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Still Life With Titus Andronicus and Craig Finn on Easter Sunday at Union Transfer

Titus Andronicus | photo by Tyler Asay for WXPN
Titus Andronicus | photo by Tyler Asay for WXPN

I couldn’t make it home for Easter this year.

This was partly because it’s a long, long way to Scranton and also partly because I don’t own a car (and searching for a ride can be a drag), but it was also partly because I wanted to go see Titus Andronicus and Craig Finn at Union Transfer.

I had yet to see Titus Andronicus. I feel like it has been time and time again since high school that I have meant to and something has come up, but I wasn’t going to let Easter stop me this time. Especially since it was announced that supporting the New Jersey barnstormers would be Hold Steady frontman and storyteller general Craig Finn. Their No Faith, No Future, No Problem tour came to an end on Sunday night, finishing up in Philadelphia on Easter Sunday to rise from the dead and take no prisoners. Continue reading →

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Tonight’s Concert Picks: Young and Heartless at Millworks, Titus Andronicus at Union Transfer

Young and Heartless | Photo courtesy of the artist
Young and Heartless | Photo courtesy of the artist

Harrisburg, PA outfit Young and Heartless play a free show at Millworks in their hometown tonight. Stay Away, their Homeless Records debut, was released yesterday and features the dark and atmospheric “Noisecreep.” We premiered a video for that track earlier in the week (which you can also watch below) and caught up with frontman Jeremy Henninger to talk about the album – read that interview here. More information for the 21+ free show with Restorations, Creepoid and The Dirty Nil can be found here.

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Free At Noon Flashback: New Jersey’s Titus Andronicus hold nothing back at today’s raucous Free at Noon

Titus Andronicus | Photo by Liz Waldie | lizwaldie.com
Titus Andronicus | Photo by Liz Waldie | lizwaldie.com

Indie punkers Titus Andronicus cold barely wait for their introduction to be over to start rocking out during today’s Free at Noon concert at World Café Live. The band hailing from Glen Rock, New Jersey burst onto the stage with a palpable sense of urgency, one that they maintained for the entire show. Continue reading →

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An in-store with Titus Andronicus and two pianos at Creep Records sounds potentially awesome

Titus Andronicus | photo via titusandronicus.net
Titus Andronicus | photo via titusandronicus.net

I’ll admit it – I’m having a hard time wrapping my brain around The Most Lamentable Tragedy, the universally-praised, 90-minute concept album / rock opera / epic from Jersey punk outfit Titus Andronicus. I respect that Patrick Stickles and the band are following their muse wherever it leads them, and a ton of fans are evidently along for the ride (their First Unitarian Church basement show is sold out), but to my ears it feels like a lot of all-over-the-place bombast and rehash of what Titus has delivered so remarkably well on previous releases Local Business, The Monitor and The Airing of Grievances. (I’m quite possibly completely wrong about this – listen here and let me know what I’m missing.)

Then again, I can’t deny an amazing happening when I see one, and the news that Titus will be performing an in-store set at Northern Liberties’ Creep Records the day after the Church show is pretty incredible. Continue reading →

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Enter the Void with HEALTH, Potty Mouth and EL VY on the Indie Rock Hit Parade

HEALTH | Photo via NPR Music
HEALTH | Photo via NPR Music

The Indie Rock Hit Parade returns to your personal space tonight at 11pm on XPN! Tonight’s show is a two-hour doozy (and I don’t use that word lightly). We’ll get to a spotlight on Death Magic, the blistering new album from the LA-based noise rock band HEALTH, which offers some surprisingly pretty moments alongside the unrelenting dissonance. There are a ton of new tracks to get to in the mix as well, so be on the lookout for a few of these:

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Dimed Out: Titus Andronicus, Diane Coffee and Youth Lagoon on the Indie Rock Hit Parade

Titus Andronicus | Photo by Matthew Greeley
Titus Andronicus | Photo by Matthew Greeley

You’ve waited and now your patience will pay off. The Indie Rock Hit Parade returns tonight at 11pm on WXPN with a major new show. We’ll be spotlighting the massive new album from Jersey’s Titus Andronicus, The Most Lamentable Tragedy. Since we’ve been away, a metric ton of new tracks have come along, so there’s plenty of fresh stuff to get through tonight. Like maybe a few of these:

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Heat Goes On: Django Django, Titus Andronicus and Tame Impala on the Indie Rock Hit Parade

Django Django | Photo courtesy of the artist
Django Django | Photo courtesy of the artist

It’s all about feeling the heat on tonight’s Indie Rock Hit Parade. We’re back tonight at 11pm on WXPN, and tonight’s two-hour show is loaded with new tracks that are sure to get you worked up. We’ll be spotlighting Born Under Saturn, the newly released album from Django Django, and premiering a few choice tunes that are dripping off the presses. These are but a few of those:

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Magnet Magazine is throwing a birthday bash at The Troc with Guided By Voices, Surfer Blood, Titus Andronicus

Titus Andronicus | photo by Chris Durbin
Titus Andronicus | photo by Chris Durbin

Indie music magazine Magnet turns 21 this year and it is gearing up to celebrate in a big way.  The locally founded and run publication has invited indie rock veterans Guided By Voices to headline a birthday show at The Trocadero on May 22nd, supported by alt rockers Surfer Blood and Jersey punk rockers Titus Andronicus.  Tickets for the 21+ event will be available here.  Check out videos from the performers below.

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Tonight’s Concert Picks: Little Big League at Union Transfer, Marc Silver at Johnny Brenda’s, Hot Tuna at Keswick Theater, The Gallerist at The Fire

Little Big League

Philly indie rock outfit Little Big League will be opening for Titus Andronicus at Union Transfer, warming up for the release of their first LP, These Are Good People (out July 11th on Tiny Engines Records). Fun fact: Drummer Ian Dykstra used to play for Titus Andronicus a few years back! Find tickets and more information here, and check out their new song “Lindsey” below.

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Fun Cover of the Moment: Titus Andronicus’ Patrick Stickles doing Free Energy’s “Hey Tonight.”

PatrickWhen this popped up on Facebook earlier this afternoon, I wasn’t quite sure how seriously to take it. After all, when Titus Andronicus played the First Unitarian Church back in October, they kind of made fun of Philly party rockers Free Energy – did a shticky joke song called “I’ve Got A Date Tonight” that totally lampooned our dudes and their joyful Cheap Trick-isms. So was this – Titus frontman Patrick Stickles doing his take on “Hey Tonight” – going to be some smarmy, sneering Brooklynite cover of Free Energy? I don’t need that noise.

Turns out, whatever jokes they made in the fall, it was all in friendly jest, since Stickles and the boys are buds, and he briefly filled in on guitar for them in spring of 2011, after founding guitarist Geoff Bucknum left the band and before current guitarist Sheridan Fox joined. (For visual evidence, Key contributor Joe Del Tufo got this photo of Stickles and Free Energy singer Paul Sprangers when the band played Arden Gild Hall in May of 2011.)

So, the cover – it’s fun. It sounds like Stickles recorded it in his backyard with garage band drum presets and the old guitar you see in that photo, but he keeps the celebratory vibe. Listen to the re-done “Hey Tonight” below, and take our recent free at noon with Free Energy for a spin here (via the WXPN media player). Continue reading →