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The Hold Steady, "Stay Positive"

post #1 of 35
5/2/08 at 12:03am
Thread Starter 
See? I listen to more than R.E.M. and the Drive-By Truckers. Kind of. Depending on the day. From Billboard:

Quote:
The Hold Steady Details 'Positive' 4th Album

Michael D. Ayers, N.Y.

The Hold Steady has finalized the track listing for its fourth album, "Stay Positive," Billboard.com has learned. The 11-song set is due July 15 via Vagrant Records and features contributions from Drive By Truckers' Patterson Hood, J. Mascis and Doug Gillard, formerly of Guided By Voices. The Brooklyn rock group also reconvened with John Agnello, who produced 2006's "Boys And Girls In America."

"There's less party talk," frontman Craig Finn tells Billboard.com of the
new material. "I don't think anything is a radical departure, but there are things that I wanted to talk about. I was influenced a lot [by] getting old, and attempting to age gracefully. The idea is to not wake up washed up. You want to keep progressing, intellectually."

Indeed, tunes such as the slow, bluesy ballad "Lord, I'm Discouraged" and "Stay Positive" see Finn's narratives reflecting on themes of maturity. Fans will also notice that the band has opted to change up its sound on some tunes, opting for a harpsichord on "One for the Cutters" and a banjo on "Both Crosses."

"I think four records in, you're thinking what have we done before?" Finn says. "What should we do here? You have these initial habits, but you're fighting those -- and that's healthy, to make things sound different."

"I think we've tackled the big huge rock riff," adds guitarist Tad Kubler of the band's past. "And I think we wanted to extend what we're used to doing. Step out of our safety zone."

For Kubler, that meant trying out a slew of new gear, including a talk box on "Joke About Jamaica" that he says "was so ridiculous, I had to try it out."

Finn's vocal delivery has gone through some changes as well. He has been engaged in singing lessons since the release of "Boys And Girls In America."

"One of the things I found out [is] I always hear more melodies than I was projecting," Finn says. "I hopefully got better, communicate more than I'm hearing."

The Hold Steady plans to launch a large tour following the record's release, with July dates already lined up for Seattle's Capitol Hill Block Party and Pitchfork Music Festival in Chicago.

Here is the track list for "Stay Positive":

"Constructive Summer"
"Sequestered In Memphis"
"One For The Cutters"
"Navy Sheets"
"Lord, I'm Discouraged"
"Yeah Sapphire"
"Both Crosses"
"Stay Positive"
"Magazines"
"Joke About Jamaica"
"Slapped Actress"
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post #2 of 35
5/2/08 at 12:23am
Great news. I'm surprised between going to Hawaii and writing for the main page, Finn found time to record the album at all.

I've only recently got into these guys, thanks to the boards, but I really do love "Boys and Girls in America."
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post #3 of 35
5/2/08 at 1:50am
I'm so pumped I'm seeing these guys live this summer. So...fucking...pumped.
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post #4 of 35
5/2/08 at 2:04am
Doug Gillard makes any band better. I'm curious to hear this new record because I think there's room for improvement and I'd be happy if they nailed it.
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post #5 of 35
5/2/08 at 11:07am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Pop Zeus View Post
Doug Gillard makes any band better. I'm curious to hear this new record because I think there's room for improvement and I'd be happy if they nailed it.
The only thing that could improve on Boys and Girls in America is... well, I don't know how you can improve on Boys and Girls in America. But I'm looking forward to finding out. I heard some of the new stuff when they played here about a month ago; it doesn't sound like all that much of a departure, which is fine.

