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Post by dshortman on Jul 22, 2020 6:12:28 GMT -5
Hi!
I'm new to this board as a poster, though I've been reading for a while. And I'm a big fan of the Hold Steady, dating back to 2004 when friends at the website I wrote for interviewed the band and turned me onto Almost Killed Me.
I wanted to share a podcast that my friend/fellow THS fan and I are putting out, called A Positive Jam. The aim is to break down great records track by track to see what makes them work, and we're starting with Almost Killed Me, of course. We have two hosts but then a few guests who are also big fans join us at some point or another for most episodes.
We've put out an intro episode and, today, a Hold Steady Starter Kit playlist. We start releasing the track by track episodes on August 5th. I don't mean to spam or anything, but I just thought people on this board might get a kick out of it. We refer to this thread a couple times during the 12 episodes (we do one on the bonus tracks and one on the Twin Cities as a scene in addition to the 10 main tracks), and I think we get into a lot of fun stuff for Hold Steady fans.
The podcast is available wherever people get podcasts, including these links:
And if you want to look at our Starter Kit Playlist, it's here. It's meant for newbies and we tried to keep it short, but we may have missed stuff (I would have loved to include Cattle & the Creeping Things or Barfruit Blues).
Thanks for your time and I hope you check it out! If you have any feedback or anything, feel free to get in touch, especially if we're doing something wrong, though staying positive is welcome . Daniel
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tbob
True Scene Leader
Posts: 548
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Post by tbob on Jul 22, 2020 18:48:35 GMT -5
Sounds cool. I’ll definitely give it a listen.
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Post by kayfaberaven on Jul 23, 2020 11:35:11 GMT -5
Thanks for the heads up...I'll check it out.
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Post by dshortman on Aug 5, 2020 8:12:20 GMT -5
Thanks guys, we just posted the first full episode (on "Positive Jam", natch), so I hope you get a chance to hear it!
-- Daniel
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Post by kayfaberaven on Aug 5, 2020 19:33:23 GMT -5
I listened and enjoyed it. I thought you guys did a good job in delving into the song, given its overall simplicity. I'm really looking forward to The Swish.
AKM was my entry point to The Hold Steady. It wasn't until about 2006 when I first heard about them, but I decided to start at the beginning. I thought it was audacious that they used their band name in the first song. And then when they did it again in The Swish, and DJs and Knuckles, I was hooked.
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Post by dshortman on Aug 12, 2020 12:12:20 GMT -5
Cool, thanks! Yeah, the sort of thematic and big picture element, where they kept 'representing' who they are is definitely part of what makes them stand out.
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Post by kayfaberaven on Jan 6, 2021 17:04:31 GMT -5
The first episode of the second season of this podcast is out. This season is for Separation Sunday, and the first ep was about Hornets. Many of you probably already made these connections, but my mind was blown near the end of the podcast when one of the guys noted all of the lyrics in Hornets that could also be about church/religion (I realize lots of Sep Sunday fits into this category, but my point is that I never heard these particular lyrics that way). For example:
-"I like the guy who always answers the door/He always knows what you came to his house for." I always only thought of this lyric as referencing a drug dealer. But it could also be the greeters at the church doors (and I guess could be God himself) -"...I'm gonna have to go/with whoever's gonna get me the highest." I always only thought about drugs here, not God. -"I like the crowds at the really big shows / People touching people that they don't even know, yo." I always only thought of concerts/festivals, not the part of church where congregants greet one another with handshakes/etc.
Perhaps obvious to some of you, but not to me.
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Post by muzzleofbees on Jan 18, 2021 16:00:34 GMT -5
First: A big thanks to the guys making this! It's really good. I have to admit I'm a little bit skeptical entering material about Hold Steady, based on the humble assumption that people handle it too lightly, or just hear them or read them in a way I can't relate too. That might make me an asshole, but that's the way it is. This podcast is not like that, and halfway through the AKM season, I really like it! The first episode of the second season of this podcast is out. This season is for Separation Sunday, and the first ep was about Hornets. Many of you probably already made these connections, but my mind was blown near the end of the podcast when one of the guys noted all of the lyrics in Hornets that could also be about church/religion (I realize lots of Sep Sunday fits into this category, but my point is that I never heard these particular lyrics that way). For example: -"I like the guy who always answers the door/He always knows what you came to his house for." I always only thought of this lyric as referencing a drug dealer. But it could also be the greeters at the church doors (and I guess could be God himself) -"...I'm gonna have to go/with whoever's gonna get me the highest." I always only thought about drugs here, not God. -"I like the crowds at the really big shows / People touching people that they don't even know, yo." I always only thought of concerts/festivals, not the part of church where congregants greet one another with handshakes/etc. Perhaps obvious to some of you, but not to me. This is in general one of the most incredible parts of Craig's writing: Being able to just bang out lines, verses, entire songs, who work perfectly on two or even three layers. I recommend everybody finding the post about Stuck Between Stations in the Here Goes thread, where skepticatfirst make a great case for how the second verse fit equally good to describe a) John Berryman, b) Jesus and c) a character in the THS narrative. I guess it's possible to read a personal level into it as well. That is sooo tight writing.
