Former President Barack Obama described President Donald Trump's handling of the coronavirus pandemic as "chaotic" in a conference call with former members of his administration, a source said on Saturday.

News of the death of veteran music executive Andre Harrell hit the industry hard with many artists, former colleagues, fans and friends expressing their grief on social media Friday night, May 8, into Saturday. Harrell founded Uptown Records and hired Sean “P. Diddy” Combs as an intern, later promoting him to vice president of A&R. […]

The music of Little Richard, who died on Saturday at the age of 87, was one of the genuine architects of not only rock and roll but R&B, soul, hip-hop and other genres as well. Few artists can truly be said to have directly inspired the Beatles, James Brown, the Rolling Stones, Prince and countless […]

With no fanfare, Hollywood studios and leaders of the Writers Guild of America have moved back the start of masters contract negotiations a week to May 18. Representatives of the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers were not immediately available for comment about the change, which was revealed Saturday. A WGA spokesman said, “It’s […]

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is threatening to sue San Francisco’s Alameda County and move the company out of California over the county’s strict shelter-in-place rules. Musk went on Twitter Sunday to express his disagreement with the county’s decision not to let certain businesses reopen, despite other areas of the state allowing it. On Friday, California […]

The Mayor of Flavortown is giving back to restaurant workers around the country. Guy Fieri has helped raise more than $20 million by partnering with the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation, he announced in an interview with TMZ. He and the organization have been sending restaurant workers $500 grants through the newly created Restaurant Employee […]

Former “Saturday Night Live” cast member Kristen Wiig returned as the surprise host for the “At Home” finale, that also happened to be the late-night sketch comedy’s Mother’s Day episode, on May 9. After dancing around her home and flashing the camera (which was, of course, pixelated per broadcast standards), the actor and comedian slid […]

Nearly two years ago, “Black-ish” creator Kenya Barris signed a $100 million overall deal with Netflix, placing him among a rarefied list of creators — which also includes Shonda Rhimes, Ryan Murphy and “Game of Thrones” showrunners David Benioff and DB Weiss — able to command a nine-figure production pact with one of the world’s […]

This takes 'dream home' to an all new level. Wow.

16 life hacks everyone needs to know.

Click here if you want to find ways to make your wedding awesome, you'll love these.

He's able to hide so many flaws that make his clients self-conscious.

No need to wait for the ice cream truck now.

Belgian series is based on 2015 novel by Polish science fiction writer Jacek Dukaj

The government has also made arrangements for treatment of those at their homes with mild COVID-19 symptoms in accordance with the Centre's guidelines.

Baghel’s Congress government had recently also demanded that the steel ministry undertaking, NMDC, pay up its remaining Rs 1000 crore due. The CM has been very vocal about his displeasure with companies operating in his state being asked to donate to the newly funded PM Cares Fund instead of the Chief Minister’s fund.

The study also found that COVID-19 has helped in forming an opinion for pushing the 'Make in India' agenda, with 42 per cent believing that "there is an active and deliberate attempt by China to spread COVID across the world for economic gains" which has led to a strong anti-China sentiment.

Only Reliance Industries and Bharti Airtel managed to close the trading week with gains.

Here are top stocks and sectors that created all the buzz during the week gone by.

After an extended period of lockdown, economic stimulus is badly needed.

New disaster rules for post-lockout businessThe NDMA has come out with precautions to be observed while starting the manufacturing businesses.

The Liverpool and England striker with the staggering sideburns explains how to outjump taller opponents and how he made it to the top of the game

The Observer football correspondent Leslie Duxbury spoke to Liverpool and England striker Kevin Keegan, ‘The most exciting player on the current soccer scene’, for a new coaching series for Young Observers starting on 21 January 1973 (‘What makes Kevin Keegan King of the Kop’).

The cover (which you could order as a poster for 25p) features those long locks and staggering sideburns before his famous bubble perm appeared. Keegan was my first footballing hero as a young kid until Kenny Dalglish replaced him as Liverpool’s No 7 in 1977 (when King Kevin made way for King Kenny). My most treasured item was the Grandstand Kevin Keegan electronic action game. Imagine a handheld football version of Pong – yup, that sophisticated.

