The group's sound combines elements of all of its members' respective musical projects, and is occasionally considered baroque pop. It includes grand orchestrations featuring guitars, horns, woodwinds, and violins, unusual song structures, and an experimental, and sometimes chaotic production style from David Newfeld, who produced the second and third albums.[11][12]
The collective and their respective projects have had a broad influence on alternative music and indie rock during the early 21st century, in 2021 Pitchfork listed the band among the "most important artists" of the last 25 years.[15]
Drew and Canning's material at the time was almost entirely instrumental, so they brought together musicians from the Toronto indie scene, the album contributors as well as Andrew Whiteman, Jason Collett, and Metric's Emily Haines, to flesh out their live show with lyrics and vocals. Over time, the band came to include contributions from James Shaw, Justin Peroff, John Crossingham, and Stars member Amy Millan.[10]
You Forgot It in People
All of the musicians from the live show joined Drew, Canning, Peroff and Spearin to record the band's second album, You Forgot It in People. The album was produced by David Newfeld and released on Paper Bag Records in October 2002[16] and won the Alternative Album of the Year Juno Award in 2003.[16] 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 whichever band members were available on each show date.[citation needed]
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), Showtime's Queer as Folk (2003) and the penultimate episode of the Canadian series Terminal City (2005). 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" and "Looks Just Like the Sun", both from You Forgot It in People, in the show's first season. "Lover's Spit" is referenced in the 2013 Lorde song, "Ribs". "Looks Just Like the Sun" was featured in the 2006 film Swedish Auto. "Stars and Sons" from You Forgot It in People also appeared in the movie The Invisible. Music from the band's albums was used to score the 2006 film Half Nelson.[17]
Broken Social Scene performed "7/4 (Shoreline)" on Late Night with Conan O'Brien on January 31, 2006, and that year they performed "Ibi Dreams of Pavement" at the 2006 Juno Awards, at which their self-titled album won the Alternative Album of the Year award. In August the band went on a European tour. Returning in September, they were last-minute replacement performers at North America's first Virgin Festival, at Toronto Islands Park after headliners Massive Attack cancelled due to problems involving obtaining US visas. The band quickly assembled to play a one-hour closing performance on the main stage, following The Strokes and The Raconteurs. Through the performance the band was joined by Feist, Amy Millan of Stars, k-os, and Emily Haines of Metric. This was the last show featuring the entire 15 member line-up of the band until 2009.[citation needed]
After a US tour in November, the band went on hiatus while members worked on their other projects.[18] 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.[citation needed]
In May 2008, the band contributed a T-shirt design for the Yellow Bird Project to raise money and awareness for the Lake Ontario Waterkeeper. The shirt was designed by their drummer, Justin Peroff, and bears the slogan "Hope for Truth".[19]
In June 2007, BSS founder Kevin Drew began recording an album which featured many members of Broken Social Scene. The album was produced by Ohad Benchetrit and Charles Spearin and was titled Broken Social Scene presents ..Spirit If.... The album was recorded throughout 2004 and 2006 in Ohad Benchetrit's house while the band was not on tour. Although billed as a solo project, most Broken Social Scene members make cameo appearances. The sound itself is Broken Social Scene's familiar mix of rough and ragged, sad and celebratory, with psychedelic swells and acoustic jangles. Also featured are Dinosaur Jr.'s J Mascis and Canadian rock icon Tom Cochrane playing and singing and handclapping along.[20] The album was released on September 18, 2007, and a tour billed as Broken Social Scene Performs Kevin Drew's Spirit If... took place in late 2007.[citation needed]
In May 2009 Arts & Crafts, with association from Anansi Press, released This Book Is Broken written by The Grid editor Stuart Berman, who had a close personal involvement with the band. The book includes artwork, concert posters and photographs (professional and amateur) of the band. Berman includes extensive interviews with band members and related persons, arranged by subject and chronology.[22]
Forgiveness Rock Record
