"Me and Mia" by Ted Leo + The Pharmacists

Do you believe in something beautiful?
Then get up and be it
Fighting for the smallest goal: to get a little self-control
I know how hard you try, I see it in your eyes

I'm loving this song so much right now. I know, I know; it's about two years old! But I heard it for the first time last night, thanks to a visit to ...good weather for air strikes. This may sound dorky, but "Me and Mia" makes me feel the way the theme song "The Touch" from the Transformers movie made me feel when I was a kid -- and yes, that is a very good thing. I was going to try to describe the song, but a quick search showed that Zeth Lundy of PopMatters had already done a good job of that:

Regrettably, there is no better way to describe "Me and Mia", the opening song on Ted Leo + Pharmacists' new record, than to cuss it out. In italics. Uncreative, emphasized profanity.

It's wicked fuckin' catchy.

The blistering minor-key changes in the chorus, the skanky bridge, and the passion in Leo's voice are all unshakable. Songs don't come equipped with hooks meatier than "Me and Mia". When they sink their curved, metallic spikes into your auditory consciousness, setting off countless neurotransmitters of pleasure, you'll do anything to retain the sensation of that blissful first listen. You'll find that the repeat button (or, for those of you listening on tape decks, the rewind button) is the cheapest local anesthetic. If you think you can drink it out of your head, trust me, it's damn near impossible.

Download the song here (right-click on song title, Save Link As). It's track #3. Lots of great stuff in this mix, btw: the fantastic "Trains to Brazil" by Guillemots, stuff by Mates of State, Rilo Kiley, etc., and "July July" by The Decemberists.