Thanks for all your support!

Above is my interview with Broken Social Scene members Brendan Canning and Justin Peroff. That was in 2010, around the release of Forgiveness Rock Record, the band’s latest record – and perhaps their last.

In an interview with Pitchfork, BSS frontman Kevin Drew announced that the band will be going on indefinite hiatus. This isn’t really the first time Broken – well, Kevin, really – has called it “quits”. “I’ve taken “boy cries wolf” to the next level”, he acknowledges in the interview. “Endings have not really been something we’ve been good at, and letting go was always a scary notion for us, especially when so many families are relying on what has become Broken Social Scene and how we’ve made our living.” Beyond financial incentives to keep Broken alive, the collective – or “family”, as they so frequently call it – has always been a special project for the seemingly infinite roster of contributors. They’ve made some incredible records together – some of Canada’s best indie releases, to be sure – so I don’t think they’ll be gone too long.

As for the future, Kevin says “we have so much material– songs, B-sides, different mixes, live shows– all kinds of things we can release over the next few years to just keep the story going. I want to hook up with [You Forgot It in People/Broken Social Scene producer David] Newfeld again at some point. For now, we’re going to go off and there are going to be other projects and people putting out other records, and hopefully focusing more on film… I’m sure you’ll see some records from myself, and Brendan, and Andrew [Whiteman], and Charles [Spearin], and Justin [Peroff].” We’ll just have to wait and see.

Above is the hilarious music video for “Santa Fe”, a bouncy single from Beirut’s recently-released record The Rip Tide. The video starts out very dark, but then BAM next thing you know there’s a dog eating pizza! I wish I was that dog. Or maybe I wish I was that pizza. Most of all I wish I was Beirut frontman Zach Condon, who was in fact born in Santa Fe.

After an eleven-year hiatus, Lauryn Hill is back, currently trekking around North America with Nas performing her classic, award-winning album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, often regarded as one of the greatest hip-hop albums of all time. This past week Hill sat down with Reebok Classics, who are profiling artists like Cypress Hill and Nas about their respective “classic” albums. Above you can watch the enlightening interview in which Lauryn discusses what The Miseducation meant to her and why people still find it relevant today.

George Harrison passed away 10 years ago this November. Always known for being the quiet Beatle, he was noted as being the member who brought the Indian flare to much of their later work, and was always recognized as an exceptional guitarist and musician. John Lennon still seems to permeate the pop culture landscape, Paul McCartney is till making records, and Ringo Starr is, uh, Ringo Starr. But in the past decade we’ve rarely heard about anything to do with George Harrison.

Legendary director (and avid music fan) Martin Scorsese will break that silence with his documentary Living In The Material World: George Harrison on HBO this year. The trailer suggests that we can expect a compelling and rare glimpse into the understated world of George Harrison.

1) James Blake Bon Iver – “Fall Creek Boys Choir”

Here’s a radio rip of a recently aired collaborative track between the prince of falsetto Bon Iver and post-dubstep icon James Blake. These two have already proven themselves to be among the most innovative and promising artists around right now, so it’s no surprise that their team-up track sounds pretty damn good. Can’t understand any of the words, but musically it’s modest, sexy, and soaked in auto-tune. Looking forward to more from these two.

2) Toro Y Moi – “New Beat (Star Slinger Dancehall Mix)” [via p4k]

Listen to Star Slinger (real name Darren Williams) take on “New Beat”, a groovy cut from Toro Y Moi’s latest record Underneath The Pine. The Manchester producer strips the 70′s musicality from the song, replacing it with cheesy synth horns and incessant brap-bap-bap drums. Suprisingly, it works, and provides a new take on a great song. Here’s the original.

3) Wise Blood – These Wings EP

Check out this EP from Wise Blood. The seven-song collection isn’t technically released until August 30th, but here it is. It’s weird and unearthly electro-pop, and I love it.

