Living with the Living

The more I spin this album, the more I'm falling in love with it and the more I feel like I was a dumb dumb for saying that the album wasn't much of a departure from Leo's previous albums. There are definitely certain songs that carry that same Pharmacists aesthetic, but there's a lot of movement in different directions here. I was kind of down on it at first, since I didn't enjoy the experimentation with "Bomb. Repeat. Bomb.", but "The Lost Brigade" is proving to me that Leo can move beyond his usual formulas with success. The swells when the vocals drop in are very well placed, the guitar cuts through like a knife, and the percussion is perfect. I've missed way too many free Ted Leo shows in the past and there is no way I'm going to let myself miss him at McCarren Park this year.

"The Lost Brigade" by Ted Leo & the Pharmacists

Tej Leo / Pharmaceuticals

I'm having a big Ted Leo night, for no real reason in particular (maybe it has something to do with his sweet green shorts?). Not only am I finally giving his latest effort a good listen (well overdue), I've been checking out the Tej Leo album and the Mo' Living EP. I strayed away from tej Leo (?), RX / Pharmacists for a really long time because I heard it was weird and bad and the title just seemed to suggest absurd heights of pretension (pretension is only enjoyable when employed by myself or one of my cohorts). As it turns out, there are a lot of weird tape loops and effects experiments going on throughout the album, but there are some pretty cool moments tucked away in there. It's not something I'm going to throw on all the time, and it certainly doesn't have that Mellencamp-y "Timorous Me" vibe, but I'd be a liar if I said I regretted bringing it into my possession. The track "Walking Through" starts off rather discordantly, but it settles into a solid groove.

"Walking Through" by Ted Leo

The first thing I thought of listening to Mo' Living was the beasties track "Time for Livin'". Aside from the obvious coincidence of the word "livin", there's a very similar aesthetic between the beastie boys foray back into hardcore and Leo's "Living with the Living". It's nice to hear Ted drop his pants and rock out with his wiener in full effect.

"Living with the Living" by Ted Leo & the Pharmacists

Moving from the song to Living with the Living, the album, there's a lot you could argue about. There's certainly not much (successful) movement away from the techniques that have made his previous albums so enjoyable. You could say that it shows a lack of imagination or creativity, but I'd have to disagree. Even if he's sticking to a style, this album still knocks it out of the park and it's really nice to see that Leo hasn't lost his touch after so many albums. I can't say that the album is perfect for me; "Bomb. Repeat. Bomb." seems to be the furthest from the "ted leo" sound (if there is one). It's maybe the best song title ever, and a real letdown of a song. That being said, there are plenty of high points to the album. "La Costa Brava" is sure to pop up on more than a few of my mixes this summer, especially with those ambling dreamy guitar lines, and "Colleen" has the perfect gait for seated car dancing. Plus "The Sons of Cain" has been one of my favorite songs since it started popping up on the internet a while ago.

"La Costa Brava" by Ted Leo & the Pharmacists
"Colleen" by Ted Leo & the Pharmacists
"The Sons of Cain" by Ted Leo & the Pharmacists

until that day, accept this as a gift

I got the Godfather game for Wii, so I've barely even sat at my computer in the past two weeks. This game may in fact be the death of my real life social life and my internet career.

"Godfather Theme" by the Professionals (thankyou Soul Sides)

I've listened to this new Dizzee track like 3 times in the last ten minutes and I have no idea how I feel about it. Sampling "It Takes Two" is always a good thing, I guess. It's mad weird that he keeps saying pussyhole though. I don't know if that's a British thing or what, but that word just makes me uncomfortable. I'm good with pussy, it's just that addition of "hole".

"Pussyhole" by Dizzee Rascal

New Ted Leo is pretty cool too. At first I thought it was another Jimmy Cliff cover, but nope, it's an original. I really enjoy the way Ted Leo does reggae.

"The Unwanted Things" by Ted Leo and the Pharmacists

The Greatest Place on Earth

MC Abstract Douchipster alerted me the other night to a Ted Leo documentary being shown on Starz about his set at Sirenfest. I couldn't really stand the way the whole thing was shot, so I eventually turned it off, but it did have some awesome performance clips, especially the one that reminded me how fucking awesome "Biomusicology" is. I want to give Ted an award for best song ever on that one. Or maybe a gold star sticker.

"Biomusicology" by Ted Leo and those Rapscallion Pharmacists

Just watching the piece of the doc that I did made me start thinking about Siren fest. The only one I made it to was 2005, and it was a blast. I was pysched about seeing Q and Not U and Spoon, but even if I wasn't, worst case scenario is that it's a day at Coney Island.

"Y Plus White Girl" by Q and Not U

"The Two Sides Of Monsieur Valentine" by Spoon

I mean, how can you beat a day at Coney Island? Last year, I didn't go because of the lackluster lineup (scissor sisters, tapes n tapes, and art brut can all suck it), but talking to the Douchipster we decided it's really worth it to go whatever the lineup may be. All that said, I'd still prefer a good lineup to a shitty lineup. You also have to take into account the space limitations at Coney Island. You can't have a band who's going to bring in the obnoxious hoards of people, because you still need room to breathe. So with all that in mind, here's a couple bands I'd put in the top of my fantasy lineup.

