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greer's OC
To be honest, we’re not totally sure why Ted Leo and the Pharmacists aren’t more popular than they are now. They came out at the beginning murmurings of when indie rock as we know it today began to first make a splash, around 1999. They had it all: Jangly poppy hooks, the quirky looks, and, most importantly, the hype. Albums like The Tyranny of Distance (2001) and Hearts of Oak (2003) showcased a pop sensibility that’s rare, one whose sounds can draw comparisons to everyone from the Beatles to the Jam and Wire. But for whatever reason, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists (sometimes referred to as Ted Leo/RX) dropped off the radar for a few years, while contemporaries like Death Cab For Cutie powered through to (somewhat surprising) mainstream success. (But in Ted Leo’s favor for this one, we’ve got to say that The OC did a major favor for Death Cab.) However, Ted Leo might just have another chance here, with their latest album The Brutalist Bricks—which received a 7.9 rating by the very snooty, very picky Pitchfork. The album has a throwback to those hooky hooks of their earlier work, with the clever lyrics, but this time has more of a win to Leo’s own punk roots. Ted Leo and the Pharmacists: Fri., March 26, 7 p.m., $14. Glass House, 200 W. 2nd St., Pomona, 909.865.3802, theglasshouse.us. All ages. $12.
