Cool historical things are a great jumping point for music and stuff (especially for nerds like us), so naturally New Jersey screamers
Titus Andronicus have hit on something (our excitement) with
The Monitor. Its a concept album loosely based on the Civil War, with guest voice-overs from people playing period characters? We're sold. GET OUT YOUR MUSKETS!
From P4K:
Hold Steady frontman Craig Finn plays Walt Whitman, appropriately enough, while Vivian Girls leader Cassie Ramone plays Jefferson Davis, absurdly enough. Meanwhile, someone named Okey Canfield Chenoweth plays Abraham Lincoln, and Double Dagger frontman Nolen Strals (who also designed the cover art) is William Lloyd Garrison.
Let's hope the press doesn't involve battle recreations or ceremonial plantation burning. The guys have stated that the album won't follow any set storyline, rather opting for exploring the feelings of the time and the conflicts that are still present in todays America. Thus their sophomore album will be ambitious to say the least, and VERY F***ING COOL to say the most hopes we have for it... if first very long single (split into two) "Four Score And Seven" is any indication.
The Monitor drops 3/9/2010 on
XL, with a split 7" "Four Score" being released on 2/9. Check out the first single below and watch out for canons and messages about partisan politics. There will be marching and trumpets. IT'S STILL US AGAINST THEM! -
joe puglisi
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MP3: Titus Andronicus - "Four Score And Seven Years (Part One)" (The Monitor)
MP3: Titus Andronicus - "Four Score And Seven Years (Part Two)" (The Monitor)
Titus Andronicus on Myspace