Ahead of their set at NXNE 2019, Mike caught up with Darren "Young D" Metz and Quinton "Yung Trybez" Nyce of acclaimed hip-hop duo Snotty Nose Rez Kids. Hailing from the Haisla Nation in Northern B.C., the Polaris Prize shortlisters are one of the most exciting groups in Canada, producing straight-up bangers that get crowds pumping while also going for the political jugular with impactful lyrics that shine light on the experiences of Canada’s Indigenous peoples. Here, the guys talk about finding their artistic and political identity, being a voice for Indigenous youth, and more.

Plus, Mike Schwartz - better known as The Rock Doctor - joins us to talk about how your physical and mental well-being can affect your creativity, ability to perform, and more. He dispels some myths of the "rock star lifestyle" and shares some tips on how to turn anxiety into excitement ahead of a performance and ensure you're always on your A game.

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The Northern Pikes are one of the classic Canadian rock bands of the late '80s and 90s with iconic songs like “She Ain’t Pretty,” “Teenland,” “Things I Do for Money,” and “Girl with a Problem.” They’re back with a new LP, Forest of Love - their first new release in 16 years. Mike sat down with the full band, including newcomer Kevin Kane of Grapes of Wrath, to chat about songwriting, how making and releasing an album in 2019 compares to their past experiences, how age and maturity have altered their perspectives, and a lot more.

Then, we catch up with the multi-talented (and ever-busy) Miranda Mulholland to chat about the Sawdust City Music Festival, running from August 2-4, 2019 in Gravenhurst, ON. Leading up to its third annual edition, Miranda discusses the realities of organizing and delivering a music festival in 2019 (a particularly timely subject), the event's growth in both size and ambition in the past three years, and more.

“I’ve never thought in terms of a ‘career.’ I’m uncomfortable with the word. I don’t use it because I’ve never approached what I do that way."

One of the greatest Canadian songwriters of the last five decades, Bruce Cockburn, joins us on this week's podcast. An inductee into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame and member of the Order of Canada, Bruce is about to release his 34th (!) album, which is an all-instrumental collection entitled Crowing Ignites. In this wide-ranging conversation, Mike and Bruce chat about his earliest years as a songwriter and performer in Massachusetts and Ottawa, the first song he wrote that he knew was good, the generational crossover in his audience, his friendships and partnerships with his long-time producer Colin Linden and manager Bernie Finkelstein, songwriting (of course), and a bunch more.

Sarah Falzon, a Toronto-based entertainment lawyer with Taylor Oballa Murray Leyland LLP, joins us to chat about the recent slew of copyright infringement lawsuits hitting pop stars, including Drake and Katy Perry, as well as Taylor Swift, Sam Smith, and Ed Sheeran.

As Sarah says, it seems like the floodgates have opened in the wake of the infamous “Blurred Lines” conflict in which the estate of Marvin Gaye successfully sued Robin Thicke and Pharrell Williams for copying the “feel” and “sound” of Gaye’s 1977 song, “Got to Give It Up.” We discuss the details of the newer lawsuits that make them interesting and whether we really have entered a riskier era for songwriters. Sarah also explains if the U.S. lawsuits have any bearing on Canadian songwriters and the relevant differences between Canadian and American copyright law.

Tim Moxam has partnered with Toronto's StopGap Foundation, which builds ramps for community spaces to increase accessibility, and launched StopGap on Tour. Moxam collaborated with some fellow songwriters and crafters to build a series of special-edition StopGap ramps, pre-ordered and spec'd to accommodate the needs of non-accessible venues, cafes, record stores, and other community hubs that Moxam would be visiting on his recent East Coast tour. Hear about this cool initiative, how you can get involved for the future, and some of the peripheral benefits that come with it.

We also chat with Michael "Wanz" Wansley, who spent his life as a working musician before a song he featured on from a local rapper blew up into a global phenomenon. The song was "Thrift Shop" by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, with Wanz's distinctive voice featured prominently in the chorus. That led to a whirlwind couple years for Wanz, allowing him to fulfill a lot of his childhood dreams, before the song receded in the public consciousness and he had to figure out life after sudden and short-lived commercial success. In this inspiring conversation, Wanz discusses life before, during, and after "Thrift Shop" and how it changed his thinking about fame and success in music.

Danya Dixon is the new CEO of Canadian Music Week. Drawing on her 10+ years of experience with the country's marquee music industry conference and festival thus far, she's got some fresh ideas to ensure the event meets and exceeds expectations for its 2020 edition and beyond.

On the conference side, she discusses the goal of reaching gender parity for invited delegates within the next few years and some of the timely and important topics they'll be focusing on with their programming. On the festival side, she says to expect an emphasis on quality over quantity with showcasing artists, discloses some of the specific genres they'll be focusing and expanding on going forward, and a lot more.

