Craig Finn Posts Acoustic Performance of "Jackson" from Forthcoming Solo Disc (out Jan. 24th)

"In July 2011, I went to Austin Texas to make a record. The Hold Steady was on a four month break, and I wanted to try something a little different. Earlier in the year, I had written a bunch of songs that were outside of the norm for The Hold Steady, a little quieter and perhaps more narrative. I also wanted to gain some experience and insight into the process of making a record by working with new
people.

I'm calling this record “Clear Heart Full Eyes”. It's a juxtaposed reference to Friday Night Lights, a TV show that excited and moved me and also happened in Texas. Further, “Clear Heart” signifies honesty and transparency, and “Full Eyes” suggests experience. Thus, it's about being optimistic and open without succumbing to the weariness or doubt that comes with age and experience. To me, that is what it's all about." - Craig Finn

Finn invited The A.V. Club to his Brooklyn apartment where he discussed the making-of his debut solo album, Clear Heart Full Eyes, and performed an acoustic version of the excellent song "Jackson" for their One Track Mind series.


Craig Finn discusses and performs "Jackson"

Craig Finn Tour Dates:
2/01 - Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
2/02 - Oklahoma City, OK @ The Conservatory
2/03 - Omaha, NE @ Slowdown
2/04 - Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock Social Club
2/06 - Iowa City, IA @ The Mill
2/07 - Chicago, IL @ Empty Bottle
2/08 - Detroit, MI @ The Lager House
2/09 - Columbus, OH @ The Basement
2/10 - St Louis, MO @ Off Broadway
2/11 - Kansas City, MO @ Record Bar
2/13 - Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge
2/19 - San Diego, CA @ Casbah
2/20 - Los Angeles, CA @ Troubadour
2/21 - San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill
2/23 - Portland, OR @ The Doug Fir Lounge
2/24 - Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
2/27 - Ringwood, NJ @ Live @ Drew’s House
2/28 - Allston, MA @ Great Scott
2/29 - New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge (Early Show) SOLD OUT
2/29 - New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge (Late Show) SOLD OUT
3/1 - Hoboken, NJ @ Maxwell’s (Tickets are $15 and are still available)
3/2 - Washington, DC @ Rock N Roll Hotel
3/3 - Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506
3/5 - Atlanta, GA @ Earl

Links:
Craig Finn

The Hold Steady - Stay Positive CD Review (Vagrant Records)

Since this disc was released in July, The Hold Steady's music and Craig Finn's lyrics have been debated ad nauseam across Internet. I don't think that I can add anything new to the debate but I too will have Stay Positive on my "Best of 2008" list. I would expect Stay Positive to be a turning point release for the band and catapult them from the larger halls into the arenas. (The ascendency path is similar to Kings of Leon, who are headlining Madison Square Gardens next month).

A lot of the reviews that I have read compare The Hold Steady to Bruce Springsteen. I made the same comparison at first but, after a few listens to the disc, now I'm not so sure that this comparison holds. I haven't kept up with the last handful of Springsteen releases but I'm left with the impression that he has moved away from the detailed narratives/stories of his early work. Going back to The River, Nebraska and earlier, I always found Springsteen's stories to be tales of redemption and his characters as 'beautiful losers.' This isn't the case with The Hold Steady....Craig Finn's narratives are one part Flannery O'Connor and one part Catholic guilt. He tells tales of drugs, murder and people who have lost their way while the band plays anthemic/sing-along arena rock.

For fans (or the uninitiated), live performances of five of the songs from Stay Positive are available as a free download on AOL's The Interface. The band also recently released a promo video for the song "Stay Positive".

STAY POSITIVE - The Hold Steady


This disc caught me out of left field and I've probably played it a dozen times over the last few weeks. If The Hold Steady keep on their course "their sing along songs" will become scriptures for a legion of fans.

Links:
The Hold Steady's Website
The Hold Steady's MySpace Profile

Art Brut Returns to NYC for a Show at Terminal 5

Art Brut is back in the States and will be doing an East Coast tour with The Hold Steady in Oct/Nov. The band has only one show in the area - Wednesday, Nov 21 @ Terminal 5, New York, NY. For anyone who hasn't been keep up with the new clubs that have been opening; Terminal 5 is the old Club Exit and it is located at 56th Street and 11th Avenue. According to this week's TimeOut, Terminal 5 has a capacity of 3,000. (I am sure there are going to be those who reminisce for last year's small club shows at Southpaw and the Knit)

Art Brut also did a live podcast for AOL's The Interface which is available as a free download on both video and mp3. Eddie is really something to watch -- I didn't hear the comparisons to The Fall when I first listened to the pre-release of It's a Bit Complicated but I can really see the comparison now. If you listen to the interview, there is talk that the University of Berlin is having a course on Eddie's lyrics.

Here is the track listing for the podcast:
'Pump Up the Volume'
'Post Soothing Out'
'Direct Hit'
'Good Weekend'

I have yet to catch The Hold Steady but this video from the band's show at Prospect Park looks pretty cool. It sounds like Craig Finn's spoken word delivery is a perfect match to accompany Eddie and Art Brut.

Before going off with Art Brut, The Hold Steady is play a show on 9.17.07 @ World Trade Center.

Links:
The Hold Steady
Art Brut
Art Brut's MySpace Page