Three Imaginary Girls - Ted Leo & the Pharmacists

Totally legit: Sasquatch! 2012 lineup announced

imaginary victoria — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:38:58 +0000

In the throes of a killer party at the Neptune last night, we were thrilled beyond belief to find out the details on another most excellent year for the Sasquatch! music festival, taking place out at the Gorge on Memorial Day weekend {May 25-28}. Sasquatch! is by far one of our favorite fests every year, and 2012 is going to be no exception.

We're particularly excited about partying down with the likes of Jack White, Beck, Tenacious D, Beirut, Girl Talk {hell yes!}, The Head and the Heart, Tune-Yards, Wild Flag, Blind Pilot, Mark Lanegan Band, The Cave Singers, Grouplove, Ted Leo, Deer Tick, Alabama Shakes, We Are Augustines, Shearwater {!!!!!}, Charles Bradley, Pickwick, Hey Marseilles, Sallie Ford, Dyme Def, Fresh Espresso, and Katie Kate -- but by no means does that even scratch the surface of the seemingly-zillion fantastic bands included on this year's lineup. As usual, there's a thoughtful mash of notable locals and squee-worthy headliners, so much so that slapping down the ticket price to spend the long weekend with twenty-plus thousand of your closest friends is an absolute no-brainer.

Photo essay: more MFNW! The Thermals, The Tallest Man on Earth, Ted Leo & the Pharmacists

imaginary victoria — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 03:36:37 +0000

The goodness just keeps on coming! Check out these Musicfest Northwest photos from our most excellent imaginary photographers:

The Tallest Man on Earth

The Thermals

The Brutalist Bricks

Chris Estey — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 15:51:33 +0000

8.5

http://www.amazon.com/Brutalist-Bricks-Ted-Leo-Pharmacists/dp/B00347ZXPI/?tag=wwwthreeimagi-20

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"If there's one place where you're scared, it's a bunker." So said urbanist, art critic, and political theorist Paul Virilio in an interview in a book of conversations called Crepuscular Dawn, before he and author Sylvere Lotringer described the architecture of the Brutalists, in which construction is associated with "pulling out the insides, the guts of a building." So that it "makes a facade of the skeleton" of a structure. Sort of how our country has been pulled inside out from eight years in a bunker, the hope still sucked out of our lungs by the louts in power.

In a similarly Expressionist way, power pop prophet Ted Leo welcomes back his fans with "When the cafe doors exploded, I reacted to you," the opening to "The Mighty Sparrow," the splattering, rippling opening track on his return and Matador debut, The Brutalist Bricks. "Then I saw you, the red, white, and blue."

There has been some talk that The Brutalist Bunker is too torn open, falling down on itself to tear out of the gates; its chiming guitars and shouted wisdom probably the inevitable result of a man who had a very sick wife since his last record (2007's Living Among The Living) and is exhaling as well as revealing exhaustion. So many Jam-and-Thin Lizzy inspired anthems, dub bass-pulling travelogues, anxious journaling about making it through the journey to the end of the night of the '00s. As he sings in the third track here, "Ativan Eyes," "The new millennium's tough," it was all begun a decade delineated by Leo's leper-touching "The Tyranny Of Distance," in which our individual time bunkers took away freedoms the way that elections then had somehow become a farce.

But while this has left Leo "so sick of cynics" and that he "wants someone to trust in," I think people who attribute the overplus of urgency in The Brutalist Bricks to devastating emotional emergencies also put faith in concrete altars. Those landmarks are gone; the slate has been wiped clean by hierarchies falling apart. We have less of what he maybe never deserved in the first place, and forced to move, might find salvation. As long as we don't look back or try to document the magical moment into eternity.

"Many are the beauties of the Fall," Leo rhapsodizes in "Even Heroes Have To Die," perhaps about the time of year when order darkly flutters apart, maybe about the journey that came after we lost our innocence. Those who gave up all faith in the Bush years are probably not unlike those who can't feel the raw rush of near hardcore 2/4-driven "The Stick," or can't groove on the Eddie & the Hot Rods-like pub-punk of "Where Was My Brain?" If they're not willing to pay attention to the more caustic confessions in Leo's narrative, they're also likely to miss out on the superplusgood mod-pop of "One Polaroid A Day" (one of my Top ten singles for the summer). With gut-punching lines "We've got to hang on while others document decay. But you want to control everything. You are your own worst enemy."

