Feb

17

Titus Andronicus: Airing Of Grievances

Filed Under Updates 

It seems odd that a group of ragged, philosophizing and abrasive indie rockers from New Jersey could create one of the most joyful records of 2008. But they did. Patrick Stickles and the rest of Titus Andronicus, a band out of Glen Rock, NJ,  didn’t give us the best album of 2008–cliches are plentiful on the album and some of the lyrics aren’t exactly family friendly. But Titus Andronicus more than make up for it with all the energy and surprisingly rich melodies that form the backbone of any of their songs. They are generally lumped into the “punk” category of indie rock, but their influences are a bit broader than that. Bands like The Replacements, Desaparecidos, The Pogues and Neutral Milk Hotel make up their more obvious influences, but like any decent modern indie band they are familiar with, and draw on, lots and lots of different types of music. Lyrically, most of the songs offer a bleak view of the world. Apocalyptic visions come and go, judgments are passed and the daily trudge of things is all there is to look forward to tomorrow. These themes are either unheard of or extremely ordinary depending on your musical taste these days. But the way Titus Andronicus set themselves apart is through their music. They take the dreariness of everyday life and pour fire down its throat with chaotic, melodic guitars and core-shaking shouts. This is the kind of joy that doesn’t just translate into happiness and a sunny disposition. This is a deeper joy, the kind that nurtures all the greatest forms of American music.

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