Music Biz Headlines, Oct. 4, 2021
Celine Dion (pictured) is giving her blessing to a new documentary, Dallas Smith curates a fundraising festival, and Leonard Cohen’s doctor’s visit is captured on film. Also in the headlines are Rafael Payare, Morgan Toney, Cadence Weapon, Shan Vincent de Paul, Mr. Morgan, La Rev, Craig Small, Sony Music, LCD Soundsystem, Mickey Guyton, Shaun Ryder, Shakira, the Stones, Alien Weaponry, Bob Dylan, and Joni Mitchell.
By Kerry Doole
Celine Dion to reflect on life and career in new documentary
Celine Dion is giving her blessing to a new documentary on her life and career. Producers say the Quebecois pop superstar has agreed to participate in what’s described as the “definitive feature” on her rise to fame, bestselling albums, world tours and Las Vegas residencies. They say while it doesn’t yet have a title, production is underway with the singer’s “full participation.” – David Friend, CP
In Rafael Payare, it sounds like the Montreal Symphony has once again come up with a winner
In January of this year, it was announced that Payare, who’s now 41, would succeed the popular Kent Nagano as music director of the orchestra in 2022. A three-year international search had come to an end. And if the concert I heard him conduct with the San Diego Symphony — to my ears, surprisingly splendid — can be taken as an omen, Montreal has found a winner. – William Littler, Toronto Star
Lifted Hotel Festival showcases the best in Canadian country while raising funds for mental-health awareness
Award-winning musician Dallas Smith has put together a great lineup of contemporary country musicians for his fundraising festival. – Stuart Derdeyn, Postmedia
Leonard Cohen goes to the doctor: Ian Cook’s best photograph
Leonard said that he had an imminent appointment with a Harley Street specialist. My heart sank and I thought: “There goes the assignment.” Then he said brightly, “Do you want to come along with me? – Ian Cook, The Guardian
Fall music 2021: 25 albums to soundtrack your season
Toronto artists are putting out some of the strongest music right now, and this autumn is no exception. – Richard Trapunski, NOW
Polaris winner Cadence Weapon now managed in Ottawa
'I really can feel his passion for music. He's a true music lover,' artist says of new rep Jon Bartlett. – CBC News
Morgan Toney takes his ‘Mi’kmaltic’ tunes to Prismatic Arts Festival’s stage
The young fiddler combines his backgrounds in the Mi’kmaq and Celtic communities. – Chris Stoodley, The Coast
Meaningful connections: the key to the music industry - Mr. Morgan
President of OVO Sound and creator of M3 Entertainment, Mr. Morgan is a legend in the music industry and a proud Canadian. In this insightful interview, Mr. Morgan sits down with Executive Producer Anoop Virk to share his journey. – TedX- YouTube
Rapper Shan Vincent de Paul is fighting to claim space in Toronto’s music scene
The Tamil-Canadian artist talks finding space in the international music scene and the controversy over his appearance on Rolling Stone India. – Radheyan Simonpillai, NOW
Why artists are upset Stratford Festival is re-auditioning its cast for the musical Chicago
As the theatre company begins preparations to resurrect one of the biggest of those called-off productions next season, a controversy is unfolding online over the fact that ad Antoni Cimolino’s commitment does not extend to all the actors originally cast in the shuttered shows. Indeed, many performers are having to re-audition for roles that they had already started rehearsing. – JK Nestruck, Globe and Mail
This under the radar Mexican restaurant is a hidden gem for live music in Toronto
Discover a hidden gem in the Junction when you first walk into La Rev, a warm and cozy Mexican restaurant which doubles as one of the last remaining live music venues to own and tune an acoustic piano. Owner-operator Indira Nanavati is a classically trained pianist who initially opened the venue a decade ago with her high school friend. – Ori Dagan, BlogTO
Canadian artist’s book vending machine makes its debut at Jack White’s new Third Man Records store in London
The Literarium, created by Craig Small, has the same throwback look as his previous machine the Biblio-Mat, but includes more features, such as retro Nixie tubes that display three flashing numbers and a series of pinball-like chimes recorded by Don Kerr, the former drummer of Rheostatics. – Paul Waldie, Globe and Mail
