Ted Leo / Rx - Living With the Living

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Since the old thread seems to have disappeared...and the Pfork review (right on some counts, not on others) went up today.

I am going to say this is his best since "Tyranny", and shits all over this year's hyped-up indie rock (so far) from a great great height. I even like the reggae track and, as TMT put it, the "I'm Irish!" track - both of which get hated on way too much.

― Simon H., Wednesday, 21 March 2007 15:21 (nineteen years ago)

It seems like Ted Leo Rx has been doing for YEARS what The Hold Steady have gotten all of their ink over, without turning it into (or having it turned into by others) their "gimmick" - they're a solid, excellent, legitimate journeyman rock band with a great live show and thoughtful songs. (I like the Hold Steady fine, but I don't need another article about them ever).

Anyway, yeah, only listened to this once so far all the way through and it sounds great. My copy came with a bonus CD of 5 extra songs, incidentally.

― Ben Boyerrr, Wednesday, 21 March 2007 15:48 (nineteen years ago)

The bonus CD is great, especially the Chumbawumba cover and "Old Souls Know" - actually the whole EP is worth it for that scream/feedback break in "Living With the Living".

― Simon H., Wednesday, 21 March 2007 15:52 (nineteen years ago)

there is absolutely nothing connecting the hold steady and the pharmacists except that they play rock music. i can't imagine two more dissimilar lyric writers than ted leo and craig finn.

― strongohulkington, Wednesday, 21 March 2007 15:53 (nineteen years ago)

and i'm not just saying that because i hate the hold steady but want to have 10,000 of leo's retarded babies

― strongohulkington, Wednesday, 21 March 2007 15:55 (nineteen years ago)

jess, you're a rock critic, you're supposed to be able to draw extremely convincing parallels between every band that's ever even heard a Springsteen song.

― Alex in Baltimore, Wednesday, 21 March 2007 16:03 (nineteen years ago)

"ted leo are the hooters for the post-9/11 generation."

― strongohulkington, Wednesday, 21 March 2007 16:04 (nineteen years ago)

I was not comparing Ted Leo to the Hold Steady. I was just saying that I read so many articles that presented The Hold Steady as the first "keeping-it-real rock band" in years, and every time I read that I thought about Ted Leo and his guys, chugging along for years without a tenth of the press.

― Ben Boyerrr, Wednesday, 21 March 2007 16:19 (nineteen years ago)

10,000 of leo's retarded babies

I saw him many years ago play a live set with his brother under the name The Leo-Tards!

I love Ted Leo and I have seen him live more than anyone else ever I think, and I don't want to fight on a thread about him so I will keep The Hold Steady out of this.

― Ben Boyerrr, Wednesday, 21 March 2007 16:22 (nineteen years ago)

The Hold Steady get ink for Finn's lyrics, mostly, so there's really no connection at all.

― Matos W.K., Wednesday, 21 March 2007 23:00 (nineteen years ago)

Leo's lyrics on the new one, though . . . I really wanted to like it more than I do. (I think Shake the Sheets is just about perfect and am sorry I didn't put it in my Top 5 for '04.)

― Matos W.K., Wednesday, 21 March 2007 23:03 (nineteen years ago)

i expect that, like shake the sheets, the new one will take a bit of time for me to grow to love. hearts of oak is still my favorite.

can we talk about what a ridiculously awesome guitarist he is? and also what a nice guy?

― Emily Bjurnhjam, Wednesday, 21 March 2007 23:22 (nineteen years ago)

he can be a GREAT guitarist. the runs on "Little Dawn" are really amazing--my favorite song on that album, actually.

― Matos W.K., Wednesday, 21 March 2007 23:38 (nineteen years ago)

oh man, so now i'm listening to living with the living, and i gotta say - "the unwanted things" is making me so happy right now. this is why i love ted leo. he can do a reggae track and it doesn't make me want to punch him in the face. it seems totally natural and appropriate. i really like how he incorporates both the reggae element and this crazy celtic thing into his music. he filters a lot of influences into one cohesive whole.

― Emily Bjurnhjam, Wednesday, 21 March 2007 23:48 (nineteen years ago)

one month passes...

God, I love Ted Leo. I think he (or his music, rather) has saved my life one million billion times.

― askance johnson, Friday, 27 April 2007 23:29 (nineteen years ago)

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