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Metric, originally formed under the moniker Mainstream, was founded in 1998 by Emily Haines and James Shaw. Having studied at the Etobicoke School of the Arts, Haines met future Broken Social Scene member Kevin Drew and the future Stars and Broken Social Scene member Amy Millan, the latter of which Haines briefly formed a band with in 1990. James Shaw is a Boston Music School graduate, as well as a Juilliard Music School graduate, after which he moved to Toronto where he met Haines. By 1998 the pair had moved to Montreal, Canada, and recorded a 5-track EP entitled “Mainstream”, noted for its downtempo and electro style.
In 2000, having caught the attention of London-based producer Stephen Hague, Metric moved to London, UK and signed a publishing deal with Chrysalis Records. Feeling restricted by the deal however, the duo moved back to New York City in November 2000 and began working on their debut album “Grow Up and Blow Away”, which wouldn’t find a released until 2007. The five-track EP “Static Anonymity” arrived in 2001, featuring both upbeat and downtempo songs, and showcasing the group’s electronic layering prowess. In late 2001 looking to expand the scope of their live performance, Haines and Shaw enlisted the services of drummer Joules Scott-Key and bassist Joshua Winstead.
Metric’s first official full-length album “Old World Underground, Where Are You Now?” was released 2003 on Everloving Records. The critically acclaimed release became a stepping stone for the band’s success, aided by the videos “Combat Baby”, “Calculation Theme”, “IOU”, and “Succexy”. The band’s sophomore album “Live It Out”, was released in 2005 by Last Gang Records, significantly out-performing its predecessor, later being certified double platinum in Canada. Supported by the singles “Monster Hospital”, “Poster of a Girl”, and “Empty”, the band promoted the album by touring in support of the Rolling Stones in New York City, and Bloc Party in the UK. Following subsequent touring of the UK, including Reading and Leeds Festival, and the rest of the world, including shows in France, Germany, Brazil, Norway and Japan, the band took a hiatus.
During the hiatus, Haines released two records as Emily Haines & the Soft Skeleton, Shaw opened a recording studio, and Scott-Key and Winstead formed the band Bang Lime. Metric’s subsequent full-length “Fantasies” was independently released in April 2009, marking the group’s most successful to date. Selling over 250,000 in one year, the album led to the group winning the 2010 Juno Awards for Alternative Album of the Year and Band of the Year. In support of the album, Metric played shows at Coachella Music Festival and Ottawa Bluesfest, and performed across Canada alongside Tokyo Police Cub and The Dears.
After contributing to the soundtracks of “Twilight Saga: Eclipse” and “Scot Pilgrim vs. the World”, Metric toured in support of Muse and released the remix album “Fantasies Flashback” in 2011. The full-length “Synthetica” was issued in July 2012 on the band’s own Metric Music International label. Led by the single “Youth Without Youth”, the album once again won the Juno Award for Alternative Album of the Year, and also saw James Shaw win the award for Producer of the Year.
I saw Metric for the first time at the Deck the Hall Ball in Seattle, Washington at the Key Arena. What an amazing experience. It was one of my first concerts, actually. It was a long time ago, but I remember it vividly. Even though they were a minor part in a large concert series, you could tell that they were a bit naiive and maybe even unexperienced, yet very excited to be there. The group let off a vibe that got the rest of the crowd excited- not only for their show, but all of the ones coming up as well. Emily Haines' sultry sound resonated throughout the building, filling up the stadium to the very back row. The entire band- particularly James Shaw, the lead guitarist, seemed ecstatic to be there. They all danced giddily and interacted with one another in a unique way, almost as if they were experiencing as one soul. Yet- they were all apart from the whole as well, each producing their specially assigned component that is vital to the 'Metric' sound. The intense guitar chords kept the crowd's head bobbing, the fast-paced kick-drum ensured that the seated fan's feet were tapping, and the bass kept the general admission jumping. I look forward to seeing Metric perform again in the future. I know that their sound will continue to progress and develop and mature.
sierra-sezate-loch
Broken Social Scene has an eclectic style of music that breathes inspiration throughout the audience whenever performed. It is often a difficult task to describe the musical style of Broken Social Scene as they blend many unique and experimental styles of music in their performance as well as use many types of instruments ranging from the typical rock band instruments to woodwinds, horns, and violins. They have been classified by such genres as indie rock and baroque pop, but however one wishes to identify them there is no arguing that their unique blends of instrumentation and performance styles are amazing to see live.
Broken Social Scene has been noted to tour with as many as nineteen members, due to the many rich, intricate sounds that are produced when performed live. Broken Social Scene’s whirlwind of performers that rotate in and out of the band have included such famous musicians as Feist and John McEntire of the band Tortoise, but the band has always included its principle songwriters Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning. Broken Social Scene goes through a diverse range of songs on their setlist conveying a wide set of moods through their music ranging from atmospheric and ambient, such as “Worldsick” and “Anthems for a Seventeen Year Old Girl” to charismatic and exhilarating, such as “KC Accidental” and “Superconnected”. The sincerity of Broken Social Scene’s music and lyrics resonates through the audience creating a binding connection. The fans of Broken Social Scene seem just as loyal to the band as the band is to its fans. When I saw them in Atlanta at the Buckhead Theater, Kevin Drew mentioned how he just had his jacket stolen before the show. After hearing this several members of the audience responded to his statement by handing him the jacket of their backs. After seeing this Brendan Canning made a slight joke about how he was in need of a belt, which resulted with members of the audience hurling their belts to him on stage. Broken Social Scene will surprise you live with their elaborate blend of elegant music, and exhilarating performance. They continue to prove that striving to make music as creatively as possible will result in live music that will form a strong bind with its audience.
wjmcc
I saw them live in Detroit a while back and had so much fun. It was a small crowd and they interacted with the audience a lot - responding to song requests and talking to individual people. The music sounded great and they played a good mix of old and new songs. They did an awesome encore playing one of my favorite songs from the old album. That’s what I love about this band, they know what songs resonate with their audiences and they know how to keep the show fresh. The lead singer Torquil was very into the performance and I loved watching him sing! At one point he was leaning down – only a foot from our faces (we were front row) and then he drops his microphone and then swings it back up! It was an awesome experience. After the show we waited outside and met him. He was so nice and talked to us for a while and took a picture with us! Amy also rocked out and her voice sounds so good live – I wish we would have met her as well. I would definitely recommend seeing them live, especially at a smaller venue. Stars are an indie band from Canada that sound similar to Death Cab for Cutie and Ra Ra Riot.
maureen-clemons
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