By Kerry Doole
After 23 years, Joni Mitchell, the icon, returns. Somehow, she’s more electric than ever
Joni Mitchell played her first full concert, Joni Jam, in more than two decades on Saturday to rapturous response. – Leanne Delap, Toronto Star
Joni Mitchell returns to the stage, golden, glorious and in control
The singer-songwriter’s first announced concert in more than 20 years was a nearly-three-hour reimagining of her catalog that showcased her evolving, rich voice and her ever-sharp wit. – NY Times
10 can't miss NXNE artists
The big fest rolls into Toronto clubs this week. Our picks include New Friends and Missy D. – NEXT
Bryan Adams extends tour with dates in British Columbia and Alberta
Bryan Adams has added more Canadian dates to his So Happy It Hurts tour. In September, shows across British Columbia and Alberta will follow a string of summer dates in the United States. A B.C. leg kicks off in Victoria on Sept. 9. – CP
After 23 years out of the spotlight, a Canadian superstar returns with a new album: ‘Nobody was waiting for the record’
Amanda Marshall is back with “Heavy Lifting,” her first album in two decades. – Nick Krewen, Toronto Star
Shawn Mendes releases new single ‘What The Hell Are We Dying For?’ apparently inspired by wildfires
The Canadian pop superstar, who has previously spoken up about climate change, received some backlash for the cover art on his latest song. – Joshua Chong Toronto Star
Showcase festivals offer hope while highlighting the grind for emerging musicians
CMW and NXNE offer up-and-comers a chance to network and play Toronto venues — for low or no pay. – Joseph Pugh, CBC News
Allison Russell announces new album, ‘The Returner’
After an avalanche of love for her debut solo album, 2021’s Outside Child, Allison Russell is back with a new set of songs, The Returner. Out Sept. 8 on Fantasy Records, The Returner finds Russell leaning in to her funk side, and for good reason. – Stacy Chandler, No Depression
Grammy-winner Alex Cuba’s El Swing Que Yo Tengo is a genre-defying knockout
Alex Cuba won the 2022 Grammy Award for Best Latin Pop Album for his last record, Mendó—its title taken from the Afro-Cuban word for “substance of the soul.” Now, the Cuban-Canadian artist has released his ninth studio album, El Swing Que Yo Tengo, which once again showcases the versatility of Latin music. – Yasmine Shemesh, Georgia Straight
Lineup announced for Cicada Music and Arts Festival in St. Catharines
July Talk, The Sheepdogs, and Sloan among performers. – Abby Green Niagara This Week
International
Meta releases AI music generator trained in ‘10,000 high-quality licensed music tracks’
Meta has released its own AI music generator called ‘MusicGen,’ trained on 10,000 licensed music tracks. The AI music generator works much like Google’s MusicLM, generating a snippet of about 12 seconds of audio based on a text prompt. I experimented with MusicLM’s model upon its initial release and discovered it wants to be better at a wide variety of genres.” – Ashley King, DigitalMusicNews
BTS become first artist to use Tiktok's new promotional tool
TikTok has been ramping up its music discovery strategy over the past few weeks. Last month, the app launched a #NewMusic Search Hub, described as a “dedicated space for artists around the world to showcase their new songs and for fans to discover their next favorite track”. Now the K-pop superstars are making use of it. – Murray Stassen, MBW
Inside the Tony Awards: No script, but plenty of song, dance, high spirits and history
No script? No problem! There was plenty of uncertainty in the run-up to this year's Tony Awards, which at one point seemed unlikely to happen at all due to the ongoing Hollywood writers' strike. – Jocelyn Noveck, AP
UnitedMasters expands its African reach, partners with Nigerian producer Sarz
Steve Stoute’s music distribution and artist services company UnitedMasters has struck a partnership with Nigerian producer, Sarz, to “unlock new opportunities for African artists”. Sarz is described by UnitedMasters as “an award-winning producer and starmaker”. He’s behind hits for artists such as Wizkid, Drake, Tiwa Savage, CKay, LoJay, and Chris Brown. – MBW
How Tina Turner pulled off pop’s greatest comeback
At the start of the Eighties, Tina Turner was broke, on the run from Ike, and playing cheesy conventions. The inside story of her miraculous second act. – David Browne, Rolling Stone
Indie artist Caroline Rose is proud of new album’s vulnerability, despite moments of regret
Krysta FauriaThe Associated Press During a recent performance at the Fonda Theater in Los Angeles, Rose's trust fall stunt was emblematic of her latest album — admittedly, their most unguarded yet — about a breakup and its aftermath. – Krysta Fauria, AP
Janet Jackson performs alongside YOLA at sold-out concert in Los Angeles
Janet Jackson inserted some youthful spirit into her normally mature concert during a Saturday night tour stop in Los Angeles. In a show filled with nostalgic hits, Jackson took a moment to perform her 1993 ballad “ Again ” alongside the LA Phil’s Youth Orchestra Los Angeles at the Hollywood Bowl. – Jonathan Landrum Jr., AP
Yep, The Idol is about a sex cult
They sing. They fuck. And they’re moving into Jocelyn’s megamansion. – Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair
Rod Stewart wants to leave rock behind after upcoming tour
Rod Stewart revealed he wants to leave rock 'n' roll behind after completing his 2023 touring commitments. The "Hot Legs" singer discussed his desire to pivot genres in a recent BBC interview. He was joined by Boy George, whose band, Culture Club, will join Stewart on his upcoming U.K. tour. – Bryan Rolli, Ultimate Classic Rock
10,000 people playing 10,000 kazoos: Melbourne’s ‘stupid and delightful’ world record-breaking event
Rising festival’s mass performance might be the dumbest thing I have ever done – yet I’ve never felt so joyful or free, writes Giselle Au-Nhien Nguyen. – The Guardian
