BRSKY is the Music.

We Forgive Broken Social Scene

Everyone knows Broken Social Scene, the famous collective of noteworthy indie rockers.

Sorta.

Not really? But certainly everyone has heard of Broken Social Scene, no? Certainly suburban North Americans, Britons, and a smattering of indie kids across the globe? Surely!

Right?

Well let’s make it known that Broken Social Scene is a legend of Canadian indie rock, and arguably one of the most notable indie bands… period. Without even considering their music, they demand attention with their unrivaled roster of contributing/recording/performing artists:

• Feist
• Metric
• Stars
• The Weakerthans
• Do Make Say Think

And joining in on Forgiveness Rock Record:

• John McEntire of Tortoise (producer)
• “Spiral Stairs” of Pavement (guest guitaring)
• Sebastien Grainger of Death from Above 1979 (guest vocals)

So, OK, they boast a lot of talent, but this doesn’t guarantee good music–more often it yields something contrived and artistically inconsistent. Fortunately, Broken Social Scene’s core is consistent and the band has been turning out good albums for almost a decade now–which leads us to Forgiveness Rock Record. Talk of this album has been floating around for a year now, with new songs leaking during the band’s perma-tour. Apparently all this advanced hype worked in their favor, as the record debuted 34th on Billboard in the US, the highest ever for the group. If they are looking for forgiveness (for being Canadian?), Brasky grants it after reviewing the album.

Broken Social Scene – Forgiveness Rock Record

80/100

Forgiveness Rock Record should win the approval of a wide range of audiences. The album is a healthy 14-song course, each song a considerable listening experience without the influence of the rest of the album. No track is especially irresistible, but the majority are pretty close. The music is close to that of Stars (no surprise for the overlap), with mixed gender vocalization telling sentimental tales atop a pillowy bed of real instrumentation (horns!). The melodies and rhythm consistently meld with the lyrical message, creating a nice album experience despite the wide variety of performers. The tracks lean heavily to the mellow side, but not without energy and spirit. Some tracks feel something closer to a jam session, but still provide the simple satisfaction of transitions (right when you subconconsciously find yourself hoping for one). Hunting for weaknesses, we didn’t find anything worth mentioning… the production is top notch, both in terms of a sprinkling of pleasant synth effects as well as polished post-production work (nods to McEntire). Broken Social Scene stand for a lot of what’s good about indie rock, and this album is their finest yet, by our measure. While the key to success, these days, seems to be a combination of flashiness, retro whoring, mashups/genre-defecting, excessive levels of hipness, anything avant garde, irony, noise (literally), etc… Broken Social Scene survives on being exceptionally good at something that’s exceptionally normal. And for that, Forgiveness Rock Record could be somewhat of a timeless indie rock album.

FL Music Spotlight: Sleigh Bells

Floridian Derek E. Miller and Alexis Krauss, a.k.a. Sleigh Bells may have just formed world’s first… hardcore girl pop band? Their story begins in late 2008 when Derek E. Miller–former guitar player for post-hardcore notables Poison the Well (FL!)–waited on Alexis and her mother (guess life is less hardcore after PtW). Derek was looking for a female vocalist for a new music project, and, as the story goes, Alexis’ mother volunteered her in what surely was an excruciatingly embarrassing moment. In her teen days, Alexis sang in a girl pop group of indeterminate quality… we doubt Derek was too picky, in that regard. Before long, Derek and Alexis were making music, and not too long after that, word of their live shows and first few singles were gaining viral momentum around the web. By the end of 2009, Sleigh Bells buzz was leaking to mainstream media outlets. With only a couple tracks recorded, Sleigh Bells managed to land at #57 in Pitchfork’s top 100 list of 2009 with “Crown on the Ground”

(If the song doesn’t load, go here)

With all this hype before even releasing an EP, let alone an album, could Sleigh Bells meet expectations in 2010? With the release of Treats last month, we think that they have. In fact, Treats is currently boasting a remarkable 87 average review on Metacritic.com, very unusual for an album this edgy. The reviews seem a little inflated, perhaps for the hype, but we won’t deny the quixotic appeal.

Here is our official review:

Sleigh Bells – Treats

77/100

Their music is very loud, abrupt, and noisy… an unlikely backdrop for the happygirl vocals of Alexis Krauss, who repeats whimsical little mini-hooks against a storm of distortion and machine fuzz. As challenging as some of the tracks may be, we like this album because we can’t think of a genre-bender quite like it right now. Sleigh Bells managed to first fuse together two massive, adrenaline pumping styles–hardcore and crunk hip hop–but then took it a step further by sprinkling it with soft, feminine synth pop vocals. Occasionally the sonic shitstorm stalls long enough to hear Alexis chirp something about “your boyfriend”, immediately cut off when overdriven, heavily stacked chunks of “melody” resume the assault on your eardrums. The compression and overdriven distortion are usually so heavy that they nearly mute out the vocal tracks when the two coincide – this usually would constitute a production error, but this seems consistent with the spirit of Treats: Unrelenting, unpolished, provocative machine “pop”. Treats may be too much for most listeners, but if you hear about them performing near you, GO. Sleigh Bells is a recipe for a fun live show if nothing else. They’re in Brooklyn now (who isn’t?), but with roots in the Sunshine State, Floridians should keep an eye on Sleigh Bells.

Styling: Imogen Heap

Imogen Heap is an angelic singer from Britain. Brasky Sweethearts have taken to her style, especially with her juxtaposition of nature and instruments on her sets.

Imogen Heap Track:
Hide & Seek

Frou Frou Track:
Let Go

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Imogen Heap’s piano:

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