Just What the Doctor Ordered

Local hipster hero Ted Leo is back with his newest album, Living with the Living, and, fortunately for indie-pop fans, the prognosis looks promising, as Ted Leo and the Pharmacists seem to have found the prescription for success.

A resident of Washington since 1990, Leo seems to have found a niche by delivering eclectic albums with scathing political lyrics and catchy guitar hooks while ultimately staying true to his rock and punk roots. Living with the Living is no exception. The album features everything from reggae to Celtic-influenced rock to unashamed anti-war ballads.

Leo even dabbles in hardcore with "Bomb. Repeat. Bomb.," perhaps homage to the district's now-defunct underground hardcore scene (the album was produced by Brendan Canty, drummer of the legendary Washington hardcore band Fugazi), and a clear commentary on the war in Iraq. While Leo makes a noble effort with the song, it is hard to take it seriously, because his usually gentle and airy voice makes for terrible screaming. Still, the song is not a weak point to the album; somehow, it manages to become endearing with its catchy, simple chorus of "Bomb. Repeat. Bomb. Repeat. Bomb."

The band is at its best, however, when sticking to what it knows best: poppy punk-rock songs with fast beats and catchy melodies. After the intro, "Fourth World War," a 35-second clip of various languages, the album gets started with the power-pop song "The Sons of Cain," perhaps the strongest song of the album.

Near the album's close, Leo tests listeners' patience with three songs each clocking in at more than six minutes, including the seven-and-a-half-minute epic, "The Lost Brigade." Fortunately, the song stays diverse enough to not become boring and ends up being the climax of the album.

Another strong point of the album is "Coleen," a song that features Leo over an acoustic guitar but also uses a slick electric solo. If anyone else were singing it, the song would feel thin, but Leo's strong vocals make the song feel just right. "A Bottle Of Buckie" is also an album highlight, as it features an obvious Irish influence and a piccolo solo that seems straight out of a Celtic dance number.

Definitely worth the price of admission, Living with the Living features plenty of indie power-pop goodness. While it may not be as strong as some of the band's previous offerings, particularly the classic Hearts of Oak, the album features enough diversity and plenty of content (a whopping 15 songs) to satisfy any Ted Leo fan.

For those who still can't get enough, the band is releasing a five-song bonus disc, Mo' Livin, to people who pre-order the album. Mo Livin' will include a cover of the classic Chumbawumba song "Rappaport's Testament: I Never Gave Up." Good enough for any Leo-lover.

Shake Your Pepper Shaker

Pepper is OK with the Sublime comparisons. Many people consider the band to be a blatant Sublime rip off, but drummer Yesod Williams says the band doesn't mind.

"It's an honor to be compared to such a great band like that," Williams said. "I don't know how you could take it badly. A few years ago, there were those die-hard [Sublime] fans that would hate on us for it. That gets irritating, but to be compared to a band like that is nothing but good."

Indeed, there are many similarities between the two bands. Both Pepper and the now legendary Sublime blend elements of reggae, ska and punk, along with smooth vocals, into fun and easygoing songs. Currently, Pepper is on a nationwide tour with ska acts Mad Caddies and label mates The Supervillians and Splinta.

Pepper was originally based in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, but relocated to Southern California to tour the country more easily.

"In the mainland, we can just hop in a van and tour the country," Williams said. "In Hawaii, you are kind of landlocked and there's only so many places to play."

Each year, the band organizes and hosts an event, the Kona Town Music Festival, in their home town.

"It's our way of trying to expand the music scene over there, of getting kids to see music they wouldn't normally get to see," Williams said. While the band does not get to play concerts in Hawaii as often as it would like, it did recently play concerts in Oahu and Maui with Bob Fest 2007, an event that also featured Lauryn Hill.

In addition to throwing a music festival each year, Pepper also owns its own record label, called LAW Records. The label was started by Williams' father in the early '80s before eventually folding. Pepper decided to restart the label in 2000, when they re-released their first demo, Give'n It. The label's lineup features four bands, including both The Supervillians and Splinta.

The band recently released its most successful album, No Shame, on Volcom Entertainment, an offshoot of the popular clothing brand Volcom. Some of the tracks featured production by Nick Hexum of 311, who has gone on to become close friends with the band. The rest are produced by Tony Kanal of No Doubt and Paul Leary, who produced many tracks for Sublime. "No control," the single off that album, reached No. 19 on the U.S. Modern Rock Countdown, according to Williams.

After releasing four full-length albums, the band is releasing a rarities album called To Da Max on March 20, which features "everything the band has ever recorded but not released," Williams explained.

This past summer, the band capitalized on its friendship with Hexum and toured with 311 and The Wailers. But touring with 311 was not Pepper's first brush with famous musicians. The band also played a concert with Snoop Dogg in the notoriously dangerous area of Bakersfield, Calif., yet did not get a chance to meet him.

"We were pretty far out of our element. We didn't know if we were going to play a good show or get knifed," Williams said. "Luckily, we escaped unscathed."

After their current tour, the band has a busy summer ahead. Pepper is planning a European tour for May, and after that, the band will be playing the main stage on every date of the Vans Warped Tour, one of the biggest traveling tours in America.

"This is the first time we're playing on the main stage, so it's kind of coming full circle for us," Williams said.

Despite its solid touring fan base, the band does not expect to achieve mainstream success from the experience.

"You definitely hope to achieve as much as you can, to push the music forward, but we're not counting on it," Williams said.

Still, Pepper is content with what it has achieved so far. "Being out on the road is what we do. It's the heartbeat of this band," he said.

Pepper is playing at the 9:30 Club in Washington on Wednesday, March 7. Tickets are still available and cost $15.