RECOMMENDED

Another band out of New Jersey carrying the flag of “angst”? The garden state’s own Titus Andronicus made a pretty good case for another Springteen-influenced, gritty rock record with last year’s “The Airing of Grievances,” which was less like the self-glorified “Sam’s Town” and more like a pedal-to-the-metal version of Arcade Fire. Sloppy, rowdy, loud—parts of the album sound like too many elements are trying to cram itself into the mix, but the effect is an explosion of energy and sound. The muffled mix combined with its E. Street arrangements and breakdowns immediately position the band in the top tier of indie rock’s drunken blue-collar division. Most heart-pumping is the vocal work of frontman Patrick Stickles—I have no idea what he’s talking about half the time, and a few of the record’s song titles have “existential bullshit” written all over them (doggone it, I thought I was the first person to write a song called “Albert Camus”), but there’s no doubting the guy when he’s screaming from his bowels. (Andy Seifert)

September 7 at Bottom Lounge, 1375 W. Lake, (312)929-2022 at 8pm. $10-$12.