!!!

It's gonna be all hot and sweaty out anyway, so why not listen to a band that makes me hot and sweaty everytime I put them on?

"Break In Case of Anything" by !!!

Beirut

So they've had to cancel shows before because of tour exhaustion, that's okay. Coney Island is nice and close to home. Plus I really want to see Beirut live.

"Elephant Gun" by Beirut

Two Gallants

The whole southern piss rock thing vibes well with the heat. So maybe it'll be a very different kind of hot afternoon than they'd have south of the Mason Dixon, but there'll still be tons of fresh lemonade.

"Las Cruces Jail" by Two Gallants

The Features

I just want to see the Features and if I have a chance to see them, then ride a roller coaster, instead of seeing them in some shitty venue, well that would be awesome.

"Contrast" by The Features

Freezepop

There's never a bad time for breezy synth pop, but the summer is certainly a great time.

"Here Comes a Special Boy" by Freezepop

Feist

I saw Feist open up for Bright Eyes, and the lady is quite a performer I'd have to say. I missed the beginning of her set though, so it'd be nice to catch her again.

"Sea Lion Woman" by Feist

Something Nice to Say

Mitch Clem is cool and I love the fact that he's chronicaling his top 5 albums of 2006 in cartoons.

It makes sense, since he's a cartoonist, but I'm still getting a big kick out of them. I'm also getting a kick out of this tune from Ted Leo and his unruly gang of Pharmacists. It's got a really kick in the ass too it, even more so than most of his songs.

"Sons of Cain" by Ted Leo & those wily Pharmacists

This Raekwon / Mathematics collaboration is nice too. Although I might have my doubts about it ever coming out, I continue to get more and more pysched for the next Rae album.

"Trees" by Raekwon the Chef

In Which Kelly Clarkson ups her Shitkicker Quotient...

So according to the man (as in "damn the ___", not "you da ___"), former Minuteman and current stooge Mike Watt has already started laying down some bass tracks for Kelly Clarkson's next album.

"It's Expected I'm Gone" by the Minutemen
(sublime samples those drums for "get out")
"Corona" by the Minutemen
(I know you recognize the beginning of this song)
"The Red and The Black" by the Minutemen

I'm pretty sure I had a wet dream just like this, except in my dream Ted Leo was there too. Him and mike were back to back, with Kelly in between, all three of them leaning in and singing into one mic, a rock and roll sandwich. Ya know what, I think I'll hit the hay as soon as I finish typing this, and maybe then my dream trio can rock me on to morning once again.

"Since U Been Gone" by Ted Leo

I'm hoping something like this will figure into the dream too.

that's all she wrote

CBGB finally closes its doors tonight. I wanted to get to one of the last shows, the Bad Brains / Bouncing Souls show specifically, but ticket prices were jacked up so Hilly Kristal can have some extra cash to fund his CBGB Las Vegas venture. Fuck that. I caught at least two shows there that I can remember, a Madball show in high school and then a Ted Leo show when I was a freshman in college. The Madball show was their first in NYC after they got back together, incredible fucking show. Usually the worst part about hardcore shows is the opening bands, but every band that night was on point. If I remember correctly, Awkward Thought and On the Rise went on before Madball. This picture's actually from that very show. There used to be a bunch of them on their website, with yours truly right up front. The pictures were taken after I got punched in the face though, so I wasn't looking super photogenic.

"Look My Way" by Madball
"Can't Stop, Won't Stop" by Madball

The Ted Leo show was totally different. It was a Lookout! Records showcase and every band aside from Ted and his Pharmacists was poo. The Douchipster and I were standing through the whole thing and tired as hell, but when Ted hit the stage it was absolutely worth it.

"The Sword in the Stone" by Ted Leo
"Under the Hedge" by Ted Leo & the Pharmacists

So, another piece of NYC history is gone, along with Coney Island and the Wetlands. It's sad to see a place with so many stories closing, but let's be honest it had quite a punjent odor and the Continental is a better venue anyway. Any five shots for $10 is a deal and a half if you ask me. Not that I've been there since I've turned 21, but still.

Ted Leo for Free-O

It would be in your best interests if this Friday, you got yourself over to Southstreet Seaport (I think it's over there) to see one of the best goddamn showmen in Rock and Roll today, live in concert, for free. The only time I've ever seen Ted Leo live was at a Lookout! Records showcase where I had to sit through like a hundred of his shitty labelmates (what happened to lookout?) before I got to hear him rock and it was still worth every second of standing around in the post smoking ban smelliness of CBGBs. The douchipster and I also ended up getting stranded in a Sbarro's for a while, where he confessed his love for the song "Eternal Flame" by the Bangles, but I digress.

