I’m probably the last person to mention Broken Social Scene’s long-awaited return to the music world, but it’s such exciting news that I honestly don’t care if I am or not. Thinking back on things, their debut, You Forgot in In People was a catalyst for being one of the main influences for almost everything I listen to now. This along with their self-titled follow-up, which proved that they could easily outdo themselves with a far superior effort.

And just how far has the band’s reach gone as far as my record collection goes? There are at least 20 or so albums that have some vague connection to BSS, whether it be side-projects or bands like Stars, Metric, and Do Make Say Think.

Finally, after a lengthy hiatus, the mega group is set to release a brand new album titled Forgiveness Rock Record, which will be released in May. The band will feature the core group of members including Kevin Drew, Brendan Canning, Justin Peroff, Charles Spearin, Andrew Whiteman, Sam Goldberg and Lisa Lobsinger. Of course, the usual guests you would expect to accompany a BSS record will also be making an appearance (Feist, Amy Millan, Emily Haines, Jason Collett, etc.).

Our first taste of the forthcoming record comes in this free, downloadable track called “World Sick” — which is basically an equivalent of nearly seven minutes of epic bliss. Still, this isn’t too much of a stretch for BSS, as it has all the trademark sounds you would want from them. But sometimes, a little familiarity is exactly what is needed.

MP3: Broken Social Scene :: “World Sick”

There’s never a good explanation for whenever I feel the need to put together these completely random mixes.  I think tonight I just needed to put my mind at ease, and the following just happened to be the songs that did this for me.  Listening to these bring about feelings of nostalgia, hopefulness, and an eagerness for what’s to come.  Tomorrow could bring about a completely different set of songs, but I’m just going to sit back and enjoy these for the time being.  Hopefully, you enjoy these too.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart :: “Stay Alive”
The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart (2009)
The Sundays :: “My Finest Hour”
Reading, Writing, and Arithmetic (1990)
Magnetic Fields :: “The Dreaming Moon”
Get Lost (1995)
The Radio Dept. :: “Lost and Found”
Lesser Matters (2004)
Math and Physics Club :: “Darling, Please Come Home”
Math and Physics Club (2006)
Moscow Olympics :: “What Is Left Unsaid”
Cut The World (2008)
Pants Yell! :: “Two French Sisters”
Alison Statton (2007)
School of Seven Bells :: “Connjur”
Alpinisms (2008)
Broken Social Scene :: “Anthems for a Seventeen Year-Old Girl”
You Forgot It in People (2002)