September 24, 2019 5:05PM PT The Xx have extended its worldwide publishing deal with Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG), the company announced on Sept. 24. The UK group has been signed to UMPG since 2009, the same year it released its Mercury Award-winning debut album. The Xx went on to release two additional albums, 2012’s
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Plácido Domingo has agreed to withdraw from all future performances at New York’s Metropolitan Opera in the wake of sexual harassment allegations against him made by multiple women, The Associated Press reports. The singer, 78, had been scheduled to sing the title role in the season debut of Verdi’s “Macbeth” on Wednesday, which would have
“Organic” may be Max Gousse’s favorite word. The founder and CEO of Artistry Worldwide Management, home to Saweetie, says it more frequently than a Whole Foods employee, and with valid reason. Not only did he discover and sign Bay Area native Saweetie, Gousse also helped to breathe new life into her hit “My Type,” thanks
Robert Hunter, the poet famous for writing many of the Grateful Dead’s best regarded songs, has died at 78. “It is with great sadness we confirm our beloved Robert passed away yesterday night,” Hunter’s family said in a statement released to Rolling Stone. “He died peacefully at home in his bed, surrounded by love. His
At around the one-hour mark of “Conversations With Nick Cave,” a long evening of songs and Q&A with audience members at New York’s Town Hall, someone asked The Question — the one that he’s probably answered many times but still hovers over every date of this unusual tour. Why is he doing this? After all,
Next year, ASCAP will celebrate the 15th anniversary of its music-creator conference, formerly called the ASCAP “I Create Music” Expo, with a new name, location and enhanced programming that is designed to meet the needs of 21st century music creators. Now called the ASCAP Experience the revamped event will take place at the Intercontinental Hotel in downtown
“Queer Eye” stars Karamo Brown and Bobby Berk were among the many who came out to support Saturday night’s Hearts of Gold concert at the Greek Theater, a celebration the 50th anniversary of the Los Angeles LGBT Center. But the topic inevitably turned to their costar Jonathan Van Ness, who came out as HIV+ and
At the ripe old age of 89, Berry Gordy, who built Motown Records into a multimedia empire in the 1960s and 1970s, has announced his retirement. “I have come full circle,” he said onstage during Motown’s 60th anniversary program at Orchestra Hall in Detroit, where he founded and built the label with members of his
The Latin Recording Academy has announced the nominees for the 20th annual Latin Grammy Awards with Flamenco pop star Rosalia (pictured) claiming the title of most recognized female artist with five nominations. But she has competition in Spanish singer Alejandro Sanz, who takes the lead for most nominations with eight — three of which are
INXS frontman Michael Hutchence’s 1997 death meant many still-coming-of-age fans were unable to see the Australian band’s magnetism live in its original form. “Live Baby Live,” an album of the band’s 1991 sold out Wembley Stadium concert, assuaged some, as did its David Mallet-directed video accompaniment. Then the film disappeared, and longtime manager Chris M.
Will Ward’s management company Fourward has announced the formation of new music publishing company, Fourward Music, LLC. and has tapped industry leader Shannan Hatch to serve as president. The new company will have offices in Los Angeles and Nashville. “I am excited to expand and grow the Fourward brand in the publishing space,” Ward said.
Twice during Dave Matthews Band’s headlining performance at the Sea.Hear.Now Festival on Sunday night (Sept. 22), Matthews thanked the 37,000 in attendance for “sticking around.” If the audience was showing signs of festival fatigue at the end of the second annual two-day music and surfing festival in Asbury Park, New Jersey, it wasn’t evident at
Sony Music Entertainment today announced the promotions of Mark Cavell and Per Hauber to lead the Company’s Classical, Jazz, Broadway and non-traditional contemporary music business. Based in New York, Cavell will become President of Sony Masterworks and Hauber will become President of Sony Classical, based in Berlin. They will report to Sony Music chairman Rob Stringer and
The attorney who claims that Led Zeppelin ripped off the acoustic guitar opening in “Stairway to Heaven” faced tough questioning on Monday before an 11-judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. Francis Malofiy argued the case on behalf Michael Skidmore, a journalist who represents the estate of the late Spirit frontman Randy Wolfe.
