Artist of the Week 12/6/10: The Hold Steady

Know of a great band you think we'd like to hear about? Got some music news? Or just want to talk about music in general? Post it here.

Moderators: Jonicont, mark lynn, Maluca3, Tequila Cowboy, BigTom, CooleyGirl, olwiggum

Iowan
Posts: 12062
Joined: Sun Apr 25, 2010 10:00 am
Location: Oneota watershed

Artist of the Week 12/6/10: The Hold Steady

Post by Iowan »

*Clams approached me about doing AOTW this week as there was a cancellation, and I've been a bit busy and stressed out due to finals, so I apologize for any lack of coherence, excessive brevity, or too much nonsense/rambling. It's less of an informative piece about the band, and more of an introduction to them based on my feelings about the band. I do think it's a bit incomplete, and I could talk about this band for an hour. Hopefully you all enjoy!*

Image
(from L-R: Kubler, Drake, Polivka, former keyboardist Franz Nicolai, Finn)

I've been aware of the Hold Steady since some time in 2005. However, the first mention I head of them included the "E" word ("emo") so I avoided them like the plague.

Whoever was lazy or stupid enough to label this band "emo" should be drug out into the street and shot.

I've heard a lot of people try and try to put into the words what The Hold Steady sounds like. The closest anyone has come was my buddy Zach who said "imagine that Thin Lizzy and the E Street Band had a massive jam session, and Randy Newman was on vocals". I'd say that works. Fat ass guitar riffs, an aggressive rhythm section, and lots of keys and horns interweave over top of Craig Finn's some what nasally sung/spoke vocals (a major turn off for some folks), which tell stories about kids in the Upper Midwest getting fucked up, worshiping rock and roll, and finding salvation therein. It's meant to be played loud, and as Finn instructs on "Constructive Summer", "our songs are sing-a-long psalms", so sing the fuck along!

The Hold Steady came together in Brooklyn in 2004. All 4 main members (Craig Finn: guitar/vocals; Tad Kubler: guitars; Galen Polivka: bass; and Bobby Drake: drums) are originally Midwesterners, with Finn and Kubler being from the Twin Cities. They released Almost Killed Me in 2004. It was an introduction to Finn's vision of telling sometimes funny, sometimes cautionary, and always touching tales of partying like it was your job, trying to get by, and damn near dying in the process. It introduced some of the characters that would become the focus of their later albums, especially Separation Sunday. The characters of Charlemegne, Gideon, and Hallelujah (“Holly”) have continued to appear throughout their other 4 albums, Separation Sunday, Boys and Girls and America, Stay Positive, and Heaven is Whenever. They continue to get drunk, get high, make out with strangers following overdoses at concerts, and generally search for redemption and salvation through the power of rock and roll. Maybe that’s what draws me to the Hold Steady so much. Just like DBT, the power of rock and roll to truly save or redeem you is really what lurks at the heart of their music.

Another similarity that the Hold Steady has to DBT is their fierce regionalism. The band may have moved to Brooklyn, but in some sense they’ve never really left Minnesota. Their songs are littered with constant references to the Midwest/Minnesota. From the iconic Grain Belt bridge, to the Mississippi River, to the Golden Gophers and from relocating from Cheyenne to Aberdeen because you couldn’t hack it to being “dreadlocked in the dorm in the Colorado corn”, the band always manages to paint you a picture that easily fits together in your mind. The band maintains a fiercely Midwestern ethos. No nonsense, hard working, blue collar. They strip away the bullshit, and come at you with an honest, and earnest sound. Regular guys who like beer and sports, not rock stars, but they can still kick serious ass on stage, and write incredibly powerful songs. The power chords blare, the rhythm section pounds, the solos soar. Their sound really is the sound of drinking away another shitty Northern winter with an eye towards the optimism of summer.
Maybe, finally, when you strip it all way, that’s why I love the Hold Steady so much. The characters in their songs could have just as easily been me and my friends. It’s almost impossible for me not to listen to a Hold Steady song and not picture a time when I was doing more or less EXACTLY what they’re talking about doing. The first verse of “Massive Nights” is a great example:

