Rock and Roll Bands

I saw this great review of the Thermals' show at the Bowery Ballroom on Sunday night and remembered how awesome they are. The Thermals open for The Hold Steady sometimes, who are sooooooo awesome. These two bands are very similar in a couple of ways: they both rock out way hard, lots of punk and garage rock influences, lots of fucked up songs about religion, and they both have um, "unorthodox singers." Download "Here's to Your Future" and "A Pillar of Salt" FREE here. These tracks will get you jumping around your room. Also great for driving.

We went on a rock and roll pilgrimage over Christmas break in a blizzard (!) to see The Hold Steady at the Stone Pony in Asbury Park. The band, who has been compared to Springsteen more times than those other bands these days (i.e. The Killers--bleh), deserve it. They packed them in and it was, obviously, a high point:
Then, I got closer, and blurrier apparently.



















And closer still...









The Hold Steady are not what you might call a "pretty" rock band (for that, go back to Kings of Leon), but they rock so hard and they are so earnest and funny. They make me excited about music again. Great night. Great bands.

The Hold Steady Stuck Between Stations