Any “In Memoriam” segment on an awards show results in immediate viewer furor over which recently deceased figures got left out. In the case of Sunday’s Emmy Awards, it was more about who got included: the very much still-with-us composer Leonard Slatkin — or at least his photographic representation, as he was misidentified as Andre
Dawes is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the band’s debut with a deluxe vinyl re-release of their first album, “North Hills.” Faced with that milestone, fans might think: only 10 years? With Taylor Goldsmith clocking in as one of rock’s most prolific as well as just simply best songwriters, Dawes has managed to produce an impressive
The legal rollercoaster of the “Stairway to Heaven” case — which pits Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, writers of the Led Zeppelin anthem, against the publishers of the earlier song “Taurus” by Spirit — resumes in a San Francisco 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals this morning. The lawsuit, initiated by controversial Philadelphia lawyer Francis
As it celebrates its 20th anniversary, the Latin Recording Academy today announced several key changes to its leadership team. Former Azteca America president/CEO Manuel Abud has been named the organization’s chief operating officer, while 19-year Latin Grammy vet Luis Dousdebes takes on the new position of Chief Awards, Membership and Preservation Officer. Also, Aida Scorza, who has worked
Grammy winning singer-songwriter Sturgill Simpson has announced plans for a special small-venue tour to benefit the Special Forces Foundation, kicking off at the Troubadour in West Hollywood, CA, on September 29. The limited run of dates comes on the heels of the simultaneous release of his album and Netflix anime film of the same name,
September 23, 2019 6:33AM PT As part of Sunday night’s In Memoriam tribute at the 2019 Emmy Awards ceremony, Halsey performed a version of Cyndi Lauper’s 1983 classic “Time After Time,” over a montage of television stars who died over the past year. Introduced by actress Regina King, the singer performed accompanied only by a pianist and honored Katherine
Independent music publisher Big Deal Music Group announced today that they have signed a joint venture deal with Nice Life Copyright Company, the music publishing company founded by Grammy-nominated producer/ writer/ artist Ricky Reed. Under the terms of the agreement, Big Deal will administer songs for Nice Life, and the two companies will join forces
It was known ahead of time that the Emmy Awards planned to dispense with a traditional orchestra or pit band for the walk-up and bumper music. What wasn’t anticipated was that the music choices were being outsourced to a bar mitzvah DJ in Des Moines. Or, very possibly, it was a local who had found
In a year full of major 50th anniversary commemorations — from Woodstock to the moon landing — why not one for “Easy Rider,” Dennis Hopper’s hippie-biker flick that was released on July 14, 1969? That was the idea when a rep for Peter Fonda, who starred in the film as the laid-back Captain America, reached out
Who do you call when your pal Carlos Santana has plans on a Friday night? If you’re Rob Thomas, you recruit another famous friend, rocker Sammy Hagar, who turned up to help the singer close out the latest show of his Chip Tooth Smile tour with a performance of “Smooth” at the Fox Performing Arts
The war over the reselling of concert tickets had a major skirmish Thursday night at a Black Keys show in Los Angeles — and, if anything, all parties walked away a little bloodied, PR-wise. Hundreds of ticket-holding fans were turned away from the Black Keys’ first headlining show in five years, some after waiting in
The 15th annual Songs of Hope honors united songwriters, music industry insiders and more than a few preeminent doctors at producer Alex Da Kid’s Sherman Oaks compound on Thursday night. Jimmy Jam returned to host the event, which served as a fundraiser for the ever-vital City of Hope medical treatment center as well as a
The 50th anniversary re-release of 1969’s “Abbey Road” may be just days away, but that doesn’t mean Beatles fans have been there and done that when it comes to celebrating ’68. Todd Rundgren, the Monkees’ Mickey Dolenz, Badfinger’s Joey Molland and several other name musicians of a certain vintage are teaming up to go out
September 20, 2019 5:27PM PT Former president of Warner Bros. Pictures Greg Silverman is partnering with School of Rock through his content creation company Stampede. The collaboration with the music school will create exclusive content, starting with the development of an unscripted series. School of Rock operates a network of performance-based education franchises that offer
When “Downton Abbey” fans hear that familiar strings-and-piano theme, a Pavlovian response ensues: Get to the television immediately, because you don’t want to miss a minute of the addictive Crawley family melodrama to follow. This week, with the “Downton Abbey” movie reaching theaters on Friday, fans can’t wait for their fix of Lady Mary and
Saweetie’s “My Type” is a smash. The high-energy, up-tempto, bad bitch anthem has proven to be an undeniable force. Having won the hearts of TikTok users, radio (rhythmic, urban and now Top 40, logging more than 81,000 combined spins, according to Mediabase) and streaming, where BuzzAngle Music records 160 million U.S. streams to date and