Yeah, this is how I felt. And I usually love 'all over the place' stuff. I will give this record another shot.

Also, I hate the drum sound on this record. I'm not sure if it was intentional or not, but they sound so muddy and lacking any real tone. Its annoying.

definitely on board with this album too. at first i didn't like it as much as Grievances for some reason, but now it's damn close. if you're a lyrics person at all, this band is worth your time.

this album seems kinda like the bastard child of Desaparecidos & Gaslight Anthem.

excited to see 'em again in April

The guys named after a Shakespearean play, of course.

and who named their first album after a Seinfeld gag. It's a rich tapestry.

they were pretty good when they opened for fucked up a few months ago. got the album and was excited for a few listens but havn't bothered since.

Saw them play a nice set at Reckless Records over the weekend. When I had seen TA before, they were a sloppy mess and something I honestly didn't enjoy too terribly much . But this new lineup was pretty tight throughout the set. The sound quality wasn't the best, but then again it was an in-store show, so I wasn't expecting anything too great. But yeah, very fun show. Played most of the new album plus 'Titus Andronicus.' Sadly, though, they omitted 'Theme from Cheers,' which is probably the best song on here.

I feel comfortable right now calling The Monitor my 'quarter of the way through the year Album of the Year.'

TITUS ANDRONICUS
THE SAPS
BULLY IN THE HALLWAY
4/7 BOTTOM LOUNGE
TICKETS AT MPSHOWS.COM
17+ 8PM DOORS

the singer jumped on stage at Bottom Lounge Saturday with Ted Leo and did a ripping version of the Misfits "Angelfuck", awesome!

The Monitor is fucking great.

hell yes it is.

So hey, I gave this another spin today (Monitor, that is). Am I the only one who still has it up there amongst the top 3 or 4 albums of the year thus far?

I like this album a ton as well.

it's still in my top 5 as well

Yeah, still probably my favorite album of the year so far.

I'm enjoying it a lot. Maybe everyone is liking it too much to spend time writing about it, haha.

there is something about this record that upsets me... it's mostly the singer guy. i love the riffs and music, but his lyrics and singing style kind of get on my nerves... and yet, i still find myself spinning it every once in a while. i can't explain it.

"look ma, we are intelligent punk rockers!" or something like that...

Saw them cover/mutilate "Where Eagles Dare." Decided it's time for him to die.

This is far and away my favorite of the year.

have you seen them live?

they're the real deal live

I saw them live once and it is the reason why I will never listen to their records or give them any positive support whatsoever.

Okay, worried now. Are they awesome or terrible live? Seeing them in a few weeks time. I NEED THE FACTS.

I also saw them live and was really let down. Just a bad show. Plus, the lead guy seems like a 100000% total jackass.

weird... they've kicked ass both times i've seen them...

I remember watching some live clips of these guys and listening to a couple of other songs of theirs a couple of years ago and filing them away under "no thanks". But several reliable sources have said that their new album is good and something I'd probably like. Haven't bothered to listen to it yet.

omg, paves is so on the money.

Srsly, though. Dude speaks truth. Also, Tweedy's Stomach brings real talk, re: jackassery. Unbearable.

Not really a Pavement Ist Rad sort of band if you ask me. I saw them with Los Camposinos a year or two back and became a fan immediately. Los Camposinos did the opposite. If you are fan of the album, I don't see how you could be disappointed with the show. Much like the album, their live show is a sprawling drunken mess, the songs are fantastic, and the singer was pretty cool. Sure, the stage antics are a bit much, like stage dives into a crowd of 18 year olds or putting your guitar on top of the stage lights and letting it feedback at the audience, but for the most part the stage show came across as a bunch of guys (and girl) who really enjoyed playing.

Also, this is currently my album of the year and I don't see that changing. I guess you can take this as a bias but I was entertained at the live show both times.

I saw this band live a couple years ago. I think they were opening for No Age. I went into the bathroom to take a leak right before the show started and some dirty-looking bearded fuck in a massive winter coat with a hood on came in and pissed next to me. I thought he was homeless and I was seriously hoping he wouldn't ask me for change or something. Turns out it was the lead singer from Titus Andronicus. Dude walked straight from the bathroom to the stage. I was confused. True story.

They were ok I guess. I don't really remember. They certainly didn't offend me, but I really have very little interest in listening to them.

The Monitor is currently AOTY for me. Listened to it more than anything else and I find myself consistently going back to it.

Love this shit.

yeah, really kickass record. I haven't seen them live, though.

It reminds me more of the Desaparecidos album than Bright Eyes. That vocal style with a somewhat muddy production, plus a roughly conceptual conceit ... I have a feeling I'll listen to this more often than Read Music/Speak Spanish, though.

ETA: Never mind, i just saw all the Desaparecidos references earlier in the thread!

Counting the crows on the New Jersey Turnpike I'm not looking for a new England I'm pulling out of here to win.

so...upon first listen to the monitor, i hear a lot of paul westerberg in stickles' vocals, done well taboot. both in the "ballads" (ie the opening salvo of no future part III) and especially in the punkier songs (ie a more perfect union).

yeah, so this band is definitely the closest thing to the 'mats i've heard in ages, high concepts aside. after a few listens i like this album just fine, but this band is gonna be great when they write their album full of "hold my life," "answering machine" "i don't know" or "insert other great 'mats song that involves sentimentality and/or orchestration over pure punk snarl here" caliber songs.

so the monitor is pretty clearly my favorite record of 2010 that i didn't hear in 2010 at this point, and basically my new favorite band. saw them on sunday and was just blown away. i put stickles up there with bradford cox and dave longstreth as far as "best musicians of their generation (age 25-30)" goes. really remarkable stuff this band does, wow.

It was my #1 of last year. Love that fuckin record.

can't really overstate how in love with this band i am right now. i have not really been able to stop playing the monitor since january. having gotten into grievances too, it's also quite nice but the monitor is so clearly 2-3 notches above it. it seems like grievances is their this is a long drive... with the monitor being their lonesome crowded west, or their pablo honey/the bends style arc, or something. i really hope and believe this band is headed on that sort of modest mouse or radiohead type trajectory of greatness. they're also on SO next week which should be great.

As good as these guys are on record, it's nothing compared to how awesome they are live. Their set at Pitchfork Festival last year blew me away.

friend of mine proclaimed this weekend that he thinks Titus Andronicus is the best band ever. he may have been speaking in hyperbole but there was a twinkle in his eye that made me think he actually believes that.

they're really great. the new replacements.

they were great earlier this month too. bets show i'd seen in a year maybe, at least 8 or so months.

Would love to see these guys. Really don't know how known they are here in Aus, doubt they would head down this way any time soon. I fear that I may miss these guys when they are at their prime.