Canadian darlings Broken Social Scene may have released their Polaris Prize-nominated “Forgiveness Rock Record” months ago, but they haven’t released an official music video to any of the songs until now… sort of.
BSS released a fan-made video for their anthemic instrumental song, “Meet Me in the Basement” today; a video that sets the song’s pulsating melody against images from the recent G20 Summit in Toronto. In a press release, BSS singer Kevin Drew wrote that the video was sent to the band “by a lover of our music who wants to remain anonymous,” before adding simply, “the rest speaks for itself.”
The video — a YouTube clip-like mash-up of sorts — juxtaposes images from the G20 protests with clips of everything from kids’ TV shows and Nike ads, to Justin Bieber and even “Obama Girl.” It’s a political statement for sure, but dare we say, an artistic one as well. Check out the video for Broken Social Scene’s “Meet Me in the Basement” below:
It’s been a busy few months for the members of Broken Social Scene. In addition to a great new album (their first in five years) and a new book, the group is part of a new movie that hits theaters this weekend. Directed by Bruce McDonald and featuring Broken Social Scene at their free 2009 concert in Toronto, the film, titled This Movie is Broken, is billed as a “rock show romance.” Rather than going the traditional “rock documentary” route, the band cast a group of unsung actors to tell the story of a young couple rushing to attend the BSS show. With a breezy script — penned by Don McKellar — and propelled by an anthemic soundtrack — comprised of old favorites, and new songs from the “Forgiveness Rock Record” — the film is perfect for the summer, for the nostalgia and for the music fans wanting to see Broken Social Scene’s cherished songs come to life.
The film is out in select cities now. Check out the trailer below:
You know how sometimes you just want a good song in the background without having to listen to distracting vocals or lyrics? Well then you need the debut release from Years, a new project from Broken Social Scene collaborator Ohad Benchetrit. The album is a beautifully woven disc of mellow coffee shop rockers and acoustic folk, all delivered sans vocals. Instead, the tunes are led by Benchetrit’s deft production and musicality, blending together guitars, keyboards, strings and horns, over driving beats and light grooves. It’s the type of music that would fit right at home in a Zach Braff movie, or better yet, as the soundtrack for a sunny weekend spring day. Check out Years on MySpace and then click HERE for a free download of “Are You Unloved?” off the self-titled album, due out May 5th.
The blogosphere has been known to pluck bands out of obscurity and hastily annoint them as “the next big thing”. Some live up to the hype (Vampire Weekend, anyone?), and others are crushed by it. Former blog darlings Annuals, are doing their best to be the exception and stay afloat in a constantly mutating industry that claims more casualties than Jack Bauer himself.
After the success of their debut LP Be He Me, and opening slots with megastars Bloc Party and The Flaming Lips, Annuals found themselves at a crossroads. The sextet of indie rockers from Raleigh, North Carolina were no longer just a group of kids playing music simply for the love of it. Suddenly they had the weight of a major record label behind them, and the eyes of an entire industry focused squarely in their direction, waiting to see if they would live up to that infamous “next big thing” billing.
So far so good.
With the release of their brand new record Such Fun, Annuals are once again on the lips of tastemakers across the land, all the while staying true to what got them here in the first place–an unabashed love of music.
Although the brunt of the songwriting falls squarely on the shoulders of prodigious frontmant Adam Baker, the lifelong friends are still very democratic when it comes to recording, with each member of the band able to contribute input on any given song. The band’s musical prowess was evident from the moment we walked into the artist’s lounge at Columbia Records, and lead guitarist Kenny Florence was fooling around on the piano, producing a more than capable ballad seemingly at will. Known for their live shows, the members of Annuals have a tendency to switch instruments mid-set, sparking comparisons to fellow multi-taskers Arcade Fire and Broken Social Scene.
The similarities don’t end there. Like BSS and Arcade Fire, Annuals music soars to new heights, with melody and complex instrumentation taking precedence over radio-ready pop hooks, although Such Fun isn’t lacking in those, either. The self-proclaimed “hippies” cannot hide their excitement for the music-making process, and its this unbridled enthusiasm that helps set them apart from the gamut of rockstars that are soaking the airwaves and running amuck in the blogosphere. Baker and crew are pure songwriters, so when something works, they just know it. “It’s goosebumps.” Baker says assuredly. “I think everyone has that giddy feeling when something just works.”
We want to say THANKS to Ryan @ Elmer Olsen, Sansyrae and Diana @ The Plutino Group, Emily @ Rogers and everyone else we met up with during our holiday “break” in Toronto. And thanks to Brendan and Stephen from Canvas, who want me to remind you to check out Gentleman Reg‘s new album “Jet Black,” when it drops in February. We got an advance copy and have to agree: it’s pretty solid stuff (think Connor Oberst meets Elliott Smith). This will be the Reg’s first album in four years, and first since he inked a deal with indie label Arts and Crafts — home to some of our favorite Canadian artists like Feist, Broken Social Scene and The Stills. Check out more about the Trenton-born Reg Vermue HERE.
(This Brendan Meadows pic of Reg was taken as part of a non-band related photoshoot.. but we really liked it so we’re posting it here anyway)
