Lefsetz asks Whats your take on The Hold Steady?

[Big Wooly Mammoth]

love those Husker Du references. I was gonna say that since Craig Finn is from Minnesota he would know about Husker Du. But, actually, any musician worth their salt should know of them. They were one of the most important U.S. bands of the 1980s IMO.

I now need to listen to more THS.

[Booche]

So someone who wants to write some lyrics can steal lines from all kinds of other songs and mix them into a hodge podge of one I can call my own and you fucks will lap it up?

Duly noted.

::heads to Google::

[Northern Wish]

BTW the chorus is "Heaven is Whenever, we can get together. Sit down on your floor and listen to your records." Now do the refs sit a little better Booche?

[Booche]

Here's my answer NW, in lyrics that I just wrote (and I dont even have to fuckingsing):

Pfft. This game is easy.

There's just one thing left to be said.

Say hello to heaven.

[Northern Wish]

Pitchfork wouldn't even rate that.

[Booche]

You mean Pretentiousfork.

Fuckthat site. It's worse than the Foodeze Forum.

[FairySari]

2) Craigs vocal style should not be lumped in with his content. If you don't like how he is saying it, at least listen to what he is saying. Too many people over the ages have missed amazing songs by Joy Division, Neil Young, Rush etc. because they didn't like the style of singing. He is one of the best lyricists in America today. He should not be confused with cliched- his story over 5 albums can be traced chronlogically. Almost Zappa esque in his conceptual continuity. But using simple language and concepts at the same time.

3) I don't expect or even want this band to grow beyond what they are. I figure two more albums and they pack it in and take full time day jobs. I don't want to see them in arenas, I don't think they even want to play arenas- I don't think it could translate beyond the fuzzy fizzy smoky pit of a club. They might, they might not- but they will have kicked my ass and saved my soul on more than a few thousand occasions.....

I'm a huge fan of the self-referential lyrics. I love that the Weekenders opens with "There was that whole weird thing with the horses, I think they know exactly what happened" and I *do* know what happened (she put $900 on the 5th horse in the 6th race). I've listened to Separation Sunday probably more than any other album ever, and I still pick up on new references occasionally, and I love it, it keeps me interested.

Totally agree about not wanting them to grow too much bigger. There is nowhere I'd rather be in the world than right in the middle of a crowd at a Hold Steady show, and it would just not be the same in an arena. This band is all about the killer parties.

I dunno, I could say more, but I'd just be gushing. Obviously they're not for everyone, but I don't get the hate.