barr
Biography
A 27-year-old self-proclaimed "motivational speaker" for lapsed indie and punk kids, Brendan's songs sound very smart, very funny and very alive. Brendan Fowler, aka BARR (though not to be considered an alter ego), was born in Berkeley, CA, but at age nine his family moved to the country near Baltimore. Always interested in music, in high school he played in a band with the people who would later become 'Animal Collective'.
Moving to New York City for college, Fowler studied free jazz percussion, and after graduation he began DJing in a group that would eventually evolve into DoggPony, the label he co-runs.
Moving to L.A., Fowler began to produce his own material under the name BARR. Aside from BARR, Brendan is also a member of cult pop group New England Roses with JD Sampson of Le Tigre and edits the arts journal ANP Quarterly, with acclaimed skate photographer Ed Templeton.
Brendan's vital live performances have graced galleries and museums worldwide, as well as the rock clubs and living rooms of North America, on tours with Tracy & the Plastics, The Quails, This Song Is A Mess But So Am I, The Evens and many more. Brendan's performances combine his skills as a storyteller, his willingness to go out on a limb and be personal, and most importantly his desire to inspire others to make art.
His debut full-length 'Beyond Reinforced Jewel Case' was released by Kill Rock Stars in the U.S. and Upset the Rhythm in Europe in 2006.
His new album 'Summary' is a document of the body as a record, and is an intensely individual attempt to codify the emotional upheaval of a traumatic five months around the summer of 2006. The songs record the idiosyncratic nature of thought processes, with the repetitive melodies, stream of consciousness lyrics, indirect speech and leaps of logic that occur in one’s head.
