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FYI

Music Biz Headlines, March 12, 2018

The 20th anniversary of a Canadian hip-hop anthem, a leaner Toronto festival summer, and the musical passions of Stephen King. Also in the headlines are OLP, Peaches, Steely Dan, Perla Batalla, Rusty, Emmylou Harris, Ensign Broderick, Steve Winwood, Royal Wood, and Earthless.

Music Biz Headlines, March 12, 2018

By Kerry Doole

Why Northern Touch still matters

Twenty years later, the Canadian hip-hop anthem means more than just beats and rhymes – Del F. Cowie, NOW


Life after WayHome — summer music festivals get leaner in 2018

Goodbye WayHome, Bestival, Riot Fest and TURF. Now that the festival boom is over, smaller, more focused events are taking their place –  Ben Rayner, Toronto Star

Music is the connection between Stephen King’s real and fictional worlds

Music plays an integral role in the books and films by Stephen King. Outside his fictional worlds, King is a real-life fan — and not just in a casual way. He plays in a rock band, the Rock Bottom Remainders, a former group of published writers, and he owns three local radio stations –  Emily Burnham, Bangor Daily News

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Show review: Our Lady Peace and Matthew Good at the Scotiabank Centre in Halifax 

Hello, nostalgia time bomb. The late 90s/00s CanCon stalwarts held a full and enthusiastic crowd close for a combined two-and-a-half hours  – Tara Thorne, The Coast

Peaches: 'We smoked a joint, started screaming and suddenly had some songs'

In 2000, recovering from cancer and heartbreak, Merrill Nisker bought a synth, renamed herself Peaches and made a scorching album that became a feminist classic. In this extract from our Start podcast, she relives the sex, pain and pillow talk that fuelled The Teaches of Peaches  – The Guardian

Donald Fagen, Steely Dan’s last member, is left to do the Dirty Work

Steely Dan co-founders Walter Becker and Donald Fagen were as fussy with contractual arrangements as they were with musical ones, as evidenced by the formation of Steely Dan Inc. Now there is a legal battle for ownership of the group – Brad Wheeler, The Globe and Mail

Perla Batalla honours Leonard Cohen’s legacy

The Grammy-winning singer was a long-time backing vocalist for Cohen. She now performs the songs of her late mentor  – Mike Usinger, Georgia Straight

Rusty returns with Now Is When

The band's 1995 debut album, Fluke, was a Canadian alt-rock hit. The Toronto rockers recently announced their new album, Now Is When, their first in 20 years, is nearing completion – Jacqueline Howell, Disarm

It's taken 47 years, but Ensign Broderick's debut album is here

Jason Sniderman invented his musical persona when he was 12 years old. Now 59, the Toronto musician is ready to share it with the world – Luke Ottenhof, NOW

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Brantley Gilbert salutes Daisy Dukes, pickup trucks, Lynyrd Skynyrd at Rogers Place

The US country star has made a pile of money presenting his hard rock/hillbilly version of the Beach Boys promise of Endless Summer, one that embraces mandolin, dirt roads, distorted guitar and a creek for skinny dipping – Tom Murray, Edmonton Journal

Emmylou Harris: ‘There are things I don't think we'll ever know the answers to’

The musician, 70, on rethinking her career, laughing with Dolly Parton and shopping with Neil Young  – James McMahon, The Guardian

Steve Winwood: “I always felt the need to work with the people with crazy ideas”

The talented Winwood takes us through his work with the Spencer Davis Group, Hendrix, Traffic, Blind Faith and more  – Tom Pinnock, Uncut

Royal Wood's muse both dark and bright

Ever After the Farewell, the Canadian singer-songwriter’s new album was inspired by his lowest low and his highest high – Cam Fuller, Saskatoon Star-Phoenix

Fewer epics as heavy rockers Earthless find their voice

Riff-stuffed, sprawling tunes of veteran San Diego band coming to Lee’s Palace in Toronto next week –  Ben Rayner, Toronto Star

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Hillside Festival poster
Artwork by Alyah Holmes

Hillside Festival poster

Concerts

Guelph, Ontario's Hillside Festival Gets Richard Thompson, Aysanabee, Patrick Watson for 2024 Edition

Running July 19-21, the Ontario summer favourite's eclectic lineup also featuresBry Webb, Lee Ranaldo (Sonic Youth) and Jim White.

Long one of the most popular Ontario summer music fests, Hillside returns to Guelph Lake Island, July 19-21. The just-announced lineup features artists from Australia, South Africa, Morocco, Benin and Cameroon as well as notable names from across Canada and the U.S.

Heading that list are British folk legend Richard Thompson, roots rock supertrio Blackie and the Rodeo Kings, with guests Daniel Lanois and Terra Lightfoot, the Polaris-winning Patrick Watson, Ashley MacIsaac, recent Juno winner Aysanabee, former Constantines frontman Bry Webb, long-running indie rock band Land of Talk, The Messthetics (which features Joe Lally and Brendan Canty from Fugazi) and American indie faves Lee Ranaldo (Sonic Youth) and Jim White.

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