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During the halfway point of October, smack dab in the middle of midterm season and when the weather makes the leaves and people change shades of color, the Brandeis community will be given a real treat. For those of us who will survive the first onslaught of exams and papers, and especially for those who wont survive, Student Events will present a two-day music festival that should prove to be the music event of the year. Those wrought with a case of the Mondays on October 16th can relax and enjoy the indie pop sounds of Broken Social Scene and Do Make Say Think;

those with energy to burn and in need of a kick of punk can skank to the sounds of Flogging Molly, Bedouin Soundclash, and Zox on October 17th. And for those who just love music, these two days will make Levin Ballroom seem like an oasis in the desert of the mid-semester overload of work.

At the top of the bill are the venerable Canadian indie super-group, Broken Social Scene. Although not a super-group in the conventional sense, Broken Social Scene is as well known in the U.S. for the side projects of its military-sized musician base as the band itself is. The bands founding members, Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning, work alongside Feist, members of Stars, Metric, Apostle of Hustle, and Do Make Say Think to create the fusion of quirky indie pop, drawing upon the musical backgrounds that each member brings in. For a band that features a wide array of musicians that record and tour under the acts general name, Broken Social Scene is a fitting name since the band connects some of the brightest and most intelligent musicians in Canadas music scene. On 2005s Broken Social Scene, the military-sized band added to its orchestral sound with appearances by members of the Dears, the Weakerthans, and rapper K-Os.

As mind-bending as the size and stature of Broken Social Scene truly is, its the combined, unique sound that the band emits which makes the entire act noteworthy. After their 2001 release Feel Good Lost gained the band fame throughout their native Canada, Broken Social Scene managed to reach a wider audience the next year with You Forgot It in People. From the opener Capture the Flag, the band manages to create a swooping album that has a varied, yet completely whole sound that carries through the thirteen-track indie pop opus. Among the highlights are Stars and Sons which keeps the lyrics short, sweet, and ultimately affecting when paired with a swirl of multiple guitars and an army of handclaps trading off melodies.

Anthems for a Seventeen Year-Old Girl combines the bittersweet sounds of violins with the strumming of a banjo and the tweaked vocals of Emily Haines and Feist. KC Accidental, Cause = Time, Almost Crimes, and Lovers Spit are a number of other standout tracks that permeate a wonderfully constructed album. Three years later the band returned with their self-titled release that brought the act greater fame stateside;

while 7/4 (Shoreline) scored them a spot on Late Night with Conan OBrien, while the guitar driven Fire Eyed Boy, the jumpy Windsurfing Nation, and the chaotic Superconnected provided a number of the acts highlights.

As Broken Social Scene and the familial opener Do Make Say Think will help bring indie nation to Levin Ballroom, Flogging Molly will bring the Irish-spiced punk to sweep everyone off their feet on Tuesday. With their mix of traditional punk, traditional Irish folk, and a dash of pop-rock spirit, Flogging Mollys live sets are a true testament to the bands power. A consistent member of Warped Tours traveling family, theres a reason that they consistently frequent the top of the bill, outlasting the pop-punk bands of the moment;

with their seven-member cast, Flogging Molly brings an infectious energy to their live show that doesnt do their recorded albums justice. With four albums and the recent release of a live CD/DVD combination under their belt, the band will be sure to have everyone dancing until there is a thirty-degree difference of temperature between a steaming Levin Ballroom and the consistently cooler outdoors.

With the announcement of both Broken Social Scene and Flogging Mollys appearance at Brandeis, along with three other renowned acts, it would be an understatement to say that this will simply be a good show. The two-day event will be sure to please each and every student at the university who is lucky enough, and smart enough, to snatch these tickets up as soon as possible. With five different acts spread out across two evenings, each with their own distinct sound and style truly is a treat, and one that should not be missed even if you have an exam the next day. In October, midterms come on a daily basis;

Broken Social Scene, Do Make Say Think, Flogging Molly, Bedouin Soundclash, and Zox is a unique lineup that you wont be able to catch at even the most expensive and expansive festival