In June 2009, the band played a short set to launch This Book Is Broken at the North by Northeast festival. They played a mix of new songs from their then-upcoming album and old favourites, and were joined by Feist, who also joined them on their second visit to Mexico City in October.[23]
During the band's free performance at the Harbourfront Centre on July 11, 2009, they were joined by nearly all past contributors, including Feist, Emily Haines and James Shaw, Amy Millan and Evan Cranley, John Crossingham, Jason Collett and Julie Penner. This revue-like show celebrated other projects by members as well as including material from the then-upcoming album. Emcee Bruce McDonald announced the filming of a documentary directed by him and written by Don McKellar, Titled This Movie Is Broken, it includes concert footage and a fictional romance. Although McDonald announced at the concert that film submitted by fans would be used in the movie, the final cut of the movie included only one submission, a front-row recording of "Major Label Debut".[citation needed]
Broken Social Scene released their fourth full-length album on May 4, 2010.[24] Entitled Forgiveness Rock Record, it was recorded at Soma in Chicago, with John McEntire producing, and in Toronto at the studio of Sebastian Grainger and James Shaw. For the first time, Amy Millan, Emily Haines, and Leslie Feist recorded a track together (albeit at different times).[citation needed] This album was short-listed for the 2010 Polaris Music Prize.[25]
In August 2010, Broken Social Scene initiated their "All to All" remix series, which included seven different versions of the track from Forgiveness Rock Record. Every Monday a new remix was released and available for 24 hours via a different online partner. The first version, "All to All (Sebastien Sexy Legs Grainger Remix)", by Sebastien Grainger, was released August 9 via Pitchfork.[26]
Lo-Fi for the Dividing Nights
During the recording of Forgiveness Rock Record, the group also worked on tracks for Lo-Fi for the Dividing Nights while in Chicago. While John McEntire worked in the main room, during downtime band members would head into Soma's second smaller studio (B-Room) to test out and record new ideas and overdubs. One of their collaborations, "Me & My Hand", ended up being the closing song on Forgiveness Rock Record; the rest became the beginnings of the later album.[citation needed]
Hiatus
In October 2011 the band put on a show featuring Isaac Brock and went on a fall tour in support of TV on the Radio. After their concert in November in Rio de Janeiro, the band took a long break from performing[27] until 2013, when they headlined the Field Trip Arts & Crafts Music Festival, celebrating tenth anniversary of their label Arts & Crafts.[citation needed]
In 2013, publisher House of Anansi teamed with several members of Broken Social Scene to sponsor the Broken Social Scene short story contest. Authors were challenged to create works inspired by the individual tracks of Broken Social Scene's breakthrough album, You Forgot It in People. From the over four hundred submissions, thirteen finalists were chosen, one for each track of the album. Their stories were published in the anthology The Broken Social Scene Story Project: Short Works Inspired by You Forgot It in People.[28][29]
Marcia Walker (Toronto), "Pitter Patter Goes My Heart"
Hug of Thunder (2015–2018)
The band began to play occasional festivals in 2015 and 2016, including a performance at the Electric Arena in September 2016.[31] They released "Halfway Home", the first single from their new album, on March 30, 2017.[citation needed]
On March 30, 2017, they appeared on the Late Show with Stephen Colbert as musical guests and performed "Halfway Home". Emily Haines and James Shaw of Metric, and Amy Millan and Evan Cranley of Stars joined the band for the performance.[32]
On May 15, 2017, the band shared the title track with vocals from Leslie Feist.[34] On May 31, 2017, the band released "Skyline", the album's third preview single.[35] On June 26, 2017, the band released the album's fourth and final preview track "Stay Happy", which features new member Ariel Engle on lead vocals.[36]
Broken Social Scene began a tour of Europe and North America in May 2017, which concluded in fall 2017.[34]
Let's Try the After (2019–present)
On January 22, 2019, the band released the single "All I Want" and the details of an EP titled Let's Try the After, Vol. 1 which was released February 15, 2019.[37]
They debuted two new songs, "Can’t Find My Heart" and "1972", from the new EP during an appearance on CBC Music's The Strombo Show. The EP's first official single was "All I Want".
