MONDAY #CONTENTBLAST STARRING SO SO GLOS, THURSTON MOORE, +@, PLUS THE SHOCKING TRUTH RE: IT ALL

Okay gang, it is that time again, for you to open wide and be blasted. I know this feature has been far from the weekly dosage I have promised, but as you will learn the more you get to know me, I have a way of making outrageous promises and declarations and failing to follow through on them. I guess you could say I suffer from some delusions of grandeur. That doesn't mean I can't give you the top quality content though, so behold below, in glorious, crystal clear 1080P, The Blast for this Monday.

Firstly we will view the So So Glos, rising stars of the Bring Back the Dudes Tour of this just passed May. You may have seen them on The David Letterman Show or read about their new record 'Blowout' (available now from Shea Stadium Records) whilst grazing the fields of yr favorite online content farm. Perhaps yr one of the unlucky few still ignorant of this ongoing miracle in modern pop-punk - if so, begin yr lifelong obsession here, watching them play two of their hit songs from the aforementioned LP, "Everything Revival" and "Son of an American."



Next, let us journey into the past a ways, to remember a great honor of my life - you know how I can't get enough of those. I had the privilege to speak at an event at McNally Jackson Books which was part of the Downtown Literary Festival, in which noted persons (plus me) spoke about their most memorable New York City concert experiences. Shining brightly amongst the luminaries, standing tall amongst these giants, was Thurston Moore, known throughout the world as the guitarist/singer of Sonic Youth, and lately of Chelsea Light Moving, who spoke about early pilgrimages to CBGB's.



Then I spoke.



In other news, a lot of noise is being made lately as to Titus Andronicus' feelings about the state of Georgia and its people. Many seem to know how we feel about it, and them, who speak confidently without a firm understanding of the facts they speak about. Let the below video, from our "now infamous" show in Athens, GA, called "The Altamont of Today" by DukesOfHipster.com, where the true story is made plain to see and Titus' true feelings made explicit beyond any reasonable doubt.



This wasn't the only time Titus Andronicus felt the love in Georgia on the Bring Back the Dudes Tour. See below video of an "all ages" in-store we executed at Criminal Records in Atlanta earlier that same day. Doing this free, all ages show at five pm, to atone for the sin of playing a 21+ show the night before, may have made us late to the Georgia Theater and miss our soundcheck, but I have no regrets. Please like this.



Just in case you missed the Monday #CONTENTSMACK which preceded this post, much as John the Baptist preceded the Chris+, here is that content, for free, as always - luminous fiddle wizard of the Great White North, Owen Pallett, and yr boy, hacking it up acoustic in the van like vintage Bon Jovi.



A content farmer's job is often a thankless one, but mine is an easy job today, as our recent concert at Philadelphia's very elegant and hospitable Union Transfer was captured in full by YouTube user velvetcanuck. In this concert, you will find #BRANDNEW #WORLDPREMIERE original songs from Titus Andronicus #LP4. You will see two punks sucking face on stage not once, but twice. You will see a member quit the band only to return in glory, to feast on the fetted calf. You will see a backflip the likes of which has been unseen in pop-punk since the peak of Yellowcard. These are but a few of the wonders awaiting you amongst these two hours of free musical entertainment, plus a giant watermark, also free.









Okay, that's enough content for now. Time to go to sleep. See you next Monday to get blasted again. xoxoxo

Yr friend,
Patrick
+@

BRING BACK THE DUDES : New Dates Added!

Hello friends. Greetings from historic Memphis, Tennessee, birthplace of rock and roll. We just played last night at the Hi Tone (actually, it was at some art gallery or something, but it was scheduled to be at the still-unfinished Hi Tone, down the street, and promoted by the same people), which was rocking. I know what yr thinking, though - "I memorized the Bring Back the Dudes tour dates immediately after they were posted, and Memphis was not on the schedule!" Well, yr right about that. We added that show later on, as we will sometimes do, only to forget to tell you about it. Could that have anything to do with the fact that there weren't too many people at the show? Could very well be. Anyway, let's not make that same mistake twice. Here are the new dates.

TONIGHT May the 7th, we will be playing in Little Rock, Arkansas, at - are you ready for this? - Sticky Fingerz Rock and Roll Chicken Shack. Okay. Why the fuck not. All ages, ten bucks, showtime at nine pm.

THIS FRIDAY May the 10th, in addition to our previously announced Houston show at Walter's, we will be doing a #FREE #ALLAGES in-store performance at Cactus Records in that same city. It starts at five pm, and don't be late, because it has to be pretty short - we gotta leave some gas in the tank for the real show, know what I'm saying? Come out and be rocked by us and support an essential local business.

On May the 16th, we will be playing at the Emerald Lounge in Asheville, NC. Tickets are twelve bucks, but it is twenty one plus. Shit. I know we said we were playing in Charlotte, NC on that night, and we believed at the time it was true, but I dunno, I guess somebody fucked up. Lots of bad vibes on this day. We'll see if we can exorcise them via the power of modern rock and roll. Buy tickets here, from Brown Paper Tickets, the preferred ticket seller of Brooklyn's Shea Stadium.

Also, the next day, May 17th, we are playing at a club called Motorco, but it is in DURHAM, North Carolina, not Carrboro, as was previously reported.

Another thing - that "TBD" date we mentioned was going to happen in Oxford, Mississippi? We're not doing that. Sorry, just couldn't get it together. Another time.

I guess I may as well also mention that on May the 13th, we will be joined at Nashville, TN's Stone Fox by none other than Diarrhea Planet, stars of the most recent Monday #CONTENTBLAST. That's sick, dude.

As for the dearth of blasted content since that posting, well, you have to understand - we are on the road now, and internet is scarce, particularly internet that can handle uploading a 1080P video, and I refuse to give you anything but content of the highest possible quality. So just sit tight, ok? I am working on it. I have all the videos finalized and exported - I just need to find a quality internet connection and get on YouTube. The blast is imminent.

I suppose that will be all for now. Tell someone that you love them today.

Yr friend,
Patrick

Monday #CONTENTBLAST : Diarrhea Planet at Shea Stadium

This is Diarrhea Planet from Nashville, Tennessee, one of the greatest bands in the world. They played at Shea Stadium on April 11th, 2013, and I was blessed enough to be there and capture it on film. I hope you will enjoy these selections, including one with me singing "Born To Run" - what a treat that was! You should watch these in HD, because that looks better! Enjoy!

"Lite Dream" / "Warm Ridin"



"Power Moves"



"Separations"



"Kids"



"Fauser"



"Born To Run" (featuring Patrick Stickles)



More:

Diarrhea Planet Blogspot
Live At Shea Stadium
Titus Andronicus YouTube
Infinity Cat Recordings

BRING BACK THE DUDES : Spring 2013 US Tour featuring the So So Glos

Hello friends. It is our pleasure this afternoon to reveal to you the Spring 2013 Bring Back the Dudes Tour, featuring Titus Andronicus and the So So Glos. It is well known that these two bands are as thick as thieves, having shared the stage some 48 times up to this point, continuing to share a practice space, working side by side for the good of the scene at Shea Stadium, and experimenting with a variety of co-habitation arrangements (each So So Glo has, at one point in time or another, been my roommate). Some of you may even remember Autumn 2009, when TA and the SSGs teamed up for the original Bring On the Dudes Tour, which left a trail of havoc and mayhem from sea to shining sea. Since then, we have been inundated with a constant stream of requests for a reunion. Today, we can finally say that the Dudes are coming back. You can view the dates in the above graphic, courtesy of So So Glos drummer/art director Zach Staggers, or in plain old text form below.

