We haven’t heard much from the Hold Steady recently — last time we checked, they were expanding their beards, and Lucero’s Ben Nichols was adding some vocals. Well, the band’s fourth album, recorded across New York with Boys And Girls In America producer John Agnello has a name, Stay Positive, and some additional accents via mandolin and harpsichord. You can hear the title track buried in this old NPR stream of an hour-plus long concert the band put on at the 9:30 Club (take it to 14:30, unless you want to rock the entire show). The track has a definite Youth Of Today vibe. For reals, the flame still burns. OK, it’s more 7 Seconds. But not as straightedge. Craig’s intro: “This song owes its whole vibe to DC hardcore … hardcore when it was good…” Maybe our Jawbreaker comment from a few weeks ago had something to it. Yeah, Jawbreaker wasn’t hardcore, but definitely closer than Kerouac. “Chesterfield King” cover, please?
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Love me some Hold Steady…
i was at that concert back in november and it was great live, it’s def a sign of good things to come
least favorite band ever
he couldn’t get ian to jump onstage? Instead of namechecking the NYHC and Skeeno (Youth of Today and 7 Seconds) scene he should have mentioned Minor Threat or Dag Nasty
It’s a compulsion, I know, but please indulge me, I have to ask: why would someone take the time and effort to write on a message board only a handful of people in the entire would will read, to express the sentiment that you dislike the band being discussed in the post, and then not bother to sign your real name so as to be accountable for your opinion?
Perhaps it’s just my nature to try and determine the heretofore undiscovered thought process behind jackassery, but why, for Pete’s sake, why?
Really. If you don’t like the band, just don’t listen to them. With few exceptions, no one is going to read those four words, in that combination, and decide whether or not to like a band they’d never heard, or to change their opinion of a band they had previously liked, especially if you’re anonymous. And even if you hold a valid place in rock criticism, even if you happen to be Grail Marcus or the reincarnation of Lester Bangs, that’s all you’ve got? A statement so asinine, even the autistic, bastard love child of ee cummings and Comic Book Guy cringes at reading it?
Like I said, it’s a compulsion for me to ask, and I realize the meta-ness of my post, but still, is that it? Is there some compulsion to voice your opinion, at any and every time possible, no matter how inappropriate? Do you walk up to coworkers in the middle of an unrelated conversation and inadvertently blurt out, “in rainbows was overrated”, before speed walking away?
Please, write back, I must know why!
I know bands don’t always have a say in who they tour with, but we need to get this Lucero/Hold Steady bus on the road. Now.
Word to that, Jesse.
will any of the new songs be as good as chips ahoy? that one is so awesome.
Hey I always thought these dudes theunsacredhearts were like the Hold Steady’s rowdier, more punkish bar-rock cousins. they’re giving their old ’04 EP away for free this week. free record here . thank me later – http://seriousbusinessrecords.com/releases/show/8-Unsacred-Hearts-
“Stay Positive” sounds good. Come to think of it, I like all the stuff I’ve heard from the new album… it should be pretty good.
When they sing those whoa-ohs on the chorus, I cant help but sing the chorus to “I Love L.A.”.
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Hi Stereogum,
On behalf of Rough Trade, Beggars Digital and The Hold Steady, many thanks for plugging “Stay Positive” (street date 15th July) … .. thanks, also, on behalf of the label and the band for not posting any pirate links to unreleased (studio) material and, if you / your readers want good quality, non-pirated, preview tracks, ?Sequestered in Memphis? is available for fans and bloggers to stream / link to on the band?s MySpace … .. check-out http://www.myspace.com/theholdsteady and http://www.theholdsteady.com for details on ?Stay Positive? and the band?s 2008 shows and keep an eye out for details of further, preview material and exclusive content.
Thanks again for your plug.
Regards,
WEB SHERIFF