Music Biz Headlines, May 19, 2022
Bob Lanois (pictured) is profiled in a new documentary, new Hall of Famer Deborah Cox gets reflective, and a few suggestions to fix our ailing music industry. Also in the headlines are the Tragically Hip, Ann Wilson, Charlotte Cardin, Don McLean, Loony, Alex Lifeson, The Beaches, Star Collector, Richard Beland, Maisie Peters, TikTok, Snapchat, Bob Dylan, Tori Amos, Ted Nugent, Kendrick Lamar, Eurovision, Yoko Ono, The Clash, John Legend, and Taylor Hawkins.
By Kerry Doole
From reviving the cassette to funding artists strategically, experts share how to fix Canada’s music industry
At first glance, the Canadian music industry looks well – a sector that prides itself on punching above its weight. But here’s a gut punch you didn’t see coming: Once you get past the few chart-topping phenoms, this country’s song-and-dance system is broken. Here are some possible fixes. – Brad Wheeler and Nicholas Seles, Globe and Mail
Toronto’s Deborah Cox may be internationally famous, but she hasn’t forgotten the struggle
Cox says her Canadian Music Hall of Fame induction is “a wonderful recognition for all the hard work and everything I put in and the sacrifice that was made.” – Nick Krewen, The Star
Bob Lanois and his ‘shack’ — the documentary
Urban explorer and photographer, Dave Conlon has stepped beyond his blog for stirring tribute to a Hamilton great, writes Jeff Mahoney. – Hamilton Spectator
Who is Charlotte Cardin and how did she score six Juno nominations?
There is an opening for a melodic sad sack who specializes in making music for lovelorn youth. Enter Charlotte Cardin, the Montreal pop chanteuse with six Juno nominations and a heart on her sleeve. “I gotta tell you, all my best songs I wrote the week you left,” she sings on Sad Girl. The song is from Phoenix, a gold-certified synth-pop statement of empowerment and relationship-based emotions. – Brad Wheeler, Globe and Mail
Tragically Hip releases stand-alone live album from Hollywood’s Roxy Theatre
When the red recording light flashed on at Hollywood’s storied Roxy Theatre, the pressure was on the Tragically Hip to put on a good show, guitarist Paul Langlois recalls.It wasn’t long before those nerves receded into the background, said Langlois, as frontman Gord Downie punctuated the rollicking set list with ad libbed musings. The 1991 live performance will be released as a stand-alone album (digital, vinyl and CD) on June 24. – Adina Bresge, CP
Food Bank benefit to feature eight bands and breweries
The Greater Vancouver Food Bank has just announced a major event taking place at Burnaby's Swangard Stadium on June 26. Foodstock 2022 will feature eight bands, eight breweries, and food trucks to keep hungry music fans fat 'n' happy.Local bands taking part include Bend Sinister, Sleepy Gonzales, Generous Thieves, the Noodle Boys, Madelyn Read, and Good Goin'. – Steve Newton, Georgia Straight
Singing bye-bye to Don McLean’s American Pie
76-year-old McLean recently appeared at the John Bassett Theatre in Toronto, part of a 50th-anniversary tour of American Pie that had been delayed by the pandemic. In front of a crowd of a few hundred people, McLean sang, talked and did his schtick before finally playing the epic, allegorical song about the loss of innocence and “Jack Flash sat on a candlestick.” – Brad Wheeler, Globe and Mail
How Scarborough R&B songstress Loony made the most of lockdown
R&B artist Loony and her collaborators quarantined together to make an album … because no one had anything else to do. – Ben Rayner, Toronto Star
Alex Lifeson's emotional farewell to his guitar collection
Rush icon Alex Lifeson said he kissed each of his guitars goodbye— and even spoke to one of them — while preparing to send them to auction. He revealed plans in March to part with over 100 music-related items in a charity sale, later explaining he wanted to pursue a “leaner” lifestyle and continue the “movement forward” represented by his new band, Envy of None. – Martin Kielty, UCR
Jordan Miller of Toronto band The Beaches on touring, opening for The Rolling Stones and the Junos
New winners for Rock Album of the Year at the Junos, the band just embarked on a long-postponed tour. – Nick Krewen, Toronto Star
Star Collector's Game Day injects plenty of mod energy into a world that needs something to get up for
Star Collector bootstomps open the doors of Vancouver’s rock world with their fifth full-length release, Game Day. The album is yet another strong, ever-vibrant statement from Vic Wayne and his tight squad of loyal sidekicks, who’ve been pumping out quality albums since Jean Chretien was PM. Shame on you all for not paying attention sooner. – Ferdy Belland, Georgia straight
The cultural ignorance of the Conservative candidates is a revealing insult
