Certain Songs Get So Scratched Into Your Soul: An Intro to The Hold Steady

Image Credit: The Hold Steady/Vagrant Records

The Hold Steady is my favorite band. That said, they aren’t for everyone. Not one person in my life enjoys them, and my best friend tells me over and over that he “doesn’t get it.”

What a way to start off a new band suggestion, huh?

The Hold Steady is a Brooklyn-based bar band with hard roots in the upper midwest. Often compared to Bruce Springsteen and Drive-By Truckers, their songs are cinematic and literary, with characters and stories spanning multiple albums. This past March saw the release of their sixth studio album, Teeth Dreams, and a departure from their previously piano-heavy sound. Fronted by singer Craig Finn and guitarist Tad Kubler (who co-write all the tracks: Finn provides the words while Kubler composes the music), they’re joined by bassist Galen Polivka, drummer Bobby Drake and, new to the lineup, guitarist Steve Selvidge. After celebrating the band’s tenth anniversary over the winter, they’ve set out on a spring/summer tour in support of the new record.

Check out some of their greatest hits below, then check their upcoming show schedule to find a show near you. The four times I have seen them have been the four best nights of my life – I can’t think of a happier place than a night with these guys.

Almost Killed Me:
Start With: Positive Jam – Finn has said that he wrote this song as a thesis statement for the band.
I Love: Certain Songs

Separation Sunday:
Start With: Your Little Hoodrat Friend
I Love: How A Resurrection Really Feels

Boys and Girls in America:
Start With: Stuck Between Stations
I Love: First Night

Stay Positive:
Start With: Constructive Summer
I Love: Magazines

Heaven is Whenever:
Start With: We Can Get Together
I Love: Hurricane J

Teeth Dreams:
Start With: Spinners
I Love: Oaks