SOW: Certain Songs by The Hold Steady

April 08, 2004 | 0 Comments

The Artist: The Hold Steady
The Song: Certain Songs
The Album: Almost Killed Me
Released 2004

The Hold Steady were one of the better acts I caught at SXSW this year. They were a very pleasant surprise. I saw them at a house party and was told I’d like them but didn’t really have any idea what to expect.

What I saw was some seriously talented, seriously rockin’, foot-tappin, head swayin’, straight-forward rock. Kinda.

It was cool that they kicked off with a “Positive Jam!”

I say straight-forward and I mean that, but they are more than that. While they do have a bit of Bruce Springstein in there and they could be described as “real American rock”, there is also something unique about The Hold Steady. Something endearing and something…else…that makes them extremely interesting.

Maybe it’s the lyrics. From “Knuckles”:

i’ve been trying to get people to call me sunny d. i’ve got the good stuff kids go for. people keep calling me five alive. because the last guy didn’t really die. i just lied. and the first four didn’t really die. i just lied. too many kids are getting stabbed. getting tangled up in crabs…i’ve been trying to get people to call me johnny rotten. people keep calling me freddy fresh

Good stuff.

As with many bands I see live and enjoy, I was very eager to see how they held up on disc. Very well — Almost Killed Me is a great one. I think they’re better live, but hey, that’s usually the case, isn’t it?

So what, exactly, do they sound like? Pitchfork had this to say about The Hold Steady:

The Hold Steady are the anti-trucker hat, the anti-laptop, the anti-West-Virginia-t-shirt. And they rock without repent.

Pretty accurate, I’d say. Although, come to think of it, this week’s song, the amazingly cool “Certain Songs” isn’t one of the most rockin’ tunes out there. It’s great and played live it certainly rocked. It does have more than just a nod to one of my favorites; Billy Joel.

They do have a unique sound when you look at it as a whole. Vocalist Craig Finn has a very unique vocal style and delivery, one that really grows on you, and lead guitarist Tad Kubler is extremely talented. They’re also very cool people.

Give The Hold Steady a listen. Catch them live if you get the chance. They could be your new favorite band.

Recommended if you like: Lifter Puller, Bruce Springstein, Elvis Costello, Pavement, Ted Leo & The Pharmacists, Built To Spill

Filed under: Song of The Week