The Music Is The Master, Can’t You Hear It Calling You?

Ted Leo and the Pharmacists “The Unwanted Things” – Some people might roll their eyes at the token reggae song on Ted Leo’s new album, but as far as I’m concerned, “The Unwanted Things” showcases everything that I love about his music — effortless warmth and humanity, an easygoing sense of melody, and his thin yet extraordinarily endearing falsetto. “The Unwanted Things” overflows with gentle empathy, and though it strays from his typical style, it still seems like a defining work for the Nicest Guy in Indie Rock. (Click here to buy it from Insound.)

Ted Leo “Rock and Roll Dreams’ll Come Through” – At the start of this clip from last week’s special marathon episode of the Best Show On WFMU, Ted Leo mentions that he got a request for the Gorch’s “Chain Fight Tonight.” I was the guy who requested it from the phone room, but honestly, hearing Ted nail Barry Dworkin’s classic “Rock and Roll Dreams’ll Come Through” instead was much, much better and pretty much a fahntasy come true for this, or any, Best Show fanboy. (Click here to buy the full “Gas Station Dogs” bit on Scharpling and Wurster’s New Hope For the Ape-Eared double-disc set from Stereolaffs.)

Elsewhere: The next batch of 33 1/3 books has been announced. I’m pleased to say that some of my friends have made the cut — Bryan Charles (Pavement), Chris Weingarten (Public Enemy), and Jessica Saurez (Weezer) — and some guy I don’t know at all managed to land a book on one of my five or six favorite albums ever, Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers). Let’s hope he doesn’t eff that one up, okay? One thing I can guarantee is that Bryan Charles is going to do an amazing job with Wowee Zowee. There really is no one else I’d rather have writing the book on my favorite album (and favorite band) of all time.

Also: Tom Breihan’s interview with James Murphy is pretty crucial. If you only click on one blog link today…