Music Biz Headlines, Oct. 21, 2019

By FYI Staff

New Headstones album is another mile on Hugh Dillon’s wild ride

One has to ask a chap with a past as legendarily chequered as Hugh Dillon, then, if the messy personal circumstances that saw the Headstones finally blow apart at the seams in 2003 were really as a bad as popular lore makes them out to be. – Ben Rayner,The Star

Patrick Watson rises above grief in his new album Wave

 “I’m not drowning,” Patrick Watson tells me. “I’m swimming.” On his introspective new album Wave, the Montreal dream-rock merchant Patrick Watson wrote himself out of a long spell of melancholia caused by a divorce, the departure of his drummer and a death in the family. – Brad Wheeler, Globe and Mail 

As Domenic Troiano-penned Opportunity gets inducted, musicians & fans recall the man with fret fever

Opportunity, one of guitarist/songwriter Troiano’s early hits that he wrote for Mandala, will be inducted into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame along with five other classic Canadian songs at the Phoenix Concert Theatre in Toronto on Nov. 21. – Ashley Jude Collie, Medium

Gord Downie’s Secret Path concert recreated two years after his death

The Toronto benefit concert on Saturday night recreated the 2016 multimedia performance by the Tragically Hip lead singer on the story of Chanie Wenjack, a 12-year-old Ojibwe boy who died while escaping a residential school in 1966. – Austin Delaney, CTV News 

Why aren’t anglos more curious about local franco music?

Anglophone audiences still don't pay much attention to local francophone music and that doesn't show signs of changing any time soon. – Brendan Kelly, Montreal Gazette

Celine Dion comes alive with stunning first stop in U.S. of 'Courage' world tour 

Despite recently having to reschedule several Canadian shows after doctors put her on vocal rest, the "My Heart Will Go On" singer stunned the crowd with her exquisite prowess. After two hours of power ballads sprinkled with her whimsical attitude, Dion had fans begging her to stay. – Denise Warner, Billboard

Review: André Ethier continues his hot streak with Croak In The Weeds

The local songwriter releases his second full-length collaboration with producer Sandro Perri – together, the strongest, most compelling artistic vision he’s made. – Michael Rancic, NOW

Guy Paul Thibault’s trance to the top 

After winning album of the year at the 2019 International Singer-Songwriter Association, the country-rocker himself returns to a Halifax stage near you. – Sara Connors, The Coast

Kingston-born Pariahs reunite for a homecoming

It was during the wedding reception of lead singer Mike Farrell three years ago that six former members of the Pariahs floated the idea of getting together and playing again. – Peter Hendra, Whig-Standard

The Flyer Vault – 150 Years of Toronto’s concert history

First it was an Instagram must-follow; now it's a book. As beautiful as it is informative, The Flyer Vault is a visual tour-de-force showcasing Toronto's’ vast and venerable concert history. – Sandy Graham,Cashbox Canada

Come with me through a graveyard of forgotten music devices: Alan Cross

Sitting on a shelf in my home office is a collection of old electronic gadgets that were, in their day, state-of-the-art: a Sony Sport Cassette Walkman in bright yellow that’s guaranteed to be waterproof, a Motorola StarTAC flip phone that weighs close to a pound, an HD Radio still in its plastic packaging, a Seiko portable CD player, a Hitachi laptop with Windows 3.11 installed. They’re totally useless. – Alan Cross, Global News

Shaunavon's Hunter Brothers released their new song Silver Lining on Friday. 

A group of brothers from Saskatchewan is deepening their mark in Canadian country music with their new song Silver Lining. It was released Friday. – Taylor Braat, Global News 

International 

Billboard's 2019 Latin Power Players list revealed

Veteran promoter Henry Cárdenas, whose clients include stars like Marc Anthony, leads Billboard’s annual roster of influencers in a genre whose artists are storming the pop charts and shaping musical tastes around the globe. – Billboard

‘Golden age of TV’ gives boost to music industry

The proliferation of hit TV has led fans to stream soundtracks of their favourite Netflix and Amazon Prime shows. – Haroon Siddique, The Guardian

Cracking the TikTok code: How to upload music and maximize engagement

Everyone is trying to figure out how to get on TikTok. Not only is TikTok one of the most downloaded apps in the App Store, but it can drive enormous engagement for artists. – Hypebot

Who will own Spotify in five years?

