• Artist: Br’er
• Album: I’m A Kid Again/I’m Sorry Mom (Single)
• Label: Edible Onion
• Release: 2009
• Links: Official Site, MySpace, Edible Onion

This limited edition seven inch brings together two powers from Philadelphia’s underground music scene. The band is Br’er, a quartet that specializes in melancholy avant-pop. The label is Edible Onion, a small imprint operated by Darian Scatton, who plays harp, saw, and other assorted instruments in Br’er. The amount of effort that Edible Onion puts into their records is amazing. I tip my hat to anyone who has the strength to hand-paint 300 record jackets. The two songs that comprise this release (“I’m A Kid Again” and “I’m Sorry Mom”) are alternate versions of tracks that appeared on 2007’s Of Shemales And Kissaboos. His lyrics are dark, but vocalist Benjamin Schurr’s fragile vocals are perfect for the group’s lullaby tones. I may actually prefer this take on “I’m A Kid Again.” It isn’t as harsh as the album version, which allows the build-up to shine through. Scatton’s multi-instrumentation adds a great deal to “I’m Sorry Mom,” helping it live up to the fitting title of “Angelic Version.” I’ve yet to hear Br’er’s full length in its entirety, but I would genuinely like to after hearing this single. Br’er are a little-known act at the moment, but with new music in development and a U.S. tour in the fall, their presence is sure to grow.

9/21/09 – Doug Fir Lounge – Portland, OR
9/22/09 – The Red Room – Vancouver, BC
9/23/09 – The Crocodile – Seattle, WA
9/25/09 – The Arcata Theatre Lounge – Arcata, CA
9/26/09 – The Fillmore – San Francisco, CA
9/29/09 – Hollywood Forever Cemetery – Hollywood, CA
10/1/09 – The Bluebird Theatre – Denver, CO
10/4/09 – The Pabst Theatre – Milwaukee, WI
10/5/09 – Lincoln Hall – Chicago, IL
10/7/09 – The Mod – Toronto, ON
10/10/09 – The Music Hall Of Williamsburg – Williamsburg, NY
10/12/09 – The Bowery – New York, NY
10/14/09 – Sixth & I – Washington, DC
10/16/09 – The Loft – Atlanta, GA

Comprised of Mazzy Star’s Hope Sandoval and My Bloody Valentine’s Colm Ó Cíosóig, Hope Sandoval and the Warm Inventions will visit Sixth & I in DC on October 14th. On September 29th, they will release Through The Devil Softly, their first album since 2001’s Bavarian Fruit Bread.

• Stream: Blanchard (appears on Through The Devil Softly)

9/12/09 – ATP Festival NY 2009 – Monticello, NY
10/1/09 – Grog Shop – Cleveland, OH
10/2/09 – Empty Bottle (Chicago CD Release Party) – Chicago, IL
10/3/09 – Pike Room – Pontiac, MI
10/8/09 – Great Scott – Boston, MA
10/10/09 – Rock and Roll Hotel – Washington, DC

Fluorescent Black, the first new album from Anti-Pop Consortium in seven years, will be released by Big Dada on September 29th. Listen to a five minute mix of tracks from the record below. After a brief U.S. tour in October, Anti-Pop will head to Europe in November and December. Full dates are available on their MySpace.

• Stream: Anti-Pop 5 min mastermix
• MP3: Anti-Pop 5 min mastermix

Photo by J. Yoon.