Music Biz Headlines, Sept. 26, 2018

By Kerry Doole

Sound of Silence: Paul Simon bows out with final concert in Queens

The 76-year-old isn’t retiring and hasn’t ruled out occasional future performances, but has said this is his last time on the road. –  AP

Circle of life: Elton John stays with music label

Universal Music deal shows how labels in the streaming age evolve from being just publisher. –  Anne Steele, Wall Street Journal

SiriusXM’s acquisition of Pandora is the latest sign that tech is taking control of the music industry

The satellite radio company’s purchase of the online streaming service could further loosen the grip of record labels as music industry gatekeepers. –  Victor Luckerson,The Ringer

Neil Young rips Trump at Farm Aid, plays blistering ‘Powderfinger’

“I am a Canadian, and I love America. There’s nothing here that needs to be made ‘great again,” says Young, prior to 33rd benefit for U.S. family farmers. –  Erin Manning, Rolling Stone

A new Spotify initiative makes the big record labels nervous

“Licensing content does not make us a label, nor do we have any interest in becoming a label,” Daniel Ek, Spotify’s chief executive, said during an earnings call in July. –  Ben Sisario, NY Times

Music Modernization Act on the brink of becoming law

On Tuesday, the House of Representatives today unanimously approved passage of the U.S. Senate’s version of the bill. Now, the MMA is off to the White House where it will await the signature of President Donald Trump before becoming the law of the land. –  Ed Christman, Billboard

  Brodie West gathers some of Toronto's best improvisers for his first Quintet album

Clips, the first album billed to the Brodie West Quintet, is a testament to the versatility that can be found in a jazz group with a ton of chemistry. –   Mark Streeter, NOW

Atlanta rapper 6laCK: "Music can never smile at me the way my daughter does"

Once broke and hungry, the rising star has now been nominated for two Grammys. He discusses hitting rock bottom, narrowly avoiding death – and becoming a father. –  Aniefiok Ekpoudom, The Guardian

Fall Arts: Songs of the City 

The United Way matches local storytellers with songwriters to create brand-new collaborations for one special night. –  Brennan McCracken, The Coast

Former exec sues Spotify over boys-only events and pay

The executive, Hong Perez, sued the music streaming company and its head of U.S. sales, Brian Berner, in New York State Court last week, claiming gender discrimination and equal pay violations. –  AP

Vancouver's Kitty & The Rooster: as one might guess from the pussy-licker lollipops, not a kids' band at all

Drummer-vocalist Jodie Ponto’s kitty is hilarious, blankly clued out and debauched, like she’s done too much catnip. –  Allan MacInnis, Georgia Straight

Jamaican reggae producer Joseph Hoo Kim's legacy lives on

“Joe Joe” Hoo Kim, who died of liver cancer at age 76 on Thursday in New York, had an impact on Maxfield Avenue in Kingston through his Channel One studio, located in its heart. –  Howard Campbell, jamaicaobserver.com

Apple CEO Tim Cook spiked an original TV show about the life of hip hop artist Dr. Dre

Cook reportedly found the semi-biopic, "Vital Signs," too violent and was shocked at scenes depicting cocaine consumption, an orgy and the brandishing of guns. –  Business Insider

Farm-raised musicians Fred Eaglesmith and Jack Semple find solace on the road and in the studio

I never thought I could care about a piece of farm machinery, but Fred Eaglesmith made me care. Okay, I’m actually empathizing with the characters who care about farm machinery in the songs on his last album Standard — the title is a metaphor. –   Roger Levesque, Edmonton Journal

'It's like the music starts to seep into the walls': Grossman's Tavern turns 70

Not many live music venues in Toronto make it to their 70th anniversary but Grossman’s achieved that benchmark this year. “If it disappeared, it’d kind of be like someone’s hometown disappearing or their old neighbourhood disappearing,” says Downchild's Gary Kendall. –  Toronto Sun

The kids get into the swing of things for Music with Mandy

Calgary-based singer Mandy Morris has an unusual response to jazz music, one that might cause a few frowns among the genre’s more serious-minded adherents. –   Eric Volmers, Calgary Herald