Leo is talking about "the discipline to let things play," something very hard to do the last decade. But now something we must do in order to survive. And as Chris Bailey of The Saints once sang, "In the struggle to survive some things must die." And if his album after the dark years seems a little too everywhere at once, well, so does any kind of true redemption.

Photo Review: Ted Leo + Rx at Neumos with The Hive Dwellers and The Sea Navy

imaginary lori — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 16:33:32 +0000

19 Mar 2010

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For years I have followed Ted Leo's music. I was fanatic for a while, even. Then it came to the point where one of his songs would pop up on my iPod and it would be a pleasant reminder of why I love him so. Friday night was that reminder times a million and then some. Oddly enough, it was my first time seeing him. Neumos started out a bit empty, but upbeat local band, The Sea Navy, came out and got everyone dancing as more people filtered in. The Hive Dwellers (fronted by K Records head Calvin Johnson) followed up The Sea Navy with a set that defied the laws of most Neumos shows by not using one microphone or any fancy lighting. I can do no justice in describing what happened, you really had to be there. I'll just mention that there was a lot of hip-gyrating. A lot of it.

Soon enough, Neumos was jam-packed with die-hard indie rock fans, buzzing excitedly about their love of Ted Leo. It seems he has quite a cult following and it's really not hard to see why. Ted Leo is a great indie-rock god to believe in, a force to be reckoned with, really (but likely the nicest force you will ever encounter). I will definitely be seeing him any time he is back in the area because, I don't know about you, but I really like to get my face rocked off. ...Also, covering Bruce Springsteen's "Dancing in the Dark" is one of the keys to my heart.

More? Flickr

Ted Leo spins Sarah Palin right round (like a record, baby)

imaginary dana — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 22:29:23 +0000

As if you needed another reason to have a mad rad crush on Ted Leo...

Ted Leo's new EP to benefit those affected by police brutality at the RNC

imaginary liz — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 15:13:23 +0000

Ted Leo has secured his place in my heart with the release of an EP in response to the Minnesota Police brutality at the RNC case which he put together to bring awareness and financial aid to the people affected by the police brutality in Minnesota.

Best of 2007: Erik G's favorite songs

Erik Gonzalez — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 19:28:01 +0000

OK, well, nobody likes to reflect and rank more than I do (I'm a scientist, I love to quantify), so here goes. I've got my favorite songs of 2007 - no, not best or most innovative, but rather the songs I liked ... lots and lots and lots. There is a little overlap from my forthcoming Best Albums, but also some curveballs. Enjoy!

Honorable Mention:

"Girls and Boys in Love" by the Rumble Strips
"Sons of Cain" by Ted Leo & the Pharmacists
"Jack the Ripper" by the Horrors (special note: If the Horrors had a brain and released the original fast demo version of this song on their debut Strange House, it would have been an easy top 10.)
"Ragoo" by Kings of Leon
"Heart It Races" by Architecture in Helsinki
"Geld Essen" by K.I.Z.

#10. "The Prayer" by Bloc Party from Weekend in the City - This song is one of the most interesting songs Bloc Party has recorded. Too bad the rest of the album (short of "Hunting for Witches") just wasn't as cool.

Ted Leo, Quasi, & the Intelligence

imaginary chona — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 16:55:18 +0000

23 Oct 2007

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Opening for an eager crowd of Ted Leo fans, the pulsing, “chop-those-vegetables!” edge to the Intelligence's sound was of high caliber, though the occasional monotony of the songs took its toll on the impatient Seattle audience. Nonchalantly, the band pressed on through their whole set with nary a momentary pause or word.

Following the Intelligence, I was pleasantly surprised by the entrance of Portland band Quasi, complete with drummer of now defunct local act Sleater Kinney, Janet Weiss. Vocalist Sam Coomes’s “fragile musical instrument” threatened to topple with every chord he pounded as Weiss’s extravagant skins added to the mix to create an intricate amassment of sound. I’m a sucker for any band with a great percussion section, and a great percussion sect is exactly what Quasi had.

Quasi’s obtuse and undeniable Dinosaur Jr. slant was quite the departure from the act just previous, and Ted Leo was about to stray even farther from the night’s lead, in the best way possible! Meanwhile, the all-ages crowd humbly awaited their medication from Ted and his Pharmacists...

The Intelligence. Photo by Chona Kasinger.

Quasi. Photo by Chona Kasinger.

The taffy-kneading, Sour Patch Kids pop (first salty, then sugary!) of Ted Leo and the Pharmacists really set off the night, filling everybody’s ears with Ted’s unmistakable bark and trademark trebly crunch. Drummer Chris Wilson remains one of my favorite drummers, with his fluid as water technique, and certainly aided in the burgeoning of Ted’s leads.