Josh Finlayson of heralded roots-rock outfit Skydiggers joins us to chat about the group's latest album, Let's Get Friendship Right. What started as a project based on the five stages of grief blossomed into something far more expansive and diverse. Finlayson tells us about how the album came to be, the significance of recording at The Tragically Hip's Bathouse Studio, how his creative partnership with bandmate Andy Maize has stayed so strong over the years, and more.

Plus, Mike sat down with Kintaro Akiyama of Toronto's Birds of Bellwoods to discuss how songwriting works in a very democratic group and the evolution of their sound from straightforward folk-rock to incorporating more electronic elements, as evidenced by their new single “Easy." They also talk about the unique Rock the Rink tour, which finds Birds of Bellwoods sharing an audience with Olympic figure skaters like Tessa Virtue, Scott Moir, and Patrick Chan.

Fresh from their panel at Indie Week’s Indie101 Music & Tech Conference, Mike sits down with Erin Kinghorn, the co-founder of playlist-pitching company Digital Promotions Group (DPG) Canada and founder of artist development company eEK! Productions.

Together, Mike and Erin chat all about streaming playlists and how songs find success on them. Erin explains how the playlist ecosystems works, the data and analytics that matter, the differences between the various streaming platforms, how a playlist-pitching campaign works, how to measure success in this quickly-evolving sector, and a bunch more.

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We're thrilled to have both The Good Lovelies and Delaney Jane on this week's pod!

Heralded folk/harmony trio The Good Lovelies just dropped their second Christmas collection, Evergreen, and are now set to embark on their annual holiday tour. We catch up with Sue Passmore to talk about the evolution of their acclaimed holiday show, the art of writing a quality contemporary Christmas tune, their Good Lovelies Forest initiative, and more.

Then, the same morning that her debut LP, Dirty Pretty Things, dropped, Mike sat down with platinum-selling alt-pop singer/songwriter Delaney Jane. She discusses her journey from Toronto art school student to in-demand songwriter and rising pop star, recounts a chance meeting with a new neighbour that led to a very fruitful artistic partnership and high-profile writing gigs, and how that launched her career as a fully-independent artist.

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For her latest single, "Say Too Much," on-the-rise Canadian country singer/songwriter Karli June teamed up with an unlikely ally in pop/rock producer and All-American Rejects keyboardist Scott Chesak. But while Chesak's success as a songwriter and producer largely stems from projects with the likes of Panic! at the Disco and Weezer, his first foray into country has been quite fruitful.

Andrew speaks with both artists about how they first came together, what drew Karli to the song despite the demo being straight-up pop, how the song evolved during their sessions, and lessons learned for both the emerging singer and touring vet throughout the process.

PLUS, because it's #BellLetsTalk Day, we're re-airing Mike's interview with Royal Mountain Records' Menno Versteeg from this past summer about the label's mental health fund and why musicians are particularly vulnerable to mental health struggles.

Check out Mike's feature on Music's Mental Health Crisis at: http://canadianmusician.com/features

This episode is sponsored by Bandzoogle. Try it free for 30 days and use the promo code “CMPOD” to get 15% off the first year of any subscription. https://bandzoogle.com/?pc=cmpod

Jordan Elliott (sometimes spelled Jordyn - you’ll hear why) got into the business of artist management when she was just 21 years old, signing a band to a major label contract while still in school. Since then, she’s continued on that path, working with artists like Meghan Patrick and Eric Ethridge and blazing a trail as one of the top female managers in Canadian country music.

Jordan tells us the story of her fascinating career as she examines the unique relationship between artist and manager, discusses the obstacles she faced as a young woman in a male-dominated field, and a lot more.

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This episode is sponsored by Bandzoogle. Try it free for 30 days and use the promo code “CMPOD” to get 15% off your first year of any subscription. https://bandzoogle.com/?pc=cmpod

Canadian rock icons Glass Tiger and high-energy EDM duo Pineo & Loeb recently collaborated on a re-imagined version of the former's "This Is Your Life," featuring guest vocals from Matt Mays. Glass Tiger's Alan Frew and P&L's Mitch Pineo join us this week to share what initially brought them together, why they each wanted to work with the other, how the track was recorded and assembled, and more. Plus, get an exclusive scoop on their next collab: a fresh take on one of The Beatles' best-known songs with Frew once again on lead vocals.