BRING BACK THE DUDES TOUR 2013

4-28 - Hamden, CT - The Space
4-29 - Cambridge, MA - Middle East Downstairs
4-30 - Montreal, QC - Lambi
5-1 - Ottawa, ON - Mavericks
5-2 - Toronto, ON - Lee's Palace
5-3 - Detroit, MI - Magic Stick
5-4 - Chicago, IL - Metro
5-5 - St. Louis, MO - Off Broadway
5-8 - Dallas, TX - Three Links
5-9 - Austin, TX - Mohawk
5-10 - Houston, TX - Walter's
5-11 - New Orleans, LA - Siberia
5-12 - Oxford, MS - TBA
5-13 - Nashville, TN - Stone Fox
5-14 - Atlanta, GA - The Earl
5-15 - Athens, GA - Georgia Theater Rooftop
5-16 - Charlotte, NC - Milestone
5-17 - Durham, NC - Motorco
5-18 - Richmond, VA - Strange Matter
5-19 - Washington, DC - Black Cat

I should mention that, as always, Titus Andronicus will be looking for places to stay after these shows, and if you can provide one for us, we're happy to have you and yr friends come to the show for free as our guests. Are you interested in this? If so, e-mail TitusAndronicusTheBand@gmail.com, with yr name, phone number, and whatever you can tell us about accommodations (couch stats, etc). If you have a place big enough to fit us and our So So buddies, well, that's doubly great. Think about it, ok?

Let's take some time now and look back on our shared history with the Glos. During the original Bring Back the Dudes Tour, the two bands teamed up for a grand finale cover of Billy Bragg's deathless punk classic, "To Have and to Have Not." Watch the superband form like Voltron in this video, shot in Montreal by noted So So Glos videographer Chris Elia.



We repeated this ritual every night of the tour, and as time went on, I like to think we got a little better at doing the song. Judge for yrself with the below video, filmed in Phoenix some three weeks later.



We later realized that we had been performing the song in the throat-shredding key of C Major, even though the original is in the much less demanding G Major. Two years later, we corrected our mistake at a benefit for Occupy Wall Street and the National Lawyer's Guild at Shea Stadium, while getting an assist from Ted Leo, who probably would have done a great job in either key. Relive that moment with the video below, again courtesy of Mr. Chris Elia.



Looking for similar audio content with slightly higher fidelity? Looking through the archives today, I came across this recording of the same lineup practicing the song at soundcheck earlier that day. Enjoy!



One last memory from the original Bring On the Dudes - during the last days of the trip, the So So Glos were gracious enough to allow me to join them on stage for their song "Throw Yr Hands Up," during the instrumental break of which I rapped. Here's that dubious choice being made at Maxwell's in Hoboken, NJ on the penultimate night of the tour. The audio quality is not so great, but maybe that is for the best.



Yr starting to really get into these So So Glos, huh? Well, on this tour, they're going to be supporting their new record Blowout, coming April 23rd on Shea Stadium Records, so it would be wise to get familiar with the first single, "Son of an American." In the official music video, the decades-long history of the band is brought to vivid life through the exhuming of ancient VHS footage documenting the brothers' first musical adventures, interspersed with highlights of more recent activity. Check it out!



Though Titus Andronicus the So So Glos have shared many stages, collaborations in the studio have been more rare. One notable example would be the mixtape version of "Upon Viewing Oregon's Landscape with the Flood of Detritus," to which the So So Glos lead singer Alex Levine contributed backing vocals. Revisit this oft-forgotten gem below, and listen for Alex's signature vocal stylings.



During the recording of that song, I sat down with Alex for a friendly chat about punk and our aspirations for the then-infant 2012. Some seriously grandiose delusions were thrown about like so much confetti. It was an exciting time. Come along with us on this flight of fancy.



Still haven't gotten enough of that song? Well, here's something you haven't heard before - the original demo, recorded at Shea Stadium in the late autumn of 2011, also featuring Alex Levine on backing vocals.



Now, what better way to wrap up this trip down memory lane than with the song that captures such wistful and nostalgic feelings like no other? Here are Titus Andronicus and the So So Glos teaming up to form the earliest incarnation of the Shea Stadium All Stars, thinkin' 'bout the old times and gettin' busy on Bruce Springsteen's "Glory Days."



Well, there you have it. Years of friendship, ready to be relived and expanded upon with a tour for the ages. If we're coming to yr town, we implore you to get involved! You wanted them, now you've got them - welcome back, Dudes.

That's all for today, but please continue to watch this space, as in the very near future, we are going to have more exciting information for you about the Record Store Day 12", the "Hot Deuce" music video, and all sorts of other cool stuff. Stay tuned!

Yr friend,
Patrick

The New Titus Andronicus Music Video - Starring YOU!!

Hello friends. I am writing today to give you the following news; it has been decided between Titus Andronicus and the good people at Extra Large Recordings that there shall be produced a "music video" for our song, "Still Life with Hot Deuce and Silver Platter," from the album, "Local Business," and we would like you, Mr. or Ms. Music Fan, to be a part of it. It hardly requires that much talent - all you have to do is rock out earnestly, just as you would while enjoying any of yr favorite music. The video shoot is happening this coming Sunday, February the 17th, at a "mystery location" somewhere in North Brooklyn, somewhere easily accesible by subway. The shoot will run from 2:30 pm to around 9 pm. Refreshments will be available, and there will be a real life Titus Andronicus live performance, in addition to much lip syncing. If you are interested in being in the video, e-mail HotDeuceVideo@gmail.com with yr name, and you will receive a response telling you the location. Sound good?

If you are for some weird reason unfamiliar with the "Local Business" album, here is a lyric video for the song in question so you can get acquainted.




So, just to recap, e-mail yr name to HotDeuceVideo@Gmail.com in order to be an extra in the forthcoming Titus Andronicus music video and see the live performance, at 2:30 on Feburary 17th, at Mystery Location X in North Brooklyn, New York.

As long as we're talking about videos, I might as well mention this video I was in, made by the talented folks at La Blogotheque. In it, you'll find me hanging out in a dilapidated construction site, as I am often wont to do, playing the "Local Business" song, "Tried To Quit Smoking." The astute observer will notice I am playing the song in the key of G major, rather than in Bb major, as it appears on the album. What was with my obsession with putting every song in Bb when we made that thing? Seemed like the thing to do at the time, I guess. Anyway, while you are thinking about yr participation in the new Titus video, enjoy this.



All right, I suppose that is all for now. We'll see you at the video shoot on Sunday - don't forget to write to HotDeuceVideo@Gmail.com! Get psyched.

Yr friend,
Patrick

New Hashtag - USE IT!

Hello friends. Greetings from the great state of North Carolina. It is the third day of our National Business tour, and we have been having lots of fun with our new friends in Ceremony, rocking and rolling around America. This morning, I want to bring you into a new world of internet fun and synergy.

Lots of people have been asking me about why our new record is called "Local Business." There are many reasons, but first among them is the most obvious - that Titus Andronicus likes to support local business. It is easy enough at home, where all of our favorite local businesses are well known and easily accessible, but out here on the road, it can be hard, and we are often forced to succumb to the corporate ogre to get necessities like, say, food. By now, you are wondering how you can help. Well, we are prepared to make it easy.

