Jem Aswad-Senior: Last News

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor SoundCloud announced that it will be laying off around 8% of its global staff in an email from CEO Eliah Seton obtained by Variety. The move, which will impact around 40 people, follows a more-severe round of cuts back in August that saw the company reducing its headcount by some 20%. “Ultimately, I take accountability for this decision and will carry that with me every day,” Seton wrote. “Most importantly, we are absolutely determined to treat everyone with the utmost respect and manage this process in as generous a manner as possible.  “This is a challenging but essential decision to ensure the health of our business and get SoundCloud to profitability this year,” he continued. “In doing so, we are securing the company’s future for the millions of artists who rely on us for their living and their self-expression, and the millions of fans who come to SoundCloud for the joy of music. It is critical to ensure that SoundCloud thrives in our mission to influence culture, be the preeminent home for artists and fans and lead what’s next in music.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Veteran music writer Scott Schinder, who wrote for virtually every major music publication over the course of a three-decade-plus-long career, has died after a long illness, his friend Randy Haecker confirms to Variety. Schinder’s work can be read in Rolling Stone, Entertainment Weekly, Billboard, Time Out New York, the Austin Chronicle, Please Kill Me, Creem, Musician, Newsday, Stereophile, Musician, Tower Pulse, New Musical Express, Melody Maker, Texas Music, SXSWorld and probably many others. No cause of death has been announced; he was 61. A native of Long Island and a longtime New York resident, Schinder was a ubiquitous presence on the city’s music scene, where, beginning in the 1980s, he could be found most nights of the week at CBGB, Irving Plaza, Maxwells, Under Acme, Brownies and multiple other venues of the era. Indeed, the photo on his author page at Please Kill Me could have been taken at one of dozens of different venues in the city on any of a couple thousand evenings (it was actually taken at CBGB circa early 1990s).

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Although it was rumored and teased for weeks before it was officially confirmed, it’s really not a surprise to see Madonna collaborating with Sam Smith: “Unholy,” the British singer’s hit with Kim Petras, was not only the most provocative song to reach No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 since Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s “WAP,” it was exactly the kind of song that Madonna has released more than once in her career: intentionally controversial and boundary-pushing, both musically and thematically (“Unholy” is essentially about a family man having unsafe sex). Thus, she was a perfect person to introduce Smith and Petras before they performed the song at the Grammys: “Are you ready for some controversy?” she began, before continuing, “If they call you shocking, scandalous, troublesome, problematic, provocative or dangerous, you are definitely onto something.”

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor The music world has seen countless reinventions, rehabilitations, transformations and image overhauls, but there’s never been anything quite like Prince changing his name to an unpronounceable symbol on his 35th birthday, 30 years ago today. His motivation for doing so was never clearly stated, although many assumed it was a ploy to get out of his contract with his longtime label, Warner Bros. Records. He announced the decision in a statement that read, “It is an unpronounceable symbol whose meaning has not been identified. It’s all about thinking in new ways, tuning in 2 a new free-quency.” Since, obviously, the symbol did not exist on a computer keyboard, Warner Bros. sent floppy discs to media outlets containing a digital rendition of the image, although most gradually landed on referring to him as “The Artist Formerly Known as Prince.” Television outlets were also provided with a brief video featuring the symbol, punctuated with an appropriately iconic-sounding digital clank, similar to the ones film companies used when their logos appeared in film credits.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Astrud Gilberto, the smooth-voiced Brazilian singer whose version of “The Girl From Ipanema” introduced bossa nova to much of the world and is likely one of the most recognized popular hits of all time, has died, according to the Guardian. No cause of death has been reported; she was 83. The daughter of a German father and a Brazilian mother, the singer was born Astrud Evangelina Weinert in Bahia in 1940 and mostly raised in Rio de Janeiro. She married bossa nova pioneer/ singer-guitarist João Gilberto in 1959, and although the marriage lasted only a few years, but she kept his name. In 1963, she joined him on a trip to New York to record the “Getz/Gilberto” album with jazz saxophonist Stan Getz. She ended up singing “Girl From Ipanema” inadvertently: Producer Creed Taylor had wanted to record an English version of the Brazilian song “Garota De Ipanema” and Astrud, whose father taught languages, was the only Brazilian at the session who spoke English. It was the first song she’d ever recorded, but her un-studied, lighthearted take on the song’s unforgettable melody turned it into a monumental international hit, which peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won a Grammy for Song Of the Year.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Coldplay — along with Billie Eilish, Dave Matthews Band, Jack Johnson and others — are among the most environmentally friendly major touring artists in the world, and the group has provided an update on the sustainability initiatives in their “Music of the Spheres” World Tour, which began in March 2022 and has so far sold more than 7 million tickets. According to the report, the current tour: – has so far produced 47% less CO2e emissions than their previous stadium tour in 2016-17; – 66% of all tour waste has been diverted from landfills;

