Show and Tell: Broken Social Scene, “Sick World”
Posted on 19. Feb, 2010 by jessekg in Music, Show & Tell
I hate to think how many members the photographer couldn’t fit in the shot
It’s fair to say that anything Broken Social Scene does is front page news for any Canadian indie publication, but when they announce a brand new album (which they haven’t done in five years), music heads everywhere eat it up.
But to do it one better, BSS decided to release a free MP3 from their new album, Forgiveness Rock Record. The single is called “Sick World,” and it’s a sprawling, seven minute blend of harmonies using a no less than a five guitarist wall of sound. It’s almost like the song has been cooped up for the last five years, and now it’s finally ready to officially hatch (it was played at live shows last summer in Toronto). Fans won’t be disappointed.
Pitchfork interviewed consistent member Kevin Drew a while back about the new album, and this is definitely my favourite quote from it:
“The Canadian music scene boomed during the George Bush era but now we’re in the “yes, we might be able to” world. We had lots of conversations about how we could sing about our views and opinions without trying to make a poor man’s R.E.M. song.”
The interview goes on and is a pretty insightful look into the head space the band is in right now. It’s fair to say that it’s definitely a positive time for them right now. For the album, it looks like they’ve simplified things (if that word could ever be used to describe BSS?) by only going with a six-member core (singer-guitarist Kevin Drew, singer-bassist Brendan Canning, drummer Justin Peroff, guitarist Charles Spearin, singer-guitarist Andrew Whiteman, guitarist Sam Goldberg), despite the fact that several old friend make appearances.
Here’s a list, via the Pitchfork interview: Leslie Feist, the Stars’ Amy Millan and Evan Cranley, Metric’s Emily Haines and Jimmy Shaw, Jason Collett, Do Make Say Think’s Ohad Benchetrit, John Crossingham, Marty Kinack, Julie Penner, Leon Kingstone, and Lisa Lobsinger… take a breath, and … the LP’s producer and occasional keyboardist, John McEntire, who plays in Tortoise and the Sea and Cake, Pavement’s Spiral Stairs, former Death From Above 1979 singer-drummer Sebastien Grainger, Poi Dog Pondering’s Susan Voelz, Helen Money’s Alison Chesley, and the Weakerthans’ Jason Tait.
So, in other words, a few friends.
I’m most excited about an all female collaboration on what Drew called his favourite instrumental, that is until Emily Haines, Feist and Amy Millan laid some vocals over it.
Appropriately, the new single is too large to stream here, but the band has provided a link to have it sent to your inbox (below).
Enjoy, and get your tickets early for their June 19 Toronto date, the only Canadian one mentioned.