“the guys are feeling good about their liquor runthe girls are kinda flirting with the setting sun
we all kind of fumbled through the jitter bug
we were all powered up on some new upper drug
and everything was partying
everyone was pretty
and everyone was coming towards the center of the city
the dance floor was crowded, the bathrooms were worse
we kissed in your car and we drank from your purse”

Who hasn’t been there? That excitement of heading out for an evening of partying. You’ve got your booze, you’ve done a couple lines of Adderall, and you’re ready to rock. It’s a snap shot into a time and place where you probably aren’t right now, but have definitely been before. They hit the highs, and they hit the lows. In “You Can Make Him Like You”, Finn sings: "You don't have to go to the right kind of schools/Let your boyfriend come from the right kind of school/You can wear his old sweatshirt/You can cover yourself like a bruise." Hell, they even hit those grey areas where you can’t tell if it’s good or bad, but that’s the beauty of it all. “How’m I supposed to know that you’re high if you won’t let me touch you?” Finn implores on “Chips Ahoy”. Again, the images pack a punch and show a scene we’ve all been through.

If there’s one thing I take from their music, it’s about looking back at the past with honesty and candor, and keeping a bright eye to the future. “We can’t get as high as we got on that first night”.

Album Roster:
-Almost Killed Me. 2004
-Separation Sunday. 2005
-Boys and Girls in America. 2006
-Stay Positive. 2008
-Heaven is Whenever. 2010

Here are some choice cuts. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjDI1oouS8w
"Sequestered in Memphis" from Stay Positive. If I had to cite one song as a perfect snap shot of their sound, it's this song. Only thing missing here is the horns, but a great live performance.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fjwaQy1 ... re=related
"Hostile, Mass." from Almost Killed Me. A great example of their Thin Lizz meets Springsteen description. Also, a great example of why Finn's vocals can be a turn off for some people (although I love them). Love the horns on this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZrRqmhb1cag
"Banging Camp" from Separation Sunday. This might be one of my favorite songs of all time. "There's strings attached to every single love". So true. The silence and ensuing kick back in by the rest of the band from 3:30-3:45 is the definition of rock and roll minutiae.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RURod5D0UTI
"Girls Like Status" from Boys and Girls in America. "Guys go for looks/Girls for status". Definition of a universal truth.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64IJv6fJonQ
"The Weekenders" from Heaven is Whenever. One of the more cathartic songs in their catalog in my opinion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeLnY35hOX4
"First Night" from Boys and Girls in America. One of their moodier pieces. Some of the best lyrics in their catalog, and the build up/coda at the end of this song is just epic. Probably one of the most emotionally cutting songs I've heard, and it's message is one of those unavoidable facts of life.

beantownbubba
Posts: 21745
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2010 10:52 am
Location: Trying to stay focused on the righteous path

Re: Artist of the Week 12/6/10: The Hold Steady

Post by beantownbubba »

If this is what u do when you're busy & stressed out, you either need to stay that way permanently or get into another line of work (i.e. music writing), Iowan. Great stuff. Nailed it.
What used to be is gone and what ought to be ought not to be so hard

Iowan
Posts: 12062
Joined: Sun Apr 25, 2010 10:00 am
Location: Oneota watershed

Re: Artist of the Week 12/6/10: The Hold Steady

Post by Iowan »

beantownbubba wrote:If this is what u do when you're busy & stressed out, you either need to stay that way permanently or get into another line of work (i.e. music writing), Iowan. Great stuff. Nailed it.


Haha! Thanks man. I felt like there's a lot to this band (the role religion, especially Catholicism plays in their music, for example) that I never really got to. Honestly, I might like them more than DBT. It's very close, to say the least, but I kind of think they're almost on the exact same wavelength, but the main difference is DBT is Southern and THS is Midwestern, and the differences in their sound reflect the differences in the regions they represent, so to speak.

User avatar
3milelake
Posts: 1879
Joined: Sat Apr 24, 2010 4:00 pm

Re: Artist of the Week 12/6/10: The Hold Steady

Post by 3milelake »

Well done, well said!