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor It’s been a tough couple of years for live music in the U.K., but now AEG Presents UK CEO Steve Homer sees light at the end of the tunnel. “Last year, we had some big successes and some big losses,” he tells Variety. “Now, we’re over that hump, sales patterns are almost back to pre-COVID levels in terms of predicting how things will sell. The business is in reasonably good shape, bearing in mind all the difficulties with people’s available money to spend.” Homer has been in sole charge for 18 months now, following the surprise exit of co-CEO Toby Leighton-Pope, now MD at TEG Europe. And having made several key hires in recent months – including former Royal Albert Hall exec Lucy Noble as artistic director; former Live Nation exec Lee Laborde as SVP of the promoting division; and former SJM promoters Chris Wareing (SVP of global touring) and Paris Harding (promoter) – Homer is now leading the company’s expansion into several new areas.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Grammy-winning Songwriters Hall of Fame member Cynthia Weil — who co-wrote “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling,” “On Broadway,” “Make Your Own Kind of Music,” “On Broadway,” “Walking in the Rain,” “You’re My Soul and Inspiration,” “Uptown,” “Kicks,” “Here You Come Again,” “Through the Fire,” “Somewhere Out There” and many other hits with her husband and Brill Building colleague Barry Mann — has died, her daughter confirmed to TMZ on Friday morning. No cause of death was announced; she was 82. “My mother, Cynthia Weil, was the greatest mother, grandmother and wife our family could ever ask for,” Jenn Mann said. “She was my best friend, confidant, and my partner in crime and an idol and trailblazer for women in music.”

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Grace Jones was one of the most iconic artists of the early ‘80s, with a boldly androgynous and prescient image and string of brilliant albums with a pioneering sound and expertly curated covers that fused R&B, new wave and reggae into a fusion that has been echoed everywhere from Rihanna to Massive Attack and beyond. Now 75, she’s continued performing but hasn’t released an album since 2008, and seemed to drop below the radar for all but her fanbase, influencees and the LGBTQ and Pitchfork audiences until the past few years, when the brilliance of her “Warm Leatherette,” “Nightclubbing” and “Living My Life” albums became even more undeniable. Yet even fans who’d seen her shows in the past probably were not prepared for the eye-popping, mind-blowing concert she staged as part of Blue Note Jazz Festival at New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom on Wednesday night, which mere words cannot do justice. At 75, her always-deep voice sounds as great as ever, her outfits and staging are as provocative as ever, and she could give Mick Jagger a literal run for his money in terms of fitness and dexterity at a certain age. Best of all, for all her hauteur, diva-tude and icon status, she never takes herself too seriously and every outfit, headdress, and staging touch had an undercurrent of humor that’s sadly lacking in most artists — and her stage banter is absolutely hilarious, although the humor often lay less in what she was saying than the way she said it (although lines like “Why do you need a dick if you’ve got a dildo?” land in a multitude of contexts).

