The Hold Steady: Boys and Girl in America

[If you shout...]

The 'Fork took the fine opportunity on Friday to debut the first single from Boys and Girls in America, the forthcoming album from (in the wake of Sleater-Kinney's disintegration) the best band in the Americas...The Hold Steady. The song is called "Chips Ahoy!" and it is fucking wonderful. This band demands your attention, so sit the fuck up and recognize.

This is the thread wherein we come to anticipate the release of what will surely be the best album of the year. Their 2005 masterpiece, Separation Sunday, was the best straight-up rock'n'roll album to be released since rock music attained perfection in 1973 with the release of Springsteen's The Wild, The Innocent, and The E Street Shuffle. It is one of the greatest albums ever to have been released (and when I say "one of," I mean one of the top 60 or so...I'm not crazy enough to say it's better than White Light/White Heat or even the Springsteen album already mentioned), and this new one is allegedly even better. It's time, then, to get excited.

This thread will not die, God fucking damn it. Let's keep it alive and let's get lost in all the lights. It'll be okay, in the end. The Hold Steady is even better than was LftrPllr, and that's nearly impossible. If you don't love this band, then I want to kick your teeth in. That's it and that's all.

Let the fiestas + fiascos begin.

www.pitchforkmedia.com/page/news/Exclusive_Premiere_Hold_Steady_Chips_Ahoy_MP3#38025

 

[Jack In The Box]

oh, yeah, I read about Chip Ahoy! on Pitchfork, I'm waiting fot this album, Separation Sunday was a great rock record, so... my expectations about this are high

 

[If you shout...]

I knew I could count on you for some good taste, JitB. One of the few, the proud, the musically well-read...!

This takes me off-topic on my own thread, but are you looking forward to the new Xiu Xiu album? I thought that the single was dece enough.

BUT...! Jamie Stewart ain't got nothin' on Craig Finn!!!!! Best frontman in rock, indie or otherwise. Fuck Bono.

 

[Jack In The Box]

oh, thanks

and of course I'm looking forward The Air Force, I have the leak already and it's pretty good, I think.. even better than La Foret

and, well, Jamie is sexier

 

[barlowdog]

Just heard the new single "Chips Ahoy." Anticipation high for this album. Had a chance to see the guys a couple weeks ago playing about an hour from my house. 'I was too tired' was my excuse for not going. I am so lame.

 

[zoney!]

Just heard the new single "Chips Ahoy." Anticipation high for this album. Had a chance to see the guys a couple weeks ago playing about an hour from my house. 'I was too tired' was my excuse for not going. I am so lame.

- That sounds like one of my excuses.


Saw them last summer in Chicago. Lots of energy - and they are from Minnesota

 

[u2popmofo]

I always planned on buying their last album, but I never got around to it. Now I'm going to be way behind, apparently.

 

[barlowdog]

- That sounds like one of my excuses.


Saw them last summer in Chicago. Lots of energy - and they are from Minnesota

I already bought tickets in advance for Okkervil River and The Wrens; both shows in October. This way I'll be pretty much forced to go having already spent the money.

u2popmofo, you must get Separation Sunday.

 

[If you shout...]

Separation Sunday will change your life if you're a human being with anything even remotely resembling a heart.

P.S. Anybody who digs this shit should sell his/her soul to collect the Lifter Puller (LftrPllr) discography. AMAZING FUCKING BAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Hold Steady arose from LftrPller's ashes.

Once you meet Holly, Gideon, and Charlemagne and after you spend some time in Ybor City and Minneapolis, make a point of hooking up with Juanita, Katrina, Nightclub Dwight, and even The Eyepatch Guy, that rat fucking bastard, on your way to the Nice Nice. You'll never meet a crazier group of kids, lemme tell you.

 

[zoney!]

P.S. Anybody who digs this shit should sell his/her soul to collect the Lifter Puller (LftrPllr) discography. AMAZING FUCKING BAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The Hold Steady arose from LftrPller's ashes.[/B]

 

[Jack In The Box]

I will check LftrPllr...

 

[If you shout...]

This is getting a pre-emptive bump from y'all's truly. Me.

Did anybody have the pleasure of catching the band's performance at Lollapalooza, a few weeks back? My lady was there for one of her last in-the-US experiences, and I'm led to believe (by her) that they were quite perfect.

Can anybody confirm or pitifully deny this obviously factual account?

 

[u2popmofo]

If you shout, you're in Chiba-shi?! I had no idea you (or anyone from Interference) lived in Japan. Very cool, I've briefly passed through Chiba. Lived in Japan for a couple years.

 

[If you shout...]

I do indeed live in the fair Chiba-shi, u2popmofo. A wonderful little slum, it is! I live deep in the heart of the city, about two blocks from Chiba-chuo station. It all leaves me about 45 minutes from Tokyo, the second-greatest city in the world. My "real" home, Chicago, is the best. Obviously.

And don't nobody go telling me that this shit is off-topic, or something. One of the better songs on Separation Sunday was "Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night." Now, while I can't say whether or not the city was particularly tired, last night or any other, I can tell you that the song, like The Hold Steady, is fucking amazing.

u2popmofo, I have no idea how much time you spent in Japan, but I've only been here for a month. Do you know how one goes about keeping up with the indie music scene(s), around these parts? Like, I wouldn't even know where to go to find out where and when shows are, let alone to find out how to get tickets (which I also don't know anything about).

