Broken Social Scene

Less a rock band than an embodiment of an ideal of music, Broken Social Scene can be 17 musicians, brought together in search of a common goal, or BSS can be the smallest, most intimate affair. Over 20 years and 5 full length albums, the collective set the gold standard for indie rock in the 21st century. Throughout their 2-decade run, the band have achieved all the markers of modern indie success—rave reviews from Pitchfork, invites to play Coachella and Lollapalooza, multiple Juno Awards and TV appearances, and name-drops in pop songs. And their victories have ultimately been Toronto’s, through the establishment of a record label (Arts & Crafts) and music festival (Field Trip) that became rallying points for the local scene and nurtured the next generation of indie upstarts. But arguably the band's greatest accomplishment is their mere existence, as a conglomerate that continues to defy all logistical convention and musical expectations.