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor After months of murmurs, news broke just before the long Memorial Day weekend that, according to unnamed sources, the surviving members of Queen were in the process of closing a deal for the legendary group’s catalog for a mind-boggling $1 billion. Universal Music Group, the world’s largest music company, was said to be the likely buyer. Three sources tell Variety the deal is in advanced stages — although another close to the situation says it is very preliminary — and that the billion-dollar price tag is “real.” However, exactly what is included in the package is not entirely clear. The deal “is Universal’s to lose,” two sources said — although Sony Music is said to be waiting in the wings — owing to the company’s longstanding relationship with the group, which signed with EMI in 1972 and remained with the company, which was acquired by Universal in 2011, throughout its career, However, in 1991 it signed a deal with Hollywood Records for U.S. and Canadian recorded-music rights only, which led to a later acquisition by the company of those assets — and therein lies one of the complicating factors.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Billy Joel and Madison Square Garden Entertainment announced on Thursday that the singer will end his record-breaking residency at the iconic New York venue in July of 2024, after 10 years and some 150 concerts. The first of the final 10 concerts will take place on October 20, 2023. Throughout the course of his run, Joel has sold more than 1.6 million tickets. The announcement was made during a press conference at the venue, attended by Joel, MSG CEO James Dolan and New York City Mayor Eric Adams. “There’s only one thing that’s more New York than Billy Joel — and that’s a Billy Joel concert at MSG,” Mayor Adams said. “For more than 50 years, Billy’s music has defined our city and brought us together. On behalf of 8.5 million New Yorkers, congratulations, Billy, on a historic run of sold-out shows at MSG, and thank you for a lifetime of bringing joy to us all.”

