If you’re in Melbourne and you’re stuck for something to do on Tuesday night, you’re in luck. Canadian post-rock band Broken Social Scene are playing The Corner, with further dates to follow in Perth and Sydney. The tagline from Handsome Tours’ website sums them up neatly:
Toronto-based musical collective Broken Social Scene are revered the world over for creating a thrillingly unique & defiant style of classic, exuberant indie-rock. Led by Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning, the band feature a revolving cast of musicians & use an astonishing array of instruments, including trombone, violin and French horn, to deliver relentlessly infectious melodies amidst their guitar-fuelled bliss.
“Guitar-filled bliss” hits the mark. I’d listened to one of their CDs before, but having gone to the first Australian gig last night at The Zoo, I wasn’t prepared for what was simply one of the best live shows I’ve ever been to. The sheer musical exuberance of what was largely instrumental driven rock was astounding, and a fabulous time was had by all. Except perhaps climatically for the very hairy band themselves, who were unprepared for the always horrendously hot conditions of The Zoo (it’s a great venue – but basically a top floor warehouse space in an old building where the fans in a Brisbane summer give regular thanks for wall fans). But BSS were the very opposite of an icy breeze from Canada, and very ably supported by Melbourne’s Sally Seltmann from New Buffalo whose eccentric and ethereal vocal stylings set the mood. Sadly, and to the slight consternation of many in the crowd, the wonderful Feist wasn’t with BSS on this tour, but Lisa Lobsinger more than made up for her absence. As Molly used to say, do yourself a favour.
Update: Via the wonders of Wikipedia, I’ve discovered some more great Canadian indie music. The good thing about BSS is that they’re a collective without fixed membership, so draw on the talents of other Canadian musicians. You can listen to some of Lisa’s previous band’s tracks here at New Music Canada and sample the wonderful Feist here.
A ‘collective’? So they’re socialists! Don’t we determine who will come to this country and the circumstances under which they come? Aaaargh! The system’s broken!
Whew. Rock n roll as a topic: sheesh, what a relief.
Do these guys have anything in common with their compatriots/possible conspirators The Arcade Fire and The New Pornographers? If so, it seems like the Canooks have stumbled upon a new method of working, in the old rock n roll groove; (well, maybe not SO new… lookit Patti Smith vs. Tom Verlaine!) The thing has its promises, but also its pitfalls, both of which one could (at least in theory) discuss, if anybody’s interested in the methods and machinery of a genre. Their really big job though is to make it all look COOL. …Meantime though, if it rocks, it rocks!
Mark — thanks for the (implied) vote of confidence on the other thread. It hasn’t been wholly apparent to me that my presence here is a good idea. If it’s fine, I’d be pleased; but if not, I’d just as soon know that and make a getaway, instead of making a nuisance of meself.
j_p_z, it’s good to have you here – your comments are interesting and good humoured and make a positive contribution to discussion.
I don’t know too much about the Canadian indie scene, but the gig last night has inspired me to find out more. As I was saying in the update, it’s great that the interwebs make this an easy and enjoyable process!
Seconded from the comments box, j_p_z mate.
I’ve been trying to give Broken Social Scene a listen but there is one heck of a loud thunderstorm happening at the moment. Sorta makes it hard to hear.
As for Canadian bands I was listening to an old favourite this morning. The Pursuit of Happiness. It dates from the late 80s but Love Junk is still one of my favourite albums. Some of the best songs about unrequited love and lust ever. And it sure does rock in the grand tradition.
On the continuum of the Canadian music scene, is anybody here into so-called “alt-country” — the high points being Uncle Tupelo’s greatest, Wilco in their “Being There” phase, the mighty Lucinda Williams, and the astonishing-but-not-yet-repeated “I Am Shelby Lynne”?
I mention it by way of contrast, because North American (or at least, north of the Rio Grande) art-pop (well, let’s just go on and say ostensibly ‘white’ non-hip-hop) music exists on a kind of ROYGBIV bandwidth: the farther north you go, the less directly felt is the gravitational pull of hip-hop, blues, and ‘pure’ American C & W — though they’re never entirely absent. Point is that they increasingly get absorbed in the far North scene by artistic CHOICE, not by sheer cultural momentum.
