Ted Leo is the indie rock equivalent of a savings bond: he's unlikely to hit it big, but his solid fan base and steady output means that he's probably a safe investment for any record label. In September, Matador announced that it had signed Leo and his backing band, the Pharmacists. Now, the label is getting ready to cash in on the investment and announced the group's latest album.
The LP is called The Brutalist Bricks and it's due out on March 9. It was recorded in Brooklyn's Seaside Lounge, and is the band's first full-length since 2007's Living with the Living, and their sixth overall. And, yes, that's the cover above.
Matador's press release is full of lofty statements about the new album's brilliance, including that it "is one of those career-defining, 'can you believe what you're hearing?' kinda records." What's more, they suggest you take a shower before listening to the album, because it "makes most other activity the day you first play it nearly impossible."
We'll have to wait until the new year to see if it lives up to these claims. You can take a sneak peak now, however, in the form of lead single "Even Heroes Have to Die." The song matches fatalist lyrics with a catchy pop rock arrangement that's bound to please longtime Ted Leo fans.
In addition to the new album, Ted Leo has announced a handful of tour dates, some of which are solo and some of which are with the Pharmacists.
Tour Dates:
12/2 Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church *
12/3 Washington DC - The Black Cat *
12/5 Cambridge, MA - Middle East *
12/6 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom *
12/10 Madrid, ES - Primavera Club '09 *
12/11 Barcelona, ES - Primavera Club '09 *
12/12 Barcelona, ES - Primavera Club '09 *
12/14 Brighton, UK - Engine Room **
12/15 Canterbury, UK - Bramleys **
12/16 London, UK - Brixton Windmill **
12/17 Kingston, UK - New Slang **
12/18 London, UK - Grosvenor **
*Ted Leo & the Pharmacists
**Ted Leo solo
The LP is called The Brutalist Bricks and it's due out on March 9. It was recorded in Brooklyn's Seaside Lounge, and is the band's first full-length since 2007's Living with the Living, and their sixth overall. And, yes, that's the cover above.
Matador's press release is full of lofty statements about the new album's brilliance, including that it "is one of those career-defining, 'can you believe what you're hearing?' kinda records." What's more, they suggest you take a shower before listening to the album, because it "makes most other activity the day you first play it nearly impossible."
We'll have to wait until the new year to see if it lives up to these claims. You can take a sneak peak now, however, in the form of lead single "Even Heroes Have to Die." The song matches fatalist lyrics with a catchy pop rock arrangement that's bound to please longtime Ted Leo fans.
In addition to the new album, Ted Leo has announced a handful of tour dates, some of which are solo and some of which are with the Pharmacists.
Tour Dates:
12/2 Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church *
12/3 Washington DC - The Black Cat *
12/5 Cambridge, MA - Middle East *
12/6 New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom *
12/10 Madrid, ES - Primavera Club '09 *
12/11 Barcelona, ES - Primavera Club '09 *
12/12 Barcelona, ES - Primavera Club '09 *
12/14 Brighton, UK - Engine Room **
12/15 Canterbury, UK - Bramleys **
12/16 London, UK - Brixton Windmill **
12/17 Kingston, UK - New Slang **
12/18 London, UK - Grosvenor **
*Ted Leo & the Pharmacists
**Ted Leo solo
