New Broken Social Scene

[cbacon 0]

October 4th, self titled.

Collaborating with K-os, the Weakerthans Jason Tate and the Dears Murray Lightburn.

 

New Broken Social Scene: More Horns, More Canadians

 

 

By Charley Rogulewski, N.Y.

 

 

Expect more horns and more Canadians on Broken Social Scene's highly anticipated new album, which was originally dubbed "Windsurfing Nation" but will now be a self-titled affair. The set is due Oct. 4 via the group's own Toronto-based label Arts & Crafts.

 

It's the follow-up to 2002's breakthrough "You Forgot It in People," which has sold more than 77,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The set also won a Juno Award for best alternative album.

 

Despite Broken Social Scene's success, no one is quite sure just how many people make up the group. Fellow Arts & Crafts labelmates like Apostle Of Hustle's Andrew Whitemen, Stars members Amy Milan and Evan Cranley and songstress Leslie Feist are revolving members. The new self-titled effort also features rapper K-OS, the Weakerthans' Jason Tate and the Dears' Murray Lightburn.

 

"Everyone makes a little brief cameo on the album," group member Brendan Canning tells Billboard.com. "It's like an Alfred Hitchcock film where he'd be in a scene and then he'd be gone, but you could always count on him appearing in his own film. Just because some people aren't represented on the record doesn't mean they're not part of the live show, or vice-versa,"

 

To record the new album, Broken Social Scene went back to Stars and Sons studio (which inspired the name of a song on the last record) under the production of Dave Newfield, who also plays with the band.

 

"The palette of sound is pretty big," Newfield says. Adds Canning, "There's a tiny bit more accordion, autoharp and banjo. Loads of horns. [There's] a saw that makes a half-second appearance."

 

The success of "You Forgot It in People" caused a lot of indecision on the follow-up, Canning admits. "Parts kept getting recorded and then stripped away and then filled again and torn down again and built up again. It was a constant process of deconstruction ultimately."

 

Meanwhile, the band is already a third of the way through another album slated for a spring release. "We are not going to over-think it too much," says Canning about the work-in-progress. "It's not going to be as great of a deconstruction process. The songs are bit more laid-back."

 

No tour plans have been announced in support of the new effort; Broken Social Scene hasn't managed a full U.S. tour since 2003.

 

"We didn't play more than 20 dates in America last year because we were still trying to finish a record," says Canning. The band is still debating between a full-scale tour in October and November or just three live dates in Toronto, Montreal and New York.

 

Here is the track list for "Broken Social Scene":

 

"Our Faces Split the Coast in Half"

"Ibi Dreams of Pavement (A Better Half)"

"7/4 (Shoreline)"

"Finish Your Collapse and Stay for Breakfast"

"Major Label Debut"

"Fire Eye'd Boy"

"Windsurfing Nation"

"Swimmers"

"Hotel"

"Handjobs for the Holidays"

"Superconnected"

"Bandwitch"

"Tremoloa Debut"

"It's All Gonna Break"

 

from: charattack.ca

 

And on the topic of Arts & Crafts artists, the official word on the new Broken Social Scene album is out - it will be eponymous, in stores October 4 and early pressings will come with a bonus 7-song EP entitled EP To Be You And Me. They've also offering a free download of the much bootlegged and distributed song "7/4 (Shoreline)" for a week. You can also grok the artwork for the new album via the same link.

 

The tracklisting for that EP:

 

1. her disappearing theme

2. canada vs. america

3. baroque social

4. no smiling darkness / snake charmers association

5. all my friends

6. major label debut (fast)

7. feel good lost reprise

 

7/4 (Shorline)

 

Fuck, this song is awesome. If the rest of the album is as good as this song, then it's a shoe in for album of the year. I can't wait to hear the tracks featuring K-OS and Murray from The Dears.

[Anorak 0]

Nothing special.

[Annabelle 0]

i liked broken social scene a lot more before i knew what they looked like.

 

only dumb canadians would be excited about bss doing a track with k-os. who cares about k-os? who cares about the fucking dears? dumb canadians.

 

bss should do what they did ni the past instead of oandering to these other shitty canadian acts. canada has great music...but its ruining itself. death from above opening for the foo fighters? bss with k-os?

 

no.

 

arcade fire is keeping it relatively real. and thats really real in the music industry.

[Giuseppe Zangara 0]

K-os appearing guarantees at least one turd on the album.

[Guest darealdeal21]

not of big fan of theirs

[Lord of The Curry 0]

i liked broken social scene a lot more before i knew what they looked like. 

 

only dumb canadians would be excited about bss doing a track with k-os.  who cares about k-os? who cares about the fucking dears? dumb canadians. 

 

bss should do what they did ni the past instead of oandering to these other shitty canadian acts.  canada has great music...but its ruining itself.  death from above opening for the foo fighters? bss with k-os?

 

no.