Firstly, visit this new site on our web page - http://www.titusandronicus.net/localbusinessforever/
There, you will see people using the new, fully branded #LOCALBUSINESSFOREVER hashtag, getting us wise to what sort of local businesses we need to be patronizing when we come to their cities. This will hopefully be encouragement enough for you to do the same, to get us wise to the coolest restaurants, coffee shops, bars, merchandisers, or whatever local businesses you like to support in yr city, so that we will be in the know when we come to visit. Yr tweets will scroll there for all to see. You will also find our tour dates, with links to local record stores in corresponding cities so that you may be encouraged to support them, and perhaps purchase our "Local Business" album whilst you do so.

I may tweet at y'all for further info as necessity demands in the coming weeks. Please do not leave Titus Andronicus wanting for this vital information. #LOCALBUSINESSFOREVER - this is the hashtag. Use it, because this is 2012.

Lastly, I have been made aware that the music video for "In A Big City," the product of our now legendary twenty-eight hour shoot of a couple weeks back, will premiere today on Grantland.com, so be sure to check that out.

All right, well, now I got to go, for this afternoon we "Rock the Vote" in Durham with Mac from Superchunk and Spider Bags! Can you think of a better way to spend an afternoon? Not me. Let's speak again soon.

Yr friend,
Patrick

The Local Business Sessions

Via Pitchfork TV

Record Release Show at Shea Stadium!

Hello friends. It is our pleasure this morning to announce the record release show for our forthcoming third LP, "Local Business." It is going down next Monday, October 22nd at our favorite local business and number one rock and roll club in the world, the newly renovated Shea Stadium in Brooklyn. We'll be joined by Glen Rock's top stoner punk crew Liquor Store (featuring original TA drummer Sarim Al-Rawi), and by former Parts & Labor keyboard whiz Dan Friel, who will bless us with his ultra-distorted instrumental ice cream truck pop punk.

Tickets for this event are ten dollars ($10) and will go on sale tomorrow (Tuesday) at noon at the Shea Stadium website, via BrownPaperTickets.com. You can expect to pay something like $1.50 in fees, so maybe think of this show as costing more like $11.50. This show is pre-sale only, so no tickets will be available at the door the night of the show. Don't get left out in the cold!

As always at Shea Stadium, the show will be ALL AGES.

Here is the flier for the event, designed by Shea Stadium's own Luke Chiarutinni, aka the Iceman.



As long as we're talking, remember the great fun we had the other day forgetting that we've all listened to 'Local Business' via illicit internet piracy? Well, get back in that magic headspace, because the record is now streaming in full, legit-style, at NPR.com. Classy!

Okay, that's all for today. I don't imagine we're going to have much more to announce between now and the release of the album and the beginning of the tour, so let me take this opportunity to thank you for yr continued interest in Titus Andronicus. You can always find more up-to-the-minute information on Twitter and Tumblr.

Yr friend,
Patrick

NEW SONG! "Still Life with Hot Deuce and Silver Platter"

Hello friends. I invite you this morning to join me on a flight of fancy, wherein we will pretend that the forthcoming Titus Andronicus LP "Local Business" has not leaked onto the internet, and that you are still frothing with anticipation as to what it could possibly sound like. Well, froth no longer, dear friends, as it is now our pleasure to share with you the second track from said LP, "Still Life with Hot Deuce and Silver Platter." BEHOLD!


You will find the lyrics embedded in this video for you to follow along with, but no funny pictures this time, as there were in the "In A Big City" lyric video, which you all remember fondly, I'm sure. Why no funny pictures? Well, we just finished a twenty-eight hour music video shoot and I am tired. If you want to do yr own annotating, perform a Google Image Search for the terms "Carl Sagan," "Carles," and "Particle Man" and you will be well on yr way.

As long as we are talking, there are a few more "NATIONAL BUSINESS" tour dates with Ceremony to share with you, including our first ever show in South Carolina! They are as follows.

10-26 - Greensboro, NC - CFBG's Record Co-Op
10-27 - Columbia, SC - One Unit Art Space
10-30 - Jacksonville, FL - Phoenix Taproom
11-01 - Nashville, TN - High Watt

And note these corrected dates in California.

11-09 - Santa Ana, CA - Constellation Room
11-10 - San Diego, CA - Irenic
11-11 - Santa Cruz, CA - Catalyst Atrium

Lastly, we have a free day on November 18th, on which Titus Andronicus and Ceremony would really love to visit the great state of WYOMING. Does anyone reading this have any leads on cool places to play in the Equality State? Please e-mail TitusAndronicusTheBand@Gmail.com and let us know!
 
I hope that this message finds you doing great, and that you will enjoy this song. Visit us again on Monday, when we will have yet more exciting announcements for you! Wheee! For now, farewell.

Yr friend,
Patrick

Appear in the new Titus Andronicus Music Video!

Hello friends. By now, you have all seen the lyric video for "In A Big City," and it probably so delighted you that you'll now be shocked to learn that it is not the official music video. That music video will be shot next week, and we want you to be a part of it! Take it away, Mr. Casting Director -

"We're shooting a video for "In A Big City" next Wednesday and Thursday (10/11-12) in New Jersey, and we need yr help!

We need people! We'll be shooting for 24 hours straight. But we don't need you all that time - more like for a two or three hour chunk. Interested? Shoot us an email at: 

bigcitycasting@gmail.com

Include your name, date of birth, where you live (NY and NJ residents only), and when you are free on the 11th and/or the 12th! You will need to get yourself to and from location. And ideally, a picture, so we know what you look like (all types are welcome). And we'll get back to you ASAP.

There you have it, folks - yr big chance at music video stardom. We do hope you have the interest and the availability. See you then!

Yr friend,

Patrick

"NATIONAL BUSINESS" FALL 2012 TOUR REVEALED!

Hello friends. It is our pleasure this day to reveal to you the dates of our Fall 2012 "NATIONAL BUSINESS" Tour, in support of the new album, "Local Business." Behold!

10-23 - Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church
10-24 - Washington, DC - Rock and Roll Hotel
10-25 - Richmond, VA - Strange Matter
10-28 - Gainesville, FL - THE FEST 11
10-29 - Tampa, FL - Crowbar
10-31 - Atlanta, GA - 529
11-01 - Nashville, TN - Stone Fox
11-02 - Memphis, TN - Hi Tone
11-04 - Austin, TX - Fun Fun Fun Fest
11-06 - Tempe, AZ - Sail Inn
11-08 - Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theater
11-09 - San Diego, CA - Irenic
11-10 - Santa Ana, CA - Constellation Room
11-11 - Santa Cruz, CA - Catalyst Atrium
11-12 - San Francisco, CA - Great American Music Hall
11-14 - Seattle, WA - Neumo's
11-15 - Vancouver, BC - Biltmore Cabaret
11-17 - Boise, ID - Neurolux
11-19 - Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge
11-20 - Lawrence, KS - Jackpot
11-21 - Omaha, NE - Sokol Underground
11-22 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry
11-23 - Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall
11-24 - Madison, WI - The Frequency
11-25 - Chicago, IL - The Metro
11-26 - Detroit, MI - The Majestic
11-27 - Toronto, ON - Lee's Palace
11-28 - Montreal, QC - Il Motore
11-29 - Burlington, VT - Higher Ground Lounge
11-30 - Boston, MA - The Sinclair
12-01 - Hoboken, NJ - Maxwell's
12-02 - New York City, NY - Webster Hall

All of these shows, with the exception of Fun Fun Fun Fest in Austin, will enjoy the support of the great contemporary punk band and Matador Records recording artist CEREMONY. If you haven't already, start getting to know them via the below video, for their song "World Blue" from the 2012 release "Zoo."



