Random music news for Tuesday, March 27, 2018

I really should pay more attention to what’s happening in Canadian politics but the shit show south of the border is such a car crash that I can’t look away. I’m a bad hoser. Here’s music news for March 27, 2018.

1. Canadian music sales last week vs. this time last year: Total album, -27.9%; digial albums, -24,2%; physical albums, -30.2%; CDs, -34.3%; digital tracks, -20.2%; vinyl +41.1%; streaming, +57.1%.
2. I love this question: Do Canadian artists and songwriters still need Cancon protection?
3. Spotify says that it could have close to 100 million paid subscribers by Christmas.
4. The $1.6 billion lawsuit against Spotify is actually rooted in a law involving player pianos.
5. This dude asks strangers to dance in front of a camera. Here’s what happens.
6. How can the piano be revived for the Spotify generation? Maybe like this.
7. Remember that Lana Del Rey-Radiohead lawsuit? Never mind.
8. The Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde has an art book coming out. It would like nice on the coffee table.
9. Killer Mike says his interview about the NRA was taken the wrong way. He says he’s sorry.
10. Here’s a strange article about the most popular Ecstasy pills in the world.
11. A Tribe Called Quest has a new sneaker deal with Vans.
12. Report: Prince had a shitload of fentanyl in his system when he died.
13. Joan Baez might be 77, but she still has a lot to protest.
14. Smartphones are going to do terrible things to the environment by 2020.
15. Just in case you were still wondering what the Backstreet Boys-‘NSync feud was all about…