User avatar
Clams
Posts: 14850
Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2010 1:16 pm
Location: City of Brotherly Love

Re: Artist of the Week 12/6/10: The Hold Steady

Post by Clams »

Well done Iowan and thanks for doing it on short notice. Very much appreciated. My first exposure to THS came in the months leading up to the Rock & Roll Means Well tour. I still listen from time to time. I think the different music, not to mention the different crowds (it wasn't hard to tell who was there to see which band), made for an interesting night.
Everyone needs a friend, everyone needs a fuck

User avatar
Slipkid42
Posts: 4326
Joined: Sun May 23, 2010 9:43 am
Location: Northern Neck of the Dirty South

Re: Artist of the Week 12/6/10: The Hold Steady

Post by Slipkid42 »

I caught the Hold Steady @ the Virginfest in '09. They were the 3rd act on the side stage. It was about 93 degrees and humid. I didn't know much about them, but I was very impressed w/the energy they brought. It did remind me of another band that I saw for the 1st time @ a Virginfest side stage. DBT in '06. I checked THS out when I got home, and much to my surprise I found a few Youtube clips of THS w/DBT. They apparently are admirers of each other. Yeah, the singers got a funny voice, but so too do Bob Dylan & Neil Young & even Patterson himself. I've always figured if they were brave enough to get up & sing w/that voice, the least I can do is listen. To me, Craig Finn's nasally delivery only enhances The Hold Steady's excellent music.
Really good writeup Iowan, I could feel the love. You are one multi-tasking SOB.
A thousand clusterfucks will not kill my tiny light

User avatar
Clams
Posts: 14850
Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2010 1:16 pm
Location: City of Brotherly Love

Re: Artist of the Week 12/6/10: The Hold Steady

Post by Clams »

Question for the fans- do they miss Franz the keyboard player who left the band? I'm sure they've got a good replacement but he had some personality and some chops.hard guy to replace.
Everyone needs a friend, everyone needs a fuck

Iowan
Posts: 12062
Joined: Sun Apr 25, 2010 10:00 am
Location: Oneota watershed

Re: Artist of the Week 12/6/10: The Hold Steady

Post by Iowan »

Clams wrote:Question for the fans- do they miss Franz the keyboard player who left the band? I'm sure they've got a good replacement but he had some personality and some chops.hard guy to replace.


I love what he brought to their albums, but he definitely came from a different background. He was the only member of the band who wans't a native midwesterner and he's much more of an artsy/indie type of musician and kind of never quite fit with that whole bruising bar band thing.

Never saw them live with him, but when I saw them up @ First Ave in Minneapolis this summer, it was without doubt one of the most intense performances, as far as the interplay between fans and the band that I have ever seen. Bringing an extra guitar player really opened them up as a live act.

User avatar
PeterJ
Posts: 634
Joined: Mon Apr 26, 2010 10:55 am
Location: Too ugly for L.A. and too dumb for New York.

Re: Artist of the Week 12/6/10: The Hold Steady

Post by PeterJ »

Clams wrote:Question for the fans- do they miss Franz the keyboard player who left the band? I'm sure they've got a good replacement but he had some personality and some chops.hard guy to replace.


He opened for Whitey Morgan and the 78's not too long ago here. He was an interesting fellow to say the least. Great storyteller, but his songs just weren't really my cup of tea. I don't think he was going around touring w/Whitey, as thier music is not similar at all, just that Whitey needed an opener, and he was available in the area.
I'm only human, though I'm super at times.

User avatar
Jeremy
Posts: 424
Joined: Tue Apr 27, 2010 11:14 am
Location: Inman SC

Re: Artist of the Week 12/6/10: The Hold Steady

Post by Jeremy »

We didnt catch onto The Hold Steady until the Rock n Roll Means Well Tour and have been big fans since. Picked up all of there albums on vinyl and might be my second favorite current band behind the Truckers. And watching the dude on stage cracks me up, they are great live. And as much as I love THS, I might love LFTR PLLR even more. Almost Killed Me borrows a lot from LFTR PLLR. Songs like La Quereria, Nassau Coliseum, Half Dead and Dynamite, Viceburgh, 11th Ave Freezeout, The Pirate and the Penpal sound a lot like early THS songs. Someone on 9B once said that DBT reminded them of where they grew up and THS reminded them of where they lived and who they hung out with after they left HS, which is so true for me too. Almost Killed Me and Separation Sunday are 2 near perfect albums and Finn is one of the best songwriters out there.

