Ted Leo's Citizens Arrest Release First New Music in 21 Years

BY Gregory AdamsPublished May 16, 2011

Last fall, we reported that celebrated indie power popper Ted Leo was getting back together with his old hardcore band Citizens Arrest to play some reunion gigs. Apparently, getting back to their punk rock roots was a blast, as the group recently wrote and recorded some new tunes, their first in over two decades.

Yesterday (May 15) saw the release of a four-song EP of speedy punk missives full of chunky guitar chords, blitzkrieg beats and gnarled vocals, marking Citizens Arrest's first material released since their 1990 full-length Colossus. While Leo was originally the frontman in the project, he's since stepped to the side to play guitar and let Daryl Kahan run his vocal chords ragged.

While the collection, released by Coextinction Records, is currently an online-only venture, the band have hinted that it could see release on vinyl sometime soon. As for now, they're applauding Coextinction's super quick turnaround with the EP.

"Vinyl would be great, and I'm sure there'll be something in the near future, but there's a reason we didn't do it right now -- we thought the whole point of what our friends at Coexctinction do is cool," Leo wrote on the group's Facebook page. "No contracts, no LPs, you record fast and for free, they turn it around and get it right up online as fast as they can, and then sell it for cheap. It's a way to document something immediate -- friends working with friends, for, like, literally one afternoon of fun and creativity (I realize that sounds a lot like daycare, but...) and have it out there right in the moment."

You can listen to samples of the EP and purchase it here.

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