The Hold Steady - Boys and Girls in America

2007, Vagrant Records

Now that the White Stripes have signed to Warner, The Hold Steady have inherited the title of Today’s Hands-Down Best Straightforward Indie Rock Band.

Not only that, but Craig Finn is a great lyricist, with his beer-soaked tales of love, loss, and redemption. (Another plus is that he manages to be Catholic without being preachy- a remarkable feat.)

A lot of people mention Springsteen in connection with this record, and while I hear the influence of early Broooooooce!, I can say, without a doubt, that Springsteen never rocked this hard. So crack open a beer, crank up your car, and remember that girl from high school who broke your heart before you could break hers- because The Hold Steady are playing your song. And it rocks.

Let’s face it: it’s only a matter of time before some major label snaps up these guys, pairs them with Bob Ezrin (producer for Kiss and Alice Cooper), and forces them at gunpoint to make something unlistenable. There is a possible light at the end of the tunnel, though: The Hold Steady may well be physically incapable of making a shitty record.