The Hold Steady Band • Page 3

So insanely jealous. I got to see them play the record front to back when they played Chicago Riot Fest, but seeing it at BB with Lifter opening must have fucking mind blowing. Glad you got to experience it!

Also, they performed "Most People Are DJs" on Seth Meyers last night and they fucking smoked it. MVP of the performance goes to Tad for the guitar throw.

Here's a link to it, since it's not on a platform I can embed yet.

 

Found that one download of pretty much all their b-sides up to SP and it's wonderful. Even their b-sides feel essential because they contain so many references and bits of the story.

I'm on a THS kick

 

It was song number 3 on Johns last CD
I'm gonna make it through this year if it kills me.

 

Is there like a complete list of every reference in their albums? Like, not just past references to songs but like references to other artists and authors? Aside from Genius of course. Just nice to have if its out there.

 

I wish I liked Craig Finn's solo records more. I can't get into them at all, and the upcoming one is no exception. I guess he needs the band to be compelling to me, musically.

 

Dang. I liked the 2nd a lot. Not so much the first.

 

I actually liked the first one the most of the three. I think I listened to the second one like three times and had no desire to come back to it.

 

I like the solo stuff and the Lifter Puller stuff a good bit, doesnt touch THS of course but still good stuff.

 

dusted off Teeth Dreams today, having a really nice morning with it

 

The Only Thing is the highlight for me...top 10 THS song right there.

 

I Hope This Whole Thing Didn't Frighten You is my highlight from TD but all the songs and the 3 bonus tracks are really really fine additions to THSs canon. Particularly a fan of the return of the past references which were more lax on Heaven

 

The first four tracks on that record are next-level. On the whole, that one hasn't aged as well for me as the rest of their catalog, but it's still good.

 

Spinners is sneakily one of the best songs in their post-Franz discography.

 

the production really did fuck this one over. how can you bury the vocalist so much on such a lyrically heavy record? "Runner's High" is the worst offender.

"On With The Business" is one of my favorite Hold Steady songs.

 

I don't like his solo stuff either. What is the deal with this band? Weird how little they are playing together these days, and even weirder that they reunited with Franz and played so few shows. Are they just not happy together anymore?

 

I do fucking love this record though

 

Ironically On With The Business is the song most ruined by the production imo. Oaks is the standout track for me.

 

I believe the Craig-Tad relationship has been strained for awhile, from what I can gather. So that might be what's up.

 

That sucks. Incredible band.

 

I think Craig still likes to drink and party it up whereas Tad went a little too far and now has to keep himself away from that scene, just from what I've read. I hope they can work it out. Would love them to regain the fire of their early days.

 

I hope we get another THS album. I've been listening to all their albums+bonus tracks again just to refresh myself on the story, characters, etc. Craig has such an eye for detail and is shockingly good at developing characters in his songs, something a lot of TV writers cant even handle. I'd like to think the implications of certain songs on Teeth Dreams, like I Hope This Whole Thing Didnt Frighten You, The Ambassador, Almost Everything, On With The Business, etc will lead to a very very dark follow-up. We know the Cityscape Skins are back and better than ever, we know they have a new leader named Shepard who has turned them from a smalltime street gang to a paramilitary outfit, we know theyve been getting a lot more aggressive and bolder with their actions and we know that many other THS songs hint at bloodshed in the streets and a lot of bad things going down. Maybe they'll follow up on these ideas and who knows, maybe this time Charlemagne will pay up for that money he took.

 

I agree with both of these. The first four tracks are pretty stellar, it drops off after that, but finishes strong with "Oaks" which is a fucking killer closer.

 

I still really like Teeth Dreams all the way through. Made the trip to Chicago in June to see them and it was honestly probably the best time I've seen them aside from maybe the DBT tour after Stay Positive. Still thinking about Brooklyn in December...

 

The last Craig Finn record is my favorite thing he's done since Boys & Girls.

 

I really dig it too. God in Chicago is his best song since Stay Positive... apart from The Weekenders