From the audience’s riley banter of “WHERE’S THE SKINNY DRUNK BASSIST?!” (previously seen at last summer’s Bumbershoot, who I will attest to witnessing the inebriation of) to Ted’s retort of “NO! That’s no thing to yell at a band halfway through their set! Look! There’s our skinny drunk bassist god dammit!” while wildly motioning towards the Pharmacist's newest addition, an adorably curly haired AND skinny... but maybe not so drunk dude. “This guy learned 30 songs in two days! Let’s give him a round!” Ted commanded.

From the multiple James Blunt comments over the course of the night, to the random bursts of cheer for the new bassist, much confusion and good times were to be had at Neumos last night. The fierce, all over the place, vegan hamburger fueled performance was the definition of quintessential rock show. Can I see Ted Leo as a former 1990’s anarcho-punk rocker in the DC scene? No. Can I see him as the rabid monarch indie pop king most likely to take over the world? My answer? A resounding yes.

The taffy-kneading, Sour Patch Kids pop (first salty, then sugary!) of Ted Leo and the Pharmacists really set off the night, filling everybody’s ears with Ted’s unmistakable bark and trademark trebly crunch.

Photo of the moment: Ted Leo!

imaginary dana — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 16:24:08 +0000

Amazing photographer Chona Kasinger strikes again!

Free tickets to see Ted Leo at Neumos!!

imaginary dana — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 21:15:28 +0000

The kind folks at Neumo's have offered up five (5!!!!) free pairs of tickets to the Ted Leo & the Pharmacists / Quasi / the Intelligence show that's this Tuesday (as in, tomorrow) at Neumo's.

Bumbershoot 2007: Ted Leo & the Pharmacists save the whales

Eddie B — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 23:30:54 +0000

3 Sep 2007

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It was the last day of Bumbershoot and the end of the night. As my fellow PhotoG and I waited with anticipation for Ted Leo to start, I saw his new bassist drinking out of a bottle of wine. Of course I had to comment to him, "Wow… very classy." He replied, "I didn’t want to waste the plastic." This triggered a "save the environment" discussion, during which he revealed his wish to Save the Whales! It’s good to see such contribution to our eco system from rock stars. I told him he’d make a great spokesman for the environment.

Ted Leo & the Pharmacists were entertaining both backstage and onstage. So much energy surrounded this four-man band. Even though Wu Tang Clan was performing at the same time, Ted and co. were able to gather up quite a few followers with much needed enthusiasm after such a long day.

Before the show, I didn’t know much about Ted Leo except for his cover of “Since You’ve Been Gone," which Chona (the other PhotoG) and I requested... but apparently, the bassist hates it, as he turned around and said to take a picture of him saying "No0o0o0!" to our request. So it was a pretty safe assumption that he hated it.

The night ended with Ted Leo doing a one-man encore and a stage crew member going up with the guitar player to jump and... I guess you'd call it dance along. I’ll say it was movement with excitement. It was definitely an awesome show... and hey: maybe we saved some whales by watching them!

Even though Wu Tang Clan was performing at the same time, Ted and co. were able to gather up quite a few followers with much needed enthusiasm after such a long day.

Athens PopFest 2007: Day 1 with Ted Leo, Velcro Stars and more...

imaginary liz — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 16:16:00 +0000

9 Aug 2007

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The Smittens welcomed me to the Athens PopFest with their trademark cute deep vocals and bashful next door lyrics "Be my valentine, I want to make out all the time."

Velcro Stars, already pointed out as a band I need to check out soon since they went beyond cute pop to offer a palate cleansing sorbet of chic indie rock.

I didn't take much to the two bands after The Velcro Stars (We Versus the Shark and Birds of Avalon) mainly because metal and classic rock just aren't my thing... even when housed in the 40 Watt. There were folks there that did get into it - I opted to head to the back and perused the Wuxtry stand complete with boxes of vinyl and cds!

I returned my attention to the stage once headliner Ted Leo started up. My first impression? That Ted a smooth mofo! His flawless set took the fest up a notch with as he oozed with enchanting conversation (Ah his timeless line, "at the end of the night we’re all a little twee") and cool-kid moves. It was like the indie Fonzie was up there taking us through his catalog of songs.

Live, his signature jabbing guitar rifts that backbone his crystal clear, Joe Jackson-esque voice translated from record perfectly. There was no denying that Ted and his pals brought live game as he flowed effortlessly into free form guitar-god asides within songs while remaining succinct and composed, driving the audience further into spazzy giddiness.

