Internal Citations

My friend Zac Magnum (real name withheld) runs a great blog called the Styrofoam Drone and a little over a week ago posted an album by a band called the Library of Congress.

You may listen to it and think, "Wow, this is fucking awesome." You may be surprised that this band with a fairly anonymous name borrowed from the intellectual center of our nation's capital put out a great record you never heard. You will swallow that surprise when you learn it was a band featuring future members of Titus Andronicus. "This band features future members of Titus Andronicus? Well, then!"

The album, quite Titus-ly called Writings on the Human Condition, is just as riddled with suburban discontent and other problems of the educated, white, male middle-class as the first Titus Andronicus record. You come for the angst, sure, but you stay for the collaborative feel of the songs. Andrew Cedermark and Patrick Stickles worked side by side (presumably) in Library of Congress. One stops singing and the other starts. Patrick screams, Andrew recites, thoughtfully. "Internal Citations" features the same running lead guitar-playing that makes "No Future Pt. 2: The Day After No Future" a perfect song to drive to. Lyrically, there's a bit more sentimentalism to counter the nihilism.

"Citations" begins with laments: that kids will now be able to "throw away cassettes and CDs," and after 2002, Andrew Cedermark will "never see another palindromic year."

"Sometimes when I'm feeling lonely, I imagine myself as the master of my own destiny and that's happened a lot since my secret crush, she went back to Germany... but as long as I can get back to you, we can steal 'For Sale' signs along the avenue. For all the sausage in Berlin, there's nothing I'd rather do!" Is it weird that I wonder who this is about? Every time I listen to this song, the scene plays out in my head. A breezy Jersey afternoon, picket fences, a station wagon, a tape. HAHA THAT WAS SO FUCKING PRECIOUS OK SNAP-TO.

Los Campesinos! just announced the rest of the dates for their American tour. I'm not surprised they're skipping Philadelphia. I don't know why I don't hate them. They're probably blowing us off because R5 wouldn't give them a big enough guarantee and having them play the TLA last March was sort of a joke (Patrick and Ian Graetzer were there.) Or do I only think that because I'm young and fun can only be had in small spaces without the involvement of thirtysomethings that heard about the show from XPN? I don't know Gareth, I would think it would be gratifying to see how affecting "i just sighed. i just sighed..." is. I'll never forget what a dreadful experience that TLA show was. People trying to make me feel like singing at a show is absolutely uncalled for behavior. I didn't know my babysitter was coming.

"i just sighed. i just sighed..." is the sound of all the weight coming down on me when I realize that I have mised x *********** classes or that I was the only one that didn't want me to apply to London or that maybe getting a ticket to P4K Sunday was a bad idea because everyone thinks I'm an idiot who is broke. It's the sound of me wishing I could take back my stupid "And will you talk to my zine?" @tedleo because he talked to about 100 billion zines 10 years ago and definitely doesn't want to do it again at a punk house to some kid who definitely does not fit in there. It's the sound of me wishing that punk houses in the city were more like parents' houses in the suburbs.