Come Here To Me!

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists- I Got Your Number

I’m really off the radar at the minute, to the extent I’ve got plenty of those “where are you” texts that when you respond with something like “in the library” you get another one two minutes later saying “No, I mean like in general lately”. I’m AWOL, shit-deep in Microsoft Word.

This made my day. I check those Facebook events too late to spot anything anymore (Nothing worse than spotting a great gig advertised over there and realising it started…..five minutes ago) but this stood out a mile.

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists have released three of my favourite albums to date. Shake The Sheets, Hearts Of Oakand Living With The Living. I play all three constantly, and even have a Ted Leo t-shirt (OMG) which is one of very few band shirts I’d wear around to be honest,it’s been there since I was 15 or 16 too.

Ted Leo And The Pharmacists- The Mighty Sparrow (From new album ‘The Brutalist Bricks’)

They’re neither an indie nor a punk band in my mind, and near impossible to label within traditional genres of music. They should appeal to fans of either genre. Their release of Rapid Response, an EP to benefit those arrested at the Republican National Congress in the U.S showed their political leanings.

This isn’t meant to be some grand sweeping statement on our part – it’s just a way for us to contribute SOMETHING real to the lives of real human beings, and show our material support for those whose actions and thoughts we value in this ideological struggle

Recent releases have hade a stronger sense of political identity, with songs like Bomb.Repeat.Bomb dealing with U.S Foreign Policy. Ted also writes a very good blog, over on the band site, which is worthy of a read. Read his post on Record Store Day, and nod in agreement.

The list of Ted Leo covers is mindblowing too, off the top of my head (with a sneaky MP3 player peek) it includes Samhain, Billy Bragg, The Waterboys, Cock Sparrer, Amebix, Generation X, Eddie And The Hot Rods, The Jam and eh…R Kelly. Along with Face to Face, they’re one of the only bands I think ever got away with a Stiff Little Fingers cover. Ted Leo, I salute you.

Ted Leo And The Pharmacists- Fisherman’s Blues

Tickets priced €14.50 are available from Tickets.ie
You can buy ‘The Brutalist Bricks’ from Matador Records here