To celebrate our newfound friendship, the merchandise table for this tour will feature an exclusive seven inch single split between our two bands, with "In A Big City" on the Titus side, and a previously unreleased song called "Everything Burns" on the Ceremony side. I can only assume this is a reference to "The Dark Knight," which has me as excited as you might guess.

As always, if you wish to have Titus Andronicus as yr house guests in exchange for free entry for you and yr friends to our show in yr city, e-mail TitusAndronicusTheBand@Gmail.com and let us know!

We will have a few more dates to reveal in the coming weeks to fill in the gaps in the schedule, which you know we can not abide. We'll also have a very special announcement in about two weeks, so keep yr eyes on this space!

Yr friend,
Patrick

P.S. Don't forget that you can pre-order "Local Business" via the XL Recordings website here, including limited edition red vinyl for you wax aficionados.

"Local Business" First Single and Cover REVEALED

Hello friends. By now, you've all heard about the forthcoming third Titus Andronicus LP, "Local Business," coming October 22nd from our friends at XL Recordings. You may be wondering though, as is sensible to wonder when it comes to recorded music, what does it sound like? Well, wonder no longer, as it is our pleasure to now share with you the first single, "In A Big City," with the lyrics embedded for you to follow along with.



For those of you who would prefer to judge a record by its cover, well, we are prepared to accommodate you too. Here it is in all of its glory, courtesy of our good friend Nolen Strals, formerly of Double Dagger and lately of the new band Pure Junk.



By now, you have surely been whipped into such a state of feverish anticipation that you just can't wait to get yr hands on the thing. That is now easier than ever, as the good people at XL Recordings are now taking pre-orders here.

Okay, that is a lot to process, but continue to watch this space, as we will have more pertinent information to reveal to you in the coming days. Stay tuned!

Yr friend,
Patrick

LOCAL BUSINESS: the new Titus Andronicus LP

Dear friends, this is just to say that October 23rd will see the release of the third Titus Andronicus album titled Local Business. A nationwide US tour will follow the albums release, dates TBA.

While the first two albums were elaborate concoctions, Local Business is of the earth. Titus Andronicus the studious recording project and Titus Andronicus the raucous touring machine are no longer two distinct beings; there is only Titus Andronicus, rock and roll band. This is to say, it was recorded primarily live with precious few overdubs, with an elite squad of musicians.

The lineup is: Patrick Stickles (singer/songwriter/guitarist), Eric Harm (drums), Julian Veronesi (bass), Liam Betson (guitar) and Adam Reich (guitar). The album was recorded in New Paltz, New York’s Marcata Recording with producer/engineer/mastermind Kevin McMahon. They recorded it in April and May of 2012 along with some special guests including longtime Titus session keyboardist Elio DeLuca, universally acclaimed violinist Owen Pallett, and Eric Harm’s father Steven on
harmonica. This tight-knit group is just one of the meanings behind the phrase “Local
Business”.

While abandoning the linear narrative of their last album The Monitor, the songs on Local Business aim to make explicit the implications of the first two LPs, that the inherent meaninglessness of life in an absurd universe gives the individual power to create their own values and their own morality. Along the way, we witness a devastating automobile wreck, a food fight (that is to say, a battle with an eating disorder), an electrocution, a descent into insanity, and ultimately, a forgiveness of the self for its many faults. Titus Andronicus even finds time to broaden its emotional palette to include
moments of pure positivity, brief respites from the usual doom and gloom.

In case you are interested, here is the track listing.

1. Ecce Homo
2. Still Life With Hot Deuce And Silver Platter
3. Upon Viewing Oregon’s Landscape With The Flood Of Detritus
4. Food Fight!
5. My Eating Disorder
6. Titus Andronicus VS. The Absurd Universe (3rd Round KO)
7. In A Big City
8. In A Small Body
9. (I Am The) Electric Man
10. Tried To Quit Smoking

More information will be forthcoming, such as the cover art, subsequent tour dates, and all that other good stuff. We thank you for yr continued interest.

Very sincerely yrs,
T. Andronicus

P.S. Previews of several of these jams may be found in live format at titusandronicusllc.tumblr.com. Further questions may be administered via twitter @titus_ndronicus.

WATCH THIS SPACE

All will be revealed, and soon.

SCREAMING ON PLANET TITUS SPRING 2012 US TOUR

SCREAMING ON
PLANET TITUS

TITUS ANDRONICUS

SCREAMING FEMALES

DIARRHEA PLANET

3 / 4 - ASBURY PARK, NJ - THE STONE PONY
TICKETS
FACEBOOK
3 / 5 - BALTIMORE, MD - OTTOBAR
TICKETS
3 / 6 - RICHMOND, VA - STRANGE MATTER
TICKETS
3 / 7 - NASHVILLE, TN - THE FREAKIN' WEEKEND @ THE END
TICKETS
3 / 9 - ATHENS, GA - CALEDONIA LOUNGE (18+)
TICKETS
3 /10 - ATLANTA, GA - THE BASEMENT (18+)
TICKETS
3/11 - NEW ORLEANS, LA - HOUSE OF BLUES (18+)
TICKETS
3/12 - HOUSTON, TX - WAREHOUSE LIVE STUDIO
TICKETS

PUNK IS BACK
2012

MONDAY NIGHT!! OWS BENEFIT @ SHEA STADIUM!! TED LEO/RX! TITUS! SO SO GLOS!

BECAUSE we are now at war
BECAUSE our dear Mother Earth herself screams out for justice
BECAUSE our beautiful Declaration of Independence and our sacred Constitution have been dragged through the dirt by those sworn to protect them
BECAUSE we can no longer depend upon the authorities to defend our basic human rights
BECAUSE they worship a god of greed who feeds the rich while poor people starve
BECAUSE the most devastating blow to the cause of freedom and liberty in New York City since September 11 has been dealt from within
BECAUSE the Earth is a common treasury for all
BECAUSE in the America promised to us by our founding fathers, everyone gets a fair shake
BECAUSE in the America we were promised, there is no limit to how high you can rise with hard work, discipline, and ingenuity
BECAUSE with that freedom comes great responsibility
BECAUSE the freedoms that we wish for ourselves must be shared by all if they are to be enjoyed by any
BECAUSE until the table is large enough to seat us all, we shall all starve
BECAUSE that promised America can, and must, be made real, by whatever means necessary
BECAUSE no one person can do it all, but because every person must be called upon to do all that which they can, with the strength, resources, and tools they have, however great or small

MONDAY NIGHT
NOVEMBER 21st
SHEA STADIUM
20 MEADOW STREET, BROOKLYN NY
8:00 PM

TED LEO AND THE PHARMACISTS (NJ)
TITUS ANDRONICUS (NJ)
THE SO SO GLOS (BK)

FIFTEEN DOLLARS
BUY TICKETS AT MAIN DRAG BUSHWICK SUPPLY ANNEX
268 MESEROLE ST, BROOKLYN
BEGINNING AT NOON, MONDAY

TICKET SALES WILL BE CAPPED AT 200
THERE WILL BE NO TICKETS AT THE DOOR
I REPEAT, ABSOLUTELY NO TICKETS AT THE DOOR

ALL PROCEEDS TO BENEFIT
THE NATIONAL LAWYER'S GUILD
http://www.nlg.org/occupy/

ALL AGES
ALL RACES
ALL CREEDS
ALL CLASSES
ALL SEXUALITIES

FAQ:

"How are you going to act like you are all righteous? All yr doing is what yr managers and booking agents tell you to do!"

