CD Review: Titus Andronicus - The Monitor

This is a pretty kick ass album from some of New Jersey's newer finest due out on March 9th. You got period references from the album title on down, which is awesome because there's a sense of consequence, of dramatic weight to historical ideas, even if it's just mentioned in passing. Oh and in the epic first track "A More Perfect Union" they mention the Fung Wah Bus, which has taken my ass PLACES.

The songs have such a rugged feel to them, the mid-tempos giving room for the crunchy instrumentation and vocals to affect you and grab your attention without dragging its feet. It's a total rush and you feel invigorated by it, because under all the raucousness there is a sometimes folk-punk feel that keeps everything grounded. Kind of reminds me of the Husker Du song "Folklore", which is one of my favorites by them. The whole album feels at times like a punked up version of In The Aeroplane Over The Sea, which may seem like a big comparison but it rocks that much. They are here to teach you a lesson. A lesson of how to breathe fire and ruin someone else's pristine and proper shit just for the hell of it.

There is some dilly dallying between some of the tracks, sound bytes, I would have probably left it as a separate track like "skits" in rap albums. I understand it helps the overall flow of the album but sometimes the listening experience can't always be so patient. Yet, on the snappy interlude between "No Future Part Three: Escape From No Future" and "Richard II" the songs are bridged so wonderfully. In fact, I'm actually really liking the interludes, it is meant to round out the album and it makes it more of a continuous journeys, and I love journeys like I love potato skins, and I am all about the potato skins and run on sentences.

As I stated before there are some tracks that break 8 minutes in length, but for as much as I hate uber-long songs, I love The Monitor's lengthy work because it switches things up within the music, adding melodies along the way and keeping me constantly engaged, like the biggest, leave-everything-on-stage Bruce Springsteen tunes. The intros, the outros, pianos, rumbling toms on something like "A Pot In Which To Piss" is exhilarating.

It just feels like such an American record. Not that I'm a nationalist or anything, but couple this on a road trip with My Morning Jacket and you're pretty set for the east coast. I always have thought that there has been too much posturing in indie music and bad bands that look like they should just stick to being in Paper Magazine. These guys have testicles, a bad ass name, and for as much as people shit on Jersey, they should hold that state in esteem after listening to The Monitor.

For more on them, go to their MySpace (yes, still exists): Titus Andronicus

They will be swinging by Bowery Ballroom for The Monitor record release show with Brooklyn's excellent Parts and Labor. When you say? March 6th. The album is out on March 9th. 6. 9. I'm a pervert.

Titus Andronicus "Four Scores and Seven Years" parts 1 and 2 from Pitchfork



Parts and Labor "The Gold We're Digging"

Laura Veirs coming to Mercury Lounge February 15th with 'July Flame'

I like 4th of July, it's a nice break from work in the middle of the summer, if you're like me and don't take many vacations because you don't know how to.

Not that 4th of July necessarily has anything to do with singer/songwriter (I really hate that term) Laura Veirs' new record, July Flame. It could be about a fling that happened in July. Or Fire Island. Or you know, a fruit (thanks Wikipedia for crashing my jokes).

This is a really nice record, and it's gentle and sage-like and folksy at parts without being "haunting" or overcooked. It's very accessible which speaks to me because even though I like a lot of different kinds of music accessibility is always something I look for and not shy away from (not that I don't listen to difficult music, you know, to keep my credibility). The album is thoughtful in the instrumentation and variety of sounds produced. It feels like a person who takes the time to think about things and rather than actively deciding something, he or she gives whatever she's working on a little time and things just fall into place.

The vocals are like the lightest wave, moving slowly but as they get closer, it hits you with a bit more power than you were expecting. It's a nice feeling. By the time you're at the punchier "Summer Is A Champion" you know you've found your new Sunday afternoon walking iPod music.

You can check out more about the concert here which also has a link to buy tickets. How convenient. It's also only 12 bucks. How convenient again.

Shout Out To T-Sides Blog: Her Fave Music Of 2009

While our resident film critic Chris Cabin is gearing up for music in 2010, the KCB looks to the T-Sides for help recapping some good tunes from 2009 to start this weekend. While I'm not familiar with everything on her list, I was really into the new Dirty Projectors and Neko Case and I'm glad that I know at least some new music since my iPod must be screaming at me to stop listening to Strung Out and, I don't know, old New Found Glory.

Just as a taste, here's her 5 through 10:
10. (tie) Dan Auerbach, Keep It Hid
10. (tie) Dodos, Time To Die
9. Kurt Vile, Childish Prodigy
8. Akron/Family, Set ‘Em Wild, Set ‘Em Free
*7. Dirty Projectors, Bitte Orca
*6. Wild Beasts, Two Dancers
**5. The Jobz, S/T

She's got the good reasoning for all her picks so I suggest you check out her Top 5, those asterisks/footnotes, and other picks here: T-Sides 2009 In Review.

Where does Animal Collective fall on her list? Read to find out, but check out their video from their past year effort for "My Girls" below. I suggest listening to it after watching Avatar (click to read Chris Cabin's review).

Zero Bridge - Late Bloomer video (updated with new footage)

Occasionally you see bands that update or create entirely new videos for a song, always good as a DVD extra. New York's Zero Bridge, who just finished up some late night recording sessions on a new album, have added some footage to their "Late Bloomer" video, shot around the East Broadway F stop in Manhattan. Ch-Ch-Chinatown whud whud! Oh and the new girl in the video is hot, but that cake, it looked delicious.

Check them out on MySpace.

Late Bloomer

The Knux - Remind Me In 3 Days...

The Knux (two brothers from New Orleans, now residing in Los Angeles) are gaining a lot of buzz over the past few months as their jangly guitars twang to both "Cappuccino" which was featured on Entourage and their latest, "Bang Bang", which rollicks along and not quite as laid back.

I really like "Cappuccino", although after a few listens it reveals itself to be nothing too special, it's catchy, fairly smooth, and a good song to lead with though because I think it leaves you interested in the old school beat and where these guys are coming from. Their total remix on their MySpace page is refreshing in that it's not just a tempo shift and the song does a 180 turn.

Now "Bang Bang" kind of had the opposite effect on me, I didn't like it at first, but it has grown on me, the low rumble of the chorus with lively versus that shows a range of vocal tones, expressing a slick retro feel without trying to rely too heavily on the music.

They have been labeled "hipster rap", and I think they don't really care for it, but probably won't need to deny it anyway; if they were Outkast's level, it wouldn't just be for the hip crowd anymore. I think we'll definitely have to see what the rest of the album offers, but I think that it will convert more fans than turn people away.

Here's the video for "Bang Bang", with the Outsiders influence in effect. Can't go wrong with that, although I enjoy the "Cappucino" video too, with the split screens and lots of shots of Krispy's fade.



You can check out their MySpace here: www.myspace.com/theknux