Parker, they're amazing live, but beware of your fellow audience members. They seem to have picked up a serious meathead following over the past year or so.
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post #6 of 35
5/2/08 at 11:13am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveB View Post
Parker, they're amazing live, but beware of your fellow audience members. They seem to have picked up a serious meathead following over the past year or so.
Ack. There's been talk of them touring with the Truckers, which would be a great show, but the thought of the crowd kind of fills me with dread.
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post #7 of 35
5/2/08 at 11:18am
Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveB View Post
Parker, they're amazing live, but beware of your fellow audience members. They seem to have picked up a serious meathead following over the past year or so.
That's too bad. It's one of the reasons I've stopped going to Tragically Hip concerts in Canada. Their fans are the most annoying beings on the planet.
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post #8 of 35
5/2/08 at 11:40am
Quote:
Originally Posted by misfit View Post
Ack. There's been talk of them touring with the Truckers, which would be a great show, but the thought of the crowd kind of fills me with dread.
Yeah, that mix could be lethal.

The dumb portion of the Hold Steady crowd is more of an innocent "I'm going to throw my full cup of beer in the air because I love Craig Finn soooo much," and the dumb portion of the DBT crowd is more of a belligerent "I'm going to get seriously fucked up on Jack and pick a fight to impress Mike Cooley, because I love him soooo mu ---- Hey, who spilled this beer on me????"

I'd still go, though. It would be a great double-bill.

Here's my badass DBT barfight story.

At one DBT club show, the guy in front of us was so wasted he was tipping back and forth through the first half of the band's set. He kept bumping into us, so I gently pushed him forward. He spun fully around, gave me a puzzled look, then collapsed backward, cracking his head on the floor. He was carried out. After the show, we saw him on the steps of a nearby building, holding his head.

That's the end of my badass DBT barfight story.
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post #9 of 35
5/2/08 at 11:48am
Thread Starter 
That wasn't exactly Bo and Luke mixing it up down at the Boar's Nest, but it wasn't bad.
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post #10 of 35
5/2/08 at 12:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveB View Post
Parker, they're amazing live, but beware of your fellow audience members. They seem to have picked up a serious meathead following over the past year or so.
I'm seeing them at the Pitchfork Fest, so hopefully the meatheads will be scared away by the other, stranger acts. Who knows, though. It's unfortunate that they attract them, but coming from their sound and lyrics, I guess it kinda comes with the territory. We'll see...

Speaking of meatheads at good shows, I've noticed a trend of frat boy types at some weird, weird fucking shows. Belle and Sebastian? The Mountain Goats? I mean, these are the guys who think sensitivity is turning their baseball hat backwards and playing their acoustic guitar under a tree in the quad, so is that where they're coming from? I don't get it...

Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveB View Post
At one DBT club show, the guy in front of us was so wasted he was tipping back and forth through the first half of the band's set. He kept bumping into us, so I gently pushed him forward. He spun fully around, gave me a puzzled look, then collapsed backward, cracking his head on the floor. He was carried out. After the show, we saw him on the steps of a nearby building, holding his head.
And the lesson is, don't fuck with DaveB. On or off the boards. The man has superpowers!
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post #11 of 35
5/2/08 at 1:07pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Parker
And the lesson is, don't fuck with DaveB. On or off the boards. The man has superpowers!
Yeah. He's 5'6" of pure, unadulterated terror!

(joking aside, the look on that guy's face before he hit the floor was awesome. even more awesome? that everyone in the crowd around us just kind of stood there for about 20 seconds after he fell, staring at him. it was like we were all waiting for someone to flip a coin.)

So excited about the new Hold Steady. The stuff we heard live was fantastic. I assume it'll only improve upon a listening that doesn't involve me getting a PBR tallboy spilled down my back.
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post #12 of 35
5/2/08 at 1:22pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by DaveB View Post
The only thing that could improve on Boys and Girls in America is... well, I don't know how you can improve on Boys and Girls in America. But I'm looking forward to finding out. I heard some of the new stuff when they played here about a month ago; it doesn't sound like all that much of a departure, which is fine.

