Titus Andronicus – The Airing of Grievances
It’s been a while since I listened to something genuinely snarling and loud, and I’ve missed it, frankly. I first read about Titus Andronicus on The Daily Growl and, honestly, if it hadn’t been for the fact that I generally trust Tim’s recommendations I would probably not have persisted with this album, which would have been very foolish.
It starts so deceptively as well. Fear & Loathing in Mahwah, NJ just growls and grumbles along for ages – to the point that you wonder what the fuck is going on – before exploding into life with all sorts of thunderous drumming, and gritty distortion. It slips back into a similarly grumblesome ending: a crackling monologue which, I believe, might be from the Shakespearean tragedy from which the band take their name. I’m not sure though, so don’t quote me on that. That cooling off might be deceptive, but the cat’s out of the bag by this point. This is a noisy album.
Actually, the judgment of atonal grunge and cunningly infectious melody is very well-judged on this record. It sounds like a garage punk album, but it’s not, it’s pop. I mean, most of the best garage punk albums worked really well as pop albums anyway, so this is no criticism. The choruses are damned infectious, so despite the thunder of most of it, you aren’t listening to a bunch of naive ingenues here: they know how to write songs.
I’m not saying that this is my favourite album of the year. There are a couple of songs where the tune doesn’t quite emerge from the cocoon of fuzz, but for the most part I am finding this to be bloody terrific: noisy and brilliant fun (despite the lyrical content, which is not cheerful).
Titus Andronicus – Fear & Loathing in Mahwah, NJ
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Titus Andronicus – Titus Andronicus
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Very promising. I like the shattering distortion, but Fear and Loathing… doesn’t really take off for me until the buzzing, wheezing horns come in at around 3:35. Titus Andronicus sounds sort of like the Replacements in the early 80s, with that classic pop melody buried in a squall of feedback.
If you can take this level of shaggy fuzz, Matthew, you’ll probably like Psychocandy by the Jesus & Mary Chain as well. And you may also like this band, called Ceremony, who are actually from my little town here.
http://www.myspace.com/ceremonytheband
Just listen to Silhouette, which should come on the little myspace player thingy when you link to their page.
I like! The Ceremony band I mean.
I’m liking Camps comparison to The Replacements especially on Titus Andronicus… Fear & Loathing simply kicks ass! Where in the hell did you find these guys? I’m loving it!
Just read the Daily Growl. Tim is more folky most of the time, but his is one of the blogs I visit most often.
Ah, excuse me while extract my head from my ass… As your post says you found out about these guys on the Daily Growl. I should read before I listen.
Yeah! Glad you like it. I was listening to this album again just yesterday and the more I hear it, the more I’m convinced that it’s going to be one of my albums of the year. You’re right, I don’t do The Rock much often, but there’s just something about this album that’s just so right. The strained vocals, the distortion with great tunes peeking through the noise. It’s not slick, but it kicks ass. I must see them live.
Top growling!
You know what – can’t stand it.
I had a handful of their tracks kicking about for ages; tried & tried & tried & just, well, nah.
Sorry, tis pish.
Pah. I am not quite with Tim in the sense that I doubt this will be one of my albums of the year, but there are some great moments on it, for sure.
Not heard the album, but from the myspace tracks, I’m with DC on this and to compare them to my beloved Jesus and Mary Chain is near blasphemy! (tongue almost in cheek there). Are you all looking at this with your 90s revival fogged glasses on, already? It’s neither good nor bad to my ear, just meh… in that current generation’s mediocrity of meh-ness, I’m afraid.
It’s good and tight, but I’m not sure if it will be something I go looking to play in 6 months. I will have to listen to a few more tracks.
I’d sort of agree with you. I’m enjoying this, but I am not at all certain how it will fare with age. No way to tell just yet though.
Funnily enough, that’s precisely how Matthew feels about groping Chutters’ arse.
the record’s good.
live they are fucking incredible.
the most ferocious harmonica playing y’ll see.
true.
On record I think they sound just like Desaparecidos, Conor Oberst’s old side project. But I bet the live show’s good.
Yeah, I’d noticed the Conor Oberst sound in the voice, actually. I’d love to see them live, but I can’t quite imagine them making it to Edinburgh somehow. Glasgow’s a possibility though, I suppose.
I have to say i rekon this album will fare brilliantly with age?
The reason… his lyrics. The more i listen to them the more i realise they are absolutely astonishing. Genuinally thoughtful and at times seriously hilarious. I actually don’t think i know of an album or a songwriter around at the moment that is that good. To capture something sincerely, with intelligence AND humour is pretty hard. Only people like bob dylan have really managed that. I mean, listening to him sing and the words is actually like reading a great book, it’s crazy.
And agreed with the comment on how good they are live.. that’s where i first ‘got’ it. The only band i feel genuinally passionate about at the moment.