That Ted Leo a smooth mofo! His flawless set took the fest up a notch with as he oozed with enchanting conversation and cool-kid moves.

Athens PopFest Report: Thurdsay night with Ted Leo, The Smittens, and more!

imaginary liz — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 17:02:00 +0000

Good morning from sunny and warm (approx 100 degrees F) Athens, GA! Here's a recap of last night's show.

The Wackiest Cover Songs on the Web

imaginary char — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 16:18:13 +0000

Blender.com has released their list of the "Wackiest Cover Songs on the Web".

Athens PopFest Update

imaginary liz — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 13:12:54 +0000

Huzzah! The final wave of bands just added to the Athens PopFest has been announced! In addition to the stellar line up announced a while back (including Ted Leo, Daniel Johnston and, imaginary favorite, Cars Can Be Blue), the PopFest will now feature performances by...

Living with the Living

Erik Gonzalez — Mon, 14 May 2007 04:34:48 +0000

8.4

http://www.amazon.com/Living-Ted-Leo-Pharmacists/dp/B000MQ55DO/

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I can usually tell what bands really affect me most by trying the following exercise. If I actually had a tiny iota of musical talent, what do I think my band would sound. Well, nine times out of ten, the answer that pops into my head is Ted Leo & the Pharmacists (the other one time? I don’t know, Captain & Tennille?) There is just some sort of visceral connection I make with Ted’s band; I can’t really place it, but they usually just make music to which I find I can’t stop listening. That being said, Living with the Living does not disappoint. It finds Ted Leo at his most biting and political, along with most diverse and experimental, leading to a rock and roll treat for the whole family.

I get the impression from the get-go that Ted Leo is not a big fan of Dubya and his little war in Iraq. At least six songs on Living with the Living can be tied directly to war, the military, or the covert government. This anger has put Ted and the boys on their most aggressive and punk album path to date as they make sure we know that, well, war is bad. Just listen to “Bomb.Repeat.Bomb,” Ted’s most biting indictment of the war on the album. It's a great piece of sarcastic advice to bomber pilots, reminding them that, "When the crying starts, you won’t have to see their bloodshot eyes turn red" and that their mission is to "Pretend it’s television when the good guys always win." This is the closest Ted Leo has sounded like his more hardcore pre-Pharmacist band Chisel, right down to the howled vocals and wall-to-wall guitar and drums. When Ted continues the social commentary on “Army Bound,” the song is much more subdued and restrained that “Bomb.Repeat.Bomb” but the criticism is just a biting ("Make sure you keep your bunk beds made/one day you’ll see your bunker was the grave"). “The Lost Brigade” is epic for Ted Leo, clocking in at over seven minutes, but the taut guitars and Ted’s passionate vocals keep in interesting as it drifts along.

The album isn’t entirely commentary, as much of Living with the Living is populated with the excellent power pop rock that Ted Leo seems to have perfected. “Sons of Cain” is remarkably catchy – probably the equivalent to Shaking the Sheets’ “Me & Mia” for the it-should-be-a-hit quotient as it’s a real foot-stomping rocker. They put together a great summer gem with “Who Do You Love?” that sounds like a more punked-up Elvis Costello & the Attractions song right down to the staccato guitar riffs under the vocals that break into the melodic and infectious chorus. The same could be said for “A Bottle of Buckie” where we find Ted Leo being surprisingly charming (and slightly Irish). Ted continues this bit of his gentler side on “The Toro and the Toreador” where he mixes his biting lyrics (why would you give power to the one’s who rob you blind?) with the rock ballad form.

There is definitely a vein of more hard-hitting rock on Living with the Living, the guitars are more prominent and mixed with more bass than the last Ted Leo album and this is evident on “La Costa Brava,” a song that borrows from both the Cars and the Replacements while still keeping that signature Ted Leo sound. He has definitely been breaking out his early 80’s post-punk lately too, “Unwanted Things” is pure Clash with its dub beat and driving bassline. It is a completely new sound for the Pharmacists and works remarkably well. The closing song “C.I.A.” is pure Ted Leo & the Pharmacists, drilling us with guitars and drums while Ted sings with his signature brisk vocal style over the music – even if you’d never heard it before, you’d know this was Ted Leo without a doubt. Therein lies the Achilles’ Heel of Living with the Living: Ted rests on his laurels a little too much, bringing us what we’ve grown to expect from his band for the last three albums. It is a bad thing as such, but Ted seems to have figured out what we like and sticks to it most of the time.

