Playlist: Ted Leo/The Pharmacists

In an effort to generate mo' content, I figured I'd share some playlists on my iPod. Whenever I try to make a mix, I opt to keep it short enough to either burn to a CD (> 80 minutes) or commit to a tape (> two hours). The 80 minute rule is good because it A) forces me to stick to the best of the best, B) makes it easier to get multiple plays, and C) can be burned to a disc for friends if they ever ask for a sampling of a given artist.

I have a tradition of listening to everything I have from a band before seeing 'em live, which I practiced with great authority prior to the Against Me!/Ted Leo show last week. My high school years featured Hearts of Oak and Tell Balgeary, Balgury Is Dead (Plus Solo) in heavy rotation, and it's been a while since I've listened to that much Pharmacists (and Chisel) material. Not that I ever lost the faith; I loved last year's Living With the Living. Last week was just a really good listening experience, one that made me remember why I loved Ted Leo in the first place.

After playing through my collection (74 Pharmacists songs, 25 Chisel ones) at work, I made a 21-song Leo playlist that clocks in at 77.5 minutes. It's hard to mix each album together; they all sound like a Ted Leo creation, but with their own unique sound. Regardless, I've been listening to it on and off for the last two-ish weeks, and I like it a lot. Hopefully, you'll feel the same. And be sure to post your own Ted Leo playlist, if you like.

Ted Leo!
1. "Building Skyscrapers in the Basement," Hearts of Oak
2. "Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone?", Hearts of Oak [Might as well lead with the opening tracks of my favorite Leo record. Dude knew what he was doing when he sequenced it.]
3. "The Sons of Cain," Living With the Living
4. "Loyal to My Sorrowful Country," Sharkbite Sessions
5. "Ballad of the Sin Eater," Hearts of Oak
6. "Bomb. Repeat. Bomb.", Living With the Living [Ef you Nate Adams!]
7. "Tell Balgeary, Balgury Is Dead," Hearts of Oak
8. "A Bottle of Bucky," Living With the Living
9. "Biomusicology," The Tyranny of Distance
10. "Parallel Or Together?", The Tyranny of Distance
11. "Timorous Me," The Tyranny of Distance
12. "I'm Looking Through You," This Bird Has Flown: A 40th Anniversary Tribute To The Beatles' Rubber Soul
13. "Me And Mia," Shake the Sheets [Eff you Nate Adams 2x!]
14. "Shake the Sheets," Shake the Sheets
15. "Little Dawn," Shake the Sheets
16. "The Latest Dart," split with The One AM Radio
17. "Dirty Old Town," Tell Balgeary, Balgury Is Dead (Plus Solo)
18. "The Great Communicator," The Tyranny of Distance
19. "Ghosts," Tell Balgeary, Balgury Is Dead (Plus Solo)
20. "Since U Been Gone / Maps," live
21. "Rappaport's Testament: I Never Gave Up," Mo' Living