The Hold Steady...

I have always wanted my life to be like a Hold Steady song. Well, I wanted to live like Sal Paradise or Henry Chinaski long before anyone had heard of the Hold Steady. You get the idea though.

I got the Australian Retail copy of Boys and Girls in America a few days ago (it released officially January 29th), and there are a few bonus tracks to go along with the 11 from the American release. My first response when I saw this was to flip, as the first bonus track is "For Boston." I immediately thought of The Dropkick Murphys- For Boston; the opening track from Sing Loud, Sing Proud is one of my favorite songs.

The Dropkick Murphys- For Boston

Alas, it is not the same track. It is, however, still worth listening to.

The Hold Steady- For Boston

My favorite of the bonus tracks is "Arms and Hearts." It's a bit of a slower track, driven by a haunting drumline until the guitar falls in at about the 1:12 mark. It continues to creep along at the same rate until it blows up into the type of Hold Steady song that we have come to know and love at about the 2:26 mark. I'm really digging it.

The Hold Steady- Arms and Hearts

Then there is a curious departure...

The Hold Steady- American Music

Is this really the Hold Steady? I can dig it...

And just for fun... Cattle and the Creeping Things from the Hold Steady's set at Lollapalooza 2006.

(Shout out to A.J. Pierzynski?)

The Hold Steady- Cattle and the Creeping Things (Live)

That's all for now.