Random Music News for Tuesday, May 23, 2017

And how was the long weekend? Ready for some music news for May 23?

1. Justin Bieber has pink eye. Just thought you needed to know.
2. Canadian album sales were 17% lower last week than they were a year ago with digital albums leading the drop with a fall of more than 25%. Single digital tracks are softer by 20.5% and vinyl is down by around 10%. Meanwhile, streaming is up 91%.
3. Organizers of the WayHome Festival will honor tickets to the canceled Pemberton Festival. That’s nice, but does it speak to this story about how Canadian festivals are struggling to sell tickets?
4. I did not know this: Before he died, Freddie Mercury lost most of a foot due to his battle with HIV/AIDS.
5. Harry Styles had a good week. His self-titled debut album sold over 193,000 CDs and downloads, good for a #1 debut in America.
6. How sex killed the love song.
7. Cool history: This female synth pioneer invented the famous “pop and fizz” sound effect heard in Coca-Cola commercials.
8. Festivals offering drug testing for those taking drugs–but it’s the drugs being tested. You can test for purity, strength, etc.
9. Here’s a fun newspaper article from 1941: “What is FM Radio?”
10. Imagine sitting next to this bass freak on the bus wearing one of these.
11. Elton John says the MTV era produced a lot of untalented musicians.