Pitchfork

Title, tracklist, release date, cover art-- we thought we knew all there was to know about the forthcoming Broken Social Scene Presents: Kevin Drew Spirit If... album, out September 18 on Arts & Crafts. But not, until now, did we know the guest stars. And when the early press materials spoke of a few "outside" contributors, we thought, "Okay, cool, probably some guy from Wolf Parade or something." Little did we know!

Sure, all your BSS-orbit regulars are on there-- Feist, Stars' Amy Millan and Evan Cranley, Metric's Emily Haines and Jimmy Shaw, etc.-- as well as a few indie rock giants: J Mascis (Dinosaur Jr.) and Scott Kannberg (aka Spiral Stairs of Pavement). Plus Ohad Benchechrit and Charles Spearin (Do Make Say Think), Joules Scott-Key (Metric), Andrew Kenny (The American Analog Set), and Gonzales (piano dude). And then...Tom Cochrane.

Yes, Tom Cochrane, the man responsible for the 1991 road warrior anthem "Life Is a Highway". Dude plays a mean harmonica, as you may recall, although it's not clear yet exactly what he contributes to Spirit If... What is (slightly) clearer is that Spirit If... has a first single, and it's "Backed Out on the..." (perhaps you caught the video over in Forkcast with Dinosaur Jr.? Or the stream of the B-side, "Cocaine Skin"?). No word yet on a release date for the single.

A Kevin Drew/BSS tour is slowly materializing, and thus far includes three dates, two of which fall overseas. Life's like a road that you travel on, indeed.

Scenesters:

08-29 Brooklyn, NY - McCarren Park Pool *
09-05 London, England - Scala
10-19 London, England - KOKO

* with Feist, Grizzly Bear