Classic Albums: The Airing of Grievances by Titus Andronicus

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Written by William

I’ve gotta name this as the best punk album of late-2000’s, well at least for me! How about you? They just gotta be included in my fave album list today! Titus Andronicus are a punk lo-fi indie band from New Jersey, American with literature references, if you’ve never heard of them before? That’s hopefully the best way describe them, maybe?

I can still remember where I was when I first heard them today, it was the second song on this album driving in my car which then I nearly then had a car-crash because I was so distracted by it! I very rarely by that point hear anything that totally blows me away played on the radio but giving credited to the Perth small community run RTR fm for playing it! I know now I can’t listen to any radio anymore because this has happened more then a few times before I figured out I would kill myself or totally the car or both? Now I just play my own mixtapes or CD-rs, it’s all the music I love but gives no big surprises! I do also remember asking the local music shop I got stuff from then but they didn’t know them yet?

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The original album cover artwork, just so you can see want I’m talking about?

The date of released on very smaller indie label with different album cover art was on Troubleman Unlimited on April 14th 2008. Then the album was reissued on January 20th 2009 on XL Recordings, who’s a much bigger even huge but still a indie label with the album cover artwork you see now, it’s a photo by Patrick Stickles the songwriter of where the young band played/rehearsed.

Off course The Airing of Grievances is the debut album by Titus Andronicus, they’re still together but now with a different line-up. Last year they released their fifth album A Productive Cough. I would say their fourth album The Most Lamentable Tragedy would be my runner-up but it’s double album with an idiotic number of songs on it and could be a bit much for a newer listener or maybe not, I don’t know? They have never tour Australia as far as I know? I don’t think they’re very well-known here, I remember playing them to one mate and who said they’re too American sounding which I say really? Back but I guess they’re!

BTW brand new album has just been announced while writing this blog post, An Obelisk by Titus Andronicus is out in June and is produced by Bob Mould of the bands Sugar and Husker Du, listen to the first track over here, linked!

Online stuff now: Ranked #336 for 2008’s albums on RateYourMusic website with over 1,400+ votes but somehow 335 other albums from the same year have been voted for which are better? Pitchfork music website gave it 8.5 which is very high for them but come on, it’s a perfect 10!

Here’s the whole album made-up by live clips from YouTube:

The Airing of Grievances track listing, songwriting credits and times are:

All tracks written by Patrick Stickles.

1. “Fear and Loathing in Mahwah, NJ” 5:56
2. “My Time Outside the Womb” 2:55
3. “Joset of Nazareth’s Blues” 2:30
4. “Arms Against Atrophy” 5:16
5. “Upon Viewing Bruegel’s “Landscape with the Fall of Icarus”” 4:25
6. “Titus Andronicus” 3:31
7. “No Future: Part I” 7:39
8. “No Future Part II: The Day After No Future” 6:54
9. “Albert Camus” 6:25

Notes:
“Fear and Loathing in Mahwah, NJ” contains a reading from The Most Lamentable Romaine Tragedy of Titus Andronicus by William Shakespeare
“Titus Andronicus” contains an interpolation of “You Can’t Quit, You’re Fired” by Roger Klotz
“No Future Part II: The Day After No Future” contains a reading from The Stranger by Albert Camus

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This list below are my 125 favorite albums, so far because I’m in the progress of blogging a post per fave album. Now The Airing of Grievances by Titus Andronicus is the 126th album post!

Who else out there really loves The Airing of Grievances album? Or just listen now and wanna say something about it too?

Cheers 🙂

 

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6 Comments

  3. I remember hearing Fear and Loathing, and thinking they would be huuuge. Being from New Jersey, I can also hear a Bruuuce influence, consciously or subconsciously, which sleeps into most acts coming from that state.

    Liked by 1 person

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