By Kerry Doole
Ron Hynes changed how Newfoundlanders saw themselves. Now a new tribute album honours ‘our greatest songwriter’
Ron Hynes devoted himself to creating ballads that connected a secret nation to its pre-Confederation past. “He was our greatest songwriter,” says Rick Mercer, the television personality and native Newfoundlander. “And we pay a lot of attention to songwriters in this neck of the woods.” – Brad Wheeler, Globe and Mail
Joni Mitchell turns 80: Celebrating the iconic singer-songwriter's chart history
From 1970s classics to '80s synth experiments, '90s samples to an unexpected 2020s comeback, Joni Mitchell has had a fascinating journey on the Billboard charts. – Rosie Long Decter, Billboard Canada
Ageless, passionate Paul Anka delivers a spectacle — and a lot more
Looking tanned, fit and a decade or two younger than his 82 years, the Ottawa-born Anka sounded amazing in a Niagara Falls show with a few unexpected turns. – Nick Krewen, Toronto Star
At Roy Thomson Hall, Audra McDonald shows why she’s a six-time Tony winner
McDonald can do novelty songs, belt, hold her own in duets, croon and hit stratospheric high notes. And she can make an entire concert hall tear up. – Glenn Sumi, Toronto Star
'Very duped': Indigenous musicians upset over Buffy Sainte-Marie ancestry revelations
Indigenous artists react to the explosive Sainte-Marie report. – Kelly Geraldine Malone, CP
'SNL' sets Jason Momoa as host with Tate McRae as musical guest
Jason Momoa will host the Nov. 18 episode of 'Saturday Night Live,' with rising Canadian star Tate McRae as the musical guest. – Variety
As a teenager, I worshipped Leonard Cohen. As an adult, I followed in his footsteps to his favourite Greek island hideaway
Hydra has long been muse to a steady stream of creative types, including the legendary singer-songwriter who lived there in the ’60s. – Diana Ballon, Toronto Star
'I would die for Taylor Swift': Swifties rejoice over upcoming Vancouver tour dates
Lyndsey Evans freely admits she would pack her bags and follow Taylor Swift around the world if she could. – Ashley Joannou, CP
How Canadian rock star Geddy Lee of Rush became an unlikely archivist of America’s pastime
There are items in his collection worth well over $100,000. They are signed by U.S. presidents and baseball Hall of Famers; they have been thrown in no-hitters and hit for milestone home runs. – Chad Jennings The Athletic
McGill University says tuition hikes could jeopardize its music school
Cuts could also affect varsity teams, jobs. – Thomas MacDonald, CP
Just announced: Sam Barber, Feist, Northern Lights, somebody named Taylor, and more
Looking at this week’s show announcements, we have one question: is that the woman from the “Shake It Off” song? – Mike Usinger, Georgia Straight
Writers on Track featuring Tyler Shaw
Tyler Shaw is a multi-platinum-selling artist, songwriter, music producer, and is a self-published songwriter at CMRRA under Aisle 13 Inc. – CMRRA
International
Most tracks on Spotify won’t earn a royalty under new scheme
Only 0.5% of the royalty pool will be impacted, however, reflecting the large number of tracks that receive few streams. – Glenn Peoples, Billboard
Did Anthropic reveal its strategy for Universal's landmark music copyright lawsuit?
We won’t know that outcome for some time yet, but details published within a filing from Anthropic with the US Copyright Office last week could be an early indicator of the stance the AI firm is planning to take in its copyright battle with the publishers. – Murray Stassen, MBW
Global music industry value hit $41.5 billion during 2022
Excluding live events, the Global music industry value hit $41.5 billion during 2022, according to a newly released analysis. – Digital Music News
Tom Morello, Ice-T usher Rage Against the Machine into the Rock Hall
"When protest music is done right, you can hear a new world emerging in the songs," Morello said in the band's acceptance speech. – Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone
"Absolutely incredible biblical celestial heartbreaking and heartwarming": Liam Gallagher gushes over 'final' Beatles song
Former Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher is a big, big fan of the last ever song the world will hear from The Beatles. – Paul Brannigan, Loudersound
Kendrick Lamar plans to bring major concerts to Africa through new Global Citizen initiative
Rapper Kendrick Lamar will headline Move Afrika: A Global Citizen Experience, a new initiative to establish an international touring circuit on the continent of Africa launching with a concert in Kigali, Rwanda on Dec. 6. – AP
Johnny Marr calls Billie Eilish “a modern-day version” of The Cure
“I can imagine being really into her records when I was 16 or 17." – Alex Rigotti, NME
After his accident, Ted Kulczycky had one goal: recover enough to see Talking Heads’ Stop Making Sense
The film was an instant classic upon its release and is seen as a master class on how to shoot and edit a live performance. – Brad Wheeler, Globe and Mail
Music Review: Cat Power replicates Bob Dylan's infamous 1966 electric concert, without the boos
“Cat Power Sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert" is a faithful song-by-song recreation, without the boos, of Bob Dylan 's infamous concert — from the tour where he played electric guitar for the first time. – Scott Bauer, AP