The Monitor (album)

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The Monitor
Studio album by
Titus Andronicus
ReleasedMarch 9, 2010 (2010-03-09)
RecordedAugust 2009
GenreIndie rock
Length65:24
LabelXL
ProducerKevin McMahon
Titus Andronicus chronology
The Airing of Grievances
(2008) 		The Monitor
(2010) 		Local Business
(2012)

The Monitor is the second studio album by American indie rock band Titus Andronicus, released in March 2010 through XL Recordings. It is a concept album loosely based on themes relating to the American Civil War.[1]

The album title is a reference to the USS Monitor, the first ironclad warship commissioned by the United States Navy, and the closing track, "The Battle of Hampton Roads", refers to the battle between the Monitor and the CSS Virginia, which took place on March 8–9, 1862; according to the band, "Releasing this record is our way of celebrating the 148th anniversary of this historic event."[2] There are numerous references to early Billy Bragg songs such as some lyrics in "A More Perfect Union" and the song "Richard II". "A More Perfect Union" also includes references to the band's New Jersey roots as well as riffs on the lyrics of Bruce Springsteen, another New Jersey native. The Monitor features guest appearances by members of Ponytail, Wye Oak, Hallelujah The Hills, Felice Brothers, Spider Bags, Vivian Girls and the Hold Steady.

Reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
AnyDecentMusic?7.6/10[3]
Metacritic82/100[4]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[5]
The A.V. ClubB+[6]
The Guardian[7]
Los Angeles Times[8]
Mojo[9]
MSN Music (Consumer Guide)A−[10]
NME7/10[11]
Pitchfork8.7/10[12]
Rolling Stone[13]
Spin8/10[14]

The Monitor received a Metacritic score of 82 out of 100, signaling universal acclaim. Pitchfork included the album in their list of top albums of 2010, at #10[15] while Spectrum Culture gave the album its #1 position.[16] "The Monitor" was named Exclaim!'s No. 20 Pop & Rock Album of 2010.[17]

The album was recognized as number 30 of The 100 Best Albums of the Decade So Far by Pitchfork Media in August 2014.[18]

Track listing[edit]

All tracks written by Patrick Stickles.

  1. "A More Perfect Union" – 7:09
  2. "Titus Andronicus Forever" – 1:55
  3. "No Future Part Three: Escape From No Future" – 5:16
  4. "Richard II or Extraordinary Popular Dimensions and the Madness of Crowds (Responsible Hate Anthem)" – 5:06
  5. "A Pot in Which to Piss" – 8:53
  6. "Four Score and Seven" – 8:38
  7. "Theme from Cheers" – 5:01
  8. "To Old Friends and New" – 7:00
  9. "...And Ever" – 2:24
  10. "The Battle of Hampton Roads" – 14:02

Personnel[edit]

Titus Andronicus[edit]

  • Patrick Stickles – Guitar, harmonica, piano, synthesizer, tape operator, electronics, engineer, vocals
  • Liam Betson – Guitar, vocals
  • Ian Graetzer – Bass
  • Eric Harm – Drums, percussion, vocals

Additional musicians[edit]

  • Julian Veronesi – Vocals
  • Dan McGee – Vocals
  • Matt Miller – Vocals
  • Brendan Stickles – Vocals
  • Ryan Walsh – Vocals
  • Andrew Cedermark – Guitar
  • Pete Feigenbaum – Guitar
  • Kevin McMahon – Guitar, mixing, percussion, producer, recording, vocals
  • Ian O'Neil – Guitar, vocals
  • Jenn Wasner – Guitar, vocals
  • Dustin Wong – Guitar
  • David Bentley – Cello
  • Brett Bondar – Highland bagpipes, Scottish small pipes
  • Peter Buettner – Tenor saxophone
  • Elio DeLuca – Piano, organ, electric piano, engineer, vocals
  • Ian Dykstra – Bass drums, sleigh bells, tambourine
  • Greg Farley – Fiddle
  • Dean Jones – Trombone
  • Brian Rutledge – Trumpet
  • Alex Tretiak – Snare drums, research assistant, vocals
  • Andy Stack – Engineer
  • Dustin Miller – Vocal recording
  • Okey Canfield Chenoweth III, quoting Abraham Lincoln
  • Cassie Ramone, quoting Jefferson Davis
  • Craig Finn, quoting Walt Whitman's "Vigil Strange I Kept on the Field one Night"

References[edit]

  1. ^ Tom Breihan (14 December 2009). "Titus Andronicus Reveal Civil War-Themed Second Album". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
  2. ^ Patrick Stickles (14 December 2009). "Our new record". Titus Andronicus, Myspace. Archived from the original on 7 February 2009. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
  3. ^ "The Monitor by Titus Andronicus reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved October 6, 2019.
  4. ^ "Reviews for The Monitor by Titus Andronicus". Metacritic. Retrieved March 2, 2012.
  5. ^ Lymangrover, Jason. "The Monitor – Titus Andronicus". AllMusic. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
  6. ^ Adams, Erik (March 9, 2010). "Titus Andronicus: The Monitor". The A.V. Club. Retrieved March 2, 2012.
  7. ^ Hann, Michael (March 11, 2010). "Titus Andronicus: The Monitor". The Guardian. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
  8. ^ Martens, Todd (March 9, 2010). "Album review: Titus Andronicus' 'The Monitor'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
  9. ^ "Titus Andronicus: The Monitor". Mojo (197): 95. April 2010.
  10. ^ Christgau, Robert (June 2010). "Consumer Guide". MSN Music. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
  11. ^ Parker, Rob (March 5, 2010). "Album Review: Titus Andronicus – 'The Monitor' (Merok/XL)". NME. Archived from the original on May 8, 2016. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
  12. ^ Mitchum, Rob (March 12, 2010). "Titus Andronicus: The Monitor". Pitchfork. Retrieved March 2, 2012.
  13. ^ Hermes, Will (March 15, 2010). "The Monitor : Titus Andronicus". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on April 1, 2010. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
  14. ^ Kandell, Steve (February 28, 2010). "Titus Andronicus, 'The Monitor' (XL)". Spin. Archived from the original on July 14, 2011. Retrieved April 28, 2016.
  15. ^ "Pitchfork top 50 albums of 2010, page 5". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 2011-06-13. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
  16. ^ Spectrum Culture Best Albums of 2010 Archived 2010-12-19 at the Wayback Machine
  17. ^ "Pop & Rock Year in Review". Exclaim!.
  18. ^ "Pitchfork's Top 100 Albums of 2010–2014". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2020-04-21.
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