Just when you thought festival season seemed to start winding itself down, the Metro went ahead and booked a veritable mini-fest of bands that we here at RFC love to cover. On Saturday, September 18, New Jersey firebrands Titus Andronicus will spit, spew and slam out their punkish anthems to lies, loathing and the fucked-up American Way. They'll do so at Wrigleyville's Metro — and they're bringing Best Coast, Free Energy and Male Bonding with them. Oh, and by the way, advance tickets are currently on sale for 16 freakin' dollars.
Now, if your above-average indie concert goes down like, say, a delicious Burger King Double Quarter Pounder, I'm gonna go ahead and say that the Metro built a full-on BK Quad Stacker of a rock show (see ultra-professional illustration/mad PhotoShop skillz at upper right). Four great American indie rock leading lights provide four (supposedly) all-beef patties of stacked meaty goodness, sandwiched into the storied sesame-seed bun of the Metro — and the $16 cover slathers on the tangy-sweet Stacker Sauce that makes it all go down so guilty-smooth. And the bacon? Ah... that must be, er... the merch table... OK! End of analogy. Also, like the Quad Stacker, this show could easily rip your coronary artery into an AMI, but I promise you'll hit the ground smiling.
Now, RFC writers have given play to all of these bands in recent weeks (except maybe Male Bonding), but I'll provide a brief roundup if you haven't been paying close attention.
Titus Andronicus kicked the sophomore slump in the teeth earlier this year when they dropped their second album, The Monitor (XL Recordings). The album explores the American Civil War and picks apart postmodern themes of nationalism, identity and patriotic confusion in exceptionally rocking fashion.
L.A. based surf-pop trio Best Coast just put out their debut full-length Crazy For You on Mexican Summer last month after a solid year of growing anticipation. According to singer Bethany Costentino, the album's themes deal with "weed and my cat and being lazy a lot." Groundbreaking? No. Oddly arresting? In spades.
Free Energy hail from Philly, and they boast not only a self-titled album but a self-titled song, which is a conceit I always kind of enjoy for some reason. They play power pop with some exceptionally adroit guitar work and remind me of Sloan quite often. So, here's the song "Free Energy" from the EP Free Energy by Free Energy.
Male Bonding released their first album Nothing Hurts on Sub Pop back in May. Although two of the three members rose out of the ashes of a London noise band, their debut shows them exploring fuzzed-out 1990s indie-pop tropes and channeling Husker Du intensity for a rush of scuzzy punk energy.
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