The Hold Steady
- Posted by ryan on October 2nd, 2006 filed in Music
So, I know a lot of you guys like this band. I’m wondering if you can help me understand something.
I get the whole story-teller concept with the recurring characters and the literary references. And it’s not like I don’t like the music. I liked the whole guitar and piano rock with an emphasis on storytelling thing the first time around, with Bruce Springsteen and Tom Petty and even Billy Joel. And I liked it the second time around, with Counting Crows and Ben Folds Five and, when THS turns it up, some of those great 90s emo bands like Jawbreaker. If I were back in D.C. throwing a party, and god willing some day I will be, I’d probably include some of these new tracks on the playlist.
But what’s with the Pitchfork 9.4? What’s with the critical acclaim? Did these guys just miss the whole introspective, easy, radio-friendly, alternative rock that I couldn’t get away from in high school? I mean, this music isn’t bad, but it also isn’t particularly interesting or original. And it’s occasionally pretty tiresome. What am I missing? Do I have to be drunk? Because that can be arranged. Please to explain the appeal of this band.
October 2nd, 2006 at 12:49 pm
Okay, I’ll bite.
I dont see the Counting Crows or Ben Folds similarities at all - then again, I never really connected with Ben Folds like the rest of the universe did in the 90s, so maybe I just don’t have the historical background to get that comparison. I’d never claim that THS (or old Lifter Puller, for that matter) are the harbingers of a new, “original” music style, but it works for me, for now. I can’t think of another present-band comparison for their style of music (unless the youth of America has started to copy them. I could just be out of the loop on that.) A really poor example: I love the New Pornographers, but nowadays - everyone sounds like the New Porngraphers? I can’t say the same for Finn et al.
I get very, very tired of the same old synth sounds from 19 year old white-belted hipsters. And, I get tired of… sad music. I find THS refreshing in that my midwestern dad would probably dig it. Rarely do I sit down and listen to an entire album of theirs, but I haven’t found an entire CD worth doing that with in years, anyways. Please, for the love of god- give me the name of an entire something worth listening to in one sitting, I beg of you, Internet.
THS is def. a party band, but they don’t pretend like they are more than that, either- their live shows are simple fun fun fun. I don’t think you are the only person though that has reservations about them - I know a bunch of people who I share almost all taste in music with who can’t stand them.
And while I like seeing a band I enjoy getting a good review in any publication, and I will link to it with glee: I never, ever take much of what Pitchfork writes seriously. Ever. Brent DiCrescenzo anyone? PFork stoppped being a serious source a few years ago, now I only find it worthwhile fr browsing during lunch breaks.
October 2nd, 2006 at 12:55 pm
(added to simplify the entire spew above:
I tire of tweeness and soft sensitive woman volcaists? I embrace rough-dude voices, guys who sound like PBR and nicotine get injected directly into their veins at 7 AM daily? I appreciate albums I can scream along to in the car?
that’s about the whole of it, really.)
October 2nd, 2006 at 1:33 pm
Yeah. I mean, I guess the appeal is clear, I just can’t reconcile that with the whole critical acclaim bit. But since, as you say, pf is garbage, I don’t really have to. Cognitive dissonance solved.
Only, THS do seem pretty sad at times, no? In the same way that other similar sounding party bands sometimes do too? Like this song First Night? I know I heard Big Head Todd play that song once at some frat lawn party. Many lighters were raised.
October 2nd, 2006 at 1:56 pm
Okay, I’ll give you “First Night” - & in that line of thinking then, I guess most of Separation Sunday is pretty sad - I mean, the characters are depressing as hell.
I think by “sad” I meant more like, weepy woman? Azure Ray? Cat Power’s “I Don’t Blame You?” Anything vocally… thin?
Maybe I just like Craig Finn’s voice, and that explains the attraction?
October 2nd, 2006 at 3:51 pm
UGH. I just re-read myself and it sound sextremely sexist - like, “all women songstresses are vocally thin, etc.” Yuck to me.
Not all. Certain songs. Of some artists. Both male AND female. To clarify.
. . . . . . .
hi, I’m hijacking your comments today.
