Music Biz Headlines, July 27, 2020
Jessy Lanza (pictured) earns a Guardian rave review, Bob Wiseman details lessons learned, Kris Davis is honoured by Downbeat, and new indie charts are created. Also in the headlines are The Weeknd, drive-in shows, Alanis Morissette, Econoline Crush, Kye Clayton, Scott Cook, a UK bailout, BTS, live-streams, FaZe Clan, cassettes, DoJ, rock docs, Taylor Swift, The Cure, and the Mercury Awards.
By FYI Staff
Jessy Lanza: All the Time review – a bright star in pop's outer galaxies
The Canadian’s enticing jumble of electronic experimentalism and R&B moves closer to the mainstream on her third album – you sense Janet Jackson would approve. –– Alexis Petridis, The Guardian
Bob Wiseman’s new book Music Lessons is instruction for the soul
The former Blue Rodeo keyboardist’s book is a wildly entertaining compilation of hundreds of random blog entries. The content covers off-beat recollections, piano-lesson conversations and out-of-the-blue observations. –– Brad Wheeler, The Globe and Mail
From a funk band to The Rex to Downbeat, jazz pianist Kris Davis won't be pigeonholed
Oscar Peterson, Thelonious Monk, Keith Jarrett, Bill Evans … The list of winners in the piano category of Downbeat magazine’s annual Critics Poll is like a roll call of jazz titans. And the latest name to be added, just this month, is Vancouver native and University of Toronto alumna Kris Davis. Now, after 19 years of playing, studying, writing, teaching, organizing bands and steering her course resolutely beyond the mainstream in NYC, she is unexpectedly becoming one of her genre’s most celebrated names. –– Mike Doherty, Toronto Star
Led Zeppelin comes to The Weeknd's rescue in IP fight
A California federal judge on Wednesday tossed a lawsuit accusing Canadian R&B artist The Weeknd of ripping off a song by a trio of British songwriters to make his track "A Lonely Night," saying the songwriters didn't show enough similarity under the Ninth Circuit's recent Led Zeppelin ruling. –– Law 360
EU ruling on US agreement may nudge Canada to update our privacy law
If you’re a Canadian indie musician, there are some new charts you need to watch
Danny Fournier of Edmonton’s Oddball Productions found himself so frustrated by the lack of data when he came to tracking the progress of indie artists across the country that he decided to take matters into his own hands. He has created the Canadian Independent Online Radio Chart and the Canadian Artists Online Radio Chart. –– Alan Cross, A Journal of Musical Things
Live drive-in concerts coming to Ottawa
RBC Bluesfest and the National Arts Centre (NAC) are bringing live, drive-in concerts to Ottawa in light of COVID-19 performance cancellations sweeping the Canadian music industry. The #CanadaPerforms drive-in festival will be held over two weekends—July 31 to Aug. 1 and Aug. 7 to 8—at the Place des Festivals Zibi. –– The Charlatan
Alanis Morissette: Without therapy, I don't think I'd still be here
Recovery is a complex, lifelong endeavour, and lockdown has been triggering, says Morissette, who is juggling life at home as a mother of three with promoting her ninth album, Such Pretty Forks in the Road. –– Eve Barlow, The Guardian
With audiences capped at 50 people, how do musicians make a living?
"It's still our responsibility, I believe, to give music when it's needed'- Irish Mythen. –– Sara Fraser, CBC News
Get Out Of The Way: Econoline Crush’s first new single in 10 years
The re-recorded 2008 song is intended as a "battle cry for frontline workers." –– Revolver
DVSN to play drive-in concert in Toronto
The hometown R&B duo will play an overdue socially distant release show for their 2020 album A Muse In Her Feelings. –– Richard Trapunski, NOW
As tributes continue for SNFU's Mr. Chi Pig, petition seeks Canada's Walk of Fame star for the punk legend
The outpouring of condolences, eulogies, and tributes is continuing for the eccentric lead singer of an influential Canadian punk band, for whom fans are now seeking the national Walk of Fame honour. –– Craig Takeuchi, Georgia Straight
Kye Clayton keeps the beat
As the Halifax rapper and beatmaker celebrates a new mixtape, he guides us through the tracks he grew up on. –– Morgan Mullin, The Coast
Concert review: Scott Cook and the Indoorables brighten Cloverdale
Upwards of 100 music lovers and six dogs gathered smartly in Cloverdale Wednesday — not to prove a point, of course … though indeed one was made between two battery-powered speakers. Scott Cook and the Indoorables delivered us an hour-long event of music and sun-hazed joy from the front face of a mid-century bungalow. –– Fish Griwkowsky, Edmonton Journal
International
Grassroots music venues to receive first portion of £1.57B culture recovery package
The first chunk of money from the UK Government’s £1.57 billion Coronavirus cultural recovery package will be used to save grassroots music venues from closure. Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden announced £2.25 million will go to help around 150 smaller venues. –– Lizzie Edmonds, Evening Standard
Live Nation’s Drive-In gigs were doomed from the start. Here's why.
