Music Biz Headlines, March 27, 2019

By Kerry Doole

Interview: Orville Peck whips out his six-shooter to break country's mould

The masked Toronto musician discusses queering country music, sewing fringed masks and visiting the Best Little Whorehouse In Texas. – Jesse Locke, NOW 

How Montreal’s Godin Guitars strummed its way to the top

Six different brands operate today under the banner of Godin Guitars, based in Montreal and one of the largest manufacturers (if not the largest) of North American-made guitars. – Guy Dixon, Globe and Mail

10 Vancouver concerts now on sale

The eclectic list includes Chromeo, L7, 54-40, Death Cab, The Black Keys, and Jeremy Dutcher. – Steve Newton, Georgia Straight

Reggae music in Canada directory

This unofficial overview and archive of the reggae music industry in Canada was constructed with the intention of providing a resource for reggae creators, consumers, and supporters in Canada and around the world. – Stacey Marie Robinson, Blogspot

How Canadian director Michael Cavanagh planned his three-season Mozart cycle for San Francisco Opera

London, Ont.-based stage director Michael Cavanagh is working on an ambitious Mozart cycle with the San Francisco Opera.  Let’s just say it was a marriage made in Figaro. – Brad Wheeler, Globe and Mail 

Newest releases by Canadian Indigenous artists

Four releases by indigenous artists have garnered attention in the musical sphere as several are re-entering the ground they’ve already broken with previous accomplishments, including Murray Porter and Derek Miller. – Two Row Times

Review: Japanese Neo-Kawaii band CHAI lived up to the hype in Toronto

Along with danceable openers Haiku Hands, the Nagoya-based quartet played a fun blast of a show at Velvet Underground with a resonating message of body positivity. – Michael Rancic, NOW

international

Rising UK star Sam Fender's debut album 'will be talked about for years’

Adele, Emeli Sande, Sam Smith, James Bay – all previous winners of the BRITs Critics Choice Award, all with debut albums that sold somewhere between two and 16 million copies worldwide. No pressure, then, Sam Fender, the latest winner. – Dave Roberts, MBW

Dr. Dre praises daughter for getting 'into USC all on her own' 6 Years after making $70M donation

The star producer celebrated his daughter’s recent accomplishments while poking fun at the alleged college admissions bribery scandal, which has ensnared stars like Felicity Huffman and Lori Loughlin. – People

Steve Earle’s winsome tribute to Guy Clark

As a teenager, the Texan troubadour Earle ran away from home and joined a group of musicians that included Clark and Townes Van Zandt. He now releases an album homage to Guy. – Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker

Chugg and Gudinski to reunite after 20 years for groundbreaking partnership

The two Mikes are legends of the Australian music biz. The new venture will see Chugg Entertainment and Frontier Touring join forces as co-promoters on all Chugg Entertainment events, effective from 1 April. – The Music

The ‘voice’ of Freddie Mercury is coming to Malta in June

Canadian artist and musician Marc Martel, performing Queen’s greatest hits in the second edition of ‘Rock the Fort,’ on Friday, June 14. The 42-year-old singer is a vocal doppelgänger for the Queen frontman.  – Coryse Borg, Newsbook

BMG revenues grew 7.5 percent in 2018 on strength of recording biz, publishing

Bertelsmann, the parent company of BMG, announced Tuesday it raked in revenues of $20 billion US in 2018, its highest tally since 2007. Music subsidiary BMG saw its revenues increase by 7.5 percent to$615 million, up from ($572 million) in 2017, which Bertelsmann CEO Thomas Rabe attributed to "organic growth," as opposed to acquisitions, in core markets of the U.S., the U.K. and Germany.  – Wolfgang Spahr, Billboard

Prateik gets directed by wife in music video

The popular Indian actor appears in a new clip helmed by his filmmaker wife Sanya Sagar for a music video for Shah Rule's Move Back, a collaboration with Canadian hip-hop artiste Mili Soch. – Radio & Music Times

The five best scenes in Motley Crue’s ‘The Dirt’ movie

Motley Crue's long-awaited The Dirt biopic is finally here. Just like the 2001 autobiography from which it's drawn, the movie offers an unflinching and unapologetic account of the excesses and tragedies the band encountered -- or caused -- during its time together. – Matthew Wilkening, Ultimate Classic Rock

Economist Alan Krueger leaves behind ‘Rockonomics,’ connecting music/money dots