ted leo – the tyranny of distance (try the pay day song!) – 4 stars

after the newness of this disc wears off and it isn’t in heavy rotation, i’m sure it will stand almost shoulder to shoulder with my other ted leo cd, hearts of oak. almost. i think the newer one is just bigger. at least it feels that way. it takes up more space in the room and pushes you around more while you listen to it. this one still gets me going though, although i think here more than elsewhere i feel like he/they just don’t know when to quit. like that song ‘stove by a whale’, which could be a badass 3 to 4 minute song, is a pretty overly drawn out 8 minute one. even the track off this cd i’ve decided is my absolute favorite ted leo song ever, ‘timorous me’, has a wholly unnecessary full minute of feedback fadeout tacked on the end which i guess is for some kind of effect…? and then of course, the song i wish would go on longer, ‘the gold finch and the red oak tree,’ ends after less than two minutes! oh don’t worry, i forgive you ted. it’s still a terrific cd and you’re still one rockin’ dude.

spoon – a series of sneaks (find your own this time) – 3 stars

alright, i listened to it for real this time. several times even. and i’m being totally honest when i say i really like spoon, at least in theory. i go to their shows, and i own several of their cds. but i can’t pay attention to this cd. i keep doing other things and before i know it, it’s over. now maybe i have a short attention span, or maybe it’s just that kind of cd you buy to support a band that you know is good. i stand by ‘metal detektor’ though. that’s some hot shit. as a whole though, i’d just much rather listen to girls can tell.