Afghan Whigs-Sister Brother b/w Hey Cuz (1990)


 

Artist: Afghan Whigs

Title: Sister Brother b/w Hey Cuz

Label: Sub Pop

Format:  7"

Cat #  SP 84

Year of Release: 1990

Country and Year of Edition Issue: US 1990 2,000 pressing Red Translucent vinyl

Listed Condition: VG+/VG+

Sell Date: 5/13/22

Sell Price: $8.99

Discogs Last Sold: 4/11/22 NM/NM $8.00

Low: $4.99

Median: $7.84

Average: $7.92

High:$11.50

Current low price:$6.99

Current Number on Sale at Discogs:15

Have/Want: 301/77

Where Sold: Lubbock, TX

Time it took to sell: 7 years

Where and When Bought: Newbury Comics Boston when it came out

Gwiz-gau Letter Grade: A

Sad To See It Go: No

Well as you can plainly see from the cover combined with the two title, this single only has a incest theme on the surface.  Dig a little deeper and watch the video to "Sister Brother."  There's some deep seeded interracial lust going on in the video and the suitor is in Blackface for his grand statement of solidarity.  I never witnessed this mini-play until today.  Love and seduction, then the "mask" comes off to reveal decoupling.  Since the Black Woman is triumphant and takes her bows as Dulli appears slain to the lily white audience, we are supposed to breathe a sigh of relief.

Dulli had this obsession.  This white boy from Cincinnati wanted to BE and to BE LOVED in Black POPULAR Culture, but he just got second tier adoration from the same collegiate indie rock audience as everyone else on Sub Pop.  Nirvana was the only one in that scene able to crack the code to actually get some lasting mainstream Black Love. At least from the eyeball test walking around seeing their shirts regularly in Bed Stuy or Harlem.. Dulli just seemed a little bit forced to cross over in any way.  Maybe he has a Black ex-girlfriend or wife, session musician  or "Sister Lover" that will take me to task for trying to make heads or tales out of his reoccurring topic.  Or maybe we should be literal minded that every sexual partner should be a sister or cousin.  

Up In It was a great album and "Hey Cuz" is from there.  The mainstream scribes nowadays would throw words like "Racist" or "Misogynist" at this character Dulli stepped into 30 years ago.  The reality is the desire he discusses goes well beyond base Racial or Sexual subjugation.  This worldview swings both ways and the desire to express his position requires a partner on equal footing to war with.

After all, the desire to subjugate and revolt is universal.


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