Broken Social Scene

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Broken Social Scene
Broken Social Scene performing in England in 2006. Left to right: Brendan Canning, Ohad Benchetrit, James Shaw, Kevin Drew, Andrew Whiteman, Julie Penner, Lisa Lobsinger
Broken Social Scene performing in England in 2006. Left to right: Brendan Canning, Ohad Benchetrit, James Shaw, Kevin Drew, Andrew Whiteman, Julie Penner, Lisa Lobsinger
Background information
Origin Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Genre(s) Indie rock, baroque pop, experimental, shoegazing, art rock
Years active 1999–present
Label(s) Arts & Crafts
Website www.arts-crafts.ca/bss
Members
Brendan Canning, Kevin Drew, Justin Peroff, Charles Spearin, Andrew Whiteman, Jason Collett, David Newfeld, Leslie Feist, Emily Haines, James Shaw, Michael Lani, Evan Cranley, Amy Millan, Ohad Benchetrit, Martin Davis Kinack, Jo-ann Goldsmith, Torquil Campbell, John Crossingham, Lisa Lobsinger, Julie Penner, Jason Tait
Former members
Bill Priddle

Broken Social Scene is a Juno Award winning Canadian indie rock supergroup, a musical collective currently including nineteen members, formed in 1999 in Toronto, Ontario. All of its members currently play in various other groups and solo projects, mainly based around the city of Toronto. The group's sound could be considered a combination of all of its members' respective musical projects, and is usually identified as baroque pop. It is characterized by a very large amount of sounds, grand orchestrations featuring guitars, horns, woodwinds, and violins, unusual song structures, and an experimental, and sometimes chaotic production style from David Newfeld.

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, on Noise Factory Records 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, Leslie Feist, and Metric's Emily Haines—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, Stars' Torquil Campbell and 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. The album 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, Broken Social Scene 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. David Newfeld, who has produced Broken Social Scene's albums, is listed as a band member for the first time.

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 song Lover's Spit from 2002's You Forgot It in People has been featured in director Clément Virgo's movie Lie with Me (2005), Paul McGuigan's Wicker Park (2004), 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 2004's Bee Hives record was also featured in an episode of the third season of the FX series Nip/Tuck. Showtime's television program The L Word featured "Pacific Theme" "Looks Just Like the Sun" both from You Forgot It in People in the show's first season. A single from You Forgot It in People also apeared in the movie "The Invisible". Music from the band's albums were used to score the 2006 film Half Nelson. They have also 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 9–10, 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 p.m., 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: Leslie Feist, Amy Millan of Stars, k-os, and Emily Haines of Metric. This was also the last Canadian 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 on The Stars and Suns Sessions, the second album from Mexican indie band Chikita Violenta. The album was produced by Dave Newfeld.

In 2008 Justin Peroff contributed a t-shirt design to the Yellow Bird Project on behalf of the band, to raise money for Lake Ontario Waterkeeper. It has also been confirmed through interviews with various band members that they will indeed be taking part in the 2008 Virgin Festival on Toronto's Olympic Island.

[edit] "Broken Social Scene Presents..."

On June 8, 2007, music website Pitchforkmedia.com reported that BSS founder Kevin Drew was recording a solo album, which is to feature many other members of BSS including Ohad Benchetrit and Charles Spearin. The album is entitled Broken Social Scene presents Kevin Drew, Spirit If.... It is intended to be the first in a series of "Broken Social Scene presents..." albums with a similar follow up by fellow BSS founder Brendan Canning to be released in 2008.[2] The album was recorded throughout 2005 and 2006 in Ohad Benchetrit's house while the band was not on tour. Although billed as a solo project, nearly every BSS member, from drummer Justin Peroff to Leslie Feist, Emily Haines and Amy Millan, make cameo appearances. The sound itself is BSS’ familiar mix of rough and ragged, sad and celebratory. It is prone to psychedelic swells, acoustic jangles and features a cast of friends and associates (including Dinosaur Jr’s J. Mascis and CanCon icon, Tom Cochrane) playing and singing and handclapping along.[3] The album was released on September 18, 2007 and a tour billed as Broken Social Scene Performs Kevin Drew's Spirit If... was engaged in late 2007.[4] While the band is scheduled to tour again in February 2008, they are also preparing the second "Broken Social Scene presents..."-record by Brendan Canning, entitled Something for All of Us. It is scheduled to be released on Arts & Crafts on July 22, 2008.

[edit] Touring lineup history

Broken Social Scene performing at the Intonation Music Festival, 16 July 2005.
Broken Social Scene performing at the Intonation Music Festival, 16 July 2005.

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 women 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
  • 2006: Kevin Drew, Brendan Canning, Justin Peroff, Andrew Whiteman, Charles Spearin, Ohad Benchetrit, Julie Penner, Lisa Lobsinger, Amy Millan
  • 2007: Kevin Drew, Brendan Canning, Justin Peroff, Andrew Kenny, Bill Priddle (Replaced by Jimmy Shaw, see below, now replaced by Mitch Bowden), Sam Goldberg
  • 2008: Kevin Drew, Brendan Canning, Justin Peroff, Charles Spearin, Sam Goldberg, Amy Millan, Evan Cranley

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

During the 2007 tour, Bill Priddle broke his collar bone, just before the 16th October gig at Manchester's Carling Club Academy. According to Kevin Drew, "the last few days have been hectic". He also mentioned that Bill was in a hotel room in Glasgow. They were joined on tour by James Shaw from Metric, who had "flown in that morning" from Toronto.

Mitch Bowden from DonVail joined the 2007 tour to replace Bill Priddle as he heals from collar bone injury.

[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. Collett was preciously in the band Ursula.

[edit] Discography

[edit] Albums

[edit] Others

[edit] Broken Social Scene Presents...

[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) (Digital Only EP)
  • EP To Be You and Me (2005, EP) − originally released with Broken Social Scene
  • 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)

[edit] Film Scores

[edit] Videography

  • "Stars & Sons" (August 2003, directed by Christopher Mills)
  • "Cause = Time" (December 2003, directed by George Vale and Kevin Drew)
  • "Almost Crimes" (2004, directed by George Vale and 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)
  • "Major Label Debut" (2006)
  • "Anthems for a Seventeen Year-old girl"

[edit] Awards and nominations

[edit] References

  1. ^ Broken Social Scene to Go on Hiatus
  2. ^ Pitchforkmedia article
  3. ^ Broken Solo Scene. Retrieved on September 23, 2007.
  4. ^ Arts and Crafts website

[edit] External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
v • d • e
Broken Social Scene
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 member
Collaborators
Albums
Feel Good Lost (2001) | You Forgot It in People (2002) | Bee Hives (2004) | Broken Social Scene (2005)
Broken Social Scene Presents...: Spirit If... (2007) | Something for All of Us (2008)
EPs
Live at Radio Aligre FM in Paris (2004) | EP To Be You and Me (2005) | Broken Social Scene: 2006/08/06 Lollapalooza, Chicago, IL (2006)
Singles
"Stars and Sons/KC Accidental" (2003) | "Cause = Time" (2003) " | "Ibi Dreams of Pavement (A Better Day)" (2005) | "7/4 (Shoreline)" (2006) | "Fire Eye'd Boy" (2006)
Record labels
Related subjects