Whether he knows it or not, Andrew Whiteman is part of a movement.
That movement is the mass infiltration of amazing Canadian music into America. Recently, indie rock acts Arcade Fire, The New Pornographers and numerous others have impressed scores of fans in the States. Enough so that some may be thinking that our brothers up north are taking over in terms of producing great music.
One such band is Broken Social Scene, a group known for its noisy yet lush pop arrangements. The band is also known for its multitude of members, borrowing musicians from fellow Canadian acts Metric and Stars.
Whiteman’s role in the Canadian invasion is his membership in Broken Social Scene. After the band’s two most recent albums, 2004’s You Forgot it in People and 2006’s Broken Social Scene, the band has enjoyed a wealth of praise and buzz thanks to bloggers and critical reviews. The band also delivered an epic and memorable performance at the 2006 Lollapalooza festival in Chicago.
In addition to playing guitar for the group, Whiteman has another band called Apostle of Hustle. As expected, Apostle of Hustle shares some aural qualities of Broken Social Scene. He’s confident, however, that people will form their own opinion of Apostle of Hustle without letting his other band’s buzz interfere.
And as far as the whole Canadian music superiority thing, Whiteman doesn’t buy it.
“”Everyone’s making kickass music everywhere,”” Whiteman said, though he does acknowledge that Canada’s federal arts funding programs has his fellow Canadians become successful.
As for the sound of Apostle of Hustle, it’s a bit varied. The band’s newest record, National Anthem of Nowhere, focuses on percussion and vocal elements. As with Broken Social Scene, the band is heavily reliant on guitar, but Whiteman is hesitant about a certain ubiquitous label.
“”I wouldn’t call us ‘rock,’ “” Whiteman said. “”But we do rock out at times.””
Whiteman said his songwriting process isn’t all that different for his two bands. After working on one piece for a while, he makes a choice. If it’s Broken Social Scene material, he will show it to the group so they can work on it together. If it’s an Apostle of Hustle track, he’ll keep going.
Since Broken Social Scene became heartthrobs of the indie-rock blog scene, it’s no wonder that Apostle of Hustle was quickly noticed. Whiteman certainly appreciates people listening to his music, but he doesn’t seek out discussion of his band.
“”I don’t Google Apostle of Hustle,”” Whiteman said. “”I got too much shit to do.””
Apostle of Hustle recently began a tour opening for pop violinist extraordinaire Andrew Bird. While many musicians would feel scared opening for such a popular act, Whiteman isn’t worried. In fact, he’s looking forward to it.
“”I’m super-super stoked,”” Whiteman said. “”(Bird’s) fans seem to be music geeks – people who listen.””
Apostle of Hustle performs tomorrow night at the Rialto Theatre, 318 E. Congress St. Doors open for this all-ages at 7 p.m. with Apostle of Hustle performing around 8 p.m. Bird plays later in the night. Tickets are $20 at the door.
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Favorite album: No favorite: “”I’m a music junkie.””
Favorite city to play music in: Barcelona, Spain
Favorite food: No favorite: “”Toronto is a fantastic place to eat.””