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FYI

Music Biz Headlines: Lori Yates Salutes Toronto Venue The Matador, TikTok Under Fire & More

Our weekly compendium of interesting headlines from Canada and around the globe also includes stories on Joni Mitchell, Cirkut, The Sheepdogs, Celine Dion, and Boygenius.

Lori Yates

Lori Yates

Courtesy Photo

Toronto's Legendary Matador Club is Gone, but Lori Yates Hasn't Forgotten

The veteran singer writes about the place that played host to Loretta Lynn, Johnny Cash and Leonard Cohen. - Nick Krewen, Toronto Star


Inside Celine Dion's Triumphant Return at The Grammys — and That Taylor Swift Snub

The Canadian icon took the stage to rapturous applause. It was a welcome return for Dion, who's been out of the spotlight due to stiff person syndrome. - Sarah Laing, The Kit

Joni Mitchell, 80, and the Grammys Debut Worth Waiting For

The Canadian music icon took to the Grammys stage for the first time at the 2024 show. She also took home a Grammy for best folk album. - Emilie Hanskamp, Toronto Star

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Cirkut Shaped Global Hit, But It's a Lesser-known Tune That Brought a Grammy Nod

Few music producers hold the magic touch for shaping a pop hit quite like Halifax-raised hitmaker Henry Walter. - David Friend, Canadian Press

Tom Wilson Reckons With His Past in Art book 'Mohawk Warriors, Hunters and Chiefs'

The Hamilton musician, storyteller and visual artist discovered he was adopted — and Mohawk — when he was 53. His new book features how, in his painting, he explores his Indigenous identity in order to find a way home. - Tom Wilson, Toronto Star

Jully Black: Canada’s Queen of R&B Soul Reflects on Her Life and Career

Juno Award-winning singer Jully Black will headline Kuumba 2024, a month-long Toronto festival celebrating Black culture, diversity and creativity, with a performance at Harbourfront Centre Theatre on Feb. 17. - Toronto Star

Death From Above 1979 to Play Light House Arts Centre in May

One of Canada’s best-known rock duos will reunite for a string of Maritime shows this May. The Toronto dance-punk rockers Death From Above 1979 will perform in Moncton, Halifax and Charlottetown between May 24-26. - Martin Bauman The Coast

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Can't-miss Vancouver Concerts in February 2024

Valentine’s Day. Black History Month. Lunar New Year. Plus all the amazing concerts that are blanketing Lotusland in sweet music this month. - V. S. Wells, Georgia Straight

Magnolia Buckskin Return After Nine Years With Third Album, In the Round

The title of Magnolia Buckskin’s latest album, In The Round, is appropriate for any folk act but seems particularly fitting for the veteran Calgary trio. - Eric Volmers, Calgary Herald

Sheepdogs On The Road Again, 'Putting On a Show For The People'

"It was really important for us to think about what people might want to listen to in the future," bassist Ryan Gullen said. - Saskatoon Star-Phoenix

Radio Star Talia Schlanger Prepares to Release a Debut Album

The popular radio host is now giving music top priority. - Brad Wheeler, Globe and Mail

International

YouTube Music Hits 100m Paid Subscribers

Head Lyor Cohen says the platform 'cares profoundly about the health of the music industry. - MBW

Primary Wave Applauds Universal for Standing Up to TikTok’s ‘Blatant Disregard for Artists and Songwriters’

The publisher is blasting the social platform for "willfully underpaying artists" by using "a decades-old canard that has no place in any modern music business." - Chris Eggertsen,Billboard

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Big Change at Universal Music Group With Newly Restructured Label Groups in The U.S.

Universal Music Group has confirmed a much-rumored move in the US market. Universal boss Sir Lucian Grainge has unveiled a restructuring of the company’s labels in the world’s biggest music market. - Tim Ingham, MBW

Over Time the Trust Will Come’: An Exclusive Interview With TikTok’s CEO

A few weeks ago, Shou Zi Chew sat down with us to tell us how he’s trying to make TikTok better. Is the company’s CEO for real—or just a really good politician? - Wired

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Mariah Carey and Lenny Kravitz Honored at Pre-Grammy Black Music Collective Event

In a pre-Grammy event, Mariah Carey used the Recording Academy stage to speak about fighting against conforming to certain norms. - AP

Pearl Jam throws a listening party for their new album

Pearl Jam blasted out their forthcoming album to a few hundred family, friends, industry insiders and reporters Wednesday, and the tracks showed they are doing anything but mellowing with age. - Andrew Dalton, AP

Chuck Philips, a Top LA Investigative Journalist, Died in January at Age 71.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist renowned for his reporting on dark corners of the music industry. - Chris Willman, Variety

The Global Appeal of African Music

As shown by a new Grammy category, the continent’s sounds are reaching around the globe. - AP

Boygenius Played Their ‘Last Show’ For A While

A member of the supertrio’s camp confirmed the hiatus. - Angie Martoccio, Rolling Stone

74-year-old Piano Man Billy Joel Has Both Fans and Detractors
“Maybe you love me, maybe you don’t,” Billy Joel sings on Turn The Lights Back On. “Maybe you’ll learn to, and maybe you won’t.” - Brad Wheeler, Globe and Mail
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Neil Young participates in a press conference during Farm Aid at Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center on September 23, 2023 in Noblesville, Indiana.
Gary Miller/Getty Images

Neil Young participates in a press conference during Farm Aid at Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center on September 23, 2023 in Noblesville, Indiana.

Rock

Neil Young Endorses Kamala Harris For President: ‘Cast Your Vote For a Beautiful Future For Your Family’

The rocker joins a long list of artists supporting the sitting VP in her race against Donald Trump.

Neil Young has made it clear he’s no fan of Donald Trump. The “Keep on Rockin’ in the Free World” guitar hero has threatened to sue twice impeached convicted felon Trump before for playing his songs at campaign rallies, and over the weekend Young made it clear that he does not want to give the former President a second chance in Washington.

“Kamala Harris — She is an honest forthright truth teller who is experienced in the White House, free from ambiguity or evasiveness, who goes straight to the point,” wrote Young on his Archives site on Friday about the sitting Vice President, who is less than a month away from possibly becoming the nation’s first female President.

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