Music Biz Headlines, June 5, 2019

By Kerry Doole

Big music fests avoid Toronto as financial risk grows too high

Where have all the festivals gone? Toronto’s dream of hatching its own omnivorous, all-things-to-all-people version of Montreal’s Osheaga, Chicago’s Lollapalooza or California’s Coachella remains just that: a dream. – Ben Rayner, Toronto Star

Devontée is the secret bridge between the Toronto Raptors and the Warriors

We caught up with the Toronto rapper to talk about the city's energy during the NBA Finals, working with his cousin Steph Curry and his upcoming EP Sun Of Dawn.  – Richard Trapunski, NOW

OBEY XII: Nick Schofield 

Like so many creative rabbit holes, the idea behind Nick Schofield's first ambient record, Water Sine, presented itself after dark. Schofield says the album emerged out of a series of sleepless nights.  – Brennan McCracken, The Coast

18 Toronto concerts we're looking forward to in June 2019

Billie Eilish, PUP, U.S. Girls and more – here are the shows to catch this month. – Staff, NOW

Meet the founder of Canada’s newest folk/roots record label

Former Stony Plain Records operations manager Peter Chapman has struck out on his own with Fallen Tree Records, whose initial roster includes veteran performers Jon Brooks and 100 Mile House. – Heather Kitching,  Roots Music Canada

NXNE turns 25: Michael Hollett on his evolving fest, embracing Esports and missed opportunities on cannabis

NXNE, which kicks off in Toronto this weekend (June 7) and runs until the 16^th, is celebrating its 25th year, and much has changed since Hollett, founder of alternative weekly Now magazine, launched the summer music event as a Canadian version of Austin's SXSW.  –  Karen Bliss, Billboard

On Our Radar: Vancouver's Tanglers spin a "Tallboy" story for your long-suffering, inner economy class frequent flyer

We're going out on a limb here and suggesting that Vancouver's Tanglers are mildly guilty of cultural appropriation in the video for their deliciously languid Tallboy. – Mike Usinger, Georgia Straight

Review: Carrie Underwood charms SaskTel Centre

The US country star dazzled with her vocal power and stage presence, complete with fireworks, glitter, and numerous projector screens. – Alexa Lawlor, Star-Phoenix

Rory Gallagher's new Blues collection is a guitar freak's wet dream

It would be nice to see him in the RRHOF. And anyone who hears the new Blues collection would be hard-pressed to deny that the Irish guitar hero is deserving of induction. – Steve Newton,  Georgia Straight

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Oversharing: how Napster nearly killed the music industry

Twenty years ago, the idea of free music was so compelling that up to 80m users downloaded Napster and broke the law. The aftershocks are still being felt today.  – Eamonn Forde, The Guardian

Thom Yorke mocks Donald Trump’s terrible approval ratings as protest against President’s UK visit gathers steam

 Franz Ferdinand's Alex Kapranos and 'Trainspotting' author Irvine Welsh have also spoken out against Trump. – Nick Levine, NME

Rain-delayed Governors Ball evacuated over weather danger on final night

Rain-soaked concertgoers demanded refunds as they evacuated the Governors Ball music festival on Randalls Island after forecasters warned of severe thunderstorms Sunday night. The Strokes never got to play. –  Clayton Guse and John Annese, NY Daily News

The end of the iTunes era: The life and death of Apple's curator-in-chief

Over his four decades at Rhino Records and Apple, Gary Stewart left his mark as one of the greatest curators the music business had ever known, cataloging, packaging and recontextualizing forgotten and overlooked swaths of rock history, much as legendary anthropologists Harry Smith and Alan Lomax had done for folk and blues. –  Randall Roberts, LA Times

Stereolab played their first proper gig in a decade at Primavera’s grand brutalist amphitheatre

The group played an hour of their most-loved songs, performed with grace and steely intent.  – Sam Walton, Loud and Quiet

Tom Petty’s family at war over the singer’s assets and legacy

it looks like Petty’s litigious legacy has been passed on well. Adria Petty and Annakim Violette — Petty’s daughters from his first marriage — recently sued his widow Dana Petty for at least $5 million in damages. The duo believes that Dana set up a new LLC as a way to deprive them of their father’s assets. –  Ashley King, Digital Music News

iTunes is dead. Let us pay our respects

After 18 years as Apple's digital hub, iTunes is no more. The company will replace it with dedicated apps for Music, Television, and Podcasts.  – Wired

Learning to listen, in a Los Angeles cafe built for vinyl

Japanese-style listening bars, where D.J.’s spin carefully selected records for a hushed audience, are arriving in America. But truly appreciating them can take a little practice. – Ben Ratliff, New York Times

Profit didn’t disappear, it just moved

One of the recurring themes in analysis of tech businesses is the role of profit, and most often, the apparent lack of it – or at the very least, the way in which it plays second fiddle to growth. –  Music Industry Blog

Boy George’s life to get a movie treatment

MGM will produce a feature film based on the life of the iconic Culture Club singer with Sacha Gervasi (My Dinner with Herve, Anvil: The Story of Anvil) set to write and direct.  – Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline