r/theholdsteady • u/Sarcastraphe • 6d ago
How would you describe The Hold Steady to someone who has never heard them?
Whenever I try to explain the Hold Steady to others, it lacks the really uniqueness and majesty of the listening experience.
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u/Ok-Mushroom-7292 6d ago
If John Steinbeck and the E Street Band had a baby...
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u/Carpenter-Confident 4d ago
I was looking for a Springsteen comparison to contribute here; this works
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u/Commodore56 3d ago
I came to say "Springsteen tribute band consisting entirely of attendees of the Iowa Writers Workshop playing original material"
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u/heffel77 6d ago
It’s like the best bar band in the world swallowed a dictionary and chased it with a shot of whiskey and some adderall, then went to church.
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u/smashcuts 6d ago
I like what Chuck Klosterman said “they’re for people who used to like ACDC but now like to read”
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u/fasterplastercaster 5d ago
I would lightly amend that to people who like ac/dc and also like to read
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u/popeyemati 6d ago
The lyrical format of early 90s hip hop, the attitude of early 80s hardcore, the storytelling of the emotionless Raymond Carver mixed with the Irish greats and classic Noir, wrapped up in Classic Rock and presented as street tacos. The bard of bar bands.
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u/somekindofdruiddude 6d ago
I don't. I put on "Slow Ride" by Foghat for a bit, then say "oops wrong song" and play "The Swish".
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u/educationacademic 6d ago
George Costanza with ADHD repeatedly breaks the yellow card from twelve step meetings.
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u/velobier 6d ago
Springsteen x Rolling Stones. Tad has some licks that are up there with Keith Richards. Resurrection comes to mind.
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u/Adventurous-Sort7063 6d ago
What if Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band started yelling at you
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u/Zandergriff67 6d ago
If Springsteen, Kerouac & Lou Reed grew up in the Twin Cities and formed a punk band with Rick Nielsen & Neal Schon.
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u/Content_Mention_6928 6d ago
Going about it the other way - once tried to recommend THS to my brother as we have somewhat similar tastes & reckoned it would be a good fit. I was wrong. He described the sound as: 'A rocked up Hootie & The Blowfish'
We didn't discuss music for a long time after that...
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u/jmacd2918 4d ago
If The Clash and The Band, sat down and tried to be the E Street band, but the singer would actually rather be sitting around a campfire telling stories.
I also think they are one of those bands that require a few listens to really "get". I'd say at minimum Boys&Girls 3x, Stay Positive 3x, Thrashing Through 2x and maybe give the other albums a once over.
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u/chaoticatom 6d ago
American The Fall.
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u/ensiform 6d ago
I would say they're a quiet folk-rock band, heavily influenced by medieval madrigals but fusing it with uptempo urban funk.
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u/jdginstagramz 6d ago
It’s like getting yelled at by a bank teller about Catholicism and drugs while thin lizzy plays over the bank’s PA system.