On March 20, 2019, they announced the sequel EP Let's Try the After, Vol 2, which was released April 12, 2019, on Arts & Crafts.[38] Its first single was "Can't Find My Heart".
Band members
Current active members
Brendan Canning – lead vocals, bass guitar, guitar, keyboards, various instruments (1999–present)
Kevin Drew – lead vocals, guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, various instruments (1999–present)
Broken Social Scene performing at the Intonation Music Festival, July 16, 2005, fronted by Amy Millan.
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 (mostly at hometown shows in Toronto) one of the women may without prior announcement resume their role on their trademark songs.
2006: Kevin Drew, Brendan Canning, Justin Peroff, Andrew Whiteman, Charles Spearin, Ohad Benchetrit, Julie Penner, Amy Millan, Dave Hodge, Lisa Lobsinger, Chris Cochran, Matt Miller.
2007: Kevin Drew, Brendan Canning, Justin Peroff, Andrew Kenny, Bill Priddle (eventually Priddle was replaced by James Shaw, and then Mitch Bowden), Sam Goldberg.
2008: Kevin Drew, Brendan Canning, Justin Peroff, Andrew Whiteman, Charles Spearin, Jason Collett, Evan Cranley, Amy Millan, Dave Hodge, Sam Goldberg, Liz Powell (fall tour only), Leon Kingstone.
2009: Kevin Drew, Brendan Canning, Justin Peroff, Andrew Whiteman, Charles Spearin, Jason Collett, Evan Cranley, Leslie Feist, Dave Hodge, Lisa Lobsinger, Sam Goldberg.
2010: Kevin Drew, Brendan Canning, Justin Peroff, Andrew Whiteman, Charles Spearin, David French, John McEntire, Dave Hodge, Lisa Lobsinger, Sam Goldberg.
2015: Kevin Drew, Brendan Canning, Justin Peroff, Andrew Whiteman, Charles Spearin, Evan Cranley, Amy Millan
2017: Kevin Drew, Brendan Canning, Justin Peroff, Andrew Whiteman, Charles Spearin, Sam Goldberg, Ariel Engle, David French
2023: Kevin Drew, Brendan Canning, Justin Peroff (with Loel Campbell substituting for October dates), Andrew Whiteman, Charles Spearin, Sam Goldberg, Jill Harris, 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 October 16 gig at the Birmingham Academy II. They were joined on tour by James Shaw from Metric, who had "flown in that morning" from Toronto. Mitch Bowden, Priddle's bandmate in Don Vail and The Priddle Concern, joined the 2007 tour to replace Priddle.
Discography
Studio albums
List of studio albums, with selected chart positions and certifications
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World (2010) − "Anthems for a Seventeen Year-Old Girl", "I'm So Sad, So Very, Very Sad" (credited as Crash and the Boys), "We Hate You Please Die" (credited as Crash and the Boys), "Last Song Kills Audience" (credited as Crash and the Boys)
The Polaris Music Prize is awarded annually to the best full-length Canadian album based on artistic merit. Broken Social Scene's self-titled album was nominated in 2006,[59] and Forgiveness Rock Record was nominated in 2010.[25]
KC Accidental was a Canadian post-rock band from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The band released two albums of mostly instrumental music. It later evolved into Broken Social Scene.
David Andrew Patrick Whiteman is a Canadian musician and songwriter. Forming the Bourbon Tabernacle Choir in Toronto out of high school, he eventually left the band in 1993 after eight years. Whiteman went on to record Fear of Zen in 1995 with the band Que Vida! Whiteman fronts the band Apostle of Hustle with bassist Julian Brown and drummer Dean Stone.
