Music News Digest, Jan. 18, 2019

By Kerry Doole

Whenever issues of copyright arise in the Canadian entertainment industries, Michael Geist is sure to enter the conversation - and he’s not one to hide his disagreements with some of the music industry’s big players. Canadian Musician’sAndrew King and Mike Rain interview the controversial pundit in an almost 60-minute podcast that can be streamed here.

– Storyteller and roving minstrel Corin Raymond is back performing at The Cameron House Thursdays 6-8 pm, Jan. through Feb, excepting Feb. 14 when he can be found in Montreal performing and regaling fellow songwriters and agents at Folk Alliance Int. The troubadour has 50 shows across Southern Ontario and Quebec through June and maintains a separate schedule for house concerts.

– Music Canada recently looked back on the gold, platinum, and diamond certifications it awarded in 2018. Seven singles received Diamond certifications, matching the number from 2017, with Ed Sheeran earning two, for “Perfect” and “Thinking Out Loud."  Drake received the highest certification in 2018 for a Canadian artist with the 8x Platinum certification of “God’s Plan,” followed by breakout DJ duo Loud Luxury with their 7x Platinum summer hit “Body.”

Drake’s Double Platinum album Scorpion is the highest certified Canadian album released in 2018, with Shawn Mendes' platinum self-titled release placing second. In total, Music Canada experienced a 24% increase in album certifications and a 10% increase in Canadian album certifications. More here

– CBC Music’s annual Searchlight talent contest has launched, including solo artists, duos and groups from all genres are encouraged to enter via CBCMusic.ca/searchlight.  Deadline is Jan 29.

– Conference Passes for Canadian Music Week (CMW) are now available at an early bird rate that expires Jan. 31. The 37th instalment of Canada's largest new music festival and conference runs May 6-12 in Toronto.

– The 2019 Credit Union Music PEI Week begins next Wed. (Jan 23), running until Jan. 27. The event includes the SOCAN Songwriter of the Year Concert, multicultural concert Music Mosaic, and a variety of other shows, closing out with the Music PEI Awards Party on Sunday afternoon and the closing concert, Winter Tales, that evening, featuring many nominees. A full sked here.

– Quebec progressive sci-fi metal veterans Voivod began tour dates in Japan and Australia this week, and the band has just announced North American tour dates. They start at Fine Line in Minneapolis on March 27, concluding at Gas Monkey in Dallas on April 14. The only Canadian show is at The Phoenix in Toronto on March 30. The trek promotes recent album The Wake.

– Fifteen-time Grammy winner Alicia Keys hosts the 61st annual Grammy Awards, taking place at the Staples Center on Feb. 10. She's the first female host since Queen Latifah in 2005.

– '90s Toronto rockers Rusty reunited for sporadic gigs earlier this decade and delivered a new album, Dogs of Canada, last summer. The band is belatedly launching it via a hometown show at Velvet Underground tonight (Jan. 18).

– Quebec singer/songwriter Coeur de pirate ( Béatrice Martin) has announced a cross-Canada tour supporting last year's En cas de tempête, ce jardin sera fermé. The tour begins at Ottawa's Bronson Centre on Feb. 1, closing out at Winnipeg's Burton Cummings Theatre on March 11.

– Twilight Fields is the solo project of North Bay-based Allister Thompson. Formerly in glam rockers Crash Kelly, he has ventured into folk and psychedelic terrain since, and has a new album, TheAge of Ruin, coming on Feb. 1. One of its tracks, a cover of Bruce Cockburn's "Lovers in a Dangerous Time," has just been released.

– Creative Manitoba is hosting a Careers in the Arts Youth Mentorship program in its office, on Mondays, from Feb. 4 to April 8. Lead Mentor is Andrea Burgoyne, Venue and Event Manager – True North. Apply here

– The results of the 19th Annual Country Music Critics’ Poll are in, but Canadian artists are notably absent from the list, compiled by 98 North American music scribes. The only Canadian represented is Colter Wall, who placed at No. 27 on Albums of the Year, for Songs Of The Plains, and at No. 8 in the Best Male Vocalist category, edging out Keith Urban.

– ole has extended its exclusive publishing deal with Nashville based hit singer-songwriter Jordan Davis. The deal includes the exclusive ownership of Davis’s publishing rights over the long-term. Davis was named “Top New Country Artist” of 2018 by Billboard, and his debut album, Home State, sold US platinum last year.

– Sound of Pop has signed a publishing deal with New Brunswick-based folk artists Tomato/Tomato. The agreement includes their new album Canary In A Coal Mine, as well as their Christmas album Pinecones & Cinnamon.

RIP

Lorna Doom (born Teresa Ryan), bassist of the seminal Los Angeles punk band Germs, died on Jan. 16. The cause of death is currently unknown, but her passing was confirmed by former Germs drummer Don Bolles in a FB post.

Doom joined Germs in the mid-’70s. She played on the group's lone full-length (GI) on Slash Records in 1979.

The Germs disbanded in 1980 after singer Darby Crash died by suicide at the age of 22. The band was prominently featured in Penelope Spheeris’ noted 1981 punk documentary The Decline of Western Civilization. Source: Pitchfork