It was recently announced that Live Nation would be scrapping it’s planned set of summer drive-in shows in the UK this year, including performances by several major artists and a production of the musical Six. So why did this promising series fall through? –– John Austen, MusicThinkTank
Save Our Stages act proposes $10B relief to help US small venues survive
Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and John Cornyn (R-TX) co-authored a bill proposed to provide $10 billion in funding to struggling independent music venues to survive the coronavirus pandemic. The act would specifically bar clubs owned by large corporations (such as Live Nation) from participating. –– TicketNews
Guinness World Record set by BTS live-stream concert
Guinness World Records confirmed the June stream by BTS was an all-time high for the medium. The band saw some 750,000 streams, charging $25 per viewer. ––TicketNews
What fans think of online concerts, and how to improve them
Sexier than CDs, cheaper than vinyl, cassettes thrive on underground labels like Broken Sound Tapes
M Is We bandleader Michael Wood's Carrboro-based tape label has two new post-punk releases, including its first foray into vinyl.
DOJ is preparing to coddle huge music licensing monopolies
Instead of devoting its full, undivided attention to some critical issues, some in Attorney General William Barr's department are instead busy carrying the anti-Trump music industry's water. ––AmericanThinker
Manhole’s “Piss on My Heart” uses found sound to highlight the plunders of capitalism
This project is concerned with the relationship between sound and source, property and ownership. Manhole uses found sound as raw material to highlight a different sort of plunder: that of capitalism, racism, and the spectacle of violence in America. Canadian John Oswald's Plunderphonics is a reference point. –– Indy Week
New book explores history of rock documentary films
Otherworld Cottage Industries has published Harvey Kubernik’s 19th book, a 520-page, photo-illustrated comprehensive exploration of music history in documentary films. The book includes interviews Kubernik has conducted from 1975-2020 with Dick Clark, Curtis Hanson, Michael Lindsay-Hogg, D.A. Pennebaker, Albert Maysles, Murray Lerner, John Ridley, Allan Arkush, Steve Binder, Johnny Cash, and Morgan Neville, as well as commentary by the Supremes’ Mary Wilson and Ray Manzarek of the Doors. –– Best Classic Bands
Covid-19 has dented the music industry. we need a sustainable ecosystem to support musicians
Covid has changed the world we live in. The pandemic forced many to re-assess the value they ascribed to various professions. As shown by a Sunday Times survey from Singapore, a large population now views artists amongst the top non-essential workers. –– Outlook
Taylor Swift’s new album is strikingly heroic
Taylor Swift, “folklore” (Republic Records)- While pop star Taylor, with all the bops and beats, is enjoyable and entertaining, her new singer-songwriter album is a welcomed return. In a time of madness, “folklore” feels like a moment to escape. –– Mesfin Fekadu, AP
Taylor Swift released a surprise album on Friday
The pop superstar has just dealt Kanye West a real blow. She’s surprised, dropping a new album at the same time his Donda is supposed to be coming out. Could she have known under the Universal umbrella that Kanye was shooting for this date? Is it a coincidence or planned? Wow. This is like a death cage match! –– Showbiz 411
Rummaging around in Tay's 'Folklore'
A virtual Reggae Sumfest was a must - Music giants grateful to share music with fans despite pandemic
Back in April, when the organisers of Reggae Sumfest announced that this year’s staging of the show would be cancelled due to Covid, many were left disappointed. Although they knew it was for the best, everyone – from loyal supporters to artistes to … Jamaica Gleaner
The Cure promise a sad and intense new album
Roger O'Donnell of The Cure states "‘We have to make one more record. It has to be the most intense, saddest, most dramatic and most emotional record we’ve ever made, and then we can just walk away from it. Robert Smith agreed. ––Brooklyn Vegan
The Mercury Awards have decided the defining British records of the year
The Hyundai Mercury Prize ‘Albums of the Year’ celebrate and promote the best of British music recognising artistic achievement across a range of contemporary music genres. The shortlist was chosen by an independent judging panel and was revealed on 23 July. –– Louder Than War
