On the Shelf 200: Titus Andronicus
Nov. 9th, 2018 07:39 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bedsitter23Titus Andronicus is one of my favorite bands of the last few years. Their big break was 2010's The Monitor, which was rally that, a tribute to the Civil War ironclad. They have since been fairly consistent with a sound that does fall into the Saddle Creek circle and the Sprinsgsteen influence of bands like The Hold Steady, Arcade Fire and Ezra Furman, but more than anything they pull from the Pogues and Joe Strummer.
I feel like this Spring's A Productive Cough flew under the radar. I wasn't sure why, except indie press generally like to ignore "fifth albums" in preference to newer bands. But, that wasn't all. Reviews were all over the place.
I still love TA, but this is a tough one. Whereas pulling from Give Em Enough Rope and Red Roses for Me is admirable, this record is marinated in 70's Rolling Stones. There's a heavy Exile on Main Street Vibe, but it leads to a sloppy record like the Pogues circa 1990s Hell's Ditch (and subsequently also Strummer's work of the same time, where he took a job leading the Pogues on tour).
"Real Talk" falls close to the good side of the equation, but boy, "Home Alone" is a terrible, terrible attempt at grungy punk. "Number one in New York" is a rambling eight minute opening track that like Hell's Ditch's opening "Sunny Side of the Street" falls far short of a great tradition of rambling songs (and it misses SSotS's great melody) and it's four times as long.
"Crass Tattoo" features Megg Farrell on vocals and is about literally a tattoo honoring Crass, and it isn't bad by itself, but also doesn't add much. The worst part of the record (well, it's Home Alone, but the second worst part of the record is) a cover of "Like a Rolling Stone" performed as if by the Stones circa 1972.
First of all, no one should cover "Like a Rolling Stone". Second, as tempting as it is to combine the two, don't. The Glimmer Twins tried it in the 90s and it's one of their worst songs ever recorded.
This is a mess that tries for drunken Stones/Pogues charm, but sounds like guys at open mic night who just need to leave. It goes on and on with lyrical improvisation and "clever" allusions to "The World's Greatest Band".
Anyway, I think they can rebound, but please ignore this one. You will only encourage them.
(Some NSFW language)
I feel like this Spring's A Productive Cough flew under the radar. I wasn't sure why, except indie press generally like to ignore "fifth albums" in preference to newer bands. But, that wasn't all. Reviews were all over the place.
I still love TA, but this is a tough one. Whereas pulling from Give Em Enough Rope and Red Roses for Me is admirable, this record is marinated in 70's Rolling Stones. There's a heavy Exile on Main Street Vibe, but it leads to a sloppy record like the Pogues circa 1990s Hell's Ditch (and subsequently also Strummer's work of the same time, where he took a job leading the Pogues on tour).
"Real Talk" falls close to the good side of the equation, but boy, "Home Alone" is a terrible, terrible attempt at grungy punk. "Number one in New York" is a rambling eight minute opening track that like Hell's Ditch's opening "Sunny Side of the Street" falls far short of a great tradition of rambling songs (and it misses SSotS's great melody) and it's four times as long.
"Crass Tattoo" features Megg Farrell on vocals and is about literally a tattoo honoring Crass, and it isn't bad by itself, but also doesn't add much. The worst part of the record (well, it's Home Alone, but the second worst part of the record is) a cover of "Like a Rolling Stone" performed as if by the Stones circa 1972.
First of all, no one should cover "Like a Rolling Stone". Second, as tempting as it is to combine the two, don't. The Glimmer Twins tried it in the 90s and it's one of their worst songs ever recorded.
This is a mess that tries for drunken Stones/Pogues charm, but sounds like guys at open mic night who just need to leave. It goes on and on with lyrical improvisation and "clever" allusions to "The World's Greatest Band".
Anyway, I think they can rebound, but please ignore this one. You will only encourage them.
(Some NSFW language)
