Music Biz Headlines, Sept. 30, 2019
Jane Bunnett (pictured) is Cuban music's Canadian connection, Endeavor Group postpones planned IPO, and Billboard's list of top young executives. Others in the headlines include Tegan and Sara, HMV, Begonia, Simply Saucer, Spotify, Bobby Curtola, 2 Chainz, Patti Smith, and Itzhak Perlman.
By FYI Staff
Jane Bunnett: Cuban music's Canadian connection
Saxophonist, flautist and bandleader Jane Bunnett has been travelling back and forth between her home in Toronto and Cuba for over 30 years. Joined by a host of legendary Cuban musicians, the result is a catalogue of over a dozen albums that have explored just about every musical corner of the country. – NPR
U.S. country artists struck gold with crossover hits. Why haven't Canadian acts followed?
US rappers and pop stars have linked arms in solidarity with country artists to generate mass-appeal hits that transcend genre borders. Except the crossover effect didn’t seem to inspire Canadian rap and pop performers to join country singers in the studio the same way. – David Friend, CP
Tegan and Sara: Hey, I’m Just Like You review – Canadian twins revisit their youth
The album is a clear-headed amalgamation of their two eras, veering from stomping emo to sleek, synth-led pop. – Michael Cragg, The Observer
Forbes: Time to recognize the wonderful legacy of Bobby Curtola
“I was Justin Bieber before Justin Bieber.” That is just one of those witty lines that came out of a great man, Bobby Curtola, who left us, sadly, on June 4, 2016. Curtola is being inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of fame next month. – Edmonton Sun
Simply Saucer: The Cream interview
Talking with Edgar Breau and Craig Bell ahead of the legendary Hamilton proto-punk group’s FMRL-organized show at Little Harpeth Brewing. – Sean Maloney, Nashville Scene
Ten questions with Shotgun Jimmie
The indie songwriter on opening for his heroes Thrush Hermit and curing all ails with barbecued eats. – Morgan Mullins, The Coast
Musical Piaf/Dietrich celebrates a long-time bond between two icons
With all those tales of duelling divas, from Bette Davis and Joan Crawford to Taylor Swift and Katy Perry, it’s a pleasure to learn about a couple of showbiz legends who really liked each other. Piaf/Dietrich, the vibrant musical biography unfolding at the CAA Theatre, celebrates the long-time bond between Édith Piaf, the great French chanteuse, and the German-born Hollywood actress Marlene Dietrich. – Martin Morrow, Globe and Mail
The Nostalgia Effect: Is our love for HMV delaying its inevitable fate?
Above everything, Canadian Doug Putman needs to ensure his model is operationally efficient and agile enough to transform with the times. – Andy Halliwell, Essential Retail
Review: Canadian pop singer Begonia wrestles with big questions on Fear
Rather than Instagram’s disingenuous style of curated realness, Alexa Dirks's debut LP flows naturally and unpredictably, like internal monologues set to music. – Chaka V. Grier, NOW
Folk Music Ontario conference travelogue
The Indigenous Artists showcase included Desiree Dorion and Richard Inman. – Heather Kitching, Roots Music Canada
International
Endeavor Group postpones planned IPO
Endeavor Group Holdings, the parent company of Los Angeles-based talent agency WME, postponed its IPO September 26 – the day before its scheduled New York Stock Exchange debut. The entertainment giant made the last minute decision ‘due to weak stock market demand’, according to a report by CNBC. – Murray Stassen, MBW
Spotify launches upgraded $14.99 Family Plan in U.S.
The streamer tipped change last month with a launch in Ireland. The streamer has reportedly also been testing the offering at a higher price in Scandinavia. – Hypebot
40 under 40: Billboard reveals its 2019 roster of young executives shaking up the music business
The list includes fast-rising execs at Def Jam, Concord and Instagram. – Billboard
Theaters’ new way to silence cellphones: Lock them up
Cellphone interruptions are the bane of almost every performer. But now, more cultural institutions and theatrical producers in New York City are embracing a way to curb the use of the devices. – Charles Passy, WSJ
This week In the Hot Seat with Larry LeBlanc: Tom Cantone
America’s casino, entertainment, hotel, and resort industry, a $240 billion entertainment and gaming colossus—now represents a powerful global concert distribution network. At its forefront is Tom Cantone, Sr. Corporate Vice President, Sports & Entertainment for Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment (MGE) who has been responsible for over 10,000 entertainment events during his colorful three-decade career. – Celebrity Access
2 Chainz acquires stake in Atlanta’s A3C Festival & Conference
A3C has announced that rapper Tauheed “2 Chainz” Epps has purchased a stake in the A3C Festival & Conference and is now part of the ownership group. 2 Chainz will be a creative curator and business advisor involved with curating panels and artist lineups, along with “developing the overall experience of A3C,” according to the announcement. This year he will be the closing keynote on October 12 in a fireside chat with the Dapper Dan. – Variety Staff
Fiona Apple reacts to Lil Nas X sample: “Where’s my money, you cute little guy?”
Apple publicly addresses the viral sensation, whose 2018 song Kim Jong samples Every Single Night. – Pitchfork
'I found myself alone': Legendary rocker Patti Smith discusses losing friends, Jesus and Instagram
It starts off with a Polaroid snapshot of a sign: The Dream Inn. Old neon, retro atomic styling. And a search for a cup of coffee. It’s New Year’s Day, 2016. Patti Smith was supposed to be here with Sandy Pearlman, the guy who told her she should start a rock band some 40 years earlier. – Deborah Dundas, Toronto Star
Greta Thunberg's mother, Malena Ernman, is an opera rock star
Watch the Swedish mezzo-soprano sing arias by Handel and Purcell. – Robert Rowat, CBC Music
Meet the future headliners: these are the new artists that smashed it this festival season
Festival season was fun, wasn’t it? Here, the NME Staff have clumped together their collective brain to try and piece together all the exciting new stuff we discovered in the fields, and the already-stars that made the leap this summer. – Thomas Smith, NME
Review: Violin master Itzhak Perlman delights with mainstream show
The appearance of violin superstar Itzhak Perlman for a one-evening event with the CPO brought out music lovers in droves. And the ovation when Perlman piloted his wheelchair onto the stage was overwhelming. Clearly, he has many fans in Calgary. – Kenneth Delong, Calgary Herald
