Song of the Week- 3/8/08

This week, I keep the indie tour de force going with "Me and Mia" by Ted Leo and the Pharmacists. (Jesus, I've chosen LCD Soundsystem, Vampire Weekend, Gogol Bordello, and Ted Leo and the Pharmacists so far- am I turning into one of them?)

Ted Leo is a wise veteran of the independent music scene has been the very definition of Indie Rock the last two decades (at least according to Wikipedia and Allmusic.com). His music is marked by its simplicity and by its catchy hooks all over the place. It has gotten to the point where Ted Leo may have mastered at formulating pop songs and that's not a bad thing at all. In "Me and Mia" we get a nice little introduction to what Ted Leo and the Pharmacists are all about. Lots of power chords in a major key on a very clean, heavy-gain, guitar matched up with upbeat drumming and high, but unstrained, singing. The song doesn't slow at all and maintains an energy that's rarely founds in mainstream popular rock. About half way into the song, the verse and chorus chord progressions are replaced by the brighter chord progressions of the chorus and bridge to make the mood even brighter and more optimistic. All the while, the lyrics churned out by Ted Leo only help add to this bright mood despite some of Leo's own editorializing about life ("Fighting for the smallest goal: to gain a little self-control").

In the end, it's just a really good song- that's all that matters. Enjoy