The Biebs banned from China for ‘bad behavior

In a one-paragraph response published on its official website, the culture ministry said that while Bieber may be talented, he is also a "controversial young foreign singer" whose "bad behavior," both in his social life and during previous performances in China, has caused "public discontent." The ministry explained that to "purify" China's artistic landscape, an artist like Bieber must not be allowed to perform in the country — Shanghailist

'Buried history': unearthing the influence of Native Americans on rock'n'roll

Stevie Salas’ research has led to the documentary Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World, which traces the impact of Native people on America’s rich musical history  —  Jim Farber, The Guardian

Billboard's 2017 top music lawyers revealed

These 61 keen legal minds are on the front lines of copyright fights and superstar deals, led by Joel Katz, the Bronx-born, Atlanta-based attorney who circles the world for his A-list clients — Billboard

YouTube faces pressure from music artists to pay up

Musicians and their lawyers complain about the share of revenue that artists receive from the site compared to other music platforms — Josh Schmidt, lawstreetmedia.com

Home studios change the face of the recording industry

New alt-rock band Maylong built their own studio and recorded a soon-to-be-released first album —  Mitch Goldenberg, Edmonton Journal

Dub music: A history of Jamaica's criminally underappreciated musical artform

Kenny Rogers, Dolly Parton set their final performance together as he closes out his career

“We’ve enjoyed a special friendship for decades, and I’ll forever look back fondly on the many collaborations, performances, and laughs we’ve shared as some of the most extraordinary moments of my career,” 78-year-old Rogers said of Parton  — LA Times

Toronto music past and present at Mount Pleasant Cemetery

Glenn Gould, Alexander Muir and piano maker Theodore Heintzman rest in cemetery, which hosts summer music series  —  Megan Dolski, Toronto Star

Album review: Arcade Fire challenge fans with ‘Everything Now’

It finds the group pushing against the boundaries of its template, trying on various styles that sometimes work gloriously but often hang awkwardly on their anthemic sound like an ill-fitting new outfit — Jem Aswad, Variety

5 reasons to see Bruno Mars in Vancouver

The star entertainer plays Rogers Arena on July 26 — Stuart Derdeyn, Vancouver Sun

Kesha’s release of ‘Praying’ highlights growth, legal battles with Dr. Luke

Beleaguered star puts out a single from her new album, Rainbow, due on Aug. 11 — Phoebe Smith, dailyorange.com

Does Ian Blurton want to bring Change of Heart back to life for good?

The iconic Toronto underground rock band returns to celebrate 25 years of their masterpiece album Smile  —  Vish Khanna, NOW

Randy Newman writes a comic song about Donald Trump's penis

Oscar-winning songwriter left vulgar song off new album Dark Matter so he wouldn’t ‘add to the problem of how ugly the conversation we’re all having is’ —  Ben Beaumont-Thomas, The Guardian

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness: A conversation with Lana Del Rey

On the eve of her fourth album, the pagan pop star sounds more content than ever. How did she get there? —  Alex Frank, Pitchfork

Avett Brothers talk tragedy, career in Judd Apatow-helmed doc

"We were self-centered hillbillies who thought the world was either gonna come to us or not," co-founder Scott Avett reflects in 'May It Last' trailer —  Ryan Reed, Rolling Stone

Chipotle taps Wu-Tang for marketing buzz after safety scare

Fast food chain launches new website designed by rapper RZA but company's stock tanks after a new nonovirus case —  Craig Giamonna, Bloomberg

David Celia is a tube-amp guy in a solid-state world

Hard-working Toronto rocker pays tribute to a guitar amp repairman — Brad Wheeler, Globe and Mail