Dear Julian,

Happy 33rd, champ. Hard to believe that Is This It came out a whole ten years ago. The album that NME called “one of the best debut LPs by a guitar band during the past 20 years”, and ushered in an era of jangly indie rock. The Strokes won us all over with that record. Kind of a bummer that it was pretty much downhill from there, but we still love you.

Wishing you the best on your big day while we play “Reptillia” on Rock Band all day long,

- Side B

“Swingin’ on my nuts is a fucked up game” – Fred Durst, “Hot Dog”

Dear Fred:

Happy birthday to Jacksonville’s number one native son. Today marks your forty-first New Era committed year, and here’s to another forty-one more.

Are you excited? Forty-one and you’re still the king of nu-metal. Think about your legacy, bro: Nine rap-rock masterpiece records, a sex tape, that time you allegedly boned Britney Spears, and what about that song you did with Staind? That shit was real.

I want to express my adoration of Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water. Start to finish, that record is an oppressed white teenage boy’s wet dream (along with boning Britney Spears). Twelve million copies sold worldwide! Is Ben Stiller still your “favourite motherfucker”?

Don’t let this birthday get you down. Get out there and skin someone’s ass raw, or hell, break a fucking face tonight. You’ve never given a fuck, and don’t start now.

Thanks for everything. Happy birthday, bud.

Hugs n kisses,

The Side B

1) Cass McCombs – “The Same Thing”

Despite having already released his well received fifth studio album WIT’S END earlier this year, Cass McCombs will be treating his fans to a new record in just a few more months. Humor Risk will hit shelves in November, and will include this highly listenable seven minute tune “The Same Thing”.

2) Feist with Nigel Godrich, Colin Greenwood, and more – “Femme Fatale” (Velvet Underground Cover)

Here’s a mediocre recording of what was probably an incredible performance. Not too long ago a handful of indie superstars took the stage to pay homage to the Velvet Underground. Among them were Feist, Radiohead’s Colin Greenwood, Radiohead producer (and “sixth member”) Nigel Godrich, Gaz Coombes and Danny Goffey (both from Supergrass). Here’s the short-but-sweet “Femme Fatale”, lead by Feist. Original is here.

 3) CANT – “Believe”

You may remember that CANT is the solo project of Grizzly Bear’s Chris Taylor. We posted “Answer” not too long ago, and here’s another electronic cut from Taylor’s forthcoming release Dreams Come True.

4) Roberts & Lord – “Oblique”

Apparently MySpace isn’t dead. That’s where ex-Simian member Simon Lord (who also participates in the bangin’ electro project The Black Ghosts) found Rafter Roberts, who has been releasing music as Rafter for a few years now. The two producers have a new record on the way entitled Eponymous, which includes “Oblique”, a sugary lo-fi pop song with just the right amount of weird.

1) The Game – Martians Vs. Goblins (Feat. Lil Wayne & Tyler, The Creator)

The Game’s highly anticipated R.E.D. Album is shaping up to be quite the record. It’s filled with guest spots from Dr. Dre to Nelly Furtado to Tyler, The Creator, and clocks in around 21 tracks. August 23rd is the release date, but until then check out “Martians Vs. Goblins”, an infection track with a Lil’ Wayne hook and a whole lotta obscenities.

2) Pusha T – Amen (Feat. Kanye West & Young Jeezy)

It’s going to be an amazing month for G.O.O.D. Music. Kanye West and Jay-Z’s Watch The Throne was released last week to critical acclaim – including a broken iTunes record – and on August 23rd, Pusha T will release his project Fear Of God: Let Us Pray EP. A few weeks ago Pusha dropped “Trouble On My Mind” with Tyler, The Creator and yesterday “Amen” hit the interwebs with support from Kanye West and Young Jeezy.

3) tUnE-yArDs – Gangsta (Ad-Rock Remix)

“Gangsta” comes off  tUnE-yArDs album w h o k i l l  and to celebrate the record’s success, they’ve decided to put out a remix EP. Ad-Rock of the Beastie Boys teams up with Cut Chemist to give “Gangsta” new life. The full 12” will arrive in stores next month and you can purchase the EP now on iTunes.