Industry insiders suggest Spotify will eventually end up under the ownership of a larger corporation. Here are five that could make a play for the streaming giant. – Tim Ingham, Rolling Stone

How does the money flow from music streaming to artists, music industry?

Now accounting for 75% of total music industry revenue, there's no denying that streaming is now the dominant form of music consumption. That said, one question continues to plague the industry: where is all that revenue going, and how can artists get their hands on it? Here, we breakdown step by step where the money is going. – Hypebot

How ‘Almost Famous’ foretold the future of music journalism

Cameron Crowe’s movie based on his experiences as a Rolling Stone scribe is now a musical—but the stage adaptation comes at a strange time for a struggling industry. – Ian Cohen, The Ringer

New technology helps the deaf enjoy music

There is new technology out of the UK that will help deaf people enjoy music. The deaf can now feel the beat thanks to high-tech threads called the Sound Shirt. It’s made by a company called CuteCircuit and uses special microphones and smart fabrics to provide touch sensation. – CBS News

41 days, 26 shows, 10 countries: A rock tour diary

Inside the bubble of a band’s tour, continuity is everything and happiness is relative, writes the guitarist for Tears for Fears. – Charlton Pettus, NYT

When Miles Davis walked the streets of Detroit

In 1953, Miles Davis moved to Detroit for a months-long residency at the Blue Bird Inn on Detroit’s West Side. It was a time that helped shape Davis’ career before he became recognized as the world’s greatest jazz trumpeter. – Stephen Henderson, WDET

Aretha Franklin biopic rounds out cast with Mary J. Blige

Soul star Mary J. Blige has been added to the A-list cast of the upcoming Aretha Franklin biopic, Respect. the movie will star Jennifer Hudson as the late Queen of Soul. – music-news.com

Nine Inch Nails’ ‘Hurt’ is beautifully reimagined, giving hope to hospitalized children

Another stirring masterpiece from SickKids hospital. – David Grine, AdWeek

The Top 15 LPs of 1977 that undeniably defined the year

Punk festered the entire ’70s, but 1977 is when it burst, splattering like newly freed pus all over the mirror.  – Tim Stegall, Alt Press

The world's most beautiful museums

There are approximately 55,000 museums in the world so it's no surprise that the museum buildings themselves are often groundbreaking futuristic masterpieces or some of the most significant and historic architectural structures. Calgary's National Music Centre makes the list. – Karlina Valeiko, msn.com

Robbie Williams wants to take Christmas back from Michael Bublé – and I am here for it

He was going to call his newly announced Christmas album 'Achtung Bublé.' Williams has announced the release of his upcoming festive album, ‘The Christmas Present’, along with the news that he’s hosting a massive ‘Christmas Party’ at London’s SSE Arena on December 16. – NME

Halloween music video countdown 2019: Marilyn Manson (with bonus Johnny Cash, and also Moby)

Well, what would Halloween be without this guy? Just in time for the spookiest part of the year, reliable bogeyman Marilyn Manson checks in with his version of "God's Gonna Cut You Down". As usual, the video implies that Manson is a murderer, and really, has anyone looked into that. – John Lucas, Georgia Straight

What, only one? Snoop Dogg reveals he has a 'professional blunt roller' on his payroll

Snoop said he is paying him between US$40,000 and US$50,000 a year for that and that alone. – David Yasvinski, The Growth Op

A Christian rock band hid a C64 program on a vinyl album in 1984

A YouTube classic computing enthusiast makes an odd discovery.  – Owen S. Good, Polygon