# Shake the Sheets

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***Shake the Sheets*** is the fourth studio album by the [Washington, D.C.](/source/Washington,_D.C.) [rock](/source/Rock_music) band [Ted Leo and the Pharmacists](/source/Ted_Leo_and_the_Pharmacists), released in 2004 by [Lookout! Records](/source/Lookout!_Records). It was the band's last album for the Lookout! label. A music video was filmed for the single "[Me and Mia](/source/Me_and_Mia)", a song about a friend of frontman [Ted Leo](/source/Ted_Leo) who's battled an eating disorder.[1]

## Critical reception

*Shake the Sheets* received positive reviews from [music critics](/source/Music_journalism). At [Metacritic](/source/Metacritic), which assigns a [normalized](/source/Standard_score) rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an [average](/source/Weighted_mean) score of 79, based on 24 reviews.[2]

Nisha Gopalan from *[Entertainment Weekly](/source/Entertainment_Weekly)* wrote about the track listing, "Practically every song is a near-perfect amalgam of straight-up melodies and pogoing beats."[3] Tim Sendra of [AllMusic](/source/AllMusic) praised the album's stripped-down approach to its messages and instrumentation and Leo for continuing to craft strong musicianship in his vocals and lyrics, concluding with, "Fiercely political without being to specific, filled with moments that will have you jumping out of your seat with excitement, *Shake the Sheets* is more proof that Ted Leo & the Pharmacists are the only band that matters, punk or otherwise."[4] Alec Hanley Bemis from *[Blender](/source/Blender_(magazine))* found criticism in Leo's fast-paced delivery causing his lyrics to feel hazy and lose energy after the first three tracks but praised his musical pastiche of '70s pub rock and '80s punk, along with "a half-dozen modern swing and shuffle rhythms", calling it "a pop-punk update on [Springsteen](/source/Bruce_Springsteen)".[5] *[Rolling Stone](/source/Rolling_Stone)**s [Jon Caramanica](/source/Jon_Caramanica) commended Leo for clearing up his themes and sound while remaining a vocal presence but found the attention to politics muted.[6]*****[Pitchfork](/source/Pitchfork_(website))*contributor Rob Mitchum saw the record moving away from*[Hearts of Oak](/source/Hearts_of_Oak_(album))**s "more aggressively percussive approach," noting the scaling back of Leo's idiosyncratic musical repertoire, the presence of backing band the Pharmacists and the political aspects of the songs being hampered by "unrepresentative cliché-driven lyrical content," but said "while disappointing, *Shake the Sheets* remains better than most of its current brethren in indie cryostasis."[7]

## Tour

On February 13, 2024, Leo announced they will perform the album in its entirety as part of a 20th anniversary tour, starting on June 19 at [The Stone Pony](/source/The_Stone_Pony) in [Asbury Park, New Jersey](/source/Asbury_Park,_New_Jersey), and finishing on November 16 at [The Belasco](/source/Belasco_Theater_(Los_Angeles)) in [Los Angeles](/source/Los_Angeles).[8]

## Personnel

Credits adapted from the album's booklet.[9]

**Ted Leo and the Pharmacists**

- [Ted Leo](/source/Ted_Leo) – guitars, vocals, percussion
- Dave Lerner – bass guitar, backing vocals on "Walking to Do"
- Chris Wilson – drums

**Additional musicians**

- Chris Shaw – [glockenspiel](/source/Glockenspiel) on "Counting Down the Hours", piano on "Criminal Piece", backing vocals on "Walking to Do"
- Sarah Field – backing vocals on "Walking to Do"
- Eric Tew – backing vocals on "Walking to Do"

**Production**

- Chris Shaw – producer, engineering, mixing
- Brian Montgomery – assistant engineering
- Ruddy Lee Cullers – assistant engineering
- Arjan Agerwala – assistant engineering
- Ted Leo – assistant mixing
- Eric Tew – additional editing
- [Howie Weinberg](/source/Howie_Weinberg) – mastering ([Masterdisk](/source/Masterdisk))

**Imagery**

- [Christopher Appelgren](/source/Chris_Appelgren) – art direction, design, construction
- Liberty Pierson – additional design, illustrations
- [Jason Munn](/source/Jason_Munn) – additional design

## References

1. Mallernee, Ellen (September 5, 2007). ["Ted Leo Addresses Misconceptions about "Mia and Me," Announces Bassist's Departure"](https://legacy.gibson.com/News-Lifestyle/News/en-us/Ted-Leo-Addresses-Misconceptio.aspx). *[Gibson.com](/source/Gibson_Brands)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20201012190407/https://legacy.gibson.com/News-Lifestyle/News/en-us/Ted-Leo-Addresses-Misconceptio.aspx) October 12, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 8, 2020.

1. ["Reviews for Shake The Sheets by Ted Leo & The Pharmacists"](https://www.metacritic.com/music/shake-the-sheets/ted-leo-the-pharmacists). *[Metacritic](/source/Metacritic)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20230729220613/https://www.metacritic.com/music/shake-the-sheets/ted-leo-the-pharmacists) July 29, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 19, 2019.

1. Gopalan, Nisha (November 5, 2004). ["Shake The Sheets"](https://ew.com/article/2004/11/05/shake-sheets/). *[Entertainment Weekly](/source/Entertainment_Weekly)*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20190719113903/https://ew.com//article/2004/11/05/shake-sheets/) July 19, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 19, 2019.

1. Sendra, Tim. ["Shake the Sheets – Ted Leo & the Pharmacists / Ted Leo"](https://www.allmusic.com/album/shake-the-sheets-mw0000139742). [AllMusic](/source/AllMusic). [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20190402122836/https://www.allmusic.com/album/shake-the-sheets-mw0000139742) April 2, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved September 25, 2012.

1. Bemis, Alec Hanley (November 2004). ["Ted Leo & the Pharmacists: Shake the Sheets"](https://web.archive.org/web/20041204191150/http://www.blender.com/guide/reviews.aspx?id=2875). *[Blender](/source/Blender_(magazine))*. No. 31. p. 137. Archived from [the original](http://www.blender.com/guide/reviews.aspx?id=2875) on December 4, 2004. Retrieved May 18, 2016.

1. Caramanica, Jon (December 15, 2004). ["Ted Leo: Shake the Sheets"](https://web.archive.org/web/20070714030615/http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/tedleo/albums/album/6569879/review/6660779/shake_the_sheets). *[Rolling Stone](/source/Rolling_Stone)*. Archived from [the original](https://www.rollingstone.com/artists/tedleo/albums/album/6569879/review/6660779/shake_the_sheets) on July 14, 2007. Retrieved September 25, 2012.

1. Mitchum, Rob (October 21, 2004). ["Ted Leo and the Pharmacists: Shake the Sheets"](https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/4741-shake-the-sheets/). *[Pitchfork](/source/Pitchfork_(website))*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240218010604/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/4741-shake-the-sheets/) February 18, 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 8, 2016.

1. Monroe, Jazz (February 13, 2024). ["Ted Leo and the Pharmacists Announce Tour for *Shake the Sheets'* 20th Anniversary"](https://pitchfork.com/news/ted-leo-and-the-pharmacists-announce-tour-for-shake-the-sheets-20th-anniversary/). *Pitchfork*. [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20240223052230/https://pitchfork.com/news/ted-leo-and-the-pharmacists-announce-tour-for-shake-the-sheets-20th-anniversary/) February 23, 2024 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved March 24, 2024.

1. *Shake the Sheets* (booklet). Lookout! 2004. LK310CD.

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Shake the Sheets](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shake_the_Sheets) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shake_the_Sheets?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.