Broken Social Scene

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Broken Social Scene
The many members of Broken Social Scene.
The many members of Broken Social Scene.
Background information
Origin Flag of Canada Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Genre(s) Indie rock, Baroque Pop, Experimental, Shoegazing
Years active 1999–present
Label(s) Arts & Crafts
Website Official website
Members
Brendan Canning
Kevin Drew
Justin Peroff
Charles Spearin
Andrew Whiteman
Jason Collett
David Newfeld
Leslie Feist
Emily Haines
James Shaw
Evan Cranley
Amy Millan
Ohad Benchetrit
Martin Davis Kinack
Jo-ann Goldsmith
Torquil Campbell
John Crossingham
Lisa Lobsinger
Julie Penner
Former members
Bill Priddle

Broken Social Scene is a Canadian indie rock supergroup formed in 1999 in Toronto, Ontario.

Contents

[edit] History

The band's core members are Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning. This duo recorded and released the band's ambient debut album, Feel Good Lost, in 2001, with contributions by Justin Peroff, Charles Spearin and Bill Priddle. However, when they played shows to support the album, Drew and Canning found it difficult to put together an entertaining show based on Feel Good Lost, which was an almost entirely instrumental album.

As a result, they brought in a number of friends from the Toronto indie scene – Andrew Whiteman, Jason Collett, Metric's Emily Haines and Leslie Feist – to flesh out their live show with lyrics and vocals. Over time, the band also came to include contributions from James Shaw, Evan Cranley, Justin Peroff, John Crossingham and Stars' Amy Millan.

All of the later guest musicians joined with Drew, Canning, Peroff and Spearin to record the band's second album, You Forgot It in People, in 2002 on the label Arts & Crafts (originally released by Paper Bag Records). This album, an eclectic, restlessly creative collection of experimental yet accessible pop songs, became the band's critical and commercial breakthrough – it was greeted with ecstatic reviews, and landed on many music critics' year-end Best-Of lists. Additionally, it won the Alternative Album of the Year Juno Award in 2003. The album also included musical contributions by Priddle, Jessica Moss, Brodie West, Susannah Brady and Ohad Benchetrit, but these were credited as supporting musicians rather than band members. On the supporting tour, the core band consisted of Drew, Canning, Peroff, Whiteman and Jason Collett, along with any other band member who was available to attend any individual show.

In 2003, the B-sides and remix collection Bee Hives was released.

Broken Social Scene released their third full-length, self-titled album on October 4, 2005, with new contributors including k-os, Jason Tait and Murray Lightburn. The inside booklet accompanying album also noted several new faces as part of Broken Social Scene. A limited edition EP, E.P. To Be You And Me was also printed along with the album. For the first time David Newfeld, who has produced Broken Social Scene's albums, is listed as a band member.

The group appeared on Late Night with Conan O'Brien on January 31, 2006 performing "7/4 (Shoreline)". At the 2006 Juno Awards, they performed "Ibi Dreams of Pavement" at the show and their eponymous album won the Alternative Album of the Year award. In July, 2006 the band announced a temporary hiatus following the conclusion of their November US tour while members work on their other projects.[1]

Broken Social Scene's music (Lover's Spit) has also been featured in director Clément Virgo's movie Lie with Me (2005), Paul McGuigan's Wicker Park (2004), and Bruce McDonald's The Love Crimes of Gillian Guess (2004), and Showtime's Queer as Folk (2003). The version of "Lover's Spit" found on the Bee Hives record was also featured in an episode of the third season of the FX series Nip/Tuck. Music from the band's albums was used to score the 2006 film Half Nelson. They have since composed and recorded an original score for the Canadian film Snow Cake.

Broken Social Scene has also been selected to score the 2007 film adaptation of Maureen Medved's novel, The Tracey Fragments. The upcoming film will share the same title as the novel, and has been described as "a stirring tragic comedy and a 21st century Catcher in the Rye, told in a dazzling pop-art fashion."

Broken Social Scene were last minute replacement performers at North America's first Virgin Festival, at Toronto Islands Park, the weekend of September 9 and 10, 2006. Contacted on September 7, after headliners Massive Attack cancelled due to problems involving obtaining US visas, the entire band, just returned from a European tour in August, managed to assemble to close the festival Sunday night. Appearing on the main Virgin Mobile Stage, immediately following performances by international superstar bands The Strokes and The Raconteurs, BSS took the stage at 10:00 pm, and played a set of over an hour. Through the performance the band was joined by part-time members, and stars in their own right: Feist, Amy Millan of Stars, k-os, and Emily Haines of Metric. This was also the last performance of the band to date and features the rare 15 member lineup of the band.