Its almost as if he borrowed some style from some of the best underground early 90's era hip hop artists( Raekwon, Ghostface) because of the way he plays with words, the imagery you get from is songs and the way he is able to describe a scene. Check out the lyrics to Hostile Mass, one of my favorite songs:

Hostile Mass
a knockoff necktie. the way he wore it made it look more like a tourniquet. i looked deep in his eyes i saw lynn, massachussetts. she hung a sleeveless dress up on a sleeved up lifestyle. girl you gotta cover that. he was gushing blood from wide open wounds and she decided that she loved him. they put the screws into charlemagne. he had a detox dream he saw christ in all his glory. charlemagne didn't feel any pain. but he's bleeding from the holes in his story. he said: hey my name is corey. i'm really into hardcore. people call me hard corey. don't you hate these clever people and all these clever people parties.

in the park drinking dark bacardi. thinking things are funny when they really ain't that funny. the kids on the corner they keep getting stung. the color of our teeth matches the color of our tongues. in the back bay fens getting gentle. up against the fence with some guy who looks like mickey mantle. dirty minds keep coming thru the mud. the color of their eyes matches the color of our blood.

he had a painters cap. it said panama jack. it had the flaps on the back that kept the sun off his neck. he woke up deep in hostile massachussetts. reaching out to try to touch the special effects. he had no shoes and no pants. they dressed him in a shirt with a collar and called him porky pig. the two of you went up to his room. later on you wouldn't admit you did.

seeing lousy movies but only for the a/c. skimpy little outfits and bad guys acting crazy. that's how i know when you're lying. it looks just like overacting. kids on the corner are cracking and caving in. turning over and turning other kids in. i never want to make you feel uncomfortable. i hope i never did. they met as kids he was angry and angsty. she was a damned good dancer. i'll be damned if they didn't disappear. wandered out of mass one day and faded into the fog and love and faithless fear.

charlemagne in sweatpants and you and me in hostile, massachussetts.

Iowan
Posts: 12062
Joined: Sun Apr 25, 2010 10:00 am
Location: Oneota watershed

Re: Artist of the Week 12/6/10: The Hold Steady

Post by Iowan »

Jeremy wrote:We didnt catch onto The Hold Steady until the Rock n Roll Means Well Tour and have been big fans since. Picked up all of there albums on vinyl and might be my second favorite current band behind the Truckers. And watching the dude on stage cracks me up, they are great live. And as much as I love THS, I might love LFTR PLLR even more. Almost Killed Me borrows a lot from LFTR PLLR. Songs like La Quereria, Nassau Coliseum, Half Dead and Dynamite, Viceburgh, 11th Ave Freezeout, The Pirate and the Penpal sound a lot like early THS songs. Someone on 9B once said that DBT reminded them of where they grew up and THS reminded them of where they lived and who they hung out with after they left HS, which is so true for me too. Almost Killed Me and Separation Sunday are 2 near perfect albums and Finn is one of the best songwriters out there.

Its almost as if he borrowed some style from some of the best underground early 90's era hip hop artists( Raekwon, Ghostface) because of the way he plays with words, the imagery you get from is songs and the way he is able to describe a scene. Check out the lyrics to Hostile Mass, one of my favorite songs:

Hostile Mass
a knockoff necktie. the way he wore it made it look more like a tourniquet. i looked deep in his eyes i saw lynn, massachussetts. she hung a sleeveless dress up on a sleeved up lifestyle. girl you gotta cover that. he was gushing blood from wide open wounds and she decided that she loved him. they put the screws into charlemagne. he had a detox dream he saw christ in all his glory. charlemagne didn't feel any pain. but he's bleeding from the holes in his story. he said: hey my name is corey. i'm really into hardcore. people call me hard corey. don't you hate these clever people and all these clever people parties.

in the park drinking dark bacardi. thinking things are funny when they really ain't that funny. the kids on the corner they keep getting stung. the color of our teeth matches the color of our tongues. in the back bay fens getting gentle. up against the fence with some guy who looks like mickey mantle. dirty minds keep coming thru the mud. the color of their eyes matches the color of our blood.

he had a painters cap. it said panama jack. it had the flaps on the back that kept the sun off his neck. he woke up deep in hostile massachussetts. reaching out to try to touch the special effects. he had no shoes and no pants. they dressed him in a shirt with a collar and called him porky pig. the two of you went up to his room. later on you wouldn't admit you did.

seeing lousy movies but only for the a/c. skimpy little outfits and bad guys acting crazy. that's how i know when you're lying. it looks just like overacting. kids on the corner are cracking and caving in. turning over and turning other kids in. i never want to make you feel uncomfortable. i hope i never did. they met as kids he was angry and angsty. she was a damned good dancer. i'll be damned if they didn't disappear. wandered out of mass one day and faded into the fog and love and faithless fear.

charlemagne in sweatpants and you and me in hostile, massachussetts.


There's a lot of truth to that. DBT reminds me a lot of where I grew up, and not surprisingly, it's my childhood friends, or people from that area that I've turned DBT on to. THS reminds me way more of college, and law school. Of course the funny thing is that the place I grew up is 2 hrs from where I went to undergrad, and 2.5 hrs from where I live now, so it's not drastically different. Just rural vs. urban, really.

User avatar
cortez the killer
Posts: 15455
Joined: Mon Apr 26, 2010 3:22 pm

Re: Artist of the Week 12/6/10: The Hold Steady

Post by cortez the killer »

I went through a phase where I really liked these guys a lot. I think Almost Killed Me & Boys and Girls in America are very good albums. I can't say I listen to these guys all that much anymore. Could be me, but, I just don't find their music to have a lot of staying power. It's fun, it's witty, there are some catchy riffs and all, but I find it to be lacking any kind of real originality and substance.
You are entitled to your opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts.
- DPM

Iowan
Posts: 12062
Joined: Sun Apr 25, 2010 10:00 am
Location: Oneota watershed

Re: Artist of the Week 12/6/10: The Hold Steady

Post by Iowan »

cortez the killer wrote:I went through a phase where I really liked these guys a lot. I think Almost Killed Me & Boys and Girls in America are very good albums. I can't say I listen to these guys all that much anymore. Could be me, but, I just don't find their music to have a lot of staying power. It's fun, it's witty, there are some catchy riffs and all, but I find it to be lacking any kind of real originality and substance.


Interesting take. I've always found that their music fills this sonic void for me. There just aren't a lot of bands (that I'm aware of) that make this kind of music right now. Bar band muscle, swagger, big riffs, big keys, big horns, big rythym, etc. That does a lot for me, but I can understand why they wouldn't stick with everyone.

User avatar
cortez the killer
Posts: 15455
Joined: Mon Apr 26, 2010 3:22 pm

Re: Artist of the Week 12/6/10: The Hold Steady

Post by cortez the killer »

Iowan wrote:
cortez the killer wrote:I went through a phase where I really liked these guys a lot. I think Almost Killed Me & Boys and Girls in America are very good albums. I can't say I listen to these guys all that much anymore. Could be me, but, I just don't find their music to have a lot of staying power. It's fun, it's witty, there are some catchy riffs and all, but I find it to be lacking any kind of real originality and substance.


Interesting take. I've always found that their music fills this sonic void for me. There just aren't a lot of bands (that I'm aware of) that make this kind of music right now. Bar band muscle, swagger, big riffs, big keys, big horns, big rythym, etc. That does a lot for me, but I can understand why they wouldn't stick with everyone.

I'm a crusty old fart and you're a young buck, filled with endless optimism, ready to take on the world. Don't mind me.
You are entitled to your opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts.
- DPM

Iowan
Posts: 12062
Joined: Sun Apr 25, 2010 10:00 am
Location: Oneota watershed

Re: Artist of the Week 12/6/10: The Hold Steady

Post by Iowan »

cortez the killer wrote:
Iowan wrote:
cortez the killer wrote:I went through a phase where I really liked these guys a lot. I think Almost Killed Me & Boys and Girls in America are very good albums. I can't say I listen to these guys all that much anymore. Could be me, but, I just don't find their music to have a lot of staying power. It's fun, it's witty, there are some catchy riffs and all, but I find it to be lacking any kind of real originality and substance.


