Broken Social Scene @ The Greek in Berkeley

Going to keep this short, only because there surprisingly was very little to say about the show. About a week ago Denmark’s Mew (meh), San Francisco’s Two Gallants (yeah!), Toronto’s Broken Social Scene (ace!), and England’s Bloc Party (meh, but not as meh as Mew) played an out door show at The Greek Theater in Berkeley.

I remember more about the hot young indie chicks running around than I do about the performances. But in Broken Social Scene’s defense, they were missing Feist, Amy Milan, and Emily Haines. It was kind of like watching the 1972 Man United squad without Georgie Best.

  
Lobinger was there. These three weren’t.

Here’s the setlist:

Jimmy and the Photocall
7/4 (Shoreline)
Cause = Time
Fire Eye’d Boy
Stars + Sons
Superconnected
Handjobs for the Holidays
Ibi Dreams of Pavement (A Better Day)
It’s All Gonna Break

(Superconnected and Handjobs may have been played in reverse order, I couldn’t read my notes. Fookin’ catscratch.)

That’s right, no “Almost Crimes,” no “Anthems,” no “KC Accidental,” no “Major Label Debut (slow),” no “Major Label Debut (fast),” no “Major Label Debut (acoustic).”

Even with all that, they’re still one the best.

Maybe this will satisfy my Feist-less Major Label Debut-less experience.

While we’re on BSS, I quite enjoyed this quote from a review in New York Magazine: “I think there’s another reason Broken Social Scene sounds better this time around. The context of indie rock has changed. The last two years have seen an explosion of young retro-obsessed bands who name-drop the likes of Joy Division and Gang of Four as their influences but usually sound more like Duran Duran. It’s hard to explain why this is happening, but their lack of musical ambition is a bummer. Give me a collective over that any day.”

 

Videos… from Canada!

Did you know that music videos still exist? I had no idea. I know at some point there was this one cable channel that used to show music videos…all day and all night. It was called something TV…may have begun with an 'M' or something.

As a young kitten, I used to stay up past my bedtime to watch this one program called "120 Minutes." It featured all this totally "alternative" videos, which at the time meant British music, I guess. It was then that I saw videos for stuff like Ride's "Taste" and The Pale Saints' "Time Thief," stuff like that.

I guess they're still making "alternative" music videos, they're ust not showing them anywhere on TV. Instead, they've found a home…ON THE INTRANETT!

I've always found most videos absolutely lame, and apparently nothing has changed since the days of being a youngster. I understand hip-hop videos. Show some motherfuckin' booty and bling. I get that. I understand all those diva songstress videos. Show some tits and pretend that they have talent. I get that. I understand shitty rock videos. Long and/or no hair, tattoos, some leather. I get that.

But one thing these guys share in common is they plan their video style before they even write the songs. So it makes sense for them to make videos.

However, most of the crap I listen to seems to like the whole "music" part of being a musician. So when they make videos, it's usually some failed film director/bullshit artist behind the camera who wants to bring out the "indie" in them. Needless to say, indie music videos pretty much suck. It's a fact.

The other thing thats hurts indie vids is the fact that people who listen to the music have their own ideas of the song, and (not to sound like a piece of shit–but here goes anyway) it brings out something different in each person. Ouch, that hurt to type that. So when you see a video of a song you like, it's akin to seeing someone who has a sexy phone voice for the first time. Sometimes you wish they stayed on the phone.

So after all that… here's some indie videos! And in case you like to make videos behind your eyelids, the almost appropriate MP3s.

Broken Social Scene - Fire Eye'd Boy

Broken Social Scene - Fire Eye'd Boy

Here's the short of it…it's some goofy high-school P.E. thing. Also, there's lots of dialogue, so if you wanted to hear the actual song, you're shit out of luck. Or I suppose you could click the link above. Smartass.

Stars - Your Ex-Lover is Dead

  (link temporarily F'd up)

Stars - Your Ex-Lover is Dead (Live on KEXP 2005)

Artsy, man. I didn't realize this song is about ice skating. Will give the director props for the back-to-back shot during the "Live through this" bit, it's spot on.

B-b-b-b-b-bonus!

Mark Gardner (of Ride) with Goldrush - Taste (Live Boston 12-4-05)
Pale Saints - Time Thief

Note: This was mostly just a test to see how Hype-Machine handles linking…wish me luck!

 

Broken Social Scene… in motion!

Man - I hope it’s kosher to point to other blogs. It’s all love, right? We’re all cool cats in the same litter box, eh? And besides, hottie numero uno is involved. And besides again, we really haven’t posted anything in a while. And besides for the third time, video is the new audio, dig?

 So without further ado, here’s a link to Broken Social Scene’s video for 7/4 (Shoreline), a song that haters love to hate because it’s actually a fucking fantastic pop song. Hate to break it to you, Mr. Hater, but indie rock is pop. 

 Fair warning–it’s the Radio Edit, which screws all sorts of things up. And it’s really only so-so.

 Broken Social Scene - 7/4 (Shoreline)

Muchas Thankas to Vanmega…dot com!

 

Used to be one of the rotten ones…

Hey J -

It’s been a whole year already.  Lordy lordy.  I know I should have written this on Saturday, as that was a year to the day, I apologise. And I know I should have bought flowers. Once again, my bad.

A lot has happened in the past 12 months and I know a lot of people miss you, myself especially. You taught me more than anyone else has about myself, and you’ll be happy to know that now I’m some sort of Superman… a much better version of what I was. The whole “sometimes it needs to get worse before it gets better” thingamabob can be so true.

I’m not even sure you ever listened to this band or not, but for some reason this song always reminds me of you.  Probably the whole image I get of you pretending to be a fashion diva or something… but I think its apt.

Broken Social Scene - Anthems for a Seventeen Year Old Girl (live) 

I hope they a good internet connection where you are.

Take care of yourself.

P.S. I know you visited.