<![CDATA[Idolator: hold steady]]> http://cache.gawker.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/idolator.com.png <![CDATA[Idolator: hold steady]]> http://idolator.com/tag/hold steady http://idolator.com/tag/hold steady <![CDATA[Signs Of The Forthcoming Apocalypse: The Hold Steady Edition]]> Holdsteadystaypositive.jpgSadly, the article doesn't appear to be online, but I can assure you I saw the following news with my own eyes. The current newsstand issue of Christianity Today—which I like to think of as the Time of the evangelical community—features a review of the new Hold Steady disc, Stay Positive. Sure, it makes sense for an act that's rich in religious iconography to be reviewed in the magazine, but the fact that the act is the Hold Steady was a bit disconcerting. And the lede—"Craig Finn, lead singer and songwriter for Brooklyn's the Hold Steady, writes about drug addiction, casual sex, and Jesus"—doesn't make it any less so. Congrats go to Paste writer Andy Whitman for sneaking the act into the Billy Graham-founded publication, even if Stay Positive might see the act at their least "Christ-haunted." [Christianity Today]

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http://idolator.com/401042/signs-of-the-forthcoming-apocalypse--the-hold-steady-edition http://idolator.com/401042/signs-of-the-forthcoming-apocalypse--the-hold-steady-edition Tue, 09 Sep 2008 16:45:00 EDT Dan Gibson http://idolator.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=401042&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA["Hey, Asshole!" Special Edition: When Opening Acts Attack]]> seanana.jpgWe've been hearing reports about the Hold Steady's Monday night show in Boston, which was apparently notable because the opening act, fellow Minnesota natives Sean Na Na, wouldn't get off the stage—not even while the Hold Steady was playing. The blogger at Random Musings has a full-on rundown. Among the highlights:

Sean Na Na had been asking for shots during their set and the 5 guys were pretty well off when all was said and done. The guitar player just started walking around the stage..singing various parts..drinking..asking for stuff..you name it.
They all join in on backing vocals for songs. The guitar player takes off his shirt and rolls on the floor, each member takes at LEAST 1,000 flash photos.
The band comes back out on stage and the same shit continues. The singer from Sean Na Na arrives with Craigs glasses on saying he is "Craig" and "how awesome was Sean Na Na".

Yeesh. Too Much Rock has video of what appears to be a portion of the Sean Na Na invasion, while the Sean Na Na haterade is a-flowing on the Hold Steady's message board.

The Hold Steady - The Middle East, Cambridge 10/30/06 [Random Musings]
boston [forums.boysandgirlsinamerica.com]

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http://idolator.com/tunes/hey-asshole/hey-asshole-special-edition-when-opening-acts-attack-211641.php http://idolator.com/tunes/hey-asshole/hey-asshole-special-edition-when-opening-acts-attack-211641.php Wed, 01 Nov 2006 13:53:15 EST mjohnston http://idolator.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=211641&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[Hold Steady Mad Libs: Test Your Bar-Band Knowledge]]>

If you're young, cranky, and perpetually holding out for a Replacements reunion, then you no doubt purchased the Hold Steady's new album, Boys And Girls In America, as soon as it was released yesterday. You're also probably drunk right now, which we like, since that generally helps make this site a lot more readable.

Anyway, fans of the band know that lead singer Craig Finn has more than a few go-to touchstone references, all of which approach the over-saturation point in America. And so for those of you who've already given the record a few spins—or for anyone who thinks they could do better—we present our Hold Steady Mad Libs. After the click-through, a few stumbling pseudo-Finn verses that need to hook up with your bored, boozy pronouns.

