John Brodeur to reissue album and tour

On April 5, 2011, New York musician John Brodeur will release Tiger Pop Ten, a two-CD set featuring a newly recorded version of his critically praised 2001 pop album Tiger Pop. The new Tiger Pop Ten will be coupled with a 10th-anniversary reissue of the original disc. Since the release of Tiger Pop a decade ago, Brodeur has made a reputation as a talented recording artist, first-class songwriter, and a restless multi-instrumentalist. 2001’s Tiger Pop was performed entirely by Brodeur, a true one-man-band effort in a time before everyone with a laptop could make that claim.

“I played all of the instruments myself out of stubbornness, but also out of necessity,” Brodeur says. “I guess I thought I had something to prove after years of making four-track demos in my parents’ basement.”

Tiger Pop’s pop smarts and try-anything production style caught the notice of many critics and earned Brodeur his place on stage with artists such as Fountains of Wayne, They Might Be Giants, Rooney, and Freedy Johnston among others, but by early 2010, Tiger Pop had been out of print for nearly five years. Brodeur had long promised himself that he would reissue the album for its tenth birthday. The newly recorded Tiger Pop Ten sprung from a long-running “what if” between Brodeur and the members of his longtime band, The Suggestions.

“We would often kid around about re-recording Tiger Pop,” says Brodeur. “Having a rhythm section behind the tunes gave them a new life. Some grooved differently, while others sounded like entirely different songs. It certainly appealed to the part of me that doesn’t know how to settle on ‘finished.’”

For this version of Tiger Pop, Brodeur is joined by a host of musicians including Adrian Cohen (Piano and String Arrangements), Keith Hosmer (Bass), Jennifer McCarron (Bass), Meghan Tully (Drums), Jason Schultz (Drums), and Eric Halder (Guitar). Brodeur adds an additional song, “Masterpiece,” to open Tiger Pop Ten, a tune written just as the original album was completed. The album was mixed and mastered by former Kamikaze Hearts member, Troy Pohl.

“Tiger Pop Ten is a celebration of the relationships that went into it – something we can all share as a reminder of our time together,” Brodeur says of the collaborative nature of the new version. “Without road maps – the original Tiger Pop sessions were quite carefully plotted – the songs found their own identities. They’re still part of my DNA, but they’ve also become their own beings.”

So here you have it – two different versions of the same album: one recorded over twelve long months by an ambitious 20-something, the other recorded in a few weekends by a group of friends whose collective talents made everything a breeze. Maybe he’ll do it again in another 10 years. John Brodeur’s Tiger Pop Ten will be released on April 5, 2011. Brodeur will launch a US tour in support of the release in February.


All shows solo unless otherwise noted. All dates subject to change.

01/24 New York, NY @ The Delancey 8:30PM, Free
02/18 New York, NY @ American Folk Art Museum
02/23 Philadelphia, PA @ The Grape Room Full Band Show
02/24 Brooklyn, NY @ Pete’s Candy Store Full Band Show
03/04 Philadelphia, PA @ “The 10! Show” (NBC) 10:00AM
03/04 Philadelphia, PA @ The Fire w/ Fifth Nation
03/05 Vineland, NJ @ Fuel House Coffee
03/06 Newark, DE @ Mojo Main
03/07 Richmond, VA @ The Triple w/ Fifth Nation
03/08 Raleigh, NC @ Slim’s Downtown w/ The New Euphemisms
03/09 Charleston, SC @ Awendaw Green
03/10 Savannah, GA @ TBA
03/11 Columbia, SC @ “Columbia Beet” on WSUC Radio 2:00PM
03/11 Columbia, SC @ The White Mule 8:00PM
03/12 Atlanta, GA @ The Music Room w/ Nightmare River Band
03/13 Nashville, TN @ The Listening Room 6:00PM
03/14 Memphis, TN @ TBA
03/15 Shreveport, LA @ Naked Bean 6:00PM
03/16 Austin, TX @ TBA SXSW
03/17 Austin, TX @ TBA SXSW
03/18 Austin, TX @ TBA SXSW
03/19 Austin, TX @ TBA SXSW
03/20 Houston, TX @ SuperHappyFunLand SXSW Overflow Fest
03/21 Dallas, TX @ Opening Bell Coffee 7:30PM w/ Becky Middleton, Tori Sparks, Megan Slankard
03/22 Amarillo, TX @ The 806
03/23 Albuquerque, NM @ Blackbird Buvette 7:00PM
03/24 Flagstaff, AZ @ TBA
03/25 Las Vegas, NV @ The Beat Coffeehouse and Records
03/27 San Diego, CA @ Lestat’s 9:00PM
03/29 Venice, CA @ The Talking Stick 8:30PM
03/30 Santa Monica, CA @ Trip 9:00PM
03/31 Claremont, CA @ Motley Coffee @ Scripps College 9:00PM