October 2nd, 2006 at 3:57 pm
I think the critical acclaim comes from the quality of the lyrics. I say this as a guy who doesn’t usually listen to lyrics — but I think the music is amazing, but would be completely tiresome if taken without the vocals. My knowledge of THS is almost exclusively via Separation Sunday, but that album, taken as a whole, represents a pretty impressive piece of writing. Finn’s subtle and funny and occasionally devastating, and he does it all through a narrative rather than the scene-setting that the other bands you list generally restrict themselves to (admittedly his narratives frequently don’t accomplish anything other than setting the scene — still, it feels like they’re going somewhere, which means it feels different).
October 2nd, 2006 at 4:00 pm
Also, as support for my point: check out this article from this Sunday’s NY Times.
October 2nd, 2006 at 5:44 pm
1) I was with you. Vocally thin. Like that Oberst kid.
2) Can I say I don’t like his voice? I hate to say that, but really I don’t.
3) Tom, this was an argument I had constantly with my old band-mate Brian. He was of the opinion (and I hope I get this right, in case he’s reading) that lyrics could make a song or a band. And I was of the opinion that lyrics could only ruin a song or band. I can appreciate good writing all day, and that includes good lyrical writing, but honestly, most of the time lyrics do very little for me in terms of the musical experience. The vocal melody does, but not what the guy (or thin-voiced girl) is talking about. That probably sounds awful. But I feel like the way you experience music and the way you experience writing are two very different things. Concentrating on what Finn’s saying keeps me from feeling the music, and allowing myself to feel the music reminds me that there isn’t really a whole lot there.
4) Which is why I’m all about stuff like this, or the Fiery Furnaces, as performance or theatrical art. But as popular music, I don’t think it works. Unless you just ignore what he’s saying.
5) Ok, but I understand the appeal of the roughness and the shoutiness, even if I don’t like his, um, delivery? The preciousness of indie voices can be totally tiresome.
October 3rd, 2006 at 2:22 am
Ok, I want to revise my earlier statement, which is way more pompous and dismissive than I’d intended.
I can see how THS works for folks. The narrative is there, and if you want to focus on that, the music behind it isn’t too complex or distracting. If you don’t, then you just have some nice, simple party rock, which is fine. I guess I don’t find that the narrative speaks to me at all, but that’s just me.
What I was trying to say, also, was that for me, the main thing about a song is how it sounds, not what it says. I don’t know why that is, because I appreciate good writing, but it is, and I get the impression that this is not necessarily how others approach their music.
October 3rd, 2006 at 3:23 am
And of course, by “way more pompous and dismissive than I’d intended,” I mean “I did not at all intend to be pompous or dismissive, but instead respectful and engaging.” Jesus. Who am I, George Allen?
October 3rd, 2006 at 8:45 am
I can understand what you’re saying about music coming before lyrics — that’s how it usually works for me, too. It’s a very different experience for me from listening to most albums. More like Finn is performing a written piece with a musical accompaniment that’s meant to accentuate what he’s saying at any given moment.
October 3rd, 2006 at 9:48 am
Can i retract all my previous blabbering and just leave it at: “what tom said?” is that a total cop out?
Also, i think it’s just fine that you’ve decided not to like Craig Finn’s delivery, although your are OBVIOUSLY TERRIBLY MISTAKEN!!!!!!!! But here in blogland, you can apparently “voice your opinions.” That’s all i’ve learned from blogging. Well, that, and how to find youtube videos of “Little Superstar.”
Oh wait, you haven’t had internet for a few weeks, I forgot.
December 4th, 2006 at 1:17 pm
[…] One, didn’t I totally say that, earlier? And two, fuck you Pitchfork. Because here’s the thing. There are plenty of bands playing oh so familiar sounding songs with allusive, nostalgic, and yes, EMO, lyrics, many of which develop crazy followings, and some of which, like Jawbreaker, are really good. And yet, they get dissed by the indie crowd. And you know what? THS is no different. Not the least bit. But for some reason it’s ok to like these guys. Well, not me. Because if there’s one thing lamer than being a balls out, die hard fan of some nostalgia driven emo band, it’s being a balls out, die hard fan of some nostalgia driven emo band because it’s the cool thing to do. I mean, half the point of being into a band like this is reveling in the fact that you are not now, nor have you ever been, cool. So, apologies to all those who actually love THS because it just worked out that way, but these guys have to go. Otherwise, Pitchfork wins. I’m sorry, but you don’t get to go around ruining the careers of good bands who deserved to be loved, only to annoint some other group that’s plying the same trade, making it ok for Interpol fans everywhere to get just a little bit emo. That just. isn’t. fair. I won’t stand for it. […]