Actually, no. I just got out my cell piece, buzzed my man Ted Leo, told him that war had broken out, heard him say that he saw it also, pooled the strength and enthusiasm of Titus with that of him and his Pharmacists, quickly came upon an agreed course of action, and that was it. No managers, no booking agents, no handlers, no advisers, no publicists, no nothing. Just some Jersey boys seeing that the world is fucked up and pledging to devote whatever meager strength and energy we may have to its correction, as is the charge of every person who has enjoyed the birth right which is our beautiful Earth.

"How can you have this show at Shea Stadium? This bill could fill a bigger place. Why are you denying people who would want to see you play, or, for that matter, turning away more money?"

Because real, sustainable change will only ever begin at home, amongst communities of people who know each other, who trust each other, and who love each other. I like the people who keep, say, the Music Hall of Williamsburg open for business - I like them very much - but I do not love them. They are friends, for sure, but real change must be made with family.

Furthermore, a solitary evening at Shea Stadium demands administrative costs of zero dollars. If there was any other place in town that could maybe make a promise like that, that would be one thing, but I somehow guess that, because they are legitimate businesses (and I respect capitalism in the context of local business), there would have to be some kind of overhead. Because the times are so dire and the urgency of the situation so serious, to allow even one dollar to get mislaid is poison to our hearts.

Besides that, Shea Stadium is, bar none, the best venue in New York. It has all the charms and righteous virtues of the DIY scene and the technology to compete with any place in town sonically. Done.

"Why are you giving yr money to the National Lawyer's Guild? Aren't they all working pro bono anyway?"

Well, yeah, but the fact of the matter is that human rights need to be defended by someone, and it has become excruciatingly clear that the NYPD lacks both the ability and the wherewithal to even attempt to do so. If the police will not defend our rights, we will find someone else who will. These lawyers have been massively generous, and we will look forward to putting three thousand dollars into their pockets, so that they may eat, be sheltered, be clothed, and so forth, while they are putting aside their own capitalist dreams for a cause bigger than themselves. We should all be so brave and so generous as these lawyers.

Also, my father was a lawyer for many years, a corporate lawyer, and it was this work that paid for the many privileges I enjoyed as a youth (most relevantly, the privilege to devote much of my mental faculties to my own development as a musician, rather than say, the toilet scrubbing I may have had to do to keep myself alive had I been born to different circumstances). Basically, no lawyers, no Titus. Admittedly, much of my father's work involved moving money around from one massive corporation to another, but he is a truly righteous man, and has since left the law to work as Principal of the economically depressed catholic high school from whence he graduated way back in 1966. I might not think all that much of money changing for my personal tastes, and it is near certain that I will never pursue a career in any field of law, but I kiss my father's feet for the way he busted his ass to make a better life for me. He grew up poor, but he grew up in an America where a man like him, born into poverty, but hard-working, smart, determined, could rise up as high as he wanted, and build a better life for his children. He fought and clawed his way out of Roselle Park, NJ, to the ivy-covered walls of Princeton, to Columbia,
through decades of unending exertion, grunted and sweated through the ranks of school administrators, through another degree (this time law, at Rutgers), up through the ranks of two law firms, all the way to two senior partnerships, and all the way to a life where his son could be given every advantage his own father never could have given him. This was the America my father made himself in. This was the promise that brought my Irish ancestors to America, and this is a promise that I WILL make to my own children, because I REFUSE to let it die, or should I say, to stand idly by and watch it as it is murdered.

"Are you pumped to be playing with Ted Leo/Pharmacists? What about So So Glos?"

FUCK yeah. They're the two most righteous punk bands I know! Besides Bomb the Music Industry, of course. Shouts out to those guys.

ALL RIGHT, WELL, THAT'S IT
SEE YOU TOMORROW
DESTROY POWER
NOT PEOPLE

Yr brother,
Patrick

Amy's Greatest Hits

In honor of Amy's recent graduation, let us talk a quick look back at some of her most sterling contributions to the life of Titus Andronicus.

Firstly, here is a world premiere music video for the song which shall tragically stand as the totality of Amy's contribution to the Titus Andronicus canon of recordings as guitarist and vocalist. It isn't even our song! It is Nirvana's "Breed," recorded at the request of Spin magazine for their 20th anniversary celebration of Nevermind. In this video, you'll also get to see Amy's talent as an extra, in her scene-stealing performance as "The Ghost."



In our live set, Amy would occasionally sing the lead vocal on a cover song when the feminist content of the lyrics would suggest a woman's touch to be prudent. Here we are playing "Oh Bondage! Up Yours!" by X-Ray Spex at the Black Cat in Washington, DC this past April.



This video, filmed in Chicago in the summer of 2010, should do much to display Amy's skills on both the guitar and violin. Playing the harmonized guitar solo at the end was always a favorite of mine during our time together. The song is "The Battle of Hampton Roads."

Titus Andronicus | FOR NO ONE from FOR NO ONE on Vimeo.

Something a lot of people don't realize is, while Amy did not play on the Monitor, she did play on The Airing of Grievances, contributing her distinctive electric violin to two tracks. Sounds like a good enough reason to reinvest in the video for "Upon Viewing Brueghel's 'Landscape with the Fall of Icarus,'" and keep an ear cocked for that high and lonesome fiddle.



As I said yesterday, when there was business to be done, Amy would let nothing stand in the way of her smacking it down. Watch the music video below and marvel at Amy performing through a recently-sustained concussion. The song is "No Future Part Three."



I wanted to embed a video from Amy's second show (and David's, for that matter), an office party at Pitchfork headquarters in Brooklyn in February 2010, but the embed code is sassing me and I don't really know anything about HTML, so here is a link. The song is "Fear and Loathing in Mahwah, NJ."

Lastly, it's another world premier. Earlier this year, when we toured as the opening act for Okkervil River, Amy would sometimes join the bosses on stage to play her fiddle on their song, "The Valley" (funny, isn't it, that Amy has a song of her own with that same name?) Her is that very thing going down on the last night of the tour, at Jake's in Lubbock, TX.



Yeah, we really did have some good times. Obviously, I could go on and on, but now is the time to look into the future! For punks, the past is prologue, and I am already late for the first practice of Titus Andronicus 6.0. Let's get it!

Yr friend,
Patrick

Still yet another fond farwell

As many of you may have already heard, Amy Klein is no longer a member of Titus Andronicus. Shocking, I know, but true. Even I can barely comprehend it; she has become that vital a part of the band's very identity. Strange, and sad, to think that never more may we warm ourselves by the fire of her endless enthusiasm, or that she takes with her the dream of a Titus Andronicus album complete with her certain kind of magic. Anyone who has seen her on stage can speak to this intensity, the passion for rock and roll, as those who have met her know she has for life, that has inspired many of us, within the band organization and without. Yet, with this admiration must come respect, and it is dutiful respect that we will show to her decision to leave Titus Andronicus behind to devote her considerable energies to her ever-growing list of projects and passions.

Why was Amy compelled to make this decision? Probably best to let her tell you herself, via her Tumblr, which would probably be a good place to keep up on her various doings in the future. To be frank, knowing what I do about her prose style, I was expecting 4 or 5000 words more on the topic, but there you have it. Brevity is the soul of wit after all, I suppose, not that I'll let that stop me when my turn comes.

I've noticed a lot on the internet lately that when people allude to other blogs and such, they often quote a piece of the text. I'll try that here.

