Bruce McDonald, Arts & Crafts and Broken Social Scene are looking for your footage (in any format) of the things that make Toronto great. They are not looking for footage of Broken Social Scene - they have that, but they are looking for your best images of the city that produced the band.
Believe it or not, this is not the first collaboration between McDonald and Broken Social Scene. BSS scored Bruce's film "the Tracy Fragments" starring Ellen Page and Slim Twig. If you haven't seen this - seriously get on it, you're falling behind.
Acclaimed solo artist and Stars vocalist Amy Millan is set to release her new album 'Masters Of The Burial' on September 8. Today Arts and Crafts released a track listing for the album - which is kinda mean since we can't actually hear any of it yet - but it's Amy Millan, it will be brilliant and will get people talking about Polaris 2010 before Polaris 2009 has even been announced (it's pretty much on the long list without even hearing it.)
If you absolutely can't wait and are, or can be, in Toronto July 25 Amy will be playing a free show at the Harbourfront Centre, with labelmate Gentleman Reg. A fall tour is in the works and will be announced shortly.
The track list goes:
‘Masters Of The Burial’ 1. Bruised Ghosts 2. Low Sail 3. Old Perfume 4. Towers 5. Day To Day 6. Bury This 7. Finish Line 8. Run For Me 9. I Will Follow You Into Dark 10. Lost Compass 11. Bound
Video: Most Serene Republic - The Old Forever New Things
A "fan video by Jerome" that Arts and Crafts like enough to include it in their YouTube Channel - from the (as yet unreleased) album ...And The Ever Expanding Universe available July 14, 2009
The Most Serene Republic - The Old Forever New Things
"This Book is Broken: A Broken Social Scene Story"
"This Book is Broken" by Stuart Berman (House of Anansi Press) documents the history of Broken Social Scene. Berman had a unique perspective, having been friends with the nucleus of the group from the get-go, living in the same building that connected the band's founders, Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning as it grew in acclaim. The result is better than a fly-on-the-wall vantage point of how Broken Social Scene came to be, and a forthright and honest account of the highs and lows of being in a dynamic, organic, and many-membered band.
Calling it a daunting task collecting quotes, photos, and assembling the many perspectives into one, cohesive history that encapsulates the band's story is an understatement. Especially when you consider that Stuart was — and still is — friends with the group.
His 'visual and oral history' is as textured and juxtaposed as the band's songs, while adhering to the linear path of time and is what makes this such an engaging read. Berman takes care to discuss not only what was going on within the band at the time, but also what was influencing them externally. The story is fleshed out with quotes from interviews at the time, as well as those reflecting back. And the binding to the whole project is the inclusion of photos, set lists, and artwork — many never seen before outside the circle of the collective.
Stuart took the time to sit down with yours truly, via web chat and discuss the book and some of the questions that were raised by the book:
The book is a compelling and easy read. It documents a very important time period in Canadian music that has given way to the amazing and rich pool of talent that we are now proudly boasting globally. We've reached a place, because of bands like Broken Social Scene, where we're exporting as much music as we're importing. This book serves a document to the shift in thinking, creating and producing that betook the industry and served to put indie artists from Toronto on the global vernacular. And it's all done with little editorializing, and editing to make a more flattering snapshot. The book is forthright, frank, and remarkably honest.
But don't take our word for it, get your own copy and be treated to this important piece of our musical history.
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The book has been available in stores since May 16th, but its official launch is tonight in Toronto at the Arts & Crafts NXNE showcase at The Courthouse (57 Adelaide Street E). The book's publisher, House of Anansi Press has made one copy available to NxEW.ca to give away to one lucky reader. Send an email to "teeterboy3[at]gmail[dot]com" with "BSS Book Giveaway" in the subject line and one randomly drawn winner will get their very own copy of the book!
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The box below contains an advertisement, we're just trying to pay the bills and do not necessarily endorse what is advertised here (although it might be very nice.)