After a month of my project which involved simply posting whatever video I was in the mood to listen to (read: me being lazy) I'm going to be shifting ES back to the norm of new music recommendation and concert reviews. Fortunately, a lot can happen in a month and while I was busy verbally drooling all over the internet through April, I assure you, I was also up to no good. Specifically, that no good landed me as one of Toronto Music Scene's newest contributors. I'll be providing concert reviews for TMS which is the polite way of saying that I get free tickets to all kind of shows and you don't.
In the meantime, it's been a while since I've brought something new your way. Since I'm a jerk, I've saved a band which Andrea introduced me to for the time which she is in China and has limited internet access. She's been hounding me to start mentioning some of her favorite bands, so I'll gladly do it when she's not around to see or take credit. It was even her birthday yesterday.
Man, I really am a jerk.
Alas, allow me to introduce Titus Andronicus. This Jersey based quartet has been playing together since 2005, with a number of lineup changes. In that time, they've released a handful of EPs, splits and 7", in addition to two full length albums. 2008's The Airing of Grievences was a massive breakthrough for them and their second album, The Monitor, was released just recently.
TA is the epitome of an American indie band. Following in the footsteps of The Boss (both musically and conceptually), Titus has created a gritty, blue collar, almost punk rock, almost indie sound which is massively complex, yet still easily accessible by the lowest common denominator. They write epic rock anthems which sometimes knock on the door of 10 minutes long. The tunes, however, don't come across as prog, but more as rock movements which blend together, almost like mini-albums within each track.
I was dumb enough to miss them playing with Hollerado at one of my favorite venues in Toronto, but be sure to see me there at their next gracing of the city of bovine (hog town for those who still aren't used to my inane ramblings).
-I'm downside up looking in a mirror which reflects what I want to see
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