THE LYRICS:
(Catholic School Girl Name) had a hard heart but she had a soft spot for ('70s Musician)/ In the back seat, she enjoyed (working-class vice) while talking about (poet) and metaphors/She drove down to (r
random mississippi river reference)
/Then she did some more

These kids in (mid-size American city) wonder who's going to save them from (decade)/ Strung out, and (post-vice activity)/Waiting for a (religious reference)/Somewhere near (slightly different random place in Mississippi)

Fun, right? If you're having problems coming up with your own Finn-speak, feel free to swipe from our suggestions below:


Catholic School Girl Name

Theresa
Holly
Mary
St. Barbara

'70s Musician

Freddie Mercury
Rod Stewart
Phil Lynot
Alice Cooper

Vice

Drinking Dark Bacardi
Powders and Pills
Sniffing Margarita Mix
White Wine and Tallboy Cans

Poet

William Blake
Keats
William Butler Yeats

Random Mississippi River Reference

Banks of the Mississippi River
Shores of the Mississippi River
The Mississippi River
Washed Up in the Mississippi River

Mid-sized American City

St. Paul
Denver
Philly
Dallas

Decade

The '60s
The '70s
The '80s
The '90s

Post-Vice Activity

Taking Off Their Clothes
Going Out to Shows
Waking Up with the Backstage Pass in Their Pants
Riding Around in GTOs

Religious Reference

Conversion
Resurrection
Jesus Christ in All His Glory
Born-Again Baptism
A Confession Booth

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http://idolator.com/tunes/hold-steady/hold-steady-mad-libs-test-your-bar+band-knowledge-204824.php http://idolator.com/tunes/hold-steady/hold-steady-mad-libs-test-your-bar+band-knowledge-204824.php Wed, 04 Oct 2006 13:39:54 EDT Brian Raftery http://idolator.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=204824&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[Dear Pitchfork: We're Sorry That We Overestimated You]]> bng.jpgThe release of The Hold Steady's third full-length, Boys and Girls In America, is nigh, and one important question has been answered: What did it get from Pitchfork? Idolator's readers figured that the indie divining rod would give the record a 9.7, while the rating-handicappers at Predictfork went for the under, guessing that it would notch an 8.4. In the end, we were all wrong; Boys And Girls received a 9.4—enough for a "Best New Music" tag, but not enough to match Kiss: Alive!

The Hold Steady: Boys And Girls In America [Pitchfork]
Previously: Pitchfork Asks: Have You Heard Of This Hold Steady Band?

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http://idolator.com/tunes/pitchfork/dear-pitchfork-were-sorry-that-we-overestimated-you-204550.php http://idolator.com/tunes/pitchfork/dear-pitchfork-were-sorry-that-we-overestimated-you-204550.php Mon, 02 Oct 2006 11:30:28 EDT mjohnston http://idolator.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=204550&view=rss&microfeed=true
<![CDATA[Pitchfork Asks: Have You Heard Of This Hold Steady Band?]]> pitchfork.jpgCongratulations, Pitchfork! Today's Lollapalooza story marks the 1,000th time this year that you've mentioned Brooklyn band the Hold Steady in a headline. You guys really, really love this group, and you show your support just about every day, whether it's giving away their MP3s, lightly rewording their press releases, or simply letting lead singer Craig Finn write his own feature story.

Don't take this the wrong way—we share your enthusiasm for the band. But honestly, with all the Hold Steady hoopla, how can we possibly trust a Pitchfork review of Boys And Girls In America, which is coming out next week? Is there any way this record could not end up as one of your vaunted "Best New Music" picks? Predictfork is guessing an 8.4, but we think they're low-balling. So we ask you, readers: When Boys And Girls album is reviewed on Monday, will the 'Fork deem it a great record...or the greatest record?

Gawker Media polls require Javascript; if you're viewing this in an RSS reader, click through to view in your Javascript-enabled web browser.

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http://idolator.com/tunes/pitchfork/pitchfork-asks-have-you-heard-of-this-hold-steady-band-203847.php http://idolator.com/tunes/pitchfork/pitchfork-asks-have-you-heard-of-this-hold-steady-band-203847.php Thu, 28 Sep 2006 10:04:34 EDT Brian Raftery http://idolator.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=203847&view=rss&microfeed=true