serving notice

Hello all. Today seems like just as good as any other day to remind you all to remind the world that you're brilliant.

Give 'em love, truth, beauty. Whatever. Give 'em hell if you want. Just give 'em something to talk about in hushed and excited tones.

first report from santa fe's 8 july 2010 Hold Steady show

In what was neither the first nor the last occurrance of this happening, I jacked a concert poster. I've done this so many times its not even funny. This one, however, I think I shall have framed.

The Whigs were great. The Hold Steady were prolific and incredible. On behalf of Santa Fe, New Mexico and Santa Fe Brewing Co., I just want to apologize.

More on that later. With video. Phenomenal incredible video.

Most People Are DJs: the Ronin Rock guide to the Hold Steady Pt. 2

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.

dial m for nihilism

It would seem that it's time for the final push into my bumbling epic This is Not a Love Song with one Tyler Kent. A month from now, we should be doing final edits and get submission packets together. I just read Mr. McGowan's notes on TK's half and whooboy, am I ashamed of what mine contains. Looks like we'll be dialing up the nihilism in my half. We'll get one thing straight right off the bat, though, my character is not a raging alcoholic. He's a raging asshole. Alcohol is just one element of his arsenal.

All told, it will be great to be done. But it is bloody frightening to go back for one last go round. A lot of truth and a lot beauty took place in the half life that the first draft was done in. Accordingly, certain parts seem radioactive to me now as I've been like four different people in that time.

On the other hand, how often do you read a book whose first line is "Why is there a hammer in the wall?"

Killer Parties: the Ronin Rock guide to the Hold Steady part 1

Originally, this post was meant to be for Travis. I wanted him to get a small glimmer of what these guys are about before we see them in Santa Fe (July 8, Santa Fe Brewing Co- we'll be there in force). But then, it also had to be for Seany and Bex who forced this band into my life. Also, I kind of wanted it to be Dusty who doesn't think they're nearly as cool as I do. At the same time, I could never leave out Tyler, Victoria, Rob or Brooke who've all seen this band with me. Ultimately, it is a bit of a primer for anyone and everyone who's even remotely interested in enjoying this band in any way, shape or form. For old fans, hopefully it opens up fun discourse/dissent to be nerded over with likeminded music snobs. For new fans, hopefully it provides a sense of context that adds to the overall listening experience.

And away we go.

First, it has to be said that I initially didn't like this band. With no basis whatsoever, I took one look at them and arbitrarily decided they had nothing to offer me. And by arbitrarily, I mean I took one look at their photo and said to myself, "Look at those guys. What could they possibly know about rocking?"

The first photo above is the second one of theirs I ever saw. Let's break it down for a quick moment. First, there's guitarist Tad Kubler. On a simple sartorial basis, his dress sense is embarassingly reminiscent of every middle aged father white America has ever produced. Of course, most of them dress like that, it's just Kubler's yellow tinted glasses that seal it for me. Bassist Galen Polivka and drummer Bobby Drake actually look like pretty normal guys. You'd be hard pressed not to imagine them more at home in line at Home Depot than melting faces on a stage. Keyboard player Franz Nicolay wears a handlebar mustache. Handlebar for pete's sake! And then there's singer/guitarist Craig Finn, receding hairline in place and possessed of the fashion sense of your high school shop teacher.

I won't even get into the first picture I ever saw of them. We'll just note that I saw it in Q's "Bands to Watch This Year" feature and the picture made them look even schlubbier. What's worse, it made them look like Parisian buskers. Picture me- not impressed.

I mean, who the hell are these guys and what could they possibly know of rocking out? This, I thought to myself, is what rock and roll has come to? Pass. Passpasspass. I'll hang out with my Clash records, thank you very much. Suffice to say, I was about to have my little world rocked.

Flash forward a few months. It was the annual Double Matt Birthday Bash. I was eagerly unwrapping a package just handed to me by Seany and Bex. It was a copy of Boys and Girls in America, the Hold Steady's third and most critically acclaimed album yet. I could never tell Seany and Bex that I'd already written off this band (I mean, a handlebar mustache! And male pattern baldness!). Mostly because, if they were giving me this record, it had to worth exploring. At the very least. More likely, it was going to be incredible (Seany- we were banking on your credity here more than anything else. Sorry, Bex).

Travis and I played it on the drive home. Mostly, I remember it sounded like it was recorded underwater. This was undoubtedly due to my incredibly inebriated state. But I came back around to it within a week or two. I found a song I liked. Then two. Then five. Then the whole damn album. Hence, your first two lessons:

1.Thou shalt not judge thy band by their mediocre sartorial sense. Unless they're Japanese or want to be Japanese, because let's face it, those guys are all ridiculous.

