Thursday, a small caravan of us are making our way 40 minutes north to catch the Hold Steady right outside of Santa Fe. The venue, Santa Fe Brewing Co., is new to me. Pressed to guess, however, I'm gonna say it will be small and intimate. A club to be sure, and therefore, the perfect place to catch the Hold Steady. I saw this band two times last year when TK and I were lucky enough to jailbreak for SXSW in Austin. There was copious amounts of singing along to be had. A gorgeous affair was had by all.
In that spirit, here is my bitchin' mixtape for the rest of the week as I prepare myself for the pending awesomeosity that this show promises to be.
Almost Killed Me
French Kiss records 2004
"Positive Jam"
While I'm not sure that I would normally put this song on a bitchin' mixtape, it works really well live. Vocalist Craig Finn gets to stretch out his literary pretense before the band delivers a holy hell of a ruckus. I saw it at the Mohawk in Austin and it was good, man.
"The Swish" & "Barfruit Blues"
I don't recall seeing these two numbers live, but after listening to last year's live album, Positive Rage, I really wish that I had. Between Tad Kubler's impending chords of doom on the former song and Finn's rambling conversational vocals on the latter, these two tracks sum up the best of the band at their rowdiest. "Most People Are DJs," with its misleading Afghan Whigs-like opening also rules my heart but this is a mixtape and space is essential, natch.
"Killer Parties"
The closing number. Always. Interestingly, this song catches the band at their most haunting and yearning. Additionally, the band plays with an ambiance here not often touched upon in other songs. It's the hard luck broken heart beating underneath the ragged exterior of the rest of their catalogue.
Separation Sunday
French Kiss records 2005
"Your Little Hoodrat Friend"
One of the Hold Steady's best known songs with one of Finn's best lyrics- "It burns being broke, hurts to be heartbroken and always being both must be a drag." With the requisite alt rock dynamics perfected by the Pixie's and cemented by Nirvana (hint: quiet loud quiet), Finn has all the space in the world to extol his most perfect teen angst melodrama.
"Charlamagne in Sweatpants," "Stevie Nix" and "Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night"
Admittedly, one of my largest problems with Separation Sunday as a whole is the way that all the songs eventually blended into one another and became one song. Granted, its a great song, but it forces me to choose between listening to this album as a whole or choosing my favorite versions of the song. "Charlamagne" has a great slow burn with the opening organ working its mojo. "Stevie Nix" on the other hand, goes straight for the rock jugular with its muscular Clash-like chords before settling into a rambling bridge. "Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night" is just plain demented. We'll be lucky if we get to see any of these songs on Thursday and I think we will.
Boys and Girls in America
Vagrant records 2006
"Stuck Between Stations"
Easily, hands down, one of their best songs ever. From Kubler's opening riffs to Franz Nikolay's arpeggiated piano underneath it all, this is everything one could ever hope for from the Hold Steady. Also, Finn paints a picture of literary America from beatnik ramblings to John Berryman's tragic flight at the end of his life. Finally, this song features one of the greatest bridges ever. EVER!
"Party Pit"
Another epic in which Finn sings the about the tragic aftermath of a youth spent too fast. The central character, a burnout who promises to "walk around and drink some more," is a great reflection of innocence lost and beauty destroyed by self destructive decadence. The end is always a rousing sing along in which the audience echoes the earlier promise.
"Massive Nights"
This exuberant blast of youthful indiscretion is the flip side. In a world where "everyone was funny & everyone was pretty," this song serves as a paean to simpler times where the biggest concerns revolved around beer runs and dodging chaperones. Coupled with that loping bassline, it's almost impossible not to shout along even if you don't know how.
"Citrus"
"Hey, citrus," Finn sings, "Hey liquor, I love it when you touch each other." Amidst the downplayed sadnesss of pubs across this world, Finn writes a solitary anthem for the casual barroom observer. The Hold Steady rarely sound this hushed or transcendent.
"Southtown Girls"
Closing out Boys and Girls in America, this anthem trades ambition for love and hits every Springsteenish pose it can on its way out. The only part of it more brilliant than the guitar solo was the high five shared between Kubler and Finn when I saw them play it at the Mohawk. Also, Franz Nikolay steps away from the keyboard for a moment to deliver the final piece of Americana in a nimble little harmonica solo.
Stay Positive
Vagrant records 2008
"Constructive Summer"
A turbo charged ode to summer, beer and friends, this has been my summertime anthem... basically, since its been released. In it, Finn celebrates double whiskey and St. Joe Strummer as he decides to build something "this summer." Despite frustration and disappointment with all institutions, he begs for a reminder that "we can all be something bigger" and "we are our only saviors." When he calls for a toast to St. Joe Strummer, my fist will definitely be in the air.
"Sequestered in Memphis"
A story of when to keep your mouth shut, Finn stills spins a story of braggadocio in which no one should be bragging. All the characters are tired, desparate and just a little more than destitute. In essence, it's a perfect Hold Steady song. "Subpoena'd in Texas, Sequestered in Memphis," the chorus sings as Finn apologizes, "I went there on business."
"Stay Positive"
The further into this album you get, the more you get called back to the ghosts of previous albums. No more so than this song. Finn looks back on both the failed hopes and desparate realizations of album's past with more than a little introspection. "It's one thing to start with a positive jam," he implores, "And it's another thing to see it through. We gotta stay positive."
"Joke About Jamaica"
A joke about Led Zeppelin's joke about Jamaica leads off this song as the band revisits another familiar face. Except in this song, your little hoodrat friend is a few years older and a little worse for the wear as everyone's teenage dreams butt up hard against mature reality. The classic rock aspirations come full circle with Kubler's great talkbox guitar solo. No one will be asking if it's fuckin' Frampton.
"Slapped Actress"
Closing out an album that almost serves as a retrospective of their career so far, this song takes us back to the Ybor City of Almost Killed Me's "Killer Parties." Sung like a conspiracy in the making, Finn informs us that "some nights it's just entertainment and some other nights its work." Luckily, one never gets that feeling watching this band.
*EXTRAS*EXTRAS*EXTRAS*
As per usual, I always say take out the one or two or even three tracks you don't like and replace them b-sides and rarities to be cooler than your friends.
"Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window"
This little gem comes from the I'm Not There soundtrack. The Hold Steady doing Bob Dylan? Nothing but net.
"Girls Like Status"
I first heard this on the band's live album, A Positive Rage. I hear rumors of a studio version on the Aqua Teen Hunger Force movie soundtrack but it's unsubstantiated at this point due to the fact that it's an album only download. Boo.
"You Gotta Dance With Who You Came to the Dance With"
This came off of Indie Rock Prom but I just downloaded it off of amazon. Totally worth finding and totally delicious.
Additionally, I'm holding judgement on the new songs til I hear them live. So far, I'm enjoying the new album but there is no doubt that Stay Positive was the last act in their original story. Heaven is Whenever has more space to breathe and the band has certainly had to adjust with the departure of keyboardist Franz Nikolay. Nonetheless, I've very much enjoyed the urgency of "The Weekenders" and the old school raga of "Barely Breathing."
But really, more on that later, to be sure.
