Music Industry (Trade)

Thomas Dolby, past, present and especially future

Entertainment / Music Eighties pop star, tech entrepreneur, now game designer — and through it all, a science obsessive.   Musician Thomas Dolby in his travelling “time capsule.” By: Nick Krewen Special to the Star, Published on Sun Apr 01 2012 Ever the inventive sort, Thomas Dolby is bringing a special guest to Monday night’s gig at the Mod Club: his own time machine. “It’s a 1930s Teardrop trailer that looks like Jules Verne customized…


Brighter blues with Matt Andersen

Vinyl Cafe and his talents take bluesman to a new level, and the Winter Garden.    Matt Andersen is using the Vinyl Cafe as a springboard for his solo shows. Nick Krewen Special to the Star, Published on Wed Oct 19 2011 Strike up another career boost for The Vinyl Café. Beloved CBC storyteller Stuart McLean has made a habit of bringing along a promising Canadian musical talent on his cross-Canada…


Music’s Selling Power

Music’s Selling Power MUSIC PROVIDES AN INTEGRAL BACKGROUND IN THE SENSORY BRANDING INDUSTRY July 07, 2011 — 4:41 pm PDT Nick Krewen / GRAMMY.com It was once known — and snidely regarded — as “elevator music.” But 77 years after it was first introduced, Muzak, and other forms of business-applicable music, is considered to be an integral part of the rising sensory branding industry, which engages consumers to improve their…


“Money for Nothing” ruling makes waves on radio

Entertainment / Music Reaction to the Dire Straits ruling mostly hostile as radio veterans wonder where the line is. Nick Krewen Special to the Star Published on Sat Jan 15 2011 Last week’s ruling by the private radio regulator Canadian Broadcast Standards Council (CBSC) to ban a Dire Straits song is “chilling” and effectively puts rock radio stations on notice, claims a longtime music industry expert. Former Billboard Canadian bureau chief and current CelebrityAccess…


Are house concerts the next big thing?

Are house concerts the next big thing? | Toronto Star One Toronto family plays host to concerts — and they’re not alone.      Nick Krewen Special to the Star, Published on Sat Jan 01 2011 Next weekend, Joanne and Blair Sleightholm are bringing the Bluebird Café concept to their spacious Yonge and Eglinton-area home. Inspired by the tiny Nashville restaurant that launched the songwriting careers of thousands, the Sleightholms…