Random music news for Wednesday, September 19, 2018

I’ve never seen more squirrels collecting nuts in my neighbourhood. Does that mean we’re in for a bad winter? Ponder that as we look at music news for September 19, 2018.

1. It’s looking more and more like Pytor Verzilov, the Russian-Canadian member of Pussy Riot, was poisoned. He’s still in hospital in Berlin. Vlad? Was that you?
2. Sure, you want to promote your music career, but don’t do this.
3. Here are nine lessons we can learn from Paul McCartney this week.
4. And this is what Macca would tell his younger self.
5. Wanna know what’s being blamed more and more for divorces in the UK? Fortnite.
6. A new study says that Americans listen to an average of 151 minutes of music a day.
7. Another plea to musicians and record labels: PLEASE get your metadata in order.
8. Well, this explains the state of my iPhone’s battery life.
9. If you’re a fan of Judas Priest, you’ll want to look at KK Downing’s memoir.
10. Can you imagine driving an ice cream truck all summer and listening to that same jingle over and over again? This guy did.
11. Here’s Brian Wilson (the Beach Boy) with the band (the Barenaked Ladies) who wrote the song “Brian Wilson.” (Via John)
12. Google has some new technology that should help recognize songs better and faster.
13. How are bands dealing with lyrics from old songs that are no longer acceptable today? Here are two examples.
14. Are musicians really more likely to use drugs? Let’s find out.
15. Donald Trump has his “fake news.” Spotify is having to deal with “fake plays.” This is a real problem.