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Epic Records has appointed Ezekiel Lewis to the post of president. He will continue to report to Sylvia Rhone, Epic Records’ Chairwoman and CEO, and to lead the A&R division while helping run the day-to-day operations of the company. Lewis has served as the company’s executive vice president and head of A&R since 2020, working closely with such artists as 21 Savage, Bia, Black Eyed Peas, DDG, Future, Giveon, Madison Beer, Meghan Trainor, Mimi Webb, Southside, Zara Larsson and more. Prior to joining Epic in 2017, Lewis served as senior VP of A&R at Motown Records from 2011, working with such artists including Ne-Yo, Erykah Badu, Migos, Lil Yachty, T.I., and Rich Homie Quan. He is also a Grammy-winning songwriters who has co-written and co-produced songs for Justin Bieber, Mary J. Blige and Usher, and also worked closely with Mariah Carey and Yo Gotti. In 2010, he founded Bar Music Group, a music publishing company that included projects Chris Brown, Future, Trey Songz and others. As a musician, he signed with David Foster’s 143 Records and played a key role in Trey Songz’s career. In 2004, Lewis co-founded the Clutch, a collective of songwriter-producers responsible for hits by Omarion, Ciara, Britney Spears, Timbaland and others.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Joe Trohman has returned to Fall Out Boy after taking a several-month hiatus from the band to focus on his mental health. The guitarist and founding member announced his return on social media on Monday. “Hey everyone, I’m officially back!,” he wrote. “I want to thank everyone for the love and support while I took some time away to focus on my brain and get healthy for my family, my friends and myself.” He also thanked Ben Young, the band’s longtime guitar tech, who filled in for him during the hiatus. Trohman announced his mental-health break in January, shortly after the band announced its eighth album, “So Much (for) Stardust,” and a new label deal with Fueled by Ramen/ Elektra Records.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Beyonce never does anything by half, and never until she’s ready. Thus, it’s not a big surprise that she paid musical tribute to her idol Tina Turner several days after the icon’s death last Wednesday — and with a stripped-down version of the song that is not only the most musically complex in Turner’s catalog, but one of the most complicated hit singles of all time: “River Deep – Mountain High,” the 1966 hit written by Ellie Greenwich and Jeff Barry with producer Phil Spector.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Celine Dion has canceled all 2023 and 2024 dates on her “Courage” world tour due to her ongoing struggle with a rare neurological disorder called Stiff-Person Syndrome. The dates had been rescheduled from 2022. “It is with tremendous disappointment that we have to announce today the cancellation of the Courage World Tour,” she wrote in a social media post Friday. “I’m so sorry to disappoint all of you once again. I’m working really hard to build back my strength, but touring can be very difficult even when you’re 100%. It’s not fair to you to keep postponing the shows, and even though it breaks my heart, it’s best that we cancel everything now until I’m really ready to be back on stage again. I want you all to know, I’m not giving up… and I can’t wait to see you again! – Celine xx…”Tickets purchased for the forty-two cancelled dates will be refunded via the original point of sale. For further ticket inquiries or options, ticketholders should reach out to their original point of purchase.In a 2022 announcement postponing the original dates, Dion described her battle with the rare ailment, which affects approximately one in a million people.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor The Butthole Surfers were probably one of the most confrontational rock bands of all time, bursting out of Texas as a hardcore act in the early 1980s before mutating into an acid-drenched surrealist nightmare, with famously unhinged concerts featuring blinding strobe lights, nudity, feedback and deafening volume. The group eventually developed a more commercially friendly sound (relatively speaking) and scored an alternative-radio hit in the 1990s with “Pepper,” which cleverly combined a psychedelic rock sound with vocalist Gibby Haynes’ talk-rapping. Yet there was a lot of chaos before that hit, and Matador Records has reissued most of the band’s recorded output from its first decade: the albums “Psychic…Powerless…Another Man’s Sac,” “Rembrandt Pussyhorse,” “Locust Abortion Technician,” “Hairway to Steven” and “piouhgd,” along with EPs and other material recorded during the band’s “strange, grotesque, and ultimately unparalleled first decade,” according to the announcement. The albums, owned by the group but licensed by Matador, are all now available on streaming services; information on physical releases is expected in the coming weeks.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor As expected, Foo Fighters revealed their new drummer during a livestreamed event on Sunday: And as expected, it’s veteran session man and longtime friend Josh Freese. The band launches a massive tour — their first without drummer Taylor Hawkins, who died tragically in Colombia last year — in New Hampshire on May 24. While the band announced its intention to continue late last year, they went to great lengths not to reveal the identity of their new drummer. They played into this during the opening moments of the livestream, called “Foo Fighters: Preparing Music for Concerts,” which featured all of the members joking around with each other in their rehearsal room, with their guitars on.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor In a ruling that could have vast implications in the copyright world, the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that images of Prince created by Andy Warhol that were based on photos taken by Lynn Goldsmith violated her copyright, according to CNN and multiple news outlets. The ruling was 7-2. The court rejected arguments made by the late Warhol’s foundation that the work was sufficiently transformative and did not violate copyright laws. While the work was created in the 1980s, Thursday’s ruling arrives against the backdrop of AI, which has created vast copyright implications over what constitutes originality. Warhol coopted many photographs, logos and other forms of artwork — ranging from soap boxes to iconic photographs — into his works.

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor Andrea Ganis, Atlantic Records’ legendary president of promotion, is leaving the company after 43 years, she announced in a message to staff today, which follows below in full. She began at the company as a secretary in 1980, became head of the department and eventually rose so high in the ranks that they invented the president of promotion title for her. In a 2020 interview with Variety looking back at her career, she said, ““My early years began with the Rolling Stones, Bette Midler, Abba, AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Genesis, Phil Collins, U2, Stevie Nicks and so many more, including songs that I forgot I promoted until I hear them in a store and point up and say, ‘I worked that record!,’” she laughed.  

Jem Aswad Senior Music Editor New York’s Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment has announced the full schedule of free programming for the sixth annual New York Music Month, taking place in June with concerts, performances, industry talks and workshops, and the community-sourced calendar for users to upload free and ticketed music events happening across the five boroughs — see the full schedule at NYMusicMonth.NYC.  “This New York Music Month, with a calendar jam-packed with celebrations — like the city’s 50 th anniversary of hip-hop — the beat of New York City will be heard around the world,” said Mayor Eric Adams. “Between the free rehearsal spaces, workshops, master classes, songwriting camps, and more, there is something for everyone sprinkled throughout the five boroughs, which, as music always does, will serve to unite, educate, and entertain us.”