Interesting take. I've always found that their music fills this sonic void for me. There just aren't a lot of bands (that I'm aware of) that make this kind of music right now. Bar band muscle, swagger, big riffs, big keys, big horns, big rythym, etc. That does a lot for me, but I can understand why they wouldn't stick with everyone.

I'm a crusty old fart and you're a young buck, filled with endless optimism, ready to take on the world. Don't mind me.


I think there are kids fucking around in your yard. Get 'em!

User avatar
rawkshow
Posts: 281
Joined: Thu May 13, 2010 9:45 am
Location: Charlotte

Re: Artist of the Week 12/6/10: The Hold Steady

Post by rawkshow »

My brother had given Boys & Girls when it first came out, along with a whole bunch of other music so i really didn't get into them at first. One of those situations where there's just too much to absorb it all at once. When DBT did the Means Well tour, i went back & listened to it & it just hit....tho unfortuantely this happened after they played NC & had moved the tour north....a big regret! But anyways, i'm a midwestern by birth but my family moved to the south & i've lived here for most of my life so i love that vibe that both DBT & THS bring. I love Kerouac & I've read Finn is a big fan too & to me his lyrics really show that influence, interesting, crazy characters in situations alot of us (or at least me) can relate to. Plus the fact that they just have this bar band playing in a shitty club & having a great time doing it vibe to them....big fan!
Just cause I don't run my mouth don't mean I got nothing to say...

Zip City
Posts: 17313
Joined: Tue Jul 06, 2010 5:59 pm

Re: Artist of the Week 12/6/10: The Hold Steady

Post by Zip City »

I like some selected tracks, but can't really listen to these guys that much. I'm simply uninterested in pretty much everything Finn sings about
And I knew when I woke up Rock N Roll would be here forever

User avatar
Tequila Cowboy
Site Admin
Posts: 20230
Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2010 6:12 pm
Location: The Twilight Zone, along with everyone else

Re: Artist of the Week 12/6/10: The Hold Steady

Post by Tequila Cowboy »

cortez the killer wrote:I went through a phase where I really liked these guys a lot. I think Almost Killed Me & Boys and Girls in America are very good albums. I can't say I listen to these guys all that much anymore. Could be me, but, I just don't find their music to have a lot of staying power. It's fun, it's witty, there are some catchy riffs and all, but I find it to be lacking any kind of real originality and substance.


I agree with this almost entirely. Especially about the lack of staying power. I've wondered if the fact that I've had some bad experiences at THS shows had something to do with it, but I don't go back to their stuff much. Boys and Girls in America maybe once every month or two. I've tried to give the new one a chance but can't get past the poor production.
We call him Scooby Do, but Scooby doesn’t do. Scooby, is not involved

User avatar
dime in the gutter
Posts: 9013
Joined: Mon Apr 26, 2010 5:46 pm

Re: Artist of the Week 12/6/10: The Hold Steady

Post by dime in the gutter »

never quite got ths. saw them live. whatever. prolly me.

User avatar
Kudzu Guillotine
Posts: 11761
Joined: Wed Oct 27, 2010 10:46 am

Re: Artist of the Week 12/6/10: The Hold Steady

Post by Kudzu Guillotine »

Put me in the "I don't get the THS love" camp as well. I saw them on PBS a year or so ago and tried my damnest to make it through the first 2-3 songs without success. I'm also not a huge Springsteen fan so maybe that has something to do with it.

Iowan
Posts: 12062
Joined: Sun Apr 25, 2010 10:00 am
Location: Oneota watershed

Re: Artist of the Week 12/6/10: The Hold Steady

Post by Iowan »

It's weird, because I first really got into THS from posts on this board, but the old blue bloods of this site/9B just aren't big THS fans. It isn't all that shocking because, at least sonically, they're a lot different than DBT.

I'm starting to wonder if it's an age/region thing. I'd bet most of their big fans are between the ages of 23-33. Also, the guys who are in their late 30's/40's on this board who like THS aren't Southern. I don't get the impression from their tour schedule that they're as big in the South either (kinda like how DBT doesn't tour up north as much).

