Ted Leo: Ted Leo (vocals, guitar); Dave Lerner (bass guitar); Chris Wilson (drums, percussion).

On 2007's LIVING WITH THE LIVING, Ted Leo's first album for the venerable Touch & Go label, the Washington, D.C.-based indie/punk-pop hero leads his supremely tight Pharmacists ensemble through another collection of fierce, guitar-driven tunes. While the searing "Bomb. Repeat. Bomb." reveals Leo at his most aggressive and political, the earnest frontman also displays his pop sensibilities on LIVING, as exemplified by "The Sons of Cain," a hook-heavy, Pixies-like tune. Bolstered by bright, upfront production courtesy of Fugazi's Brendan Canty, the record reinforces Leo's revered status, and easily holds up to its acclaimed predecessors, HEARTS OF OAK and SHAKE THE SHEETS.