawed and problematic': why the term 'world music' is dead

Artists, record labels and even this month’s Womad festival agree that the term is outdated. Is there a better way to market music from across the globe? – Ammar Kalia, Guardian

Critics sue to stop Hollywood project that would displace Amoeba Music

Weeks after Los Angeles officials gave the green light for a new development on the Hollywood site now occupied by Amoeba Music, critics are suing the city to stop it, arguing that it would tear down a “cultural resource” that deserves protection. – Emily Alpert Reyes,  LA Times

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Bohemian Rhapsody becomes first classic track to reach a billion YouTube plays

YouTube bosses say it is the first song released before the 1990s to make the milestone. – WENN

Alan Rogan, keeper of rock guitars, smashed ones included, dies at 68

In the pop music world, Alan Rogan carried a certain star power all his own. He was a much-sought-after British guitar technician who worked for some of the biggest names in rock. But of all the tasks he was hired to do, none was as unusual or as difficult as the one he had as a fixture in the entourage of the Who. – Phil Davison, New York Times

Mali's 'guitar gods' Tinariwen receive racist threats ahead of US tour

Ahead of a September tour date in Winston-Salem, N.C., social media commenters are leveling violent, racist attacks against the Tuareg musicians known as Tinariwen.  – Anastasia Tsioulcas,  NPR

ASAP Rocky to remain in jail in Sweden, as protest clamour grows

It started as a quarrel on a quiet Stockholm street, but the case of ASAP Rocky, the rapper detained in Sweden on a preliminary charge of assault, has escalated into an international incident, with politicians and diplomats weighing in and his celebrity backers pulling strings at the White House. – Alex Marshall, New York Times

Tegan and Sara time travel to their teenage years with new single I'll Be Back Someday

The pop duo has returned with the lead single I'll Be Back Someday from the forthcoming album, Hey, I'm Just Like You, today (July 25). The infectious track is a reinvented version of what the sisters found on their old cassettes when they were digging through inspiration for their first memoir, High School.  –  Kirsten Spruch, Billboard

Report: Woodstock 50 headed for Merriweather Post Pavilion

 After striking out in Vernon, New York, organizers for Woodstock 50 are reportedly planning to relocate the festival to Maryland. According to Bloomberg, the festival is now in the works for the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland from Aug. 16 – 18.  – Celebrity Access

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The Top 100 most expensive cassettes

Cassettes are the fastest-growing format of the big three sold on Discogs. All of the top 100 most expensive cassettes sold on Discogs are $500 or higher – which is remarkably expensive considering the  known physical shortfalls of the format. – Discogs

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LU KALA
Courtesy Photo

LU KALA

Music

Fresh Sounds Canada: LU KALA, Smiley, Dorothea Paas and More

This week's must-hear songs also include an acoustic rendition from indie pop band Good Kid and an ear-catching taste of rising Montreal electronic artist Antoniya.

In Fresh Sounds Canada, Billboard Canada puts you on to the must-hear songs of the week by artists on the rise and those about to break. Here's what's out this week.

LU KALA, “Criminal”

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