Photos by Aaron Richter
The Artist & Their Latest Release: Titus Andronicus, The Monitor (XL, 2010)
The Showcase: Brooklyn Vegan Day Party @ Emo’s, 3.17.10
The Set in a Few Sentences: By sticking to new songs from their Civil War concept album, Patrick Stickles and his rotating cast of Jersey boys (and girls, now that they’ve got Amy Klein playing guitar/violin) sounded like a history class that’s taught with guillotine-like guitars, winding rhythms, high-concept hooks, and dry heaves. Not as vicious or visceral as the Titus shows we’ve seen in the past, but that’s okay–patient tension/release tracks like “Four Score and Seven” are promising attempts at making lightning-in-a-bottle music that dials down the screaming in favor of straight-up storytelling.
And a Letter Grade: B+