I just got back from my last tour with the band Titus Andronicus. Yes, it’s true. As of today, I am no longer a member of the band.
No, there was no big fight or anything—no wild partying, drug, or alcohol addiction leading to me getting fired—no dramatic story—nothing like that. It is just time for me to move on.
read more

For my part, and as a representative of the organization, I more than reciprocate Amy's feelings of gratitude. Having her in the band has been an enormous blessing, as she is a rare and visceral talent. Onstage, she can rock more thoroughly and with less fear than most anyone I can name, and to stand next to her night after night and try to not be totally swallowed up by her light has been one of the greatest challenges, and privileges, of my career. Many was the time when I wondered at a transformation the likes of which an indie rocker's eyes had rarely seen, when Amy, sick and weary from life on the road and ready to crawl off into some hole and die (as any sensible person would be), would plug in her guitar and reach inside herself and always find the strength to deliver the goods; if there was an audience, any audience, she would never fail to give them everything that she had, and I mean never. Her contributions as a musician, whether playing guitar or violin or singing, were exemplary, and her value as a friend was greater than gold (amidst many changes, the latter remains true). We wish her the fullest success on all of her future endeavors, though she needs no one's well wishing; such is the strength of her talent and her conviction and her character that we are sure she'll do just fine on her own.

If you still believe that this is a place to spare words, consume information like a greedy, hungry pig, then shit it out and on to the next, feel free to navigate to any of the other fine pages that the internet has to offer, for I must effuse, as I am both sentimentalist and symbologist. Come back tomorrow though, and I'll reassure you about Titus Andronicus' future (we have a new guitarist and everything and we have lots of grand plans), or just follow the Twitter account I today created in an attempt to fill the void left by the former @AmyAndronicus.

As a lover of serendipity, which is to me like the bird to a birdwatcher, I recall a night in 2009, the 24th of October, when I attended a concert at Death by Audio in Brooklyn. The future of my musical career was uncertain at the time (ok, the future is always uncertain); Titus Andronicus had recently completed an American tour with our great friends the So So Glos, which, while fun, and rich with memories I wouldn't trade for anything, didn't really reflect the growth that perhaps we thought the band had made earlier in the year during the promotional exercises for The Airing of Grievances. It also didn't help morale when Titus Vandronicus, then known principally as Blue Thunder, had blown out one of it's piston's fifty miles outside of Austin, calling for a whole new engine to be installed to the tune of some five thousand dollars, for Titus Andronicus to limp home with half of it's membership sweating it out in the back of a Budget truck, and for the psyche of long-suffering “responsible one” Ian Graetzer to endure yet another devestating blow via the punishing 1,750 mile drive from Austin to New Jersey following the completion of the repairs some weeks later (you recall that he would hold out for about another 14 months, plus another four for tax season, before devoting himself full time to his career in the visual arts). My anxiety was further compounded by the fact that I was still reeling from the loss of my Guitar Dream Team of Andrew Cedermark and Ian O'Neil earlier in the year, not long after thoroughly crushing their spirits with said promotional exercises via The Tour That Wouldn't End (January-March 2009, 63 shows in eight countries in 72 days). The band survived with the helping hands of erstwhile guitarist Liam Betson, and of Dinowalrus mastermind Pete Feigenbaum, but I was still short two first-class guitar slingers. Such was the state of my on-again/off-again love/hate affair with the beautiful and intoxicating and infuriating spirit of Independent American Rock and Roll as I passed through those well-consecrated doors on S. 2nd Street.



The band was Double Dagger. I had first seen them in 2007 at the now-long-gone construction worker cafeteria beside the then-in-construction Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant, now looming over northeastern industrial Greenpoint, recalling nothing less than the Death Star in it's sleek and foreboding futurism (learn more about the creek and the plant here). The crudely hewn shack had been appropriated into one of those all-ages DIY-type spaces you always hear about and christened Uncle Paulie's. I was there to see a Japanese post-hardcore/psychedelic band called Green Milk from the Planet Orange, whose album, City Calls Revolution, I had been enjoying thoroughly the past few months after seeing them at 3rd Ward, and playing their ten-to-twenty minute jams frequently on my college radio show on 95.3 WRPR (perfect for cigarette breaks). I never saw them again after that night, but the opening band made an impression that would last to modern day. The singer screamed in my face (MY face! Personally! Still a shocking thing to a green boy from New Jersey like me) about (I would later learn) typography and modern art and their place in modern life, whilst pulling the hood of my sweatshirt up over my head without my consent. The beats and riffs were pure punk ass-whupping, a drums-and-bass duo that helped shape ideas of who was really disposable in the classic power trio setup (better luck next time, regular guitar!). Titus Andronicus would later play with them and the So So Glos later that year at Dead Herring in Brooklyn, the night before I was to take the GRE's, which would deliver me from rock and roll into the next stage of academia, and onto a sensible, sustainable life path. It was early the next year when, by chance, this insane frontman turned out to be the very same Nolen who had set up our very first show in Baltimore at the Charm City Art Space, during Titus Andronicus' second ever tour, dubbed “The Deep Freeze.” The night of hospitality that followed cemented the friendship, and over the next 18 months, I (along with others in TA) became a bigger and bigger fan of the band, and their concerts in New York were never to be missed. In describing them to the uninitiated, I would throw around terms like Best Working American Punk Band and Best Frontman in Rock and Best Live Band, and probably would have gotten around to Best Punk Rhythm Section of All Time as well, had I not only recently coined that term to throw around whilst describing contemporary Fucked Up. I was so enthralled that, just a few months earlier, I had asked Nolen to both design the album art for our album The Monitor, and also act on the record, reading a passage from William Lloyd Garrison. My enthusiasm for them became synonymous inside me with that same fire I had spent my entire adult life up to that point chasing. They were the very spirit of rock and roll, which, as it were, happened to be the very thing I was looking for.



There amongst the crowd was a face I recognized from the past, almost like a ghost. I had known Amy Klein in my college days, when she was classmates and musical collaborators with my then-girlfriend at their place of study, the noted President machine and Galaxie 500 incubator (not a small consideration for a G5C superfan like me, considering I had gone so far as to consult Dean Wareham via e-mail to seek his counsel on the quagmire of rock and roll dreams vs. graduate school, which I knew his seminal band struggled with – nice guy!) of Harvard University (just to give proper context, I was at the time studying at Ramapo College of New Jersey, a fine school, but most noted for ranking #2 on Men's Health's list of “Fattest Small Colleges”), and had been impressed by the energy she displayed in her punk band, Plan B for the Type A's, a refreshing antidote to the self-conscious half-rocking common of most college-age guitar slingers; her ability to play a sharp-looking, blue, electric violin, and her distinction of being from Glen Ridge, New Jersey, also stuck with me. I had not seen her for two years, however, as she graduated and moved off to Japan (to make a documentary film about underground rock music, particularly psychedelia, as it were); equidistant between that event and this night in 2009 was the dissolution of the relationship which was the lifeline of our friendship. While she had certainly made an impression on me, it wasn't her face that I expected to come across amongst my brothers and sisters in the thrall of the Baltimore renaissance (Future Islands also played this show, beginning Nolen's greatest challenge yet for the Best Frontman title – his own pal, and now mine, Sam). Still, there she was.