 

arcade fire is keeping it relatively real.  and thats really real in the music industry.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Your arguments for our music scene ruining itself are fucking weak, if at all present.

 

What you're calling pandering is viewed as something called a community.

[Giuseppe Zangara 0]

Every act Banky mentioned, save BSS, is pretty not good, so I don't know.

[Annabelle 0]

these bands should worry moreso about what made them great instead of "pandering" to their fucking community. the fucking dears are shit. sorry. k-os is horrible. i am sorry i am breaking this muchmusic imposed musical guideline for you.

 

do you see caribou dueting with matthew good? no. because that would be fucking whack.

 

how about an arcade fire & our lady peace co-op?

 

get my point?

 

keep it real. don't fucking jam with these artists that aren't at your level for the sake of maintaning some bullshit notion of a community. i loveD death from above. man, their heads up ep still is quite possibly the greatest 14 minutes of music ever. i love it. but why are they doing remixes with k-os? because they ran into him at a party? who cares. that isn't what made them so great. same with bss.

 

i could be wrong, and sure hope so, but i can say that their (bss) 3rd full lenth album will not be as good as their first two, esp their second. i am sorry to say this. sorry. don't shoot the messenger. the innocence is gone. it happens to nearly everyone.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

Still waiting for a legit argument as to our musical scene ruining itself.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

I guess the thought never occured to che that these people work together because they enjoy it. Crazy notions abound.

[Red Baron 0]

Canadian music lately has been slacking.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

I'm in total disagreement with that comment. The only way I can see you thinking that is by going on what's hot in the mainstream. That shit sucks.

[cbacon 0]

these bands should worry moreso about what made them great instead of "pandering" to their fucking community. the fucking dears are shit. sorry. k-os is horrible. i am sorry i am breaking this muchmusic imposed musical guideline for you.

 

do you see caribou dueting with matthew good? no. because that would be fucking whack.

 

how about an arcade fire & our lady peace co-op?

 

get my point?

 

keep it real. don't fucking jam with these artists that aren't at your level for the sake of maintaning some bullshit notion of a community. i loveD death from above. man, their heads up ep still is quite possibly the greatest 14 minutes of music ever. i love it. but why are they doing remixes with k-os? because they ran into him at a party? who cares. that isn't what made them so great. same with bss.

 

Collaberating with groups like The Dears and k-os is what makes BSS great. Recording with the likes of Emily Haines (Metric) and Feist wouldn't exactly be pandering would it? So why would it if they're playing with k-os? Because he has a bit of mainstream appeal in Canada? Heaven forbid. It can't be that their fan of his work as a producer/mc would it? It'd be best to reserve judgement about the collaberation until you've heard it. Same deal with The Dears. Or did you hear them on the radio a couple of times and come to the conclusion that bss are trying to ride their coattails? (even though bss get more airplay). I doubt that MuchMusic has even played their videos more than a handful of times. I certainly haven't seen them.

 

Step back from your elitist attitude for a second maybe you'd understand that bands work with others for reasons other than a sense of 'pandering to their community', but rather the fact that they respect the artists enough to work with them and record something worthwhile.

 

I also love how you imply that DFA1979 are no longer a favorite of yours simply because they did a remix with k-os. Or that opening for the Foo Fighters are suddently destroying their oh so valuable indie cred.

[Giuseppe Zangara 0]

I don't doubt BSS likes all the people they work with, but it doesn't change the fact that every guest listed for this album bites. A lot can be said about the company you choose to keep, which only makes me fear that the new album won't be very good and that You Forgot It In People was a fluke. I hope I'm proven wrong, but I'm not keeping my hopes high.

[Annabelle 0]

fine.

 

bss should collaborate with people on their own level.

 

lotc: by having these absurd mash-ups like k-os & bss - it'll harm the music thus the music scene in canada will ultimately suffer. as stated earlier, it was the innocence of bss that made them great. it just doesn't seem natural that they'd be with k-os (who is horrible, with/without musicmusic airplay). i can't see what the guy from the dears can add to the table?

 

c-bacon is funny. is he implying that i said bss are riding the dears coat-tails? thats funny. really funny. the dears are breaking up soon anyway. and for good reason. put that baby to bed. emily haines & lesliefeist are part of the fucking group, genius - so naturally i wouldn't have any problem with their involvement. they were part of the original equation.

 

i see this entire bss thing as similar to what happened at woodstock in 1968. not the festival, but the community itself. what started there with dylan & the band was this natural organic relationship based around music. but soon, the vultures swooped in. everyone descended on woodstock & the music became secondary to whatever the fucking musical "community" was about. after 1970, both the band & dylan lost their touch. they were effected by the vultures. their music was compromsied. similarily, i predict that the bss music will be compromised. they've been whistling sweet-tweet about releasing three up-coming albums in the next eyar or two, their collabs, ect. worry less about fitting in with the indie hipster darlings, and just do what they do. i could very well be wrong & they'll make a fantastic album. i just don't think it'll happen. too many variables to mix up their alchemy.