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Post by kayfaberaven on Jan 18, 2021 22:18:01 GMT -5
First: A big thanks to the guys making this! It's really good. I have to admit I'm a little bit skeptical entering material about Hold Steady, based on the humble assumption that people handle it too lightly, or just hear them or read them in a way I can't relate too. That might make me an asshole, but that's the way it is. This podcast is not like that, and halfway through the AKM season, I really like it! This is in general one of the most incredible parts of Craig's writing: Being able to just bang out lines, verses, entire songs, who work perfectly on two or even three layers. I recommend everybody finding the post about Stuck Between Stations in the Here Goes thread, where skepticatfirst make a great case for how the second verse fit equally good to describe a) John Berryman, b) Jesus and c) a character in the THS narrative. I guess it's possible to read a personal level into it as well. That is sooo tight writing. I hear you about being a bit skeptical, as I was as well. And there's still times when I'll roll my eyes a bit, like when one of them said he stopped listening after BAGIA. But overall it's a good listen. As for Craig's layers, I made a similar point (I think in the TTTP thread, but I'm not sure) about the number of potential readings of "And the dress she was wearing made a nice case for natural selection" from Star 18.
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Post by nosferatu on Feb 6, 2021 8:53:23 GMT -5
Hi! I'm new to this board as a poster, though I've been reading for a while. And I'm a big fan of the Hold Steady, dating back to 2004 when friends at the website I wrote for interviewed the band and turned me onto Almost Killed Me. I wanted to share a podcast that my friend/fellow THS fan and I are putting out, called A Positive Jam. The aim is to break down great records track by track to see what makes them work, and we're starting with Almost Killed Me, of course. We have two hosts but then a few guests who are also big fans join us at some point or another for most episodes.
We've put out an intro episode and, today, a Hold Steady Starter Kit playlist. We start releasing the track by track episodes on August 5th. I don't mean to spam or anything, but I just thought people on this board might get a kick out of it. We refer to this thread a couple times during the 12 episodes (we do one on the bonus tracks and one on the Twin Cities as a scene in addition to the 10 main tracks), and I think we get into a lot of fun stuff for Hold Steady fans. The podcast is available wherever people get podcasts, including these links: And if you want to look at our Starter Kit Playlist, it's here. It's meant for newbies and we tried to keep it short, but we may have missed stuff (I would have loved to include Cattle & the Creeping Things or Barfruit Blues). Thanks for your time and I hope you check it out! If you have any feedback or anything, feel free to get in touch, especially if we're doing something wrong, though staying positive is welcome . Daniel
Hey, finally got around to checking this out, it’s really good! I echo what muzzle said before in this thread, there’s a tendency as a big fan sometimes to be *so* into THS you forget there’s new things to be said about it! You guys manage that in a really cool way. I also love it when one of you points out how awesome it would be to just have discovered THS because the THS universe is so dense it would occupy all of your time... I hadn’t thought about the band that way before, as like you guys I’ve grown up alongside each release and it’s marked by the time I heard each record in, the universe grows at the same time. Guess I’m also a little jealous of people coming to the band first time now on record 7, there’s so much richly dense material to wade through and if you like that sort of thing I can imagine it might still be incredibly exciting to get into the band even though a lot of the original (for me) 2006-2009 excitement was following them around on tour and the heady momentum of the Sep Sun - BAGIA - SP cycle. Time for a chronological re-listen! Also, thanks for the shout out on the 00s playlist pre-episode! Nearly spat out my tea in surprise. On The Swish and the pills/powders/powders pills, it struck me it is pretty neat that the actual music also does this reversing - the back half of the song (it was a blockbuster summer...) is the same chords as the first half, just kind of reversed/jumbled. Hadn’t made that connection before I heard so much talking about the lyrics on the episode where you talk about the swish... and it might be too much of a close reading thing for you guys but when Craig and Tad were writing those early jams they were drinking beers around the kitchen table so it’s entirely possible this is a deliberate very clever in-joke.
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Post by blackoutsam on Feb 11, 2021 10:25:35 GMT -5
Just started listening to Season 1, this is a really great podcast. Very well done and thoughtful.
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Post by star18 on Feb 25, 2021 14:17:20 GMT -5
Just wanted to say that I've been enjoying this as well. Season 1 was solid -- there were a few standout eps (the Emily Harris interview was great) but you could tell you were also still finding your footing a bit. I'm three episodes into S2 now and you've all "leveled up" a bit. Shawn's "Waste Land" comparisons are really very interesting, and it's cool to hear all of your different perspectives. Plus you usually get a good laugh out of me at least once an episode (usually Mike, but you're all pretty funny.)
I have two requests . . . 1) keep making these, and 2) try listening to some of the more recent stuff again with fresh ears!
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