A Faustian bargain: Facebook flashes big cash for music rights clearances

The social media hub wants to break YouTube’s lock on video, and the rights deal would clear the way for user-generated videos to be legally synched to copyrighted music tracks — Bloomberg

Digital property rights debate heats up in NAFTA renegotiation

Part of the debate centres around how countries regulate so-called digital lock provisions or technological protection measures which companies place on devices or software in what they say is a tool to fight piracy — Chris Arsenault, Thomson Reuters Foundation

MusiCares establishes Hurricane Harvey relief fund

The charitable org plans to help those affected in the music community by contributing to costs for shelter, food, utilities, transportation, medical bills, clothing, and aid in the replacement of instruments and recording equipment — Samaritan Mag

R&B star Kwaye on being discovered in an Uber: ‘I thought it was a bit weird’

A chance encounter in a Los Angeles cab led the British Zimbabwean singer to his first recording contract – and critical acclaim. He talks about the politics behind his funky R&B —Laura Snapes, The Guardian

The forgotten L.A. history of The Rolling Stones' Exile on Main St.

Los Angeles played a major part in Exile's creation, on multiple levels. Musically, the Stones and producer Jimmy Miller finished up the classic 1972 album at Hollywood’s Sunset Sound, doing vocals, overdubs and mixing — Matt Wake, LA Weekly

Women are making the best rock music today. Here are the bands that prove it

A new generation of female and non-binary performers — punk in style or spirit, coming from the all-ages warehouse and D.I.Y.-venue ecosystem — is taking the place of male rock bands. Vancouver's The Courtneys makes the list —  New York Times

Thanks to Amazon, Seattle is now America’s biggest company town

The company so dominates Seattle that it has as much office space as the city’s next 40 largest employers combined. And the growth continues: Amazon’s Seattle footprint of 8.1 million square feet is expected to soar to more than 12 million square feet within five years —  Mike Rosenberg, Seattle Times

NYC is getting an Office of Nightlife to help struggling music venues stay afloat

It is being established in direct response to the rapid closure of beloved clubs and music venues across Brooklyn in recent years — Time Out

From streaming to selfies – six things Taylor Swift taught the music industry

The digital revolution has done a lot of damage. But some artists can still see the way forward —  Mark Sweney, The Guardian  

Celine Dion loves you. And you. And you.

Meet and greets are usually reserved for performers early in their career, or for those trying to hold on to one. Not so for Queen Celine. She gives all of herself — Hayley Krischer, New York Times

Why aren’t there more women working in audio?

Like with many STEM-oriented fields, music production and sound engineering are dominated by men—though that’s very slowly changing — Joy Lanzendorfer, The Atlantic

It's been 20 years since Oasis' Be Here Now signalled the end of Britpop

It's 20 years since Oasis's bloated Be Here Now sounded the death knell. Our music critic looks back on the highs and lows of 'Cool Britannia'  —John Meagher, The Independent

Jason Isbell's sensitive sound shows stoicism is for suckers

The Americana star is special in a modern way, his delicate expressions articulate, empathetic and relatable —  Brad Wheeler, The Globe and Mail

Astrophysicists make music out of the death of a spacecraft

In three weeks, Cassini, which left Earth in 1997, will end its mission and crash into Saturn. At the University of Toronto, astrophysicists have converted its final plunge into a piece of music —  Victoria Gibson, Toronto Star

Justin Bieber’s Friends: an absolute banger of a breakup song

The tune is a classic “pathetic banger”, a very particular type of pop song in which Justin Bieber apologises to an ex in a horribly self-pitying, obsequious way, but the track is so amazing you can’t help enjoying it — Issy Sampson, The Guardian

Guns N' Roses shows its heart in Vancouver with timely tributes to Glen Campbell and Chris Cornell

The Gunners rip it up at BC place, with Slash's axework oft stealing the show  — Steve Newton, Georgia Straight

Toronto’s Alvvays is too good to ignore

Specializing in 'the scrappy side of twee,' ex-pat Maritimers Alvvays has built an eager fan base in spite of itself — Ben Rayner, Toronto Star

Garth Brooks brings down the Saddledome

The hat superstar begins his run of seven sold-out shows in top form — Gerry Krochak, Calgary Herald

Stridently minimal and forcefully propulsive: The Modern Lovers’ major label feeding frenzy

A new biography explains how Jonathan Richman found himself in the unlikeliest music industry ménage à trois —  Sean Maloney, Salon

Northlands empire has fallen

Seasons come and seasons go. Empires rise and fall. Northlands had a good run — 138 years. But now its empire, sitting on city-owned land, has all blown up. The aging Coliseum sits empty other than the occasional C-circuit concert and the Canadian Finals Rodeo this fall and in 2018 —  Graham Hicks, Edmonton Sun

Aaron Pritchett is pleased with his musical evolution

“I’m sort of this semi laid-back country rocker hippy kind of guy that lives on an island and it’s showing in the music"  — Gord Brock, Regina Leader-Post

The National’s beautiful claustrophobia

On “Sleep Well Beast,” the band seems to be reckoning with how inert and immovable feelings of regret and longing are — Amanda Petrusich, The New Yorker