Turns out she'd moved back to America, Brooklyn, as it were, Fort Greene, and she was working busting crooked cops for the city, racking up an office-best 50% completion rate. She was there on a date with a fellow she hadn't known for long, but was certainly handsome, and definitely a good dancer. Now, I wasn't the temperate teetotaler that I am today, so invincible with grape Four Loko, the spark of remembering that she could play guitar was enough to light my desperate powder keg, and I eagerly let out an invitation for her to join Titus Andronicus, along with a sloppily detailed rundown of the band's plans for the next year, as well my current fixation, the 100 Show Guarantee (if you do 1, you have to do 100). Most folks probably would have taken one look at a display like this and ran for the hills, or at least the bathroom, but Amy wasn't most folks; if she were, I wouldn't have wanted to have anything to do with her, as a fellow who deals in trying to bottle that fire that we were all there at Death by Audio that night chasing, in one form or another. She told me she'd think about it. That night, I cooked Double Dagger frozen waffles at my still-unfurnished apartment on Greenpoint Avenue and wondered what the future held. A third of a mile to the east, the Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant glowed an eerie purple.



She thought about it, and further discussion and careful consideration followed, and on the evening of November 5th, what remained of Titus Andronicus gathered at the Brooklyn Masonic Temple, including, for the last time, Pete Feigenbaum, to open for leading Canadian punk gods Fucked Up, yet another bright beacon whose light is of that oft-mentioned fire, who were performing their Polaris-Prize-winning masterpiece The Chemistry of Common Life in it's entirety, with no less a supernova of rock and roll exuberance than Andrew WK on keyboards, and our old buddies, a great band besides being a shining example of the strength of women in indie rock then and now, the Vivian Girls on backing vocals. It was here that I bent the ear of my assembled comrades and told them I had found the guitarist we had been looking for, or should I say, the benign indifference of the universe delivered her unto me. Ian remembered her from when she played that electric violin of her's on The Airing of Grievances; Eric had to go on my strongly worded recommendation.

It wasn't long after that, we were back in the pool house behind Ian's parents' Spanish-style residence in Glen Rock, with Amy and David, Eric's friend and former roommate from their days at Bloomsburg University, going over the chords for “Titus Andronicus” the song with yet four more new hands. Titus Andronicus 5.0 played it's first show at New York's United Palace on January 17th, 2010, opening up for Extra Large Recordings' golden geese, Vampire Weekend, who counted among their members Montclair, NJ's Ezra Koenig, who, as a child, was given piano lessons by the same teacher as the young woman from nearby Glen Ridge, who stood on that stage that night for the first time as a member of Titus Andronicus.



On Thursday night, October 20th, Amy Klein played her penultimate show with Titus Andronicus, opening for the Thermals at the Olympic Community Hall in Halifax, Novia Scotia, Canada, as part of the Halifax Pop Explosion festival. 866 long highway miles away, Double Dagger played their last show in Brooklyn, back one more time at Death by Audio, having decided to break up after nine years (almost exactly nine years) saying goodbye to old fans, and, I'll bet, turning on some new ones as well; hey, maybe there were even a couple crazy kids by the bathrooms starting to cook up a plan for what would turn out to be the greatest adventure of their lives. Double Dagger was that sort of band.



On Friday night, October 21s, Amy Klein played her last show with Titus Andronicus, a “secret” performance at the bar Tribeca, also part of that Pop Explosion. Down in Baltimore, Double Dagger played their last show at Ottobar, where a couple years earlier, dear, sweet Nolen had watched us play amongst an audience of maybe 15, whose echoes, rattling around all that empty space, threatened to overpower the band, and told us we were a “powerhouse.” Happily, more people than that came out on this historic evening.



If you live in the greater New York area, yr first chance to see Titus Andronicus with our new guitarist (secret identity forthcoming), and to peer into our crystal ball, will come on November 11th, when we will be the opening act at Le Poisson Rogue for Fucked Up performing their album David Comes To Life in its entirety (unless you don't already have tickets, because it is sold out). Hopefully, it will be a good night to take a chance again (wow, ok, that was too much). Fucked Up, of course, being the headlining band on the night when I saw Double Dagger for what turned out to be the last time, at NYU in February of this year.



Tomorrow's October 24th, and that'll be two years since Amy Klein walked back into my life that fateful night at Death by Audio. What do these numbers all mean? Nothing, of course. They're only coincidences, as everything is, but as Amy's brother in existentialism, I am bound to remind you that the world has never held beauty but for that which eager eyes willed themselves to see, and it is each of our duty's, even in hard times, or especially then, to search for meaning and majesty and mystery wherever we may find it. If numbers be a way to remind myself of that, if I can find some glimmer of hope in their strange grace, then they are beautiful indeed.

Two years. Two years in a young person's life is a gift that you can only give a precious few times, and it only gets more precious as time passes. Amongst everything else, Amy gave this gift to Titus Andronicus, and can word or deed every repay such a blessing? If they do, I doubt I have the brain to find the words or the strength to do the deed, but I do thank you, Amy. You are forever our sister. I wish you good journey, and hope that we should meet again, if not in this life, then in Valhalla.

Yr friend,
Patrick

TALLC PRESENTS: Andrew Cedermark, Dustin Wong, Family Trees and Zombie Orgy @ Shea Stadium 7/23/2011

Hey gang! Remember back, oh, about two months ago, when I was telling you about this awesome concert with Diarrhea Planet, Liquor Store, and Battle Ave? And about how it was the first of an ongoing series of concerts presented by Titus Andronicus (LLC) at Shea Stadium in Brooklyn? And how it was part of our efforts to show respect to the musicians that we so admire? Sure, you remember. It was an awesome time for everyone. Best of all, it was punctual.

Anyway, here it is, two months later, and it is time for the next installment of "TALLC PRESENTS" at Shea Stadium! It's going down this Saturday, July 23rd, and this time, it is a summit of guitar geniuses unseen since the original G3.

The guitar virtuosity of ANDREW CEDERMARK has captured my imagination and my admiration for more than a decade now, and with the release of last year's Moon Deluxe (still available from the good folks at Underwater Peoples), many more have come to see the writing on the wall. With angelic beauty and visceral terror emanating forth in equal measure from his Jazzmaster, and the hearty support of his band of cohorts BUFFALO WILD WING, Cedermark is a true juggernaut. Below, find Andrew and BWW performing "Ad Infinitum" at Random Row Books, in Thomas Jefferson's old stomping grounds of Charlottesville, VA, the town this modern master calls home.



There are not many guitar slingers who would be up to the challenge of sharing a stage with such a titan of the instrument, but then again, Baltimore, MD's champion DUSTIN WONG need shrink from no challenge, or challenger. He has been melting faces around the globe since first coming to prominence with seminal '00s spazz rockers Ponytail. Since that outfit's untimely demise, Dustin has been performing loop-based music under his own name and releasing albums such as last year's lovely and immersive Infinite Love. His ever-wandering, dare I say, picaresque guitar leads grab hold of you tightly and take you for a wild ride, as he constructs massive sonic sculptures so dense you get lost in them. In listening to Dustin build his loops, one almost gets the feeling of being guided through a dense and mysterious wilderness by some sort of benevolent shredding Pan-type creature or something. Sounds crazy, I know, but this guy really has to be seen to be believed. Check out this video, and you will see, sort of, what I mean. This is Dustin performing at the Silent Barn (more on them later) back in May.



[I couldn't resist posting this video of Dustin performing in front of projections of Mario Kart 64, considering Andrew C. and myself used to always love playing that game back in the day in our buddy Doug's basement. Man, those were the days.]

When this show was first being conceived, way way back, Andrew Cedermark's right hand man (whether that hand is plucking a bass or tickling the key of a synthesizer) Jacob told me that they were down with a band from Brooklyn called FAMILY TREES. That cosign was all it took to get me psyched to see them play at this show. I can't claim to be any kind of expert on this band, but it seems like they should please fans of the hazy, mellow side of modern garage rock. Watch the video for the song "No One Will Ever Know" to learn more.