Living with the Living is quintessentially Ted Leo. Sure, he’s more political than his last album and maybe he’s taking a more forceful bent towards his music, but there is no mistaking that this is a Ted Leo album. In a sense, he is fulfilling his destiny as the American Billy Bragg as a post-punk rocker that is blessed with a pop sensibility and a witty tongue. There are worse fates than that to befall a musician and although Living with the Living isn’t the next Nevermind, it produces what it is supposed to: rock music that makes you want to rock as much as it makes you want to sing along.

Living with the Living finds Ted Leo at his most biting and political, along with most diverse and experimental, leading to a rock and roll treat for the whole family.

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists

imaginary stella — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 05:07:13 +0000

18 Apr 2007

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists’ recent Seattle visit was a rollicking – and wicked loud – one. They blew through an hour-plus chunk of songs, hammering out a slew of fast-paced, impressively tight tracks.

The set featured a mash of new material from Living with the Living with classics like “Me and Mia” and “Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone?” The reggae-driven “The Unwanted Things” was particularly well delivered, as was the anthemic “Little Dawn” (ending in a two-minute hypnotic whisper/scream chorus: “it’s all right, it’s all right, it’s all right…”). In betwixt songs was not a lotta talk, though when frontman Leo – decked out in a golfer/emo hybrid: spanky white pants – took to the mic, he bantered friendly with the crowd.

Ted Leo sets have all the elements you want in a show: well-delivered songs, blistering guitars, high-energy danceable tracks, and plain good mojo. Ted Leo – who has serious street cred from his pop-punk days in DC outfit Chisel – now speaks to a more mature generation. He proved he’s the master of witty, edgy power-pop – certainly not your 14-year-old cousin’s emo band. It’s not that I can’t and don’t appreciate this fact – I can’t exactly pull off listening to 30 Seconds to Mars even if I do kinda like a few tracks (I hear your collective groan). My point here is: it surprised me that this show was open to all-ages. I’d figure Leo and the Pharmacists would opt to book a space like Neumo’s, packing the venue rather than half-filling a larger space like the Showbox.

We didn’t stick around or the encore, and it looked like a lot of the crowd had also bailed by that point. I don’t blame Ted, I blame Tuesdays. Here’s hoping next time he and the Pharmacists grace Seattle, they book for a weekend.

Tonight’s Recommended Show: Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, Love Of Diagrams at the Showbox

imaginary liz — Tue, 17 Apr 2007 15:25:07 +0000

Ted Leo & The Pharmacists and will be in Seattle tonight with Melbourne’s Love of Diagrams. I’ve been loving their debut release Mosiac (released on Matador). It’s angular and rhythmic and stands out from indie’s recent offerings.

FREE ticket giveaway for Ted Leo/Love of Diagrams: Seattle, Portland, Vancouver!

imaginary dana — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 16:10:16 +0000

Good news, duckies! Three Imaginary Girls has a pair of tickets to giveaway to each of the following ALL-AGES Ted Leo and the Pharmacists / Love of Diagrams shows:

"Rip off the Gift" by Chisel

Erik Gonzalez — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 08:00:00 +0000

OK, so, Ted Leo couldn't match his indie brethren and their auspicious chart debuts. Admittedly, Living with the Living did mark Ted's first visit to the Billboard Top 200 Albums (albeit at #109, a mere 108 places and 123,000 units behind the Mouse), but hey, you have to start somewhere.

Speaking of starting somewhere, Chisel was Ted's band pre-Pharmacists and what you get is something that sounds like, well, a Ted Leo & the Pharmacists outtake. It's more aggressive, less catchy, but still obviously Ted Leo. I've tried desperately to get into Chisel because of my love of Ted's current band, but it just doesn't seem to want to click with me, so instead Chisel is part of the subculture on my iPod of "Historical Appreciations" — bands that exist merely to make me... um, er... my record collection feel historically complete rather than just an amalgamation of random hits.

{iPod Roulette is a daily feature from TIG writer Erik Gonzalez, where he highlights the first track his 11,400 track iPod picks for each day. Think of it as your imaginary daily affirmation. For past rounds of roulette, check the iPod Roulette archives.}

chisel07mar.jpg

Chisel was Ted's band pre-Pharmacists and what you get is something that sounds like, well, a Ted Leo & the Pharmacists outtake. It's more aggressive, less catchy, but still obviously Ted Leo.