"Sword in the Stone" by Ted Leo


Listening to the Pharmacists as a whole is always a good time, but I have to say I really enjoy the sound that Ted achieves when it's just him and his guitar. Even if it's not what he's playing anymore, you can totally tell that this guy grew up in punk rock bands and I love it. While we're on the subject of Ted Leo growing up, I should mention Chisel. After rocking around New York's 80's hardcore scene, Ted bounced down to the D.C. scene, where he formed Chisel. If you're not familiar with them, I highly suggest you check em out.

"On Warmer Music" by Chisel

12 Rock and Roll Songs to make you shake that ass.

This started out as a top ten list, but I ended up with twelve songs, and I can't really say that it's an all inclusive list, since even I'm not pretentious enough to think I've heard enough music to cover every base possible. Plus I'll probably think of ten better songs the next time I read over this. I will say, however, that if you put on any one of the following twelve songs, you'd have even the stiffest of the living dead moving their hips like a snake.

1. Almost Crimes by Broken Social Scene -




even the video is all about ass shaking. I don't mind admitting that during my sophomore year of college, I would lock my door, put on this song, and dance like a madman. My life won't be complete until I hear this song while I'm actually out on the town, on the floor.


2. Crocodile Rock by Elton John -
Now say what you will about Sir Elton John, say what you will about this song, I don't wanna hear it. This song posesses one of the best kinds of danceability. The kind where you move to the groove whilst singing along in an absurd falsetto.


3. Damaged Goods by Gang of Four -
The dueling guitar and bass come at you so strong right from the get go. It's like a sonic invitation to get down. These guys may have played punk rock, but there is something undeniably funk about Andy Gill's guitar.


4. Me and Guiliani down by the Schoolyard (A True Story) by !!! -
Most level headed folk will agree that the only thing better than a protest song is a protest song that you can shake your ass to. Well how about a protest song, that you can shake your ass to, that's about being denied the right to shake one's ass??? Brilliant! Even outside the world of body movin', this song is a classic. The song actually builds in different movements, taking you to each and every corner of the dancefloor. That's right. it's so good it gets a travel metaphor.


5. Should I Stay or Should I Go? by The Clash -
The moment after Strummer utters that titular phrase, "Should I stay or should I go, now?" the ensuing dance explosion is among the most fun and frenetic dance breaks you're going to hear on Classic Rock Radio, Adult Contemporary Radio, Alternative Rock Radio, AND College Rock Radio.


6. Give It Up by LCD Soundsystem -
If I wanted to, I could've just put "LCD Soundsystem - Every song they ever thought of recording" and had that be the whole list, but I figured that might be a little too quick of a read, so I picked this song. It's easily one of the more rocking LCD songs, and the frantic drums tell you exactly how to move that butt. Soon you'll get to swingin those tight little fists along with that fuzzed out bassline, and screaming along, even though you don't know the words, and everything will be just fine.


7. Last Caress by the Misfits -
The combination of chugging guitars and Danzig's sultry croon basically begs teenagers, "Gel your hair down in a silly manner. Now do the twist," and it's really near impossible to tell them no. On "Last Caress", Danzig's voice hits a point where he goes from sounding like a silly Elvis knockoff to a silly Elvis knockoff with some serious vocal chops. Combine that with metronome instrumentals and you're ready to dance. Throw this on at a party, I guarantee all your punk friends will dance and sing like it was 1962 on speed.


8. Hooray for Humans by Q and Not U -
Here's another one that it's real hard to look good dancing to. The piercing, dueling guitars tend to inspire limb movements that would definitely be considered outside the realm of cool dance moves, but the rhythm section is just to strong to be ignored. With drums and bass that register just outside of 9.1 on the Richter, this song will make you move.


9. This Charming Man by The Smiths -
This is a cool one because with most of the songs on this list, it's really the rhythm section that puts that movement in your pants. This tune really is all about that pretty, jangly, guitar. The way the melody moves so quickly and so all over the place, the fingers just start snapping on their own and then it's on. Time to dance like Jon Cryer in Pretty in Pink.


10. Timorous Me by Ted Leo & The Pharmacists -
I saw Ted Leo in 2003 at a lookout! records showcase at CBGBs. For hours, my associate and I stood in the motionless hipster crowd, waiting through shitty band after shitty band. Finally at some point after midnight, Mr. Ted Leo and his wiley band of Pharmacists took the stage and started to rock for us. The crowd had been standing in place for quite a while though, so it really looked like Ted's set was going to stay danceless for a while. Until the bass and drums kicked in on this song. Then came the dancing and Oh! did we dance.


11. Not Witherspoon, but Silverstone by Thunderbirds are now! -
It starts off with great staccato keyboards to get you moving right from the start. Then the drums kick in and take over, plus they throw in some wildly incomprehensible lyrics to make it the perfect package for a dance party sing along.


12. Time of The Season by The Zombies
The hook of this song is just so damn infectious. With those couple bass notes, then the "ch", "ahhh", it's just impossible to put this on and sit still. This is another one where the likelihood of you looking cool while you dance to it is slim to none. It's just too damn easy to sing along and move to.