What I do find odd is that outside of the Midwest, most of the people who are THS fans are indie hipsters. There's just nothing in their music that should appeal to those folks, IMO. I guess you see that with DBT in big cities outside the South too, to an extent.

beantownbubba
Posts: 21745
Joined: Fri Apr 02, 2010 10:52 am
Location: Trying to stay focused on the righteous path

Re: Artist of the Week 12/6/10: The Hold Steady

Post by beantownbubba »

Iowan wrote:It's weird, because I first really got into THS from posts on this board, but the old blue bloods of this site/9B just aren't big THS fans. It isn't all that shocking because, at least sonically, they're a lot different than DBT.

I'm starting to wonder if it's an age/region thing. I'd bet most of their big fans are between the ages of 23-33. Also, the guys who are in their late 30's/40's on this board who like THS aren't Southern. I don't get the impression from their tour schedule that they're as big in the South either (kinda like how DBT doesn't tour up north as much).

What I do find odd is that outside of the Midwest, most of the people who are THS fans are indie hipsters. There's just nothing in their music that should appeal to those folks, IMO. I guess you see that with DBT in big cities outside the South too, to an extent.


Yeah, I wonder about this too. THS seems like a mainstream rock band to me, but that's not where they seem to "slot" in people's minds. I've never cared for them live, which surprises me because of their reputation as a live band, but maybe that's an age thing (i don't even fit into Iowan's oldest demographic lol). There's something to the point about their lack of staying power - i definitely don't listen to the albums i really like as much as i do other albums i regard as highly, but still, at the end of the day, Boys n Girls and Almost Killed Me and a few other scattered songs are to these ears really strong.
What used to be is gone and what ought to be ought not to be so hard

Iowan
Posts: 12062
Joined: Sun Apr 25, 2010 10:00 am
Location: Oneota watershed

Re: Artist of the Week 12/6/10: The Hold Steady

Post by Iowan »

beantownbubba wrote:
Iowan wrote:It's weird, because I first really got into THS from posts on this board, but the old blue bloods of this site/9B just aren't big THS fans. It isn't all that shocking because, at least sonically, they're a lot different than DBT.

I'm starting to wonder if it's an age/region thing. I'd bet most of their big fans are between the ages of 23-33. Also, the guys who are in their late 30's/40's on this board who like THS aren't Southern. I don't get the impression from their tour schedule that they're as big in the South either (kinda like how DBT doesn't tour up north as much).

What I do find odd is that outside of the Midwest, most of the people who are THS fans are indie hipsters. There's just nothing in their music that should appeal to those folks, IMO. I guess you see that with DBT in big cities outside the South too, to an extent.


Yeah, I wonder about this too. THS seems like a mainstream rock band to me, but that's not where they seem to "slot" in people's minds. I've never cared for them live, which surprises me because of their reputation as a live band, but maybe that's an age thing (i don't even fit into Iowan's oldest demographic lol). There's something to the point about their lack of staying power - i definitely don't listen to the albums i really like as much as i do other albums i regard as highly, but still, at the end of the day, Boys n Girls and Almost Killed Me and a few other scattered songs are to these ears really strong.


The first time I saw them live was better than any DBT show I've seen. Of course it was also their first show @ First Ave in about 1.5 years, so needless to say they were incredibly jacked up for it, and so was the crowd.

Regarding staying power, I like almost all of their albums more today than I did on first listen. This is especially true for Almost Killed Me and Separation Sunday. Maybe part of it is how much I can relate to the specifics of their songs. I can see where, even if it's only subliminal, Finn constantly referencing Minnesota and the upper midwest in general can be grating/alienating to someone not familiar with it, or if's not, it has this endearing effect on people who are.

I'm sure folks who've traveled Highway 72 in North Alabama get a lot more from that song than I do.

User avatar
Smitty
Posts: 10900
Joined: Sat Apr 24, 2010 9:30 pm
Location: Fruithurst, Al
Contact:

Re: Artist of the Week 12/6/10: The Hold Steady

Post by Smitty »

That's a great point about the regional differences in the lyrics - other than Memphis & Ybor City, I've never been to any of the places referenced in their songs, so there's def a disconnect there, but regardless of the specifics the general themes are the same - like how Patterson called "Chillout Tent" their "Let There Be Rock" - on the surface you wouldn't identify those two songs with one another, but the premise at the heart of both songs are pretty similar (both tell of decadence in youth - one being rock shows, the other raves)
E quindi uscimmo a riveder le stelle.

