The Hold Steady – “Confusion In The Marketplace” & “T-Shirt Tux”

The Hold Steady – “Confusion In The Marketplace” & “T-Shirt Tux”

Literate bar-rock legends the Hold Steady have been releasing a whole lot of music lately, even if it’s been more than four years since Teeth Dreams, their last proper album. This year, they’ve been cranking out a steady diet of double-A-sided singles. First, there was “Entitlement Crew” b/w “A Snake In The Shower.” And then “Eureka” b/w “Esther.” And then “The Stove & The Toaster” b/w “Star 18.” And now they’ve got two more songs!

The two new Hold Steady songs, “Confusion In The Marketplace” and “T-Shirt Tux,” come from the same sessions that produced that last single. They recorded them as a whole-band effort, which means recently-rejoined piano madman Franz Nicolay is back in the fold, lending that anthemic melodic energy. And both songs find the band in cranked-up, crowd-pleasing mode, with horns beefing up their sound even further.

The Hold Steady have shared the new singles in advance of a run of shows at Toronto’s Horseshoe Tavern, where they will, among other things, celebrate the 10th anniversary of their Stay Positive album by playing that album in full. (You know you want to be there when Tad Kubler hits the solo on “Lord, I’m Discouraged.”) And sales from the single go to benefit the family of “Jersey” Mike Van Jura, the vocal Hold Steady fan who recently passed away at the age of 36. Listen to the new songs below.

You can buy “Confusion In The Marketplace” b/w “T-Shirt Tux” at Bandcamp.

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