[Giuseppe Zangara 0]

I also love how you imply that DFA1979 are no longer a favorite of yours simply because they did a remix with k-os. Or that opening for the Foo Fighters are suddently destroying their oh so valuable indie cred.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Where did he say any of that? Pull your head out of your ass.

[cbacon 0]

i loveD death from above. man, their heads up ep still is quite possibly the greatest 14 minutes of music ever. i love it. but why are they doing remixes with k-os? because they ran into him at a party? who cares. that isn't what made them so great. same with bss.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

fine.

 

bss should collaborate with people on their own level.

 

lotc: by having these absurd mash-ups like k-os & bss - it'll harm the music thus the music scene in canada will ultimately suffer.  as stated earlier, it was the innocence of bss that made them great.  it just doesn't seem natural that they'd be with k-os (who is horrible, with/without musicmusic airplay).  i can't see what the guy from the dears can add to the table?

 

c-bacon is funny.  is he implying that i said bss are riding the dears coat-tails? thats funny.  really funny.  the dears are breaking up soon anyway.  and for good reason.  put that baby to bed.  emily haines & lesliefeist are part of the fucking group, genius - so naturally i wouldn't have any problem with their involvement.  they were part of the original equation.

 

i see this entire bss thing as similar to what happened at woodstock in 1968.  not the festival, but the community itself.  what started there with dylan & the band was this natural organic relationship based around music.  but soon, the vultures swooped in.  everyone descended on woodstock & the music became secondary to whatever the fucking musical "community" was about.  after 1970, both the band & dylan lost their touch.  they were effected by the vultures.  their music was compromsied.  similarily, i predict that the bss music will be compromised.  they've been whistling sweet-tweet about releasing three up-coming albums in the next eyar or two, their collabs, ect.  worry less about fitting in with the indie hipster darlings, and just do what they do.  i could very well be wrong & they'll make a fantastic album.  i just don't think it'll happen.  too many variables to mix up their alchemy.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

What "level" exactly is that? Oh, right, Arcade Fire level.

 

If you want to continue believing in this bullshit "innocence" about BSS that never really existed, fine. To somebody who's known about the band for a while, as well as knowing about their other bands and projects it's ridiculous to treat this band as such. I can't. Maybe to non-Canadians there was something special about the band that surrounded a secrecy which bred this belief of innonence. Truth is, the band is great because they're fantastic artists, talented musicians and energetic performers. Sorry to ruin your vision.

[Giuseppe Zangara 0]

Work on your reading comprehension skills, C-Bacon.

[Annabelle 0]

all great music starts with innocence. its the pretention that ultimately ruins it, too.

 

c-bacon is embarrassingly funny.

[cbacon 0]

fine.

 

bss should collaborate with people on their own level.

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

What on bloody earth do you mean by their own "level"? Their own level of popularity? If so, you're a bigger idiot than I thought. You only real worry is that K-OS isn't good enough to work with them, which is fine, however many people think that K-OS is one of the most inventive and varied mc Canada or the world as seen, and would mash up great with BSS. It worked well when he collaberated with Sam Roberts. I actually can't think of a Hip-hopper I enjoy more than K-os.

[Red Baron 0]

No, the whole rock scene in Canada is truly lacking in direction and almost every sub-genre band is competiting to sell out to the masses, but trying to keep "cred".

 

There's nothing special about Canadian music now.

[Giuseppe Zangara 0]

K-os makes Wyclef look like a Geto Boy.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

Inc judging k-os on his blackness is this boards biggest misfire in a long time.

[Giuseppe Zangara 0]

That's precisely what I was doing. Congratulations.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

None needed. Just stick to talking about your wide range of musical knowledge instead of race humour and you'll do fine.

[Giuseppe Zangara 0]

I was talking about his fucking granola-ass music, you dolt. The "Geto Boy" comment wouldn't have gone over your head if you knew anything about hip hop prior to the 21st century.

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

Granola? I've never heard that used as way of describing music. You make it sound like an insult, but I likes me some granola.

[Lord of The Curry 0]

Nothing wrong with granola.

[Annabelle 0]

fine.

 

bss should collaborate with people on their own level.

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

What on bloody earth do you mean by their own "level"? Their own level of popularity? If so, you're a bigger idiot than I thought. You only real worry is that K-OS isn't good enough to work with them, which is fine, however many people think that K-OS is one of the most inventive and varied mc Canada or the world as seen, and would mash up great with BSS. It worked well when he collaberated with Sam Roberts. I actually can't think of a Hip-hopper I enjoy more than K-os.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

their own TALENT level you faggot. when did i ever say anythin about popularity? it shows you're a dumb ass canuck when you bring sam roberts into this fucking argument. stick to your matthew good band cd's, little boy.

 

could k-os be any more boring? could inc's comparison of him to wyclef be any mroe accurate? the only person who loves k-os as much as c-bacon is k-os. his no talent ass.