Parker, they're amazing live, but beware of your fellow audience members. They seem to have picked up a serious meathead following over the past year or so.
I like the record enough. The songs are well written, but I think the arrangements are bit bland. And like Finn even said, the vocals could be better. These "improvements" such as they are, are really the last leg in a marathon in which The Hold Steady have performed well, but not quite well enough to put them over the top, so to speak.

Then again, I've been sorta down on them since I saw them live. I know, I'm such a contrarian.
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post #13 of 35
5/8/08 at 11:32pm
Wow. Don't know that I could be more pumped. Picked up the albums in the complete wrong order- "Boys and Girls", then "Separation", then "Almost Killed Me". Wow. Almost saw them in Chicago on Halloween, but decided not to. What a mistake. Can't wait to hear the new stuff.
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post #14 of 35
5/19/08 at 9:11pm
They uploaded "Sequestered in Memphis" on their Myspace today. Nothing shocking, but good nonetheless.
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post #15 of 35
6/1/08 at 8:37pm
I need to listen to this a few more times, but from what I can tell its gold.
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post #16 of 35
6/1/08 at 11:34pm
It leaked?!?!?!

<George McFly> When the hell did this happen? <end George McFly>
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post #17 of 35
6/24/08 at 4:14am
No one else is in love with this album?
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post #18 of 35
6/24/08 at 8:33am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ninhead View Post
It leaked?!?!?!

<George McFly> When the hell did this happen? <end George McFly>
You can buy it off i-tunes, if you're so inclined. Support the musicians who deserve it.

I love the John Cassavetes references.
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post #19 of 35
6/24/08 at 11:04am
Quote:
Originally Posted by woodsy View Post
No one else is in love with this album?
I've only heard it once on the MySpace page, but I thought it was great. I'm waiting to buy it on vinyl, though (or maybe CD, since there will apparently be extra bonus tracks on there).
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post #20 of 35
6/24/08 at 11:40am
Ditto. I'm off iTunes (save for iTunes plus). I'll probably get it on disc, maybe off amazonmp3.
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post #21 of 35
6/24/08 at 12:50pm
Thread Starter 
Loving it.
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post #22 of 35
6/24/08 at 7:47pm
Fucking great. I can't wait to hear this stuff live- meatheads will get the background stuff on "Constructive" and the title track a little too well, but should be a trashing good time!
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post #23 of 35
7/13/08 at 3:17am
The more I listen to this I think the last two tracks are the stand outs. Though the title track will be amazing live.
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post #24 of 35
7/13/08 at 5:29am
The best thing I've ever heard about The Hold Steady is that they make punk and hard rock fans wonder why they don't drink in the same bar.
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post #25 of 35
7/13/08 at 1:26pm
My favorite thing I've heard about them is that they formed when 2 guys were sitting on a couch watching The Last Waltz and they turned to each other and asked "why doesn't anybody play music like this anymore"?

What I really like about them is how they make really specific lyrics seem universal. You've tapped into something special when you can make a line like "I ain't ever been with your little hoodrat friend" seem anthemic, imo.
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post #26 of 35
7/13/08 at 1:41pm
To tide over those of us waiting for the hard copy release on Tuesday, here's some video of live versions of songs off the new album via AOL. "Joke about Jamaica" reminds me of being a giddy 23-year-old semi-groupie. Love it.
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post #27 of 35
7/13/08 at 3:04pm
Can't find it online, but today's "Sunday Source" in the Washington Post loves Stay Positive. Says it would make a great soundtrack for your next block party
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post #28 of 35
7/18/08 at 5:28pm
So the CD came out this week... any thoughts?

My take:
It does a lot of the things that Boys and Girls did, but very little of it better.

The storytelling isn't quite as sharp on some of the tracks, and "Lord, I'm Discouraged" and "Both Crosses" don't hold up to the slower tracks on Boys and Girls ("First Night" and "Citrus"), but I generally like how they keep broadening their sound. The harpsichord on "One for the Cutters" is a nice touch, and I like the Husker Du-vibe on "Constructive Summer." "Slapped Actress" closes on a fantastic main riff (ignoring the bonus tracks, only the last of which is quite as good as the rest of the album).

