Random music news for Tuesday, July 3, 2018

Why do long weekends never really feel long enough? Back to work with music news for July 3, 2018.

1. Remember that killdeer nest that held up construction of the main stage at Ottawa’s Bluesfest? The protected nest was successfully moved and three of the four eggs have hatched. Well done, then.
2. Another area that looks to be affected by retaliation to Trump’s protectionist tariffs are music instrument manufacturers. Moog, maker of synthesizers and based in North Carolina, is really worried about having to make layoffs. I wonder what other manufacturers (Gibson, Fender, Ludwig, Steinway, Shure, etc.) are thinking?
3. Could Drake himself have a billion streams this week? Maybe?
4. Another Drake-related question: Scorpion clocks in at 89 minutes and 44 seconds. Who has that kind of time to devote to one album these days?
5. One in five toddlers knows how to open a smartphone or tablet.
6. Flea just bought a really, really cool house.
7. You might be shocked at how much the Village People’s “YMCA” makes every year.
8. Were you into the Second Summer of Love in 1988? Yes, it’s been 30 years. Here’s a look back.
9. Metallica fans should feel free to weigh in here. Make sure you read the comments. Gawd. (Note that the feature is called “Liberal Lunatics.”)
10. How many members does Coldplay have? Some would say “five.”
11. This is one Elvis documentary that I just might watch.
12. Handy: How to properly clean vinyl records.
13. Roger Waters offered up this uniquely Scottish insult to Donald Trump. Scotland loved it.
14. A good story on Twenty One Pilots and depression.
15. What’s the future or radio? These podcasts look at the subject.
16. Alan Longuir, a founding member of the Bay City Rollers, has died at age 70.
17. A new “Spotify Lite” app is being tested. It’s directed at people who have data cap anxiety.
18. There’s a new Canadian tourism project that’s using this musician.
19. Beyonce had a stage malfunction in the UK.
20. Rolling Stone has launched a new version of its website.
21. Streaming site Radical.Fm has shut down after its business model fails.