Seems to me (from my very limited sampling of the Canadian scene) that the Canooks are starting to use that freedom as a base, and are moving into a more pure musical eclecticism: a kind of zero-gravity that has a lot to do with a) the radical fungibility of cultural products in the post-digital age, and b) also with a specifically Canadian kind of (ahem, here’s that word) ‘multiculturalism’ that is not nearly as tied-down by racial guilt and second-guessing as it is down in the States (hence my use of the term ‘zero gravity’).
I don’t know whether that’s good or bad; and I also can’t figure the impact of ‘indigenous’ Canadian musical influences (whatever those may be; though they’re probably just a different strain of Anglo-Celtic-French, like in the US, but absent its weirder racial mixtures and pathologies). But I think there’s something happening in Canadian music (or rather, in its *context*) that reflects the larger goings-on in Canada’s social matrix. Can’t tell for sure, though. Because I live right in the place that spews pop culture the loudest, I can’t accurately hear how this stuff plays in other parts of the world. For instance, what does it sound like in Australia?
(btw, Rob & Mark, thanks for the thumbs up!)
BSS are awesome on record, and I can’t wait to see them in Sydney this Saturday (bought my tix some time ago) so it’s great to see such a good review already – thanks Mark!
BSS and the New Pornographers are similar in that they’re both Canadian collectives and both sublime.
The ‘other’ projects of both bands are all essential listening. BSS includes members of Feist (Astrud Gilberto meets Mary Margaret O’Hara meets trip hop), Metric (The Strokes with double the IQ + synths), Stars (perfect synth pop – check their 2003 album ‘Heart’ – all love songs – I can’t stop listening to it) and others…
New Pornographers includes AC Newman, Neko Case (one of the best alt country singers around) and members of Destroyer and Zumpano. Also worth mentioning is that one of their members, Blaine Thurier is a filmmaker, and his videos for the New Pornographers (especially for the songs ‘All for Swinging You Around’ and ‘The Laws Have Changed’) are some of the best music videos I’ve seen in recent years.
One thing that strikes me is that the Canadian indie scene is more receptive to female artists than the American (alt.country and the folk influenced singer/songwriter scene are different kettles of fish) – where rock still equals boy band. But with Manchester haircuts!
As Canadian singers Tegan and Sara point out – unfortunately the link to the interview where Sara made that argument isn’t live anymore.
No probs, j_p_z!
Shannon, they’re even more awesome live. And as I said in the post, Feist is brilliant. I’ll also have to check out New Pornographers as I leeeeerve Neko Case!
Can’t disagree with the commenters on this thread about Lisa being “quite a hottie”.
And speaking of BSS collective constituents, Emily Haines and Metric shouldn’t go without a mention.
Oops, I see Shannon already mentioned them!
Speaking of Canadian post-rock, Godspeed You! Black Emperor are also worth checking out if you haven’t already.
I’d be interested in gig reviews from any readers who go see BSS.
is anybody here into so-called “alt-country�
Does the pope shit in the woods?
Has Bonnie Prince Billy played in Melbourne or Sydney yet? He was due. Stuck here in Perth as I am and having warned you all yonks ago I’ll be mighty dark if you did not go.
That’s one of the reasons why I specifically mentioned BSS were playing in Perth, James. I know you guys miss a lot of tours.
FXH… “Does the pope shit in the woods?”
Hm… dunno. Does a bear wear a funny hat?
But you’re a pretty serious music writer, yes, FX? What’s your take on our intrepid young Canadian friends? Like the little voice keeps saying on the De La Soul record,
“Whatdoesitallmean?”
FXH — just popped over to your blog, to see if you’d written anything on the Canadians. Didn’t find any, but I saw you referencing the Lucky Strikes ’so round, so firm, so fully-packed’ as a song lyric.
Thought you’d be amused to know the phrase was also used in a (modified) form in the great old polka classic, “Who Stole the Kishka?” I quote the version recorded by the Pennsylvania polka kings, Frankie Yankovic and His Yanks…
“Round and firm and fully-packed,
It was standing on the rack.
Someone stole the kishka
When I turned by back!”
Love them accordions….
I have to ask – is there a Canadian equivalent of Missy Higgins?
JPZ:
Frank Yankovich and His Yanks? Thought they were in the Smithsonian!
good night everyone.
Night!
j_p_z (not JPY?) said: What’s your take on our intrepid young Canadian friends?
I don’t have a take but I found a Melbourne blog (the best kind) that does have a take. I’ve linked to him at my place.
I bought some Canadia indie rock on the way to work this morning – New Pornographers as recommended by Shannon, and Metric (another crossover with the BSS collective) – will report back!