A punk-inflected indie rock group whose bawling, thrashing sound reflected a wide range of influences ranging from the Pixies to Bright Eyes to Bruce Springsteen, Glen Rock, New Jersey's Titus Andronicus formed in 2005 with Liam Betson, Ian Graetzer, Eric Harm, Patrick Stickles, and Dan Tews. The band's debut full-length, The Airing of Grievances (which makes reference to a Seinfeld episode), was first released by Troubleman Unlimited in 2008, then picked up for wider distribution by XL Recordings in January 2009. For the band's impressive 2010 follow-up, The Monitor, Titus Andronicus beefed up the production value and enlisted the help of musicians from ten other indie acts, including members of the Hold Steady, Vivian Girls, and Ponytail. Two years later they returned with their third album, Local Business, a more personal album that found the band looking inward for inspiration.

by Margaret Reges, All Music Guide