REV. ADAM MCKINNEY: COMBO DEAL >>>

An unfortunate mainstay in music criticism is the temptation to describe a band by saying it’s what would happen if two better-known bands met. For instance: It’s Oingo Boingo meets Jefferson Starship! Or, It’s Miles Davis meets Black Flag! Titus Andronicus has encountered a lot of this lazy critical shorthand. Usually they get some bizarre combination of Arcade Fire, Bright Eyes and Bruce Springsteen. The screamy Conor Oberst-esque vocals, the cathartic energy of Arcade Fire, and the anthemic guitars of Springsteen â€" I guess, to a certain extent, I hear it all in Titus Andronicus. But what I mostly hear is a band that’s actually exciting to listen to, in all its jittery, messy glory.

Titus Andronicus’ music is all its own.

[Northern, with So So Glos, Thursday, Sept. 17, 9 p.m., all ages, cover TBA, 321 Fourth Ave., Olympia, northernolympia.org]