Random music for Saturday, May 5, 2018

Cinco de Mayo! And this is what we have for music news for May 5, 2018.

1. Here are my weekly music picks for GlobalNews.ca.
2. It’s interesting to see how Wall Street is betting on music for the first time in decades.
3. Now that Gibson Guitars has filed for bankruptcy, we’re learning that the company was stiffing suppliers for months.
4. Now Liam Gallagher is getting the documentary treatment with a film called Liam Gallagher: As It Was. I have a feeling it will be sweary.
5. Mood Music, a British stage production set in the music industry, sounds like it’s worth seeing. (Wait! I’ll be in London next week! Hmm.)
6. Would you like to be interviewed in the style of an 80s pop star? Go here.
7. Jay-Z is getting sued over some Tidal legal issues…
8. …and he’s in court over his Rocawear business.
9. Meanwhile, Justin Timberlake, Chief Flavor Officer, of a soft drink company, is also involved in a lawsuit.
10. Interesting: Millions of Britons say they have never, ever been to a live gig.
11. People are streaming a lot of older tracks in the UK. About 55% of all streams are classified as “catalogue selections.”
12. Alice Cooper predicts a return to big, brash, theatrical 80s-style rock. I could live with that.
13. Due to a quirk of the YouTube algorithm, there’s been an explosion in pirate radio stations.
14. Google Assistant can now control over 5,000 smart devices.
15. Over at YouTube, the platform has more than 1.8 billion registered users per month.
16. Spotify seems to be interested in getting into audiobooks.
17. UK music festivals are banning plastic straws. They’re also banning glitter to cut down on plastic waste. I like it.
18. It can be really, really tough to be a classical musician these says. See?
19. Fleetwood Mac doesn’t seem to miss Lindsey Buckingham at all.
20. Liz Phair vs. Donald Trump. Fun.