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