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Broken Social Scene

Certain Songs #133: Broken Social Scene – “Anthems For a Seventeen Year-Old Girl”

March 15, 2015 by Jim Connelly

image

Album: You Forgot It in People
Year: 2002.

First off, let me say that  "Broken Social Scene"  is one of my all-time favorite names for any band ever. Or, “musical collective,” I guess, though I have a helluva time envisioning BSS founder Kevin Drew sneering Lydonesquely to a late-night talk show host: “We’re not a band, we’re a collective.”

And while I recognize that their 2002 breakthrough You Forgot It In People is utterly beloved by indie fans a generation younger than me, I’ve always found it to be a very good record with two tremendous songs – “Cause = Time” & “Almost Crimes,” – and a contender for the Prettiest Song Ever Recorded (Brian Eno Division): “Anthems For a Seventeen Year-Old Girl.”

At first, with singer Emily Haines’ voice altered into a pitch so high the words she is singing are almost totally unintelligible, “Anthems For a Seventeen Year-Old Girl,” is a bit off-putting. They’re so alien, you don’t even notice that she’s not singing over a synth, but rather a slowly picked banjo, strummed guitar and bowed violin.

Then, when the song gets to about 1:10, she sings:

Bleaching your teeth, smiling flash, talking trash, under my window 

And right then, the whole world changes.

Suddenly, the banjo and violin take center stage, along with one of the most simply perfect guitar leads I’ve ever heard. It’s sheer elegance in its simplicity. 

Then, and over a slow build with the banjo, guitar & violin getting more powerful as it goes on and on the part that makes this song one of my Top 10 – hell, maybe even Top 5 – of the new millennium, Hanes chants over and over again:

Park that car, drop that phone, sleep on the floor, dream about me
Park that car, drop that phone, sleep on the floor, dream about me
Park that car, drop that phone, sleep on the floor, dream about me
Park that car, drop that phone, sleep on the floor, dream about me
Park that car, drop that phone, sleep on the floor, dream about me
Park that car, drop that phone, sleep on the floor, dream about me
Park that car, drop that phone, sleep on the floor, dream about me
Park that car, drop that phone, sleep on the floor, dream about me
Park that car, drop that phone, sleep on the floor, dream about me
Park that car, drop that phone, sleep on the floor, dream about me
Park that car, drop that phone, sleep on the floor, dream about me
Park that car, drop that phone, sleep on the floor, dream about me
Park that car, drop that phone, sleep on the floor, dream about me

Now I know that some people get driven crazy by this kind of repetition, but to me, this is like Doug Yule’s organ solo in the live “What Goes On” or Pete Shelley’s screams of “There is no love in this world anymore” in “I Believe,” No matter how long it goes on, it isn’t long enough. 

“Anthems For a Seventeen-Year-Old Girl”

Filed Under: Certain Songs Tagged With: Anthems for A Seventeen Year-Old Girl, Broken Social Scene, You Forgot It In People

24 Musical Moments to Die For

August 29, 2008 by Jim Connelly

You can talk about genres, artists, albums, or even songs, but sometimes what keeps us coming back to music is the discovery of the transcendent musical moment. For me, “the moment” is the part of the song that fully and utterly engages me; the reason that I keep coming back to it.

I’m not necessarily talking about hooks here, because the purpose of a hook is the draw you into a song. I’m really talking more about traps: the part of a song that that keeps you there.

The is the second in a series. The first one had 25, this one has 24.

Every single moment I’ve listed below kills me single every time I hear it.

Oh, and this isn’t in any kind of order, despite the numbering.

[Read more…] about 24 Musical Moments to Die For

Filed Under: Music, Musical Moments To Die For, That's What I Like Tagged With: Arcade Fire, Bettie Serveert, Broken Social Scene, Bruce Springsteen, Buzzcocks, Close Lobsters, Kinks, Michael Schenker, Ray Davies, Steve Van Zant, Superchunk, Tom Verlaine, Waylon Jennings, Win Butler

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Previously on Medialoper

  • Certain Songs #2582: The Supremes – “Come See About Me”
  • Certain Songs #2581: Supertramp – “The Logical Song”
  • Certain Songs #2580: Supertramp – “Even in the Quietest Moments”
  • Certain Songs #2579: Supertramp – “Bloody Well Right”
  • Certain Songs #2578: Supergrass – “Sun Hits The Sky”

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