International
Sony Music launches 'Artist Assistance' program to promote Wellness for its signed talent
This summer, in a widely applauded move, Sony Music Entertainment (SME) announced that it would start disregarding unrecouped balances for eligible heritage catalog artists. This week, SME announced a major expansion of Artists Forward, with a new wellness-focused program called Artist Assistance. – Murray Stassen, MBW
First petrol, then pasta … now record labels are running out of vinyl
Demand for records is soaring, and Britain’s supply problems are making it even harder to get albums pressed. – James Tapper, The Guardian
LCD Soundsystem announce live return with 20 show-run in New York City
The gigs will mark the popular band's first live outings since 2018. – Sam Moore, NME
Review: Mickey Guyton soars on her powerful, personal record
It’s hard enough to be Black woman in America, but Mickey Guyton’s path in country music has been especially fraught with obstacles she had to overcome. On her debut full-length album released a decade after she was initially signed to her label (a fact that itself raises questions), Guyton has proven what hasn’t killed her has only made her stronger. – Kristin M. Hall, AP
How to Be a Rock Star by Shaun Ryder review – candid, brilliant and bizarre
The lead singer of the Happy Mondays and star of Celebrity Gogglebox mixes funny stories with moments of real poignancy as he looks back at three decades of rock’n’roll debauchery. – Emma Garland, The Guardian
Morgan Wallen banned from attending the CMA Awards
The ban comes despite Wallen being nominated for Album of The Year at the event. Wallen sparked controversy back in February after a video of him using a racial slur surfaced. He was subsequently dropped by a number of radio stations, as well as his record label, Big Loud. Despite as much, sales for his recent album ‘Dangerous’ surged. – Will Richards, NME
Shakira gets mugged by wild boars after surviving a sea lion attack
Shakira is lucky it was just her bag that was mauled. The pop star with the bionic hips stopped shimmying this week to chase down two brazen robbers. Shakira was with her eight-year-old son, Milan, in a park in Barcelona when the attempted mugging went down in broad daylight. – Vinay Menon, Toronto Star
The Rolling Stones officially release ‘Trouble’s A Coming’
The Rolling Stones fans have a previously unreleased song new to listen to now. ‘Troubles A-Comin’ is one of the nine previously unreleased songs coming on the expanded ‘Tattoo You’ box set. – Noise11
Seether’s Shaun Morgan says festival fans who booed Machine Gun Kelly were “doing God’s work”
"I congratulated the crowd for booing that prick off the stage." – Will Lavin, NME
John Mellencamp and Bruce Springsteen release their first duet together
The two stars have recorded their first song together. ‘Wasted Days’ will feature on the next Mellencamp album. – Noise11
‘Racism is rampant’: Alien Weaponry, the metal band standing up for Māori culture
The New Zealand trio have gone global thanks to their forthright Māori-language songs, which confront colonial history and ongoing inequality. – Matt Mills, The Guardian
Bob Dylan going on tour - through 2024
Bob Dylan is nothing if not confident. The music legend has quietly put concert tickets on sale for a tour in support of last year's album, “Rough and Rowdy Ways.” His website bills it as a “World Wide Tour 2021-2024.” – AP
Joni Mitchell on her favourite Beatles album
In an interview, Mitchell described how her favourite album by the pioneering four-piece developed as a result of their fascination with artists of that era: “Rubber Soul was the Beatles album I played over and over,” Mitchell began. “I think they were discovering Dylan, and the songs often had an acoustic feel.” – Farout
Emily Ratajkowski accuses Robin Thicke of groping her while filming ‘Blurred Lines’ music video
The claims are detailed in the model's forthcoming book, 'My Body.' – Caleb Triscari, NME
Kanye West to step into the world of technology, files trademark
Kanye West may be set to step foot into a new venture, one that is neither fashion nor music. According to TMZ, the Yeezy designer is looking to get into the tech world. – Geo News
