Random music news for Thursday, September 12, 2019

On this day in 1962, JFK delivered his “We will go to the moon” speech. Fast-forward 57 years to September 12, 2019, and we have this making music news.

1. Beloved cult singer-songwriter Daniel Johnson has died of a heart attack at the age of 58. He was a favourite of Kurt Cobain and of those who appreciated outsider music.
2. Coldplay’s Chris Martin is launching a campaign to help single parent musicians.
3. This guy (a) broke into Taylor Swift’s house; and (b) did donuts on one of Donald Trump’s golf courses.
4. Artists are finding new ways to game the system when it comes to streaming music services.
5. We could get a new Google Home Mini next month.
6. Just when you thought you knew everything about The Beatles, we learn about this.
7. I have never EVER heard of this sort of thing happening in Canadian radio. EVER. And I’ve been around for a long time.
8. Speaking of radio, we have Cancon regulations. In Australia, they have Australiacon–and their rules are about to get tougher.
9. Time to start guessing about who will play the Super Bowl halftime show.
10. Apple and Spotify are locked in a death battle for podcast distribution supremacy. But in Canada, the champion is…YouTube?
11. Speaking of Spotify, what will Nick Holmstén, the outgoing head of music, do next? Maybe reform his Britpop band…?
12. One more: Mexico might tax Spotify. The idea is on the table in Canada, too.
13. Deezer has a new idea when it comes to paying artists for streams. This could really shake things up.
14. Here come the holograms.
15. Pop singer Aaron Carter has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. (That’s two stories on people with schizophrenia today. See point one re: Daniel Johnson above.)
16. Hearing aids: They need work.