Band of the Week: The Hold Steady

To rabid followers of new music, I probably sound like a Johnny-Come-Lately adding my voice to the throng of people praising the latest Hold Steady album, which came out several months ago. But I routinely run into people who haven’t, say, picked up the new Say Hi To Your Mom album or who have never listened to Explosions in the Sky or Wolf Parade, so I never just assume.

Boys and Girls in America is simply loud, dirty rock and roll at its finest. It comes off like some sunny-eyed, bastard child of Bruce Springsteen and Jack Kerouac and makes fans of chamber pop question their feelings about music...

For evidence, let me present the video for the song Chips Ahoy!, which includes singing sportscasters and someone dressed up as Zorro playing a church organ. As Stan Lee would say, ‘nuff said...