Hold steady, kids. Wherever you are in this wide world, Holly and the boys will always be with you. Believe. Believe in resurrection, believe in the holy spirit of the bottle, and believe in the mystical, new-age healing powers of The Hold Steady.

 

[If you shout...]

Any thoughts on "Chips Ahoy!" from you ever-silent jive-turkeys? What's the verdict, here? I know that more than, like, three of you have listened to it. What say the people?

 

[Jack In The Box]

for those that don't know The Hold Steady (and wand to)... in my LJ I uploaded 20 songs of different bands, one of them is a Hold Steady song

 

[If you shout...]

I've been trying to hold steady and let you kids do the leg-work for me and prove that good taste really does exist, but a man can only wait so long. So, with no further delay, I yet again follow the 'Fork's lead...

Go here: Boys and Girls in America

Please register and, if you do, please make sure to list li'l ol' me as your referral person. They call me Back In Blackbeard around those parts. Holla. Only one more month and we get to find out how a resurrection really feels...!!!!!

 

[If you shout...]

Got this in my inbox the other day with the subject heading, "T MINUS 24":

I think it's safe to say we are locked and loaded here people. 24 days until The Hold Steady's Boys And Girls In America Tour is unleashed on this North American land mass. I know I speak for all parties involved when I say we are looking forward to this tour like none other. When we roll into town, that tent better be up because the healing is about to commence. Get it on ice and prepare to be
saved. We're coming.

- Tad

Keep getting xxx-cited, kids. Or, you know, at least finally start to pretend to, for my sake...

 

[If you shout...]

"Southtown Girls"



Woo WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[u2popmofo]

u2popmofo, I have no idea how much time you spent in Japan, but I've only been here for a month. Do you know how one goes about keeping up with the indie music scene(s), around these parts? Like, I wouldn't even know where to go to find out where and when shows are, let alone to find out how to get tickets (which I also don't know anything about).

Sorry for the slow reply, I completely forgot about this thread!

I was in Japan for 2 years (97-99), honestly I didn't listen to much music during that time and I didn't visit any cd stores other than big chain-types for the most part. I was at the height of my U2-worship phase at the time, so I didn't care about much other than that. I've only been back once since then, and I didn't have time to do any music shopping at the time.

Not sure how long you're going to be there, but there's an amazingly big music festival in summer called the Fuji Rock Festival. It usually has some good foreign acts, as you can see here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuji_Rock_Festival

 

[If you shout...]

1) I`ve been listening to it for several days, now, and I am proud to report that Boys and Girls in America is absolutely, without a single doubt, the best record of the year. So far. Any dumb bastard who tells you otherwise is either an emotionless, cold, evil robot or somebody who doesn`t know what music is. I was right, motherfuckers! Own up! Fucking. INCREDIBLE.

2) I got a PM from Tad Kubler (lead guitarist of The Hold Steady, bass player from LftrPllr, all-around cool dude) on the Forum at www.boysandgirlsinamerica.com, which inherently makes me the coolest person in the world.

3) u2popmofo, I know about the festival. It was way too fucking expensive for me, and some of my co-workers stumbled into free tickets when it was too late to let me know. I was pissed, but it`s all good. In reality, 99% of the bands there weren`t for me at all. It just would have been a nice way to re-connect with something resembling (even vaguely) home.

 

[If you shout...]

Consider this thread resurrected, kids. This is how it really feels...

I'll say it yet again: album of the year, so far. And it's pretty obvious that nothing will top it. For the first time since their naming U2 the band of the '80s, Rolling Stone pre-release ramblings were justified. Pay no attention to their typically bland review and recall that the same magazine gave Tunnel of Love five stars. Believe the hype, not the analysis thereof. Once you're done with that, love this album like nothing else. It's more than that good, yo.

 

[HelloAngel]

If any of you guys would like to write a 400-450 word formal review of the new Hold Steady, please email me.

 

[If you shout...]

Suck It

 

[Jack In The Box]

I read the Pitchfork review earlier today, I haven't listened to it yet... damn school!

I knew you were going to be pleased

 

[u2popmofo]

Because of all the hype yous guys and Pitchwhork have given it, I picked this up with The Decemberists yesterday.

Only listened to the first half, but it's pretty rocking and enjoyable stuff. Oddly enough, i think Chips Ahoy! is my least favorite so far and it's the "single", isn't it?

 

[XHendrix24]

It's pretty good for what it is. Nothing groundbreaking, but it's a good bar band record.

Singer's voice could be a bit stronger, though.

 

[If you shout...]

It's pretty sketchy, but here's the video for "Chips Ahoy!" if anybody is interested in giving it a try:

http://www.aolmusicindie.com/2006/1...d-steady-chips-ahoy?ncid=AOLMUS00050000000039

I can't say that I approve, but trust me! THE ALBUM IS STILL AWESOME!!!!!

 

[Harry Vest]

I work at a campus/community radio station here in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada (www.umfm.com) - we just got the album in so I played a couple of tracks last weekend - it sounds great!!!

 

[u2popmofo]

Well, I decided to believe the hype and picked this up the day it came out. I've been enjoying it even more than I thought I would.

I'm definitely hearing some Springsteen influence, which certainly isn't a bad thing for this type of band. I was surprised they were on Vagrant Records at first, but after a few listens, I think this is in many ways a "punk record" at least in feeling.

My favs right now are probably Stuck Between Stations, Hot Soft Light, First Night, You Can Make Him Like You, and Massive Nights. First Night is easily the stand out for me, I dig the "boys and girls in America" part quite a bit.