Anti-War: Ted Leo

nobody@vox.com(Burl Veneer) — Sat, 03 May 2008 05:08:20 -0700

I don't often listen to so-called "Indie Rock," because when I do I usually find it boring, precious, excessively wordy, and lacking any rock'n'roll gusto, and then I remember why I don't listen to Indie Rock. Sasha Frere-Jones ignited a big debate last fall (if music geeks arguing amongst themselves can be termed a "debate") with his New Yorker article "A Paler Shade of White," in which he argues that indie rock sucks because it's all made by middle-class white college students (and graduates) with little to no influence from Authentic Black Music. (I remember hearing virtually the same argument nearly thirty years ago, explaining why Led Zeppelin was great and Def Leppard sucked.) I think it probably explains why I can't get interested in indie rock. But complaining about it is like complaining that Chick-Fil-A doesn't serve enough hamburgers. If it's a hamburger you want, don't go to Chick-Fil-A! Yesterday, however, I took a trip to the musical Chick-Fil-A, as Ted Leo and the Pharmacists were playing at Cornell's end-of-classes Slope Day celebration. I'd heard good things about Ted Leo from phantom blogger Jeff, and it was free, so I decided to check it out. Well...for the most part it didn't change my opinion of indie rock, but they did unleash the angriest, most passionate anti-war song I've heard in years, the best protest rock since Rage Against the Machine broke up. Here's the video for "Bomb. Repeat. Bomb.", which doesn't begin to capture the power of the live performance (a second guitarist really adds to the punch of the chorus):

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - Bomb. Repeat. Bomb.

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Anti-War: Ted Leo