Plus, Andrew and Mike share SOCAN's preliminary data from 2019 and a slew of submission opportunities to perform at high-profile music festivals throughout 2020.

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This episode is sponsored by Bandzoogle. Try it free for 30 days and use the promo code “CMPOD” to get 15% off your first year of any subscription. https://bandzoogle.com/?pc=cmpod

They're one of the greatest musical trios this country has ever produced. Tom Wilson, Stephen Fearing, and Colin Linden - aka Blackie and the Rodeo Kings - join us on today's show. Mike had the pleasure of sitting down with the guys in those glorious days before physical distancing became the new normal. In 2020, Blackie and the Rodeo Kings are celebrating their 25th year together, so of course we discuss that longevity and the unique chemistry they share, as well as the making of their new album, King of This Town. Tom also discusses the incredible personal journey he’s been on over the last seven years, and Colin and Stephen ponder it from their unique vantage point.

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This episode is sponsored by Bandzoogle. Try it free for 30 days and use the promo code “CMPOD” to get 15% off your first year of any subscription. https://bandzoogle.com/?pc=cmpod

Darren "Young D" Metz and Quinton "Yung Trybez" Nyce of acclaimed rap duo Snotty Nose Rez Kids join us this week. We chat about how they’re getting through the quarantine and the frustration of a cancelled U.S. tour. Then we get into the making of their new EP, Born Deadly, discussing the influence of Kobe Bryant (whose death inspired the song “Kobe Face”), as well as how they took their anger over the RCMP’s actions against Indigenous protesters in Wet'suwet'en territory, and across Canada, and put it into the raging new track “Cops with Guns Are the Worst!!!”

Plus, influetial and innovative hip-hop producer David Strickland and multi-faceted creator Que Rock talk about their collaborations on Strickland's upcoming collection, Spirit of Hip Hop. Strickland addresses the truly stellar guest list he's assembled for the record - which includes Que - before we touch on some of the themes they cover, how categorization can be counter-productive in hip-hop, and more.

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RadioClub is the brainchild of lifelong friends Shawn Desman and Tebey - two music industry vets with a long list of international achievements to their names. We get into what inspired this new collaborative project, why they chose to cover Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" for their first single, the parallels between pop and country compositions, and more.

Also on the pod is Dre Pao - an artist, TV and podcast host, and social media consultant who also helps young artists develop their own music careers. Mike talks to Dre about how artists can take advantage of prominent social media platform TikTok to engage with fans and boost their profile.

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New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez criticized the negotiation process for coronavirus relief packages, saying rank-and-file members have been all but shut out of the process.

"It's really hard to understate how devastating this has been, in terms of our legislative and oversight abilities, for an average member of Congress to ...

Two Democratic senators, along with independent Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, have introduced a bill to give Americans $2,000 checks every month throughout the duration of the coronavirus crisis, as proposals for stimulus payment programs float on Capitol Hill.

Sens. Kamala Harris of California and Ed Markey of Massachusetts teamed ...

The London Royal Ravens lost the first map against the Atlanta FaZe on Saturday and were denied a chance to restart despite the fact they had to play shorthanded because Matthew "Skrapz" Marshall was not in his seat at the start of the match.

Henry Cejudo defended his bantamweight title for the first time on Saturday night with a second-round TKO of Dominick Cruz, then he shocked the MMA world moments later by announcing his retirement at age 33.

UFC 249 delivered plenty of action, but it also provided plenty of new questions, such as will Henry Cejudo really retire? Our experts debate.

Those under the age of 40 make up almost 50 per cent of Saskatchewan’s COVID-19 cases, with many cases linked to people drinking together.

John Hillman may have already met his fundraising target, but he says he's determined to complete all planned 101 laps around his residence.

Drive-in theatres are also allowed to open on May 15.

Homegrown Kelowna athlete Andrew Becker hopes to trade in his Regina Rams’ university jersey for a professional one.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warned against any early reopening of economies, noting Canada is still in the emergency phase.

As the province enters its second week of the first phase of the Re-Open Saskatchewan plan, the provincial government has updated guidelines for some of the businesses expected to open soon.

We're led to believe though that, having refused to quarantine the vast majority of passengers arriving in the UK earlier, the government will now move to do so, as lockdown starts to ease.

So what would the public like to hear from the Prime Minister tomorrow? And how are businesses coping while the lockdown restrictions remain in place?