North Carolina’s very own Merge Records has many artists under its bill, constantly releasing music that changes the indie rock game. Now, Merge Records artist Titus Andronicus (aka +@) has announced that their newest album A Productive Cough will be released on March 2nd of this new year. Unlike their usual sound of early 2000s punk rockers, +@ seems to be focusing more on the songwriting and the lyrics rather than the steel-toed music its listeners are used to. When listening to their new song “Number One (In New York),” ten minute ballad of life, one can hear the pure emotion and pain scorching through lead singer Patrick Stickles throat. It is a true step in a different direction. Check out the honest, aesthetically pleasing video below.
What begins as just a piano voice soon unfolds into a beautiful angelic cacophony of brass, choir, emotion, and pain. The ten-minute piece showcases Stickles songwriting abilities that have been hard to see underneath the mask of punk-ness. However, “Number One (In New York)” is a glowing song that really shows the heartbreak and terrifying experiences that coexist within our world. The song slowly peters out towards the end, finishing off exactly as it began, with a piano motif and broken voice.
Directed by Ray Concepcion and announced through their press release, the +@ video apparently is the first long teaser of a 60-minute video on the making of the new Titus Andronicus album. The video is to be released before the album on the 26th of February. They have stated that “all viewers will be granted unprecedented access to New Paltz, NY’s Marcata Recording, where A Productive Cough was recorded under the guidance of longtime +@ producer Kevin S. McMahon.” To see more clips that will be released over the coming months until the release, check out their site here. Also on the site is an interview of Stickles presented by author Ryan Walsh so as to offer an answer to all of our curiosities. In support of their new album, Titus Andronicus will be going on tour as well. Check out the tour below.
Titus Andronicus on tour:
Mar 07 Kingston, NY – BSP Kingston
Mar 08 Boston, MA – The Sinclair
Mar 09 Providence, RI – AS220
Mar 10 Burlington, VT – Arts Riot
Mar 11 Montreal, QC – Bar Le Ritz
Mar 13 Toronto, ON – Great Hall
Mar 14 Detroit, MI – El Club
Mar 15 Chicago, IL – Subterranean
Mar 16 Madison, WI – The Frequency
Mar 17 St. Paul, MN – Turf Club
Mar 18 Omaha, NE – Slowdown
Mar 19 Denver, CO – Globe Hall
Mar 20 Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge
Mar 22 Boise, ID – Treefort Festival
Mar 23 Seattle, WA – Crocodile
Mar 24 Portland, OR – Mississippi Studios
Mar 27 Sonoma, CA – Gundlach Bundschu Winery
Mar 28 San Francisco, CA – The Chapel
Mar 29 Santa Cruz, CA – Crepe Place
Mar 31 Los Angeles, CA – Bootleg Theater
Apr 02 San Diego, CA – Soda Bar
Apr 03 Phoenix, AZ – Valley Bar
Apr 06 Ft. Worth, TX – Ridglea Room
Apr 07 Austin, TX – Barracuda
Apr 08 Houston, TX – White Oak Music Hall
Apr 10 Birmingham, AL – Saturn
Apr 11 Atlanta, GA – Masquerade
Apr 12 Durham, NC – The Pinhook
Apr 13 Washington, DC – Rock and Roll Hotel
Apr 14 Philadelphia, PA – UArts Black Box
Apr 15 Brooklyn, NY – Murmrr Ballroom
Photo Credit Raymond Flotat
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