Bag Of Songs Top 25 Albums of 2008 : 11 to 15

January 2, 2009 by · Leave a Comment
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Number 11 to 15 of the BOS top 25 albums today, stay tuned for the top ten coming up soon.

15 Duffy – Rockferry [BUY]
Mercy may be the best single of the year, but is not necessarily typical of the rest of this disc which takes a slightly more low key approach and harkens back to 60’s soul singers like Petula Clark, or to a lesser extent Dusty Springfield. Bolstered by solid songs like the the title track and the excellent Warwick Avenue it’s a great kick back and listen record.

Duffy – Mercy
Bonus Duffy – Ready For The Floor (Hot Chip Cover)


14 The Hymns – Travel In Herds [BUY]
The Hymns also had one of the great singles of 2008 with the horn laced I Can’t Be What You Want, and the rest of the disc runs deep with equally great songs from The Velvets Meet CCR rocker Streets Alone, to the country tinged Off My Mind. Another one of the overlooked gems of 2008.

Hymns – I Can’t Be What You Want


13 The Hold Steady – Stay Positive [BUY]
After the pretty much perfect Boys And Girls in America, I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised at this being a bit of a letdown. I anticpated this ending up in my top three for the year,and with the exception of a clunker or two the songs are all there, but where this really lost points for me is the overly loud muddy production that makes it near unlistenable. I haven’t been able to sit and listen to this all the way through because after two or three songs I get ear fatigue so bad I need to put something else on. Be sure to track toown the version with the three bonus tracks Ask Her for Adderall,Cheyenne Sunrise and Two Handed Handshake.

The Hold Steady – Slapped Actress


12 No Age – Nouns [BUY]
Unlike the Hold Steady record which tried to be loud and faltered, this record sounds better the louder you play it. Sculpting a wall of sound reminiscient of Husker Du or Sonic Youth into catchy melodic songs, this record is filled with the joyful catharsis of playing loud electric guitar.

No Age – Sleeper Hold


11 Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin – Pershing [BUY]
The years best record of pure ear candy, indie influenced power pop at it’s best. It’s a record chock full of hooks and harmonies, finding just the right balance between quirky and super catchy.

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin – Glue Girls

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5 On A Friday : Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang

February 15, 2008 by · Leave a Comment
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Just some banging songs to rock your day (or night).

1: The Archies – Bang Shang A Lang
Buy Best Of
2: REM – Bang And Blame
Buy Monster
3: The Hold Steady – Banging Camp
Buy Separation Sunday
4: MIA – Bamboo Banga
Buy Kala
5: Cher – Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)
Buy The Very Best Of

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How A Resurrection Really Feels

April 8, 2007 by · 1 Comment
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MP3: The Hold Steady – How A Resurrection Really Feels
Buy Separation Sunday

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When Rising Stars Collide…

March 23, 2007 by · 1 Comment
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…the glitter in the gutter gets all over the boys and girls in america.
Jesse Malin performing You Can Make Him Like You by The Hold Steady at an in-store appearance at Vintage Vinyl in Fords, NJ on 3/20/07.

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From The Mailbag : Matt Lutz, K’Nise’s picks, RIAA and more

March 11, 2007 by · Leave a Comment
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First up today is the latest solo album from Matt Lutz, the frontman for popular San Francisco indie-garage rockers The Herms. Matt’s disc is the appropriately named Seesaw, as the gamut of styles on it run from dark Bowieesque goth rockers to loungey instrumentals to the catchy pop number,Took Me A While that I have for you today. If you like this be sure to check out his myspace page for more tunes.

M4A: Matt Lutz – Took Me A While

[MYSPACE]
Big Thanks to Mona at MLC PR for the track.

K’nise Connection’s Pick of The Week(and Last Week)

K’nise‘s pick this week is the sultry, soulful,jazzy sounds of Toronto’s dazzlingly beautiful Emma-Lee. Not only is Emma-Lee an extremely talented musician she’s an impressive photographer as well. Hear her songs on her myspace page and make sure you check out her photographs as well.
[MYSPACE] [WEBSITE] [PHOTOGRAPHY]

Since I was on an unxpected hiatus last week and didn’t get to post much, here’s last week’s pick as well. The Hummingbirds are a sweet country duo from Ypsilanti, Michigan composed of Rachel Lynn on Vocals and Guitar and Stephen Grant Wood on Guitars and Vocals. Watch for their new album due out sometime in 2007
[MYSPACE] [WEBSITE].

