The Tyranny of Distance | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | June 19, 2001 | |||
Genre | Indie rock | |||
Length | 48:51 | |||
Label | Lookout! | |||
Producer | Brendan Canty | |||
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists chronology | ||||
|
The Tyranny of Distance is the second album by American rock band Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, released in 2001 by Lookout! Records. It was the group's first album as a full band, as their previous album tej leo(?), Rx / pharmacists had been a solo effort by singer/guitarist Ted Leo. The album's title comes from a lyric in the Split Enz song "Six Months in a Leaky Boat", which the band later covered twice: first as a Leo solo on the EP Tell Balgeary, Balgury Is Dead in 2003, and again as a full band on 2005's Sharkbite Sessions .
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
Pitchfork | 8.5/10 [2] |
Stylus Magazine | B+ [3] |
Nate Cavalieri of AllMusic said about the record overall, "By fusing the punk and retro-pop elements of his musical history with a noisy affection for '60s blues-rock formulas, The Tyranny of Distance showcases some of Leo's best songwriting to date. Laden with falsetto hooks and overtly romantic observations of the world, he is able to control combinations of aggression and sentiment and focus them into highly melodic expressions of pure emotion." [1] Pitchfork writer Chip Chanko praised the musicianship of backing band the Pharmacists and Leo's songwriting and guitar work, saying that "Ted Leo's latest offers ample hooks, a uniquely expressive voice, and a perfect single that, in a just universe, would be all over the radio. I wanted to tell the world of the album's riches! Riches of song!" [2]
In 2009, Pitchfork placed The Tyranny of Distance at number 120 on their list of the Top 200 Albums of the 2000s. Pitchfork writer Jason Crock said, "Formed in between Pharmacists lineups and aided by numerous friends in the studio, Tyranny of Distance sounds cobbled together by the pieces of a lifetime's listening while still remarkably cohesive and whole." [4]
Aimee Elizabeth Mann is an American singer-songwriter. Over the course of four decades, she has released more than a dozen albums.
Brendan John Canty is an American musician, composer, producer and film maker, best known as the drummer for the band Fugazi.
Hearts of Oak is the third studio album by American indie rock band Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, released on February 11, 2003 by Lookout! Records. A music video was filmed for the single "Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone?".
Timothy J. Kasher is a musician from Omaha, Nebraska, and is the frontman of indie rock groups Cursive and the Good Life, both of which are on the Omaha-based record label Saddle Creek Records.
Ted Leo and the Pharmacists are an American rock band formed in 1999 in Washington, D.C. They have released six full-length studio albums and have toured internationally. Though the group's lineup has fluctuated throughout their career, singer/guitarist Ted Leo has remained the band's main songwriter, creative force, and only constant member. The group's music combines elements of punk rock, indie rock, art punk, traditional rock, and occasionally folk music and dub reggae. Their most recent album, The Brutalist Bricks, was released on March 9, 2010.
Theodore Francis Leo is an American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman and lead guitarist of rock group Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, and in 2013, he and Aimee Mann formed the indie rock duo the Both.
Shake the Sheets is the fourth album by the Washington, D.C. rock band Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, released in 2004 by Lookout! Records. It was the band's last album for the Lookout! label. A music video was filmed for the single "Me and Mia", a song about a friend of frontman Ted Leo who's battled an eating disorder.
Tell Balgeary, Balgury Is Dead is an EP released in 2003 by Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, although it mostly comprises Ted Leo's solo work. The title track is carried over from the band's previous album, Hearts of Oak, as is "The High Party". "Bleeding Powers" and "Loyal to My Sorrowful Country" are given full band treatment on 2004's Shake the Sheets and 2005's Sharkbite Sessions, respectively.
Treble in Trouble is an EP by the Washington, D.C. rock band Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, released in 2000 by Ace Fu Records. It was the group's first release as a full band, following a debut album which had essentially been a Ted Leo solo release. Following that album Leo assembled a backing band called The Pharmacists and recorded this EP, which was much less experimental than his solo releases and structured more in punk rock and indie rock. It includes versions of two songs Leo had written with his previous band, the Sin Eaters.
tej leo(?), Rx / pharmacists is the debut album by the Washington, D.C. rock band Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, released in 1999 by Gern Blandsten Records. Though considered the band's first album, it is actually a solo effort by Ted Leo with some contributions by Jodi V.B. of The Secret Stars. The following year Leo would assemble a backing band including V.B., which he named The Pharmacists. The album is largely experimental and blends rock music with elements of dub reggae, with many instrumental tracks, samples, and audio experimentation. This is exemplified in the various tracks entitled "(version:)," which are versions and remixes of "Release Form," a song originally written by V.B. for The Secret Stars. The track "(version: to decline to take a shower)," for example, consists of Leo singing the song while showering. In other instances Leo samples himself, such as "Walking Through," which contains a sample of "Congressional Dubcision," and "Out of Step '88!," which samples a radio interview that Leo did for campus radio station WFVI at the University of Notre Dame.
"Transmission" is a song by English post-punk band Joy Division. Originally recorded in 1978 for the band's aborted self-titled album, it was later re-recorded the following year at a faster tempo and released by record label Factory as the band's debut single.
The Tyranny of Distance may refer to:
Hot Chip are an English synthpop band formed in London in 2000. The group consists of multi-instrumentalists Alexis Taylor, Joe Goddard, Al Doyle, Owen Clarke, and Felix Martin. They are occasionally supplemented by former member Rob Smoughton and Sarah Jones for live performances and studio recordings. The group primarily produces music in the synth-pop and alternative dance genres, drawing influences from house and disco.
"Where Have All the Rude Boys Gone?" is a song by Ted Leo and the Pharmacists from their 2003 release Hearts Of Oak. It was the single from the record, and the video received airtime on MTV. The lyrics of the song pine for an older age of ska music and the "rude boys" who represented its most dedicated fans. Additionally, the song is thoroughly laced with references to The Specials, The Selecter, The Beat and other ska bands from the Two-tone era. The video is based on the 1962 horror film Carnival of Souls.
Living with the Living is the fifth album by the Washington, D.C. rock band Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, released in 2007 by Touch and Go Records. It was the band's first album for the Touch and Go label and debuted on the U.S. Billboard 200 at number 109, selling about 8,000 copies in its first week. Music videos were filmed for the singles "Bomb. Repeat. Bomb." and "Colleen". The iTunes download version of the album included a bonus track entitled "The Vain Parade", while first-run copies of the CD version included the bonus Mo' Living EP.
Nate Ruess is an American singer and songwriter. He is best known as the founder and lead singer of the indie pop band Fun, and of The Format. As of 2015, he also performs as a solo musician.
The Brutalist Bricks is the sixth album by the northeast American punk band Ted Leo and the Pharmacists. It was released March 9, 2010 by Matador Records. It is the band's first album for Matador Records.
Title Tracks is the American power pop/indie rock solo project from Washington, D.C.-based musician John Davis.
The Both was an American indie rock musical duo and supergroup, consisting of Aimee Mann and Ted Leo. They began collaborating in 2013 and released a self-titled album in April 2014.
The Smile are an English rock band comprising Radiohead members Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood with Sons of Kemet drummer Tom Skinner. They are produced by Nigel Godrich, Radiohead's longtime producer. They incorporate elements of post-punk, progressive rock, Afrobeat and electronic music.