The idea for Broken Social Scene to have John McEntire, of Tortoise, Sea and Cake, not to mention Gastr Del Sol, co-produce their new album (slated for release on May 4, according to their website), sounds like a natural fit.
I first heard BSS during a musical interlude on an NPR news broadcast. I was instantly moved by the gentle, rambling ambiance of “Guilty Cubicles,” a short instrumental track from their album Feel Good Lost. Seeking them out, I found hard-rocking, multi-layered songs that could shame Arcade Fire interwoven with cool instrumental moments that recalled post-rock Tortoise, which makes me think McEntire will add an interesting progression to the growth of the collective from Canada.
In his blog entry on BSS’s website, BSS founding member Kevin Drew, wrote about the group’s visit to Soma studios in Chicago back in May of 2009:
“I am happy to announce we have started recording our first record in four years and decided to do it with the one and only John McEntire. We did a one-day session with John last October and it was a perfect fit. This plan has been in the works for nine months and it has all come together quite sweetly in the moments leading up to being here…he is a hero of ours when it comes to recordings so it seems very balanced that we are here.”
As a long-time Tortoise fan, it confirms why I gravitated to BSS so many years later. “Love and Mathematics” from Feel Good Lost sounds like a particularly good example of how BSS recalls early, hey-day Tortoise.
I leave you with BSS’s video from one of my favorite songs of theirs (which features a pre-fame Feist), the wonderfully obtusely titled “7/4 Shoreline:”
The idea for Broken Social Scene to have John McEntire, of Tortoise, Sea and Cake not to mention Gastr Del Sol, co-produce their new album (slated for release on May 4, according to their website), sounds like a natural fit.
I first heard BSS during a musical interlude on an NPR news broadcast. I was instantly moved by the gentle, rambling ambience of “Guilty Cubicles,” a short instrumental track from their album Feel Good Lost. Seeking them out, I found hard-rocking, multi-layered songs that could shame Arcade Fire interwoven with cool instrumental moments that recalled the post-rock Tortoise, which is why I feel McEntire will add an interesting progression to the growth of the collective from Canada.
In his blog entry on BSS’s website, BSS founding member Kevin Drew, wrote about the group’s visit to Soma studios in Chicago back in May of 2009:
“I am happy to announce we have started recording our first record in four years and decided to do it with the one and only John McEntire. We did a one-day session with John last October and it was a perfect fit. This plan has been in the works for nine months and it has all come together quite sweetly in the moments leading up to being here…he is a hero of ours when it comes to recordings so it seems very balanced that we are here.”
As a long-time Tortoise fan, it confirms why I gravitated to BSS so many years later. “Love and Mathematics” from Feel Good Lost sounds like a particularly good example of early, post rock Tortoise.
I leave you with BSS’s video from one of my favorite songs of theirs (which features a pre-fame Feist), the wonderfully obtusely titled “7/4 Shoreline:”
OK, one more video, because this song is also so damn cool, “Major Label Debut (fast)”:
Fellow Broken Social Scene fans, do share any other links you might make between the music of Tortoise and BSS, or am I wrong about the connection?
