Music Biz Headlines, Dec. 18, 2019
Andrew Loog Oldham (pictured) teaches at a BC uni, Rihanna biopic sells to Amazon, and Aussie stars raise hay. Others in the headlines include Ward Cabaret, Cartel Madras, UVic, Atlantic UK, Michael Jackson, Best Of lists, Jonas Brothers, Bauhaus, and Chance the Rapper.
By Kerry Doole
Former Rolling Stones manager headlines rock dreams course at B.C. university
Andrew Loog Oldham was 19 years old when he joined the vanguard of rock and roll history known as the British Invasion. Now, at 75, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee said he’s bringing his music industry experience and “war stories” to Thompson Rivers University (TRU) in Kamloops, B.C., to teach a 13-week course. – Dirk Meissner, CP
The Ward Cabaret is a haunting and musical history of immigrants who settled in Toronto
The cast includes some leading local musicians. – Carly Maga, Toronto Star
Kids Losing Sleep are gaining hits
The Halifax four-piece drops the ultimate emo-pop soundtrack for early adulthood. – Morgan Mullin, The Coast
Review: Cartel Madras hinted at big things to come at the Drake Hotel
The Calgary hip-hop duo showed off serious energy and charisma in their gut-punch early show – likely one of the last times to see them at such an intimate venue. – Richard Trapunski, NOW
UVic libraries auctioning off a large vinyl collection
Vinyl collectors could snag a bargain at the University of Victoria’s libraries, which are auctioning off thousands of LPs to downsize their music collection and make more space in the age of streaming services. The libraries have listed more than 5,900 records on the B.C. Auction website in lots of about 350 to 450 records. – Nick Eagland, The Province
Hobson's Choice: Music and humour on tap at local theatres
StoryBook Theatre is flying high with its production of Matilda the Musical and playwright Caroline Russell-King is gliding just under the radar with her new farce A Muslim and a Jew Walk into a Comedy. – Louis B. Hobson, Calgary Herald
Singers Danielle Knibbe, Jenie Thai excited to play home town for the holidays
For musicians living away from home, the holiday season often means returning to perform, with all those inevitable reflections on where music has taken them. – Roger Levesque, Edmonton Journal
International
Ed Howard and Briony Turner named Co-Presidents of Atlantic Records UK
Briony Turner and Ed Howard have been promoted to Co-Presidents of Atlantic Records UK, effective from January 1. The duo jointly succeeds Ben Cook, who left his role as President of Atlantic Records UK in October. – Tim Ingham, MBW
Around 130 publicly funded professional orchestras, over 80 permanent opera companies and billions in subsidies: Germany's unique musical landscape has created a global hub for classical music. – DW
Michael Jackson’s worth has rocketed by around a billion dollars in just one year. However, the King of Pop’s estate has been forced to sell its Beatles song catalogue for a staggering $757 million to ensure Jacko’s three kids didn’t end up with money woes, according to court papers. – Sun Online
The Reading Room: Top Music Books of 2019
It’s been a good year for music books, and thank goodness, for they have been a refuge in an otherwise stormy publishing world that’s focused on the corruption rampant in American politics. Almost every book in my list below could have occupied the first spot here. – Henry Carrigan, No Depression
Rihanna documentary directed by Peter Berg sells for $25M to Amazon
Another pop superstar has scored a mega payday from a streamer. Amazon has landed worldwide rights to a Peter Berg-directed doc about Rihanna. Sources say Amazon paid $25 million for the untitled film's rights in a move that reflects last week's $25 million Apple TV+ deal for a Billie Eilish doc directed by and produced in collaboration with Eilish’s label, Interscope Records. – Tatiana Siegel, Billboard
The 13 Best Cover Songs of 2019
The covers didn’t stop and end with Phoebe Bridgers: Lana Del Rey, Lucy Dacus, Fiona Apple, Julien Baker, and so many others shared fresh takes on old favourites. Here we select 13 of the best refreshed, reinvented reprises from this year. – Paste
Jarvis Cocker's Running the World in line for Christmas chart spot
In light of the Conservative election victory, fans have started a campaign to get the explicit song to the festive No 1 spot. – Laura Snapes, The Guardian
Hay Mate raises $4.6 Million for the farmers and hits for the performers
John Farnham and Glenn Wheatley’s Farmer’s Benefit concert Hay Mate raised over $4.6 million for Australia’s farmers on Sunday and it's not looking too shabby on the chart for the artists who performed. – Paul Cashmere, Noise 11
Chance The Rapper officially cancels ‘The Big Tour’
Chance the Rapper has terminated his upcoming ‘The Big Tour,’ which was previously postponed back in September following the birth of his second child. – CelebrityAccess
Here are 18 new holiday music albums, and not a lump of coal in the bunch
Here are this year’s standout holiday albums deserving of attention between revisits to perennial Bing Crosby, Phil Spector, Barbra Streisand, Elvis Presley and Beach Boys yuletide collections. – Randy Lewis, LA Times
The Jonas Brothers gross $100M as North American tour wraps
This past weekend, the Jonas Brothers wrapped their largest and most successful tour to date with a pair of performances at The Forum in Los Angeles The Happiness Begins Tour, which kicked off in early August at Miami’s AmericanAirlines Arena went on to sell more than $1 million tickets. – Celebrity Access
Bauhaus announces 2020 reunion shows
The goth-rock purveyors will play shows in New York and London next April. – Alex Young, CoS