In that eccentrically organized but revealing Conservative leadership candidates TV debate the other night, the candidates were asked about their personal taste in books, music and the last binge-watch TV they enjoyed. The list of shows they mentioned amounts to a telltale revelation. These people seem to be completely ignorant of Canadian-made TV that’s renowned, award-winning and made in their own backyards. – John Doyle, Globe and Mail
Ten bewitching Toronto concert photographs of Lady Gaga, Kurt Cobain and Rush
Since 1986, the veteran Toronto photographer Richard Beland has been a stage front fixture. With over 3,000 shows under his belt, Beland is opening up his archive this month to display 55 images at a career retrospective at Yorkville’s Liss Gallery. Here, he tells us about the stories behind 10 of his most striking snaps. – Stuart Berman, Toronto Life
Dvorak sampling sparks reunion of pianist Cheng and violinist Blackman
Angela Cheng and Vetta artistic director Joan Blackman would regularly reconnect when Cheng played with the VSO. – David Gordon Duke, Vancouver Sun
Canada has special place in Ann Wilson’s Heart
Rocker teases a return next year for her legendary band’s 50th anniversary. – Nick Krewen, Toronto Star
Britain’s Maisie Peters scores summer hit with song about falling for ‘Canadian king’
The indie-pop darling says her song about a fictional romance with Cate Canning’s brother should be Canada’s new national anthem. – Aisling Murphy, Toronto Star
International
As ByteDance IPO rumors resurface, TikTok hires for A&R execs in London and LA to 'sign' new artists
With TikTok performing functions for artists like marketing, distribution, discovery and development, is the platform on its way to becoming a record label? Here's a new layer: ByteDance and TikTok appear to have gone global in their search for both experienced A&Rs and new artists, with job ads for A&R Managers popping up in London, Los Angeles and Sao Paulo.– MBW
Relations between the music biz and Snapchat have taken a sour turn
SUISA, the collection society for songwriters and publishers in Switzerland, has announced that its subsidiary – SUISA Digital Licensing – has filed a lawsuit against Snap Inc. for alleged copyright infringement. SUISA contends that Snapchat "refuses to pay authors and publishers for music represented by [SUISA Digital] and used in videos on its Snapchat platform". – MBW
New Bob Dylan Center in Tulsa might just be the GOAT of Rock museums
The Center, which had its official ribbon-cutting ceremony last week, is curated from an archive that contains about 100,000 artifacts, only a tiny percentage of which are on display to the public, with the rest reserved for researchers and scholars or to be put out later as the museum rotates some of its exhibits. –Chris Willman, Variety
Guided by her fans and her muses, Tori Amos reflects on a 40-plus-year career
The groundbreaking singer-songwriter brings her “Ocean to Ocean” tour to Toronto May 19. – Elio Iannacci, Toronto Star
Here’s everything you need to know about the new Kendrick Lamar album
The 34-year-old rapper released his fifth studio album on Friday — his first release in half a decade. It was one of the most highly-anticipated musical events of the year. – Richie Assaly, Toronto Star
Ukraine wins Eurovision, the most batsh*t crazy song contest of them all
As predicted by many of the bookies, Ukraine’s Kalush Orchestra topped the voting of the 25 entrants in the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest (the 66th annual, if you’re counting.) The winning song was written about the singer’s mother. The country is pretty happy about this. – Alan Cross, ajournalofmusicalthings
Ms Nobody: The rehabilitation of Yoko Ono
Wife, muse, villain, visionary: Yoko Ono is finally getting her due. – Ruth Jones, Toronto Star
The Clash's Combat Rock album turns 40
In May 1982 Ronald Reagan was the American President, Malcolm Fraser was Prime Minister of Australia and Margaret Thatcher was the Prime Minister of England. On 14 May 1982 we had a new soundtrack for that anger – The Clash ‘Combat Rock’. – Noise11
John Legend calls out Tucker Carlson for “poisoning minds” with Great Replacement Theory
"In no other context would a terrorist sympathizing news anchor be allowed to continue to spew this nonsense."– CoS
Inside Taylor Hawkins’ final days as a Foo Fighter
The legendary drummer went all-out for the band he loved. But in the months before he died on tour, Hawkins told multiple friends he “couldn’t fucking do it anymore.” – Rolling Stone
Ted Nugent accused of hate speech for telling Trump fans to go ‘berserk on the skulls of the Democrats’
Rocker Ted Nugent has been accused of hate speech for telling Trump fans to go “berserk on the skulls of the Democrats” – hours after an alleged white supremacist killed 10 people in a mass shooting. Performing at a Trump event in Austin, Texas, the 73-year-old told cheering supporters that Democrats were “the enemies of America.” – Phil Thomas, The Independent
