Music Biz Headlines, May 10, 2019
US band The Mountain Goats recruit Toronto talent, remembering guitar genius Lenny Breau (pictured), and Pressa profiled. Also in the headlines: Annette Ducharme, Bend It Like Beckham, Jacob Hoggard, metadata, Don McLean, Chance the Rapper, Tinder, holograms, and Mike Garson.
By Kerry Doole
Interview: Why The Mountain Goats' new album is packed with Toronto musicians
The long-running North Carolina band's new 17th studio album In League With Dragons is produced by Owen Pallett and features Thom Gill, Johnny Spence and Bram Gielen. – Jesse Locke, NOW
Why the genius of jazz guitarist Lenny Breau needs to be remembered
If you’re a guitar enthusiast and you don’t know about Canadian Lenny Breau, you should learn about him. Why? Because he’s one of the greats, and his story is one that everyone should know. – Brad Barker, JAZZFM
The scene vets of the VanRays take a thoroughly original approach to classic unvarnished soul
The first time you check out the VanRays, you might assume you’re hearing a classic Stax or Motown band. With soulful vocals, funky guitars, a swingin’ rhythm section, and jubilant horns, you’d be forgiven for thinking a song like “Take a Dive” (the cookin’ kickoff to the group's eponymous new EP) came out of Detroit in 1965. – Allan MacInnis, Georgia Straight
Bend It Like Beckham musical to make North American debut in Toronto
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Two-day sex assault prelim hearing confirmed for Hedley frontman Jacob Hoggard
Police say the charges relate to three different incidents involving a girl under the age of 16 and a woman that allegedly took place in the Toronto area in 2016. – CP
Album of the Week: Annette Ducharme's Wreck•Age
As a songwriter in the early ’90s, she penned hits for Cancon heavyweights like Lawrence Gowan and Tom Cochrane. Wreck•Age is an immaculately crafted collection of songs that tend to fall squarely into the adult-contemporary category. – John Lucas, Georgia Straight
Groundbreaking metadata alliance announced between music, film, TV industries
A cross-industry metadata alliance could loosen millions in unmatched music royalties from films and TV series. DDEX, a metadata standards-setting consortium for the music industry, has joined forces with EIDR, a similar consortium that focuses on establishing uniform, unique universal identifiers for film and TV assets. – Paul Resnikoff Digital Music News
Don McLean receives Lifetime Achievement Award, only to have it taken away hours later
The students at UCLA clearly didn't do their homework. The award was rescinded once the association was made aware of McLean’s 2016 charges for domestic violent assault against his then-wife Patrisha McLean. – Michael Roffman, CoS
UK risks losing classic rock archives, warns ex-Oasis photographer
British musical history may be lost unless a dedicated museum is set up, says Jill Furmanovsky. – Lanre Bakare, The Guardian
Spicy Chicken Nuggets will come back to Wendy's because Chance the Rapper made a wish
Wendy’s is conditionally bringing back its Spicy Chicken Nuggets, which almost certainly means they’re en route to your mouth. The move follows a tweet by nugs fan Chance the Rapper. –Dustin Nelson,Thrillist
David Bowie’s longest serving band member Mike Garson has the Alumni Tour in Australia
"We have four amazing singers Bernard Fowler from the Rolling Stones, Corey Glover from Living Colour, Gaby Moreno and Joe Sumner, who is Sting’s son. It takes a village to sing David’s music”. – Paul Cashmere, Noise11
Tinder wants in on your music festival meet-cute
The dating app has a new feature to help you find a mate in a sea of flower crowns. The initiative is a partnership with AEG Worldwide and Live Nation.– Jonah Engel Bromwich, NY Times
Country singer Jillian Jacqueline’s unpredictable career finds her as a headliner
On Jillian Jacqueline’s debut single, “Reasons,” the country-pop singer describes a relationship that is clearly doomed, even if neither person wants to admit it. – Emily YahrThe Washington Post
How hologram technology is changing the future of the music industry
When late music stars return to the stage in hologram form, what does it mean for the industry, the audience and the future of music? We investigate the world of the hologram– Jim Ottewill Music Tech