FAMILY TREES no one will ever know from amanda finn on Vimeo.

Finally, a special reunion of the band that lit up the Ithaca, NY punk scene with its unique blend of the jubilant and the grotesque, ZOMBIE ORGY. Don't miss this rare opportunity to hear such classics as "EYES (They're Eating Your Eyes)" and "Teenage Zombie Love" in the [rotting] flesh. The video for "Coffee >> God" should illuminate things even further, should you have the daring to look below.



All this for the low, low price of seven dollars! I think you'll agree that you won't find a better offering on Saturday night anywhere in the greater Metropolitan area. It all kicks off at 9 PM at Shea Stadium, located at 20 Meadow Street, near the Grand Street L train. RSVP at this convenient Facebook invite!

So, just to recap:

TALLC PRESENTS:
ANDREW CEDERMARK
DUSTIN WONG
FAMILY TREES
ZOMBIE ORGY
SATURDAY JULY 23RD
AT SHEA STADIUM
20 MEADOW ST, BROOKLYN
9 PM! $7!

All right, that sounds great. See you there!

Yr friend,
Patrick

Tour photo dump

Hey gang. Our tour with Okkervil River wound down about a week ago, and I am now feeling suitably decompressed as to share with you some media that will enhance yr understanding of what it was like. Firstly, here is a video of us in Toronto doing our thing - this should be a reasonable enough representation of what our performances were like on this tour. This video was taken from the blog of one Chris Eclectic, who has got some more videos and nice pictures and a summary of the concert and all that.



Yep, that's us, all right. Below, you'll find a video of OR's mouthpiece Will Sheff performing "A Stone" from that perennial '00s classic Black Sheep Boy. Man, I'll tell ya - back in the day, that record was my jam. Freshman year of college, I was as big an OR fan as you'd be likely to find. In fact, most of the good ideas on that old Airing of Grievances album were lifted straight from BSB - listen to our song "Fear and Loathing in Mahwah, NJ" and you might see what I mean. "To Old Friends and New" is another OR-influenced song from that era (even if it was released on an album later). Damn, if only that confused little man could see me now. Anyway, here's Will singing "A Stone" in Seattle. A full-band performance might be a little more representative, but this clip has got good audio and video quality for ya.



Of course, I have to also give mad props to Julianna Barwick, the supernaturally gifted singer who rounded out the bill for a little while. I've been enjoying her great record The Magic Place since we've been home - highly recommended for the next time you want to space out and float off into supreme relaxation. Also, you might not necessarily guess from her music, but she is a wonderfully light-hearted and affable pal who is great to goof around with when off the clock. Sounds like a winning combination to me! Here she is doing her thing at the beautiful Bluebird Theater in Denver (big shouts to my cousin Janelle who came out to this show - hey Janelle!).



If you seek to be still further illuminated, this time with words, head on over to Amy's blog, where indie rock's pluckiest journalistic investigator took the time to interview Okkervil River's primo guitar slinger, one Lauren Gurgiolo, as well as Iowa rock heroes the Poison Control Center, with whom we played a few dates on our way home. Neat! Informative!

So here's something crazy. I had a camera with me on this tour, for the first time (OK, I had a camera on the last tour we did, but I abandoned it in Milwaukee - some employee of the Riverside Theater is making some good-ass home movies). Now, I am no great photographer, but the machine did allow me to capture some magic moments. Let's start with funny t-shirts. One kid was wearing a shirt of a "Communist Party" - tee hee. Here it is.



Then this other time, this kid was wearing a t-shirt with our guy Abe Lincoln fighting a gang of tough looking bears. No sweat for Abe, who, as a young man, won the trust of the people of New Salem, IL with his supreme wrestling skills. Doubt not the gangly rail splitter, for he was strong as an ox.



That is tight. Then there was this other kid in Minneapolis who made this funny t-shirt, which tried to bridge the cultural divide between our latest hit single and the latest rap music phenomenon to sweep America. I respect this guy's ingenuity, even though I am no fan of blindly hateful music. We DO need to escape from that bullshit, know what I'm saying? Here's the cool shirt.



There is little in the world I love more than walking into some Titus Andronicus concert and seeing a homemade TA shirt. What a great way to show love! Never fails to warm my heart. Hey! Next time you come see us play, why not wear a homemade t-shirt? That's fun, and it sticks in the craw of the evil t-shirt industry. Also, I'd like to go on the record and say that wearing a Titus t-shirt to one of our shows is definitely NOT a lame or stupid thing to do - we welcome "that guy" with open arms. Homemade, or bought from us, whatever! Let the colors fly! Show us, by yr shirt choice, that you are ready to get down!

On our Photobucket page, you can see full body shots of the guys who modeled these shirts. Handsome boys!! Loving it!!!

Now, where my dogs at? First, here is an awesome painting that now hangs on the wall of my old friend Lucie's house in Seattle - apparently, this masterpiece was found face down in the street! No respect! Thank heavens a goodly art patron happened upon it at the right time. I mean, look at this thing - it's great!



Then there was this one other time, when we were at a coffee shop or something (I do believe it was in Omaha, Nebraska), when tied up outside there was this dog. Look into the eyes! They're two different colors, baby!! Big props to this dog for being a most excellent and cooperative model - my furry friend allowed me to take lots of good shots with the wild eyes staring right into my camera, and indeed, into my soul.



Later on, we were graciously invited to spend the night at the home of Lauren Gurgiolo's parents in the greater Dallas/Fort Worth region. Great folks, remarkably generous and inviting - no suprise that young Lauren is such a pleasure to be around. Anyway, they had some dogs too, including this little rascal, who also had those crazy eyes! This pooch wasn't as much of a photo shoot pro as his Nebraska counterpart, but it's all good. Man, I love dogs. Great animals!



Here's yr boy stunting on a dinosaur, at the great rest stop in Little America, WY.



Here I am again, doing it big on a pink elephant. I forget where this was.



Later on in the tour, after these pictures were taken, I came upon a pink dinosaur near the club we were playing - I think this may have been in Arizona? Who knows. Anyway, I said, "Man, if I get a picture with that, it'll be the perfect thing to complete my series with the other dinosaur and the pink elephant! YES!" Then I forgot about it, or did some other shit, and soon, it was too dark to take a picture. Oh well!

One of the ways in which Okkervil River showed us kindness and respect was by letting us sometimes spend the night in their hotel room. You see, fancy bands like OR often spend the night tearing up the highway in their tour bus, so the hotel rooms they might get to shower, or to let the bus driver sleep, or whatever, would otherwise end up going to waste after the show. Naturally, we in Titus Andronicus were always most grateful to make sure each bed was full of happy, sleepy bodies. Thanks, OR! One night in Boise, I observed that there was some other kind of weird mirror by the more traditional mirror, and so I set it up to take this crazy photo - does this freak you out at all?



Lastly, here is a "class picture" taken on Future Islands' last night with the tour, when we were partying big time outside of Minneapolis. These guys sure are great - can't wait to kick it with them again at the Hopscotch Festival in their native North Carolina! Look at us having fun:



By the way, second from the left in the back row is our main man Joel, brother to FI singer Sam and the man to talk to if you want to get one of their hot-ass t-shirts. Getting to know him, and taste the sweet fruit of his friendship, was an unexpected treat. Even less expected - my man can straight up RAP. Check out the music he makes under the name Plucky Walker.

All right, well, that's probably enough for now. I'll be back on here soon, maybe with some videos for y'all! That'll be fun, yeah? Great. See ya then!

Yr friend,
Patrick