2.Some albums are slow burners. They may take a while to hit, but when they do, they do so a tsunami. see Enter the Wu-Tang, Black Love, Rain Dogs, Disintegration.

Having had a little time to take in the Hold Steady now, I was familiar with their rep, their mythology, their lore. The basic rap sheet?

1.They've kindasorta got a Springsteen thing goin'.

Yes. But I always think of them as more of an amalgamation of Bruce Springsteen's and Elvis Costello's drunken nephews who never quite got over punk. Sure, they've got that sweaty all American epic rock feel to their sound. It all comes down to the instrumentation- two guitars, bass, drums and keyboards to fill out the sound. Occasionally, there's even a sax solo. But don't forget, they grew up in the time and place of the Replacements and Husker Du, so punk is still going to figure in. No more so than Craig Finn's vox/guitars.

2.Their audience will kill you for them without thinking twice.

Also, yes. But they'd rather not. Everybody there is just there to enjoy some music, some beer and some friendship. Still, they are a slavishly devoted crowd that knows all the right times to sing along and you should too (see Party Pit, Constructive Summer, Stay Positive).

3.They write about drinking. A lot.

Guilty as charged. I saw them play at the Mohawk in Austin. Bassist Polivka blew out the amp head on his bass cabinet. When he finally got it replaced with another one, he placed his Lone Star tallboy on it on a sign that read "DO NOT PLACE DRINKS HERE!!!" I may have pictures. Also, I think Nicolay drank a whole bottle of red wine by himself.

4.They write about drugs. A lot.

Also guilty. Bruce wrote about the hard working American dream crashing into reality. Elvis wrote about, well, whatever Elvis wrote about. These guys spend a lot of time writing about Post Meth America.

5.There's also a lot of writing about awkward sex between really young people.
Where there's smoke, there's fire. Consider that when you reread numbers 3 & 4. It's also worth noting that most people have really awkward sex. Except everybody here, of course.

6.But there's also a lot of religious symbolism- what gives?

Like there's ever been a better dramatic backdrop for Post Meth America? Craig Finn does use a lot of biblical imagery. It makes a great contrast for all the messed up stuff that surrounds the inhabitents of his songs. In a lot of ways, it reminds me of Samuel L Jackson in Pulp Fiction.

7.Really, though, it's mostly all about being young and stupid, right?

Sex, drugs and rock & roll, right? While their music has never actually been that simple or that narrow in scape, Finn certainly uses indiscretionate youth as the context from which he spins most of his stories. This is fairly true to life, however, when you realize that the majority of people's stories are survival tales from their own teenage wastelands. Most of our simple complexities come from being young in America while you sort yourself out. Accordingly, some of Finn's characters figure it out and some don't. When asked about, do as Finn says and say something vague.

Also, the characters that survive often return in numerous songs over the span of many albums. Their reflections on their past lives reveal subtle beauties and truths that only become apparent to us in light of the past. The album Stay Positive, in particular, is great about this.

Ultimately, this music is a heady mix of biblical imagery and sexual buffoonery set against the back drop of post Meth America. And while you don't have to be a reformed dealer/skinhead/skank to appreciate, you will smile if you're young enough to remember but old enough to know better.

*the second picture posted is one I took at the Mohawk in Austin. of special note should be Tad Kubler who somewhere along the way turned into a lean mass of rock monster. which is the second reason why I don't feel bad about bashing this band on their appearances. i was so obviously wrong, its embarassing.

Today's Thought on Fear

It's no secret to me- I thrive much better with my back to the wall. Forced into situations where I have to execute with no safety net, I tend to think that my record speaks pretty well for me.

White knuckled optimism is always nice but nothing beats work, yeah?

Without the uhh... motivation of complete failure or death, I can slide into slovenly laziness pretty rapidly. I know this. My attention span turns crappy pretty quickly and I lose interest... I know, I know.

The rub, however, is that anything that requires a safety net usually requires lots of practice. Which, even though I suck at it, I still try to maintain. Furthermore, even though there's a net, it doesn't mean I don't hurt myself getting there.

And maybe this makes sense or it doesn't, but this is how I'm looking at the last year of my life:

It's time to remove the nets, man.

and then... twenty ten

Wow. Anybody else notice that we're, like, almost halfway through this year? I reiterate. Wow.

So then. Maybe I've been a leeeeetle busy. 2010 in a nutshell.