You Forgot It in People is the second studio album by Canadian indie rock band Broken Social Scene, released on October 15, 2002. It was the band's commercial breakthrough. You Forgot It in People features intricate, experimental production techniques and a large number of instruments coinciding with the band's vastly expanded size. Local excitement for the album was so big that initial pressings sold out quickly, causing the need for a 2003 reissue.
Broken Social Scene is the third studio album by Broken Social Scene, released on October 4, 2005. In addition to the musicians who contributed to the band's prior release You Forgot It in People, new contributors on Broken Social Scene include k-os, Jason Tait and Murray Lightburn.
Jason Robert Collett is a Canadian singer-songwriter from Toronto, Ontario. He has released six solo studio albums, and is a former member of Broken Social Scene.
Stars is a Canadian indie pop/rock band based in Montreal, Quebec. Since forming in 2000, they have released nine albums and a number of EPs. Their music has been nominated for two Juno Awards and two Polaris Music Prizes.
Leslie Feist, known mononymously as Feist, is a Canadian indie pop singer-songwriter and guitarist, performing both as a solo artist and as a member of the indie rock group Broken Social Scene.
Idols of Exile is a 2005 album by Jason Collett.
Arts & Crafts Productions is a music-focused media and artist services company that offers information as an independent record label, management firm, merchandiser, and publisher worldwide. It has earned 21 Juno Awards. Arts & Crafts has been called one of Canada's most important record labels.
Evan Whitney Cranley is a Canadian musician based in Montreal, Quebec. He records with the bands Stars and Broken Social Scene, although he considered joining the band Metric before finally joining Stars.
Amy Millan is a Canadian indie rock singer and guitarist. She records and performs with the bands Stars and Broken Social Scene as well as having a successful solo career. Her second solo album, Masters of the Burial, was released by Arts & Crafts Productions in September 2009.
Kevin Drew is a Canadian musician and songwriter who, together with Brendan Canning, founded the expansive Toronto baroque-pop collective Broken Social Scene. He was also part of the lesser-known KC Accidental, which consisted of Drew and Charles Spearin, another current member of Broken Social Scene.
Brendan Canning is a Canadian indie rock performer. He is a founding member of the band Broken Social Scene and a former member of By Divine Right, Blurtonia, Valley of the Giants, Len, and hHead.
Apostle of Hustle was a Canadian indie rock group, formed as a side project in 2001 by Andrew Whiteman, who has also been in Bourbon Tabernacle Choir and Que Vida. He currently plays as the lead guitarist for the indie supergroup Broken Social Scene.
Junior Blue is a Canadian post-rock group, consisting of Justin Peroff and Dylan Hudecki, along with contributions by Peroff's Broken Social Scene bandmates Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning, and Hudecki's By Divine Right bandmates José Miguel Contreras and Brian Borcherdt.
Charles Spearin is a Canadian multi-instrumentalist from Toronto, Ontario. He is primarily known as a founding member of indie rock bands Do Make Say Think and Broken Social Scene.
The Priddle Concern is a Canadian indie rock band formed in Toronto, Ontario by Bill Priddle.
The Priddle Concern is the debut solo album by The Priddle Concern, a project of former Treble Charger guitarist and songwriter Bill Priddle.
The Happiness Project is the title of Charles Spearin's debut album. Best known for his work with Toronto-based bands Do Make Say Think and Broken Social Scene, Charles Spearin began performing samples of The Happiness Project live during Broken Social Scene concerts, offering insight into the inspiration and concept of the album, which was long-listed for the 2009 Polaris Music Prize. On April 17, 2010, Spearin won a Juno Award for the Best Contemporary Jazz Album for The Happiness Project.
Hug of Thunder is the fifth studio album by Canadian indie rock musical collective Broken Social Scene. It was released by the Arts & Crafts record label on July 7, 2017.
↑ Wilson, Carl, ed. (2013). The Broken Social Scene Story Project: Short Works Inspired by You Forgot It in People. House of Anansi. ISBN9781770894051.
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