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.
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.
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
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
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
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
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