It's a B+ or A- to Boys and Girls' A+. One of the best this year, but only second best in the Hold Steady catalog (so, yeah, I still think it's slightly better than Separation Sunday, which is also a pretty terrific album).
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post #29 of 35
7/18/08 at 5:40pm
Thread Starter 
Yeah. There are no great leaps forward here, but I wouldn't call it a step backwards, either. It's a great album from a band that's firing on all cylinders, but I'd give the edge to Boys and Girls in America, too. They get mentioned in the same breath with the Truckers a good bit, so I'll say this:

Decoration Day::Boys and Girls in America
The Dirty South::Stay Positive
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post #30 of 35
7/18/08 at 5:45pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Misfit View Post
Yeah. There are no great leaps forward here, but I wouldn't call it a step backwards, either. It's a great album from a band that's firing on all cylinders, but I'd give the edge to Boys and Girls in America, too. They get mentioned in the same breath with the Truckers a good bit, so I'll say this:

Decoration Day::Boys and Girls in America
The Dirty South::Stay Positive
I can't go quite that far, since I'm constantly back and forth on whether I like Decoration Day (Hood's best set of songs, two classic Isbell songs) or Dirty South (more Isbell and a slightly better showing by Cooley) better. I think Boys and Girls is more secure in its standing as my favorite Hold Steady album to date.
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post #31 of 35
7/18/08 at 6:05pm
I've only listened 3X all the way through (and repeated "Constructive Summer" a couple of times - that song is like crack or "Monkeywrench") and I'm leaning towards slotting it in third behind "Separation Sunday" but that might be because "SS" was my first experience with The Hold Steady, and you know what they say about your first.

I agree that the music may be slightly up while the lyrics are just slightly down. The storytelling in "One for the Cutters" for example seems a little more prosaic than it has been.

It's still way up there, though. I think it was the Post's reviewer that wrote (paraphrasing): "If you are already a fan this may not be your favorite Hold Steady album, but if you are just discovering them then The Hold Steady may be your new favorite band."
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post #32 of 35
7/20/08 at 12:21pm
I think it's their most accessible album...and honestly, it just might be my favorite. I'm the odd one who likes Separation Sunday better than Boys and Girls (I just find the lyrics and the concept sharper...although I will admit that Boys and Girls is probably more musically advanced). The songs on Stay Positive felt like instant favorites the second I heard them and it took less time to "learn" them than on previous albums. Who knows what that means at the moment, but I predict five years from now this and Separation will be the two albums I turn to the most.

Also...they fucking killed live. Unbelievable.
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post #33 of 35
8/15/08 at 9:57am
Thread Starter 
Unconfirmed dates for the co-headlining tour with the Drive-By Truckers are coming in. From Ninebullets.org:
Quote:
As always, nothing is official until the DBT site confirms it, but a few dates have leaked for the longtime rumored Drive-By Truckers/The Hold Steady fall tour. Here's the dates we've seen floating around...

Oct 30 Louisville, KY
Oct 31 Nashville, TN
Nov 1 Atlanta, GA
Nov 2 Tallahassee, FL
Nov 7 New York, NY
Nov 8 New York, NY
Nov 9 Philadelphia, PA

Word is they will trade headlining duties depending on the city. And cities with multiple shows will have DBT headlining one night, and THS the other.

And again... these dates have NOT BEEN CONFIRMED by anyone in the DBT camp.
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post #34 of 35
8/15/08 at 1:03pm
This album is TWO DOLLARS on Amazon today (in mp3 format). Own that joint legally if you don't already.
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post #35 of 35
8/30/09 at 5:08pm
I've been putting this in my CD player a lot. Love this album although Boys and Girls is still one of my favorite albums ever,.


By the way Slapped Actress is like crack. I can play that song over and over.
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