By Kerry Doole
Geddy Lee had zero interest in a memoir. He now looks back in the page-turner ‘My Effin’ Life’
Yes, the Rush lead singer has some regrets but not about his career. “I was the luckiest effin’ guy,” he tells Vinay Menon. – Toronto Star
The Tragically Hip reunite at a live stream for their new reissue
The legendary Canadian rock band made a surprise appearance at a listening event for the 25-year-old album Phantom Power and went deep into their music and their legacy. – Richard Trapunski, Billboard Canada
Nelly Furtado promises 'sexy,' 'spicy' show as host of 2024 Juno Awards
Nelly Furtado’s pop music comeback is making its way to the Juno Awards. – David Friend, CP
Yeah Yeah Yeahs gave Toronto a much-needed dose of nostalgia
Having come to fame in a post-9-11 New York City, the trio has always served as an antidote for a generation’s sadness and existential dread. – Emilie Hanskamp, Toronto Star
Loreena McKennitt 'delighted' to revisit The Visit across Canada
Even after nearly four decades in the music industry, there are still some firsts to be experienced for iconic Canadian singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist Loreena McKennitt. This week, that includes taking the stage in Saskatoon. – Julia Peterson, Calgary Herald
Brett Kissel pays tribute to classic country on West Album
This is the third release of four that comprise The Compass Project. – Chad Huculak, Edmonton Journal
How Swifties looking for tickets can avoid being scammed by secondary sellers
Within an hour of tickets going on sale for next year's concert, seats were listed on resale sites such as StubHub for upwards of $6,500. – Sarah Grochowski, Vancouver Sun
Cory Weeds and his Little Big Band serve up some Home Cookin’
The jazz saxophonist and bandleader Cory Weeds has shared the details of his latest album Home Cookin’, the second recording with his Little Big Band. The 11-piece ensemble features a “who’s who” of Vancouver-based jazz players. – Adam Feibel, JazzFM
International
Hipgnosis Song Management appoints Daniel Pounder, Jonathan Baker
Hipgnosis Song Management (HSM), the investment adviser founded and run by Merck Mercuriadis, has made two significant appointments in its executive leadership. Daniel Pounder has been appointed Chief Financial Officer of HSM, while Jonathan Baker has been appointed to the newly-created role of General Counsel. –Tim Ingham, MBW
Warner Music opts in on Deezer’s new UMG-supported royalty plan in France
The Warner Music Group has signed on to Deezer’s new royalty payment structure in France, which was developed in partnership with Universal Music Group and announced in September, the president of the major label’s French operations confirmed today. – Billboard
HYBE acquires Latin Music label Exile Music, establishes HYBE Latin America
South Korea-headquartered music giant HYBE has officially expanded into the booming Latin Music market. On November 13, the company behind K-pop megastars BTS confirmed its acquisition of Latin Music company Exile Music, an affiliate label of Spanish language entertainment studio Exile Content. – MBW
Google in talks to invest in Artificial Intelligence startup Character.AI
Google is looking to further broaden its artificial intelligence portfolio through additional investments in AI chatbot developer Character.AI. The investment, possibly worth hundreds of millions of dollars, will likely be used to develop new chatbot models. The deal comes soon after a $2 billion investment by Google in Anthropic. – Spice Works
Dolly Parton has some thoughts on rock ’n’ roll, Taylor Swift and her favourite Elvis story
Dolly Parton's rock bonafides are further bolstered with next week’s release of Rockstar, a star-studded album – Sting! Stevie Nicks! Paul McCartney! Kid Rock? – of classic-rock cover songs. The Jolene singer-songwriter spoke to The Globe and Mail about Taylor Swift, climbing the Stairway to Heaven and more. – Brad Wheeler, Globe and Mail
Todd Snider's great 'Crank It, We’re Doomed' finally arrives after 16 years in the can
A singer-songwriter with the persona of a fried folkie can be expected to work at a poky pace, as is the case of Todd Snider. His “Crank It, We’re Doomed” album has been a long time coming, despite the urgency of its title. – Steven Wine, Associated Press
R.E.M. celebrates 'a very radical departure' 25 years ago with their album 'Up'
Twenty-five years ago, an R.E.M. album arrived that didn't sound like a typical R.E.M. album. – Mark Kennedy, AP
Barbra Streisand, the ‘most lied-about woman in the world,’ is setting the record straight
With the release of her autobiography, My Name is Barbra, Barbra Streisand spoke with the Globe about fame, vulnerability and being one of the most-seen women on Earth – Johanna Schneller, Globe and Mail
Dua Lipa launches new single with London fan event
Dua Lipa dropped her new single "Houdini" on Thursday, celebrating the launch with a secretive fan event in London. The track is the first single from the British-Albanian singer’s third studio album, which is set for release in 2024. It follows her hit "Barbie" soundtrack song "Dance the Night", which came out in May. – Hanna Rantala Reuters