RIAA WTF
If you like music on the internet, and especially if you’re a college student you’ll want to check out these two articles.

Recording Industry vs People Blog posted this open letter to the RIAA
Open Letter to Universities Whose Students Have Been Targeted by the RIAA

Jefito Blog posted this insightful piece on gizmodo.com’s proposed RIAA boycott
A Lovely Month for a Boycott

Way To Go Desmond !
Our former Artist Of The Day, bedroom four track sensation Desmond Reed has had his song Who I’d Like To Meet picked up by Manchester UK based Babyboom Records to be included on their next sampler cd due out March 19th.

Some places to be this week if you’re not in Austin Texas for SXSW

The Swimmers start their Sunday night residency at Pianos in NYC tonight and share the bill with Maria Taylor and Aderbat in Philadelphia on Thursday night.
Sun Mar 11 2007 9:00P Pianos [residency] New York, New York
Thu Mar 15 2007 7:30P FirstUnitarian Church w/ Maria Taylor and Aderbat Philadelphia, PA

In the mood for some blues ? Here’s where Jo Wymer will be this week :
Sun Mar 11 2007 02:00 PM – Travelling Poets Society – Espresso Joes, Keyport,NJ
Sat Mar 17 2007 08:00 PM – Twisted Tree Cafe Cookman Ave, Asbury Park, NJ

World Cafe Live has a pair of shows by Nanci Griffith followed up by one from the legendary Leon Russell
Wed Mar 14 2007 7:30P Nanci Griffith World Cafe Live Philadelphia PA
Thu Mar 15 2007 7:30P Nanci Griffith World Cafe Live Philadelphia PA
Fri Mar 16 2007 7:30P Leon Russell World Cafe Live Philadelphia PA

The Hold Steady are back from the UK with The Thermals in tow to continue their takeover of the Boys And Girls In America. If there’s one hot band to see now these guys are it.
Mon Mar 12 2007 08:00 PM – Club Downunder Tallahassee, FL
Tue Mar 13 2007 08:00 PM – The Bottle Tree Birmingham, AL
Wed Mar 14 2007 08:00 PM – Hi Tone Cafe Memphis,TN
Thu Mar 15 2007 08:00 PM – Off Broadway St. Louis, MO
Fri Mar 16 2007 08:00 PM – Music Mill Indianapolis, IN
Sat Mar 17 2007 08:00 PM – Newport Music Hall Columbus, OH

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You Can Make Them Like You : Hold Steady Video Contest

February 23, 2007 by · Leave a Comment
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Boys and Girls in America was one of best albums of 2006. The Hold Steady are currently one of the hottest rock and roll bands in the world right now and they want to let you in on the party. So break out those video editing skills and make them proud. Here’s the details:

Film Us a Music Video and WIN BIG!
When Boys & Girls in America was released in October, we challanged the Boys & Girls in America to share their own tales of the ups and downs of love, life & the stories of being yourself. Now, the Boys and Girls in America & the rest of the worlds are invited to take your best shot and shoot/animate/create your own video for one
of the songs from Boys & Girls in America. The rules are simple and you could find yourself with a wad of cash and some great prizes too!

Just go to the Boys and Girls in America website – and upload your original music
video!

Grand Prize for the winning video include $1000 cash prize, $1000 in JBL products, a free 6 month membership to eMusic.com, a Hold Steady Merch Pack and the chance to have your video on FUSE TV. First Prize includes: $500 cash prize, iPod Shuffle, 3 Month Membership on eMusic and a merchandise package of all of the greatest Hold Steady stuff. A runner –up prize consisting of a $250 cash prize, 1 Month eMusic membership and band merch pack insures that there are plenty of chances to win.

All you need to do is create a music video of any song on Boys and Girls in America.