Iowan
Posts: 12062
Joined: Sun Apr 25, 2010 10:00 am
Location: Oneota watershed

Re: Artist of the Week 12/6/10: The Hold Steady

Post by Iowan »

Smitty wrote:That's a great point about the regional differences in the lyrics - other than Memphis & Ybor City, I've never been to any of the places referenced in their songs, so there's def a disconnect there, but regardless of the specifics the general themes are the same - like how Patterson called "Chillout Tent" their "Let There Be Rock" - on the surface you wouldn't identify those two songs with one another, but the premise at the heart of both songs are pretty similar (both tell of decadence in youth - one being rock shows, the other raves)


The last half of this post is where the part of me that is surprised by the amount of folks here who aren't all that interested in the band. I think it was Zip who said he isn't that interested in the things Craig Finn sings about. IMO, outside of all the murder ballads, they're mostly the things Patterson Hood sings about.

User avatar
lajakesdad
Posts: 1634
Joined: Sat Apr 24, 2010 11:51 pm
Location: el garaje

Re: Artist of the Week 12/6/10: The Hold Steady

Post by lajakesdad »

A friend gave me Separation Sunday when it came out and I instantly loved it. I couldn't make it all the way through the album but I liked what I heard. I then listened to other albums and it all seemed the same to me. A one trick pony. I've tried with the new releases but none seem to hit with me at all. I was at the DBT-THS show and after DBT, I was over it. I stayed for about 5 songs, then we left. Just not my thing. I will throw on Separation Sunday still every once in a while but that is about it with me.

User avatar
lotusamerica
Posts: 1067
Joined: Sat Apr 24, 2010 4:30 pm

Re: Artist of the Week 12/6/10: The Hold Steady

Post by lotusamerica »

Zip City wrote:I like some selected tracks, but can't really listen to these guys that much. I'm simply uninterested in pretty much everything Finn sings about


You're uninterested in sex, drugs and rock & roll?

Zip City
Posts: 17313
Joined: Tue Jul 06, 2010 5:59 pm

Re: Artist of the Week 12/6/10: The Hold Steady

Post by Zip City »

lotusamerica wrote:
Zip City wrote:I like some selected tracks, but can't really listen to these guys that much. I'm simply uninterested in pretty much everything Finn sings about


You're uninterested in sex, drugs and rock & roll?


sex, drugs and rock & roll filtered through the lens of insufferable Minneapolis hipsters? yes
And I knew when I woke up Rock N Roll would be here forever

Iowan
Posts: 12062
Joined: Sun Apr 25, 2010 10:00 am
Location: Oneota watershed

Re: Artist of the Week 12/6/10: The Hold Steady

Post by Iowan »

Zip City wrote:
lotusamerica wrote:
Zip City wrote:I like some selected tracks, but can't really listen to these guys that much. I'm simply uninterested in pretty much everything Finn sings about


You're uninterested in sex, drugs and rock & roll?


sex, drugs and rock & roll filtered through the lens of insufferable Minneapolis hipsters? yes


Kubler's no hipster. Hell, Finn isn't a hipster. Like he says on the Positive Rage DVD "I like sports and beer". Hipsters don't like sports and beer, nor do they look like accountants.

Zip City
Posts: 17313
Joined: Tue Jul 06, 2010 5:59 pm

Re: Artist of the Week 12/6/10: The Hold Steady

Post by Zip City »

Iowan wrote:
Zip City wrote:
lotusamerica wrote:
You're uninterested in sex, drugs and rock & roll?


sex, drugs and rock & roll filtered through the lens of insufferable Minneapolis hipsters? yes


Kubler's no hipster. Hell, Finn isn't a hipster. Like he says on the Positive Rage DVD "I like sports and beer". Hipsters don't like sports and beer, nor do they look like accountants.


THS aren't hipsters, their fans are
And I knew when I woke up Rock N Roll would be here forever

Post Reply