Local Business is the latest of Titus Andronicus’ epic albums.
“Singing is not something I was really born to do.”
Oddly enough, this quote comes from the lead singer of critically acclaimed, increasingly popular rock band Titus Andronicus. The voice of Patrick Stickles is raw, unfiltered, loud, aggressive and passionate. It’s off-key and somewhat unpleasant. But, in many ways, it’s perfect.
“I’m definitely not going to be on American Idol or anything,” Stickles said. “But I think I do an okay job of getting my feelings across, which I think is the most important thing for a singer — or the singers that I’ve loved in my life.”
Stickles has certainly made his emotions clear on Titus Andronicus’ three epic albums, the latest of which was released this Tuesday. The band will be stopping at the Rock N Roll Hotel tonight in support of Local Business, a record that is as big, bold and powerful as its revelatory debut and follow-up concept album.
“It’s a record about the empowerment of the individual,” Stickles said. “And the void of meaninglessness that is the universe.”
Stickles makes his point pretty clear from the album’s first lyric: “OK I think by now we’ve established/ Everything is inherently worthless.”
This certainly has been established throughout the band’s seven-year career — the meaninglessness of the universe is a topic Titus Andronicus has analyzed on all three albums. Because nearly all the band’s songs are laced with this postmodern, punk-rock attitude, Stickles’ wavering, scratchy voice becomes the perfect emotional release — he’s just the man at the microphone channeling the feelings of a subset of the young generation.
At a Titus Andronicus live show, this communal release is remarkably evident — Stickles said his music connects with others because of its “doom and gloom” nature.
“Everybody’s got their struggles; everybody feels a little bit down sometimes,” he said. “But when you can make it into more of an affirmative thing — by singing and rocking out — then that turns a negative thing into a positive thing.”
The negative feelings are also masked by uplifting power chords, heavy piano accompaniments and the occasional sound of bells chiming — making Titus Andronicus often feel like descendants of the E Street Band with an even raspier, more aggressive singer at the helm.
Stickles said the band gets this comparison a lot and it comes with the territory for a group from New Jersey.
“Almost every band from New Jersey gets compared to Springsteen just because he’s synonymous with the state; he’s like the patron saint,” he said. “But at the same time it is fair, because I’ve listened to his music a lot — like I’ve listened to him probably as much as any other artist — so he’s definitely a huge inspiration, you know, it’s pointless to deny it.”
While the influence is there, nobody would confuse Titus Andronicus for a chart-topping hit-maker like The Boss. Instead, the band shoots for a harder, more abrasive sound that takes some getting used to. Still, it’s worked — the same bloggers and fans who love softer, catchier bands such as Vampire Weekend or Grizzly Bear often still give Titus Andronicus their full-throated endorsements.
Stickles isn’t quite sure why this is the case, but he isn’t complaining.
“It is strange now that you mention it,” he said. “But it has been a surprise, the level of success that we have achieved.”
Perhaps it’s because the band has mastered the classic Springsteen tactic of swirling together aspects of hope and aspects of “doom and gloom” in one thrilling musical package.
“Getting a somewhat bleak message across using upbeat, uplifting music is a pretty old trick — I didn’t originate it,” Stickles said. “But a lot of the times the upbeat nature of the music will underscore the hopeful elements of our message. We talk about the meaninglessness of life — people could look at that as being quite bleak, but to me, there’s always a streak of hopefulness running through it, because when everything is meaningless, then we have the power to create meaning, you know? It’s a hopeful thing to me.”
Titus Andronicus will be at the Rock N Roll Hotel in Washington tonight. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 8. Tickets are $20.