I went to DC to hang out with my brother and his lovely, lovely wife who, despite our warnings, married into the family anyways. We're lucky to have her. A short excursion into Baltimore was made where we watched Devotchka open for Gogol Bordello. Whiskey was poured later. Three out of four heads passed out on the drive back home. It was good. And for once, my flight home was not delayed. Score one for me.

Some people got married. Parties were thrown. Drinks were imbibed. Cake happened. Dancing happened. Later, in the fall, some more people will get married. I will be forcibly involved, but thankfully at this moment, not be the one getting married. WashRinseRepeat.

Then...

The Beginning of this month saw me return to the stage in a manner of speaking. At the request of one very astonishing Jacqueline Garcia, I helped her hammer out some text to accompany her latest show The Dust Vignettes- Four Tales of an Immaculate Heart. Then we pulled Tyler in to do the acting in what basically amounted to a one man show interspersed in a dance show. They were all phenomenal. And while I've said that at the beginning its not how I would have chosen to do things, I can honestly say at the end of the day that I wouldn't choose any other way for things to have gone.

And now we're more than halfway through June. Which means I've been slavishly devoted to the NBA Championships. I was asked earlier who my favorite team is. When pressed, I'd probably have to go with Barkley's Suns. They were great. Beyond that, its whoever plays with the most heart and the most game. Asking me to choose a favorite ball club is like asking me to choose a favorite band. That being said, it was incredible to see the Celtics play this post season. Every single time they were counted out of contention, they came back to prove the doubters wrong. They were like some freakish force of raving hardwood id. I hope they're back next year because the way those finals ended... just didn't cut it for me. I won't even get into my colossal distaste for the Lakers. It's not fair to the world at large. We have bigger things to worry over.

Like World Cup Soccer. The US is sooo close. Even with what was patently diseastrous officiating in our match with Slovenia. Ok. I'm leaving it alone.

Tomorrow, I'm going to see the Cowboy Junkies at the NHCC. July will see me in Santa Fe for the Hold Steady and again at the end of August for Ray Lamontagne and David Grey. That should all be really exciting. And as much as I hope to get into the last few month's adventures in more detail, I hope I'm on point enough to write about what's coming up as well.

That being said, I'll be posting a look at the upcoming Hold Steady show with suggestions to my comrades in arms as to what songs to listen to in preparation. Feel free to toss your own thoughts my way. At the very least, it should provide for interesting discourse.

What RadioFreePennington is jamming today: the Class of '10-
Lustre by Ed Harcourt, HeadFirst by Goldfrapp, This is Happening by LCDSoundsystem, Heaven is Whenever by the Hold Steady, TransContinental Hustle by Gogol Bordello, Of the Blue Colour of the Sky by OkGo and Tonight by Franz Ferdinand (I know its 2009 but I just got it and far prefer it so far to You Could Have It So Much Better).

Put that in your pipe and playlist it.

i used to know you

Of the other things floating around in my brain, I've felt myself somewhat craving Albuquerque rock more than usual lately. Polyester Blues by Oh, Ranger! has always been a favorite. Ditto for Tedious Bliss by Feels Like Sunday. I've even been thinking about digging up some Hollis Wake to listen to. I miss these bands. Not quite like I miss being 22 but awfully damn close. And it makes me sad because I have to wonder:

Whatever Happened to All of These Guys?

miss you all.

namaste

Like everyone else on the planet, I have thoughts about LOST. With every apology in the world to one of my best mates, I'm glad its over. There's a certain beauty to finality. To be able to step back, wipe your brow and whistle, "Sure glad we survived that," that's a beautiful thing.



But was it any good? Glad you asked.



Because, while I would hate to get writerly on anyone, the finale stirred up thoughts on the craft for me more than anything else. Yes, there were plot threads left dangling so negligently that OSHA inspectors everywhere are spontaneously bursting into flame. We don't know what [insert your biggest nagging question on what the island is or how it works here] is and now we never will. Losties will be arguing over the more vague elements of this show's mythology for years to come.

And I'm okay with this. I don't need to know every single why there is out there. Life comes at a pretty fast clip for all of us and most of the time, we don't get an explanation as to how or why. What defines us and our character is how we react to that. And in that light, I thought the finale was pretty damn resonant emotionally.* Had they left characters dangling, I might be singin a different tune.

Of course, if we're being honest, I am an admitted David Lynch fan. And, if nothing else, that's taught me that the questions are and always will be far more important than the answers.

A True Devotchka

Back from a week's vacation. And now back to work. Which means I won't be able to blog the last week's happenings for a few more days. Instead, I leave you this shot from a Gogol Bordello + Devotchka + Jesse Malin show in Baltimore.

picture by Aaron Pennington