Ted Leo & The Pharmacists

Let's talk about Tedek!!!



I'm pretty much a newbie when it comes to Tedek—only really fell down the rabbit hole a few weeks ago—so here's some dry info I pulled from the internet:

After Chisel wrapped up, Tedek (which was his old band, though I guess being new means I'm not quite sure how much joy that actually brings 😳), recorded something called Ted Leo(?), Rx / Pharmacists back in '99, which is supposedly a bit dubby. Then, wandering down some wrong turns in 2000, he put out the ep Treble in Trouble, followed by Tyranny of distance, which apparently made him a hit.
That same year, the prolific Tedek and Pharmacists released Hearts of Oak. Then there's the ep Tell Balgeary, Balgury is dead, and then this absolute gem:



It’s the only one I’ve listened to properly, and honestly, it's all killer no filler—pretty upbeat, danceable, great for singalongs, and Tedek is just kind of Micek like that. 😍 A total front-line angel 🙂

As for Micek, he's on touch & go now with a new album, Living with The Living. It sounds great, except maybe for that reggae bit 🙂. Brendan Canty produced it.

They're great live. ☕ 😍

Alright, true fans, come on and liven up this constructive music discussion.

Between the Costell influence, that hint of Thin Lizzy, and those touches of punk and old-school emo, there’s no way this could turn out bad 🙂
. Honestly, though, I don't think he really needed that first Pharmacists record 🤮
.
Plus, I feel like that one reggae track fits in perfectly fine ☕
.

Life would be a total drag—just one long, monotonous blur—without those few genius albums. 🙏
It’s honestly a shame that the little yellow smiley face wiggling at the bottom of gentlepuma20's post just can't wrap its head around how brilliant the lady in the title actually is.

Pure musical bliss. I first discovered Hearts of Oak, then let them slip my mind for a while, until I finally heard Shake the Sheets. Man, what an incredible album... 🙏

The holy trinity just gained its twentieth official member, and they’re all equally great. 🙏

Live, Ted Leo absolutely shreds, while the haters just run for the border the second the drummer starts swinging those sticks.

Never actually heard of him before this... popped on a track just to test the waters and I have to say, he's solid. Can't say much more than that since I haven't really dug deep enough yet.😳

Božo lav is a total master, no question about it. 👍 Plus, he actually dropped a shout-out to Buffalo in a song, which makes him an even bigger legend in my eyes and Micek's eyes too... 😍

Man, I’ve had this sitting on my hard drive forever and never actually sat down to give it a proper listen. But then the other day, 🙂
just totally grabbed me... Almost ready to dive in now :jej:

Adam Lewis23 said:I've had him on my computer for ages and never really gave him a proper listen. But a few days ago, something just clicked 🙂
Almost ready to sit down and watch it :jej:

America?

Spain.

gentlepuma20 used to rave about Hearts of Oak. I listened to them quite a bit back in the day, but they never really blew me away. I'm going to give Tyranny of distance Hearts of Oak shake The Sheets a spin now.🙂

Here I am, listening to it again, and I still can't quite wrap my head around what makes it so special. It’s charming, I suppose, but perhaps not enough to truly fall in love with. To me, "Who Do You Love" is really the only standout track. I think I might give *Tyranny of distance Hearts of Oak shake The Sheets* a shot too, since Bob essentially invented the internet, after all. Sigh. 🙂

For me, "bomb repeat bomb" is the absolute standout.😁

That is actually quite 🙂

He’s got way less pop appeal than the rest of them 😬

Nothing compares to sin Eater... 🙏 🙏 🙏

...though honestly, it’s about time they finally dropped a new one.

Man, I’ve only got Shake the Sheets on CD. It’s solid, though—really infectious. Those ecstatic guitar parts are stunning. But then again, it isn't everything. You've got me and mia😍 or walking to do😍, that whole party punk vibe, the kind of stuff that gets people jumping into strollers and dancing.

ruggedcrane22 said:Man, all I’ve got is Tyrannny of distance Hearts of Oak shake The Sheets on CD. It’s solid stuff—catchy as hell. Those guitars are pure ecstasy. But then again, it’s not exactly groundbreaking. You’ve got tracks like me and mia😍 or walking to do😍—real party punk vibes, the kind of music that makes people lose their minds on a dance floor.

angels share 😍
was playing in Denver two years ago, but nobody felt like making the trip.😢

I've sat through their entire discography, but honestly, it’s always just been "okay" to me—I suppose there's just too much Costell baked into the sound for me to truly connect with it... 😬

shake The Sheets is just pure pop perfection from start to finish, whereas the new stuff and Hearts of Oak didn't really click for me, so I didn't bother digging any deeper (did I get my timing right on that? 🤔 )

Oh, and their live shows tend to lean heavily into satire too 🙂

My only real gripe is that I wish the bassist wouldn't act quite so convinced he's playing in '69

It’s honestly a bit baffling that nobody seems to be bringing up Guitar for Jodi... 🙂