Music Biz Headlines, March 29, 2019
In the headlines today: PledgeMusic problems plague Canadian artists, Voivod (pictured) on a roll, Monster Truck, Donna Grantis, Nikki’s Wives, Cardi B, Lou Reed, Vangelis, Sandy Denny, Keith Richards, Roxy Music, SoundExchange, Taking Back Sunday, and Jeremy Dutcher.
By Kerry Doole
Hard-rock band Monster Truck rallies for Halifax visit
Singer/bassist Jon Harvey seems happy enough to see Monster Truck make its mark among Hamilton’s long-running legacy of hard rock, from Crowbar and Simply Saucer in the 1970s, through punk pioneers Teenage Head and Forgotten Rebels, to Junkhouse and now Arkells. – Mathew Guido Chronicle-Herald
PledgeMusic troubles hit Canadian musicians like Dayna Manning, Julian Taylor and Amanda Rheaume
Like too many other artists — L7, Fastball and Jesus Jones, to name a few — Manning is owed money donated by fans via the nine-year-old U.K. crowdfunding platform, which has all but suspended operations due to financial woes. – Nick Krewen, Toronto Star
From playing with Prince to her solo debut, Donna Grantis on her life with the guitar
The Toronto fret wizard takes us through her history with the guitar, from learning her first song to going to jazz school to playing her Purple Rain solo with Prince. – CBC Music
36 years into band’s existence, heavy-metal’s Voivod is delighted to be hotter than ever
The overall dystopian cyber-punk vibe put out there for the past 36 years by the Québecois metal quartet hadn’t quite prepared anyone for the sight of how genuinely thrilled and delighted they were to win their first Juno Award in London two Saturdays ago. – Ben Rayner Toronto Star
Reggae bar Thymeless bids farewell after 15 years
The College Street dive bar and dance spot is famed for its Jamaican-style sound system with sub bass that "reaches into your soul." A final party is set for Saturday night. – Kate Robertson, NOW
Nikki’s Wives name the musical trailblazers that inspired their signature blend of Alt-Rock
“Having experienced feeling disrespected and unheard before, I swore that I would never let another person make me feel like that again.” – The A-Side
international
Cardi B reacts to backlash after admitting she drugged and robbed men
Cardi B, one of America’s most popular and ubiquitous rags-to-riches stories in music today, has been made to answer for her social media posts. A video Cardi posted on her Instagram Stories three years ago has surfaced in which she admits to sleeping with men, drugging them and then robbing them. – Eddy Lamarre, Rollng Out
Inside the Lou Reed archive: 'You can walk directly into his world'
The singer’s widow Laurie Anderson talks about the mountains of material preserved at the new archive launched at the New York Public Library. – Rob Ledonne, Guardian
Vangelis trades synthesizers for piano and finds life after the film score
“The only thing I need to do is just to make music," Vangelis said, explaining his reputation as a press-shy recluse. As nebulous as the clouds of electronic notes for which he’s known, Vangelis is also elusive when it comes to romantic relationships or anything else to do with his personal life. – Tim Greiving, LA Times
Lost and found: Sandy Denny
She had one of the most remarkable voices in British folk-rock as well as superior songwriting skills. Her work with Fairport Convention, Fotheringay and on her solo albums have stood the test of time. Plus, she is the only person to share vocals with Robert Plant on a Led Zeppelin album. – Alan Bisbort, Please Kill Me
Keith Richards says his '88 solo album 'Talk Is Cheap' made him appreciate Mick more
There was a kind of symmetry in Richards helping one of his early musical heroes belatedly rejuvenate his career at the same time the Stones' guitarist and songwriting partner of lead singer Mick Jagger was stepping out on his own for the first time. – Randy Lewis, LA Times
Fifty years ago, John and Yoko shared their bed with the world for peace
On March 25, 1969, John Lennon and Yoko Ono were a few days into their marriage when they invited the news media to join them at their honeymoon suite at the Amsterdam Hilton Hotel. – Gillian Brockell Washington Post
Mawlana Hazar Imam will preside over the inaugural Aga Khan Music Awards ceremony in Lisbon, Portugal.
Taking place from 29-31 March at the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, the Aga Khan Music Awards feature three days of concerts and events honouring the laureates in the six domains being recognised by the Award. – The ismaili
Bryan Ferry, Roxy Music members to stage reunion performance at Rock Hall ceremony
The singer will join saxophonist Andy Mackay and guitarist Phil Manzanera for the first time since 2011. Brian Eno is a no-show. – Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone
Bands, breakups & contracts – What you should know
We all have our favorite band of all time. They almost all break up or go through personnel changes. What are the consequences of breakups? Most interesting are the bands that have no original members but tour with the famous name. – Professor Philp, musicbiz101
From Joni Mitchell to James Taylor: How singing voices can get better with age
The hills are alive with the sound of mature singing voices at the moment. A multiplicity of them. And what a heady and heartening hubbub they are making. – Paul Taylor, Independent
Matty Healy speaks out against charging fans for meet and greets
The 1975 frontman tweeted: "Who came up with pad meet and greets? Did they think ‘Surely there must be something else we can monetise……OH! Human connection!! They’ll eat that up!’” – Rhian Daly, NME
The $1 billion waiting for artists who know where to look
SoundExchange pays out nearly $1 billion to musicians each year, but the lack of attention around it highlights the music industry’s overall disorganization. – Amy Wang, Rolling Stone
Tom Waits, RZA, Iggy Pop, and Selena Gomez to star in Jim Jarmusch’s new zombie movie
Jim Jarmusch’s new zombie movie has just been announced. It hits theaters on 6/14 via Focus Features. Jarmusch wrote and directed The Dead Don’t Die, which also stars Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Tilda Swinton, Chloë Sevigny, Steve Buscemi, Danny Glover, Rosie Perez, Sara Driver, and Carol Kane. – Julia Gray,Stereogum
Every music company is morphing into the same thing
Record labels are becoming streaming services; talent management companies are becoming record labels; distributors are having a go at becoming managers. And artists are stuck in the middle. – Tim Ingham, Rolling Stone
Jeremy Dutcher: "The days of internalised colonialism are over
Dutcher’s low voice is filled with reverence as he quotes Buffy Sainte-Marie: “If what you want is not on the menu, go into the kitchen, cook it up, and show them how good it tastes.” Dutcher’s debut album, Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa, certainly wasn’t on the menu. – The Guardian
'The lack of women at the top is embarrassing': Annie Mac has a message for the music biz
The BBC Radio 1 DJ states she is “frustrated” by labels’ treatment of new artists and music's continuing equality problems. – Ben Homewood Music Week
Two decades under the influence of Taking Back Sunday
The members of Taking Back Sunday are well aware of what you're likely thinking right now, and no, they can't believe they've been doing this for 20 years either. To celebrate milestone, the pop-punk band is taking a victory lap, embarking on a 38-city tour in North America, supportng a career-spanning compilation record, simply called Twenty. – Leanne Butkovic, Thrillist
