The Hold Steady...

Brothers and Sisters I am off the back on this one. Just goes to show you that no matter how close you think you have your ear to the ground there's always something you're missing. But that's always been the point of this blog (all music blogs, I think), to seek out and illuminate that which is deserving (my but I sound pompous today, don't I ?). Anyway, The Hold Steady are from Brooklyn and they rock. I mean really rock. Like AC/DC rock, Husker Du rock, drunken good rock. I was tipped off to these guys by one of the other writers at Stylus who was hyping their new record that comes out in May.

I believe these guys are an off shoot of Lifter Puller, but looser in song structure, sloppier, more animated. The lead singer's voice reminds me of Bob Mould doing a strange hybrid of singing and spoken word, in fact in addition to the aforementioned Husker Du similarity let me go ahead and name drop Sugar as well, but more ragged and a bit dumber (and I mean that in a good way).

1 song from 2004's Almost Killed Me

The Swish

1 song from the forthcoming Separation Sunday

Your Little Hoodrat Friend

An aside: Have I mentioned how great Aliigator by The National is? I firmly believe they make the following bands look like silly sissies:

The Bravery
The Killers
Coldplay
Elefant
Stellastarr*
The Strokes
Hot Hot Heat

Thank you very much.