Here’s a sample to get you thinking

The Hold Steady – First Night

For the rules, prize listing & to enter visit: BoysAndGirlsInAmerica.com

[WEBSITE] [MYSPACE] [iTUNES] [EMUSIC] [HYPE]

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YouTube Tuesday : The Shins, Arcade Fire and The Hold Steady

January 23, 2007 by · Leave a Comment
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The Shins : Phantom Limb video. Wincing The Night Away is released today

Arcade Fire : Intervention Live at Canterbury High, Ottawa on January 19, 2007

The Hold Steady : Stuck Between Stations on the David Letterman Show on January 11, 2007

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LIVE : 11.21.06 The Hold Steady @ The North Star Bar Philadelphia

November 22, 2006 by · Leave a Comment
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Thanks to being on innumerable mailing lists, an afternoon message announcing just released tickets to the long sold out Hold Steady show at the North Star Bar in Philly resulted in a score of a ticket for last night. It’s no mistake that Boys and Girls In America is one of the most raved about discs of the year. The boys delivered one of the best rock shows I have seen in a long time. Their manic energy on stage never let up once for the full ninety minutes. It was also obvious that they were having FUN up there. These are a few of the pretty crappy looking photos I managed to take last night.
If they haven’t been to your city yet be sure to go check them out. Here’s the dates currently on their itinerary :
Nov 22 2006 8:00P Warsaw Brooklyn, NY
Nov 24 2006 8:00P Maxwell’s Hoboken, NJ
Nov 25 2006 8:00P Black Cat Washington DC, DC
Nov 26 2006 8:00P Cat’s Cradle Carrboro, NC
Nov 27 2006 8:00P New Brookland Tavern Columbia, SC
Nov 29 2006 8:00P The Social Orlando, FL
Nov 30 2006 8:00P Orpheum Tampa, FL
Dec 1 2006 8:00P Beta Bar Tallahassee , FL
Dec 2 2006 8:00P The Parish at House of Blues New Orleans, LA
Dec 4 2006 8:00P Sticky Fingerz Little Rock, AR
Dec 5 2006 8:00P Mojo’s Columbia, MO
Dec 6 2006 8:00P The Bottleneck Lawrence, KS
Dec 7 2006 8:00P The Picador (formerly Gabe’s) Iowa City, IA
Dec 8 2006 8:00P Southgate House Newport, KY
Dec 9 2006 8:00P Headliner’s Louisville, KY
Dec 11 2006 8:00P Grog Shop Cleveland Heights, Ohio
Dec 13 2006 8:00P Showplace Buffalo, NY
Dec 15 2006 8:00P Pearl Street Northhampton, MA
The Hold Steady 11.21.06 North Star Bar Philadelphia PA

Stuck Between Stations
cattle And The Creeping Things
The Swish
Chips Ahoy!
Massive Nights
You Can Make Him Like You
Hot Soft Light
Party Pit
Stevie Nix
Your Little Hoodrat Friend
Southtown Girls
How A Resurrection Really Feels

ENCORE:
First Night
Same Kooks
Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night
Killer Parties
One big surprise of the night for me was the opening set by Canada’s The Constantines,a band I had not heard of before. Their Spoon meets Fugazi sound was intense live. I bought a couple of their cds after the show, and while good,they don’t really capture the power of their live show. They are opening a number of dates on the Hold Steady tour, if they’re in your town be sure to get there in time to catch them.

The Constantines Tour Dates
Nov 22 2006 9:00P Warsaw Brooklyn, New York
Nov 29 2006 9:00P Starlight Waterloo, Ontario
Nov 30 2006 9:00P Call the Office London, Ontario
Dec 1 2006 9:00P Lee’s Palace Toronto, Ontario
Dec 2 2006 2:00P Lee’s Palace Toronto, Ontario
Dec 2 2006 9:00P The Underground Hamilton, Ontario
Jan 29 2007 8:00P Peterborough Memorial Centre Peterborough, Ontario
Jan 31 2007 8:00P General Motors Centre Oshawa, Ontario
Feb 2 2007 8:00P Scotiabank Place Ottawa, Ontario

The Hold Steady
official website: theholdsteady.com
myspace: www.myspace.com/theholdsteady

MP3: The Hold Steady – Hot Soft Light
MP3: The Hold Steady – Party Pit


The Constantines
official website: www.constantines.ca
subpop page: www.subpop.com
myspace: www.myspace.com/constantines

MP3: The Constantines – Nightime/Anytime(it’s Alright)


BUY IT : the hold steady the constantines

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