In late 2006, several members of the band appeared as special guests in The Stars and Suns Sessions, the second album from mexican indie band Chikita Violenta. The album was produced by Dave Newfeld himself.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

Feel Good Lost
(2001)
You Forgot It in People
(2002)
Bee Hives
(2004)
Broken Social Scene
(2005)

[edit] EPs and singles

  • Stars and Sons/KC Accidental b/w Do the '95 and Market Fresh (2003, Double 7")
  • Cause=time b/w da da dada (2003, 7")
  • Cause=time b/w time=cause & Weddings (2003, CDS)
  • Live at Radio Aligre FM in Paris (2004, EP)
  • EP To Be You and Me (2005, EP)
  • Ibi Dreams of Pavement (A Better Day) b/w All the Gods (2005, 7")
  • 7/4 (Shoreline) b/w Stars and Spit (2006, 7")
  • 7/4 (Shoreline) b/w Stars and Spit and Death Cock (2006, CDS)
  • Fire Eye'd Boy b/w Canada vs. America (Exhaust Pipe Remix) (2006, 7")
  • Broken Social Scene: 2006/08/06 Lollapalooza, Chicago, IL (2006, EP iTunes Exclusive) iTunes store link

[edit] Videography

  • Anthems for a Seventeen-Year-Old Girl (directed by Yael Staav)
  • Stars & Sons (August 2003, directed by Christopher Mills)
  • Cause = Time (December 2003, directed by George Vale & Kevin Drew)
  • I'm Still Your Fag
  • Lover's Spit
  • Almost Crimes (2004, directed by George Vale & Kevin Drew)
  • Ibi Dreams of Pavement (A Better Day) (November 2005, directed by Experimental Parachute Movement)
  • 7/4 (Shoreline) (2006, directed by Micah Meisner)
  • Fire Eye'd Boy (2006, directed by Experimental Parachute Movement)

[edit] Touring lineup history

From 2002 to 2004 female vocalists Emily Haines, Leslie Feist and Amy Millan rotated between availability from their own bands, until a full time replacement was found in 2005 with Lisa Lobsinger. From time to time (most notably at hometown shows in Toronto) any one of the ladies will usually resume their role on their trademark songs, and appear unannounced prior to the show.

  • 2001: Kevin Drew, Brendan Canning, Brodie West
  • 2002: Kevin Drew, Brendan Canning, Justin Peroff, Andrew Whiteman, Charles Spearin, Jason Collett, Emily Haines, Leslie Feist, Evan Cranley
  • 2003: Kevin Drew, Brendan Canning, Justin Peroff, Andrew Whiteman, Charles Spearin, Jason Collett, Leslie Feist, Evan Cranley
  • 2004: Kevin Drew, Brendan Canning, Justin Peroff, Andrew Whiteman, Charles Spearin, Jason Collett, Amy Millan, James Shaw, Evan Cranley
  • 2005: Kevin Drew, Brendan Canning, Justin Peroff, Andrew Whiteman, Charles Spearin, Lisa Lobsinger, John Crossingham, Julie Penner, Ohad Benchetrit, Leslie Feist

Collett took time off to promote his solo release Idols of Exile, and to attend to his family, prior to the 2005 fall tour.

[edit] Awards and nominations

2003

2004

  • Stars and Sons - Christopher Mills, Broken Social Scene - Nomination: Video of the Year Juno Award.

2006

[edit] Related acts

Most of the musicians who have worked with Broken Social Scene are members of other bands as well or perform as solo artists. These include:

Jason Collett performs as a solo artist under his own name. Andrew Whiteman's "solo" project Apostle of Hustle features other members of BSS. Kheaven Brereton is a hip-hop artist who goes by the stage name k-os. Leslie Feist is also a solo artist, although her albums are credited simply to Feist.

Junior Blue is a BSS-style collaborative band that was formed and recorded before You Forgot It in People was recorded. Valley of the Giants is a BSS-style collaborative band that was formed after You Forgot It in People was recorded and released.

Canning was previously in the bands hHead and By Divine Right. Priddle was previously in Treble Charger. Drew and Spearin were previously in the band KC Accidental. Whiteman was previously in the bands Que Vida and Bourbon Tabernacle Choir.

[edit] External links

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