Certain Songs

Ted Leo and his Pharmacists are back with what has to be their most aggressive sounding record to date 'The Brutalist Bricks.' The record is available digitally on March 9th.

Here is a little sneak preview...please play this one at 11.


* 'Mourning In America' MP3

One of my absolute joys in life is the simple act of taking a walk. I love grabbing my mp3 player, turning it on shuffle, and then just take off walking. It is so great to get lost in my own head for a bit, all the while rocking out to a great soundtrack.

And a killer side effect of this love of mine is that every time I do take a walk I stumble across a handful of awesome songs that I had totally forgotten about. Luckily for me, I am in horrible shape - so I get totally winded before too long, allowing me to remember the tunes that made me smile with sentimental glee. And now, the miracle of blogging...I will share last nights gems with you:

God what a great rock album Gish is...and did it REALLY come out in 1991?? Man the years are falling off like leaves...


Smashing Pumpkins - 'Tristessa' MP3


Why's 'Alopecia' record is easily one of the coolest albums of the year...but this is a track I hadn't paid much attention to. I have this really bad habit of getting stuck on certain songs on albums I love...my resolution for 2009 is to work on this.


Why? - 'Fatalist Palmistry' MP3


Long live Ted Leo. Really. Does anyone right better, more infectious power pop songs than he does? This one is from last year's brilliant 'Living With The Living.'


Ted Leo & The Pharmacists - 'A Bottle Of Buckie' MP3


Tulsa reminds me so much of Nada Surf, in the best kinda way. That's another one where I sort of obsessed over one track and lost the other album songs in the process, so I was quite grateful when 'Shaker' popped up via the shuffle.


Tulsa - 'Shaker' MP3

...just because Ted Leo has this amazing way that just seems to make everything make sense...to me anyway.

Ted Leo And The Pharmacists - 'Paranoia(Never Enough)' MP3

A small, but enthusiastic crowd gathered in one of my favorite Los Angeles venues for a little mid week indie rock. Some of the hipster crowd was thankfully siphoned off by the Battles show taking place at the same time at the Music Box, and probably even some of the bigger Ted Leo fans were waiting until Wednesday and Thursday night when Ted and company are playing as an opening act for The Pogues.

Washington D.C.'s 'ShortStack' opened the festivities. I liked these guys a lot. The featured a stand up bass and a lot steel pedal guitar. They bookended their set with two killer covers, opening with The Kinks "Nothing In This World Can Stop Me From Worrin' Bout That Girl" and finishing with a rousing version of CCR's 'Swithcback Ride.' A band I will keep my eye and ear out for in the future.

Next up was Quasi. They were interesting, and never dull, and definitely hit the stage with a ton of energy. Well two thirds of them did, the bass player may have been a robot...or a cardboard cutout, I am not sure if I saw her move 6 inches all night! But I digress. Every time I started to get into a song, they would take off in some extended instrumental jam that wanted to be Sonic Youth but sounded more like kids clamoring away in their parents basement. Not horrible, just a little too ambitious I thought.

Ted Leo gives some of the best banter in rock n roll and he was on top of his game again last night. This was the 4th time I have seen them since their latest record 'Living With The Living' came out, so I know they have been on the road for what has to feel like ever, but you wouldn't know it from the energy exuded from the stage at the El Rey Theater on Tuesday night. They played most of the latest disc, as well as Leo fan favorites 'Where Have All The Rude Boys Gone', 'Me And Mia', 'Counting Down The Hours'...but the highlight for me was his inspired cover of Daft Punk's One More Time! Totally rockin' version of a great song! An excellent night of music indeed.