Ted Leo & The Pharmacists
The Brutalist Bricks
Matador (2010)
Their first record for Matador; their first record featuring new bassist Marty Key: The Brutalist Bricks is a record of firsts. It's the band's second shortest record, however (2004's Shake the Sheets is a couple of minutes briefer, at 39:52), and a departure from the drawn-out, exploratory songs of 2007's Living With the Living.Opener 'The Mighty Sparrow' is classic Leo, punchy and bright, and it barely sticks around long enough for the refrain to become embedded in your subconscious before the drum-laden 'Mourning in America' makes its fuzz bass and ricochet drum fill presence felt.There are a the odd few lyrical oddities herein: a line like "the means of production are now in the hands of the workers" sounds a little overwrought in 'Ativan Eyes', accuracy of the statement notwithstanding. Similarly, the odd stereo-shifting of the opening vocal of 'Bottled in Cork' is disconcerting, but this can't spoil the main hook of the song, as earworm-inspiring as Living With the Living's 'The Lost Brigade' and its "every little memory has a song" refrain was.Leo's songwriting is generally strong, however, and catchy moments like the Hot Snakes esque 'The Stick', 'Where Was My Brain' and 'Bottled in Cork' are standouts. Everything … Read more
Various Artists
House Of Low Culture / Mamiffer - split
Utech (2010)
Did you ever just want to pop on a record to zone out to while you are either doing work … Read more
The Bombpops
Like I Care
Red Scare (2010)
Hailing from San Diego, California, The Bombpops are a female fronted quartet and a force to be reckoned with. Their … Read more
