The Hold Steady

The Hold Steady is an indie rock band that occupies an unusual but wholly organic in-between state in their music: they are originally from Minneapolis and with roots in midwestern punk, but have been working out of Brooklyn almost all their career, gradually shifting towards a more heartland rock meets alt-rock sound. The raggedness in their music which suggests The Replacements influences, especially early on, has been receding over the years in favor of a Bruce Springsteen type ruggedness. The band is led by singer guitarist Craig Finn, who has a knack for storytelling, which plays right in to the Springsteen connection. His half speak-singing/half singing style, on the other hand, comes with a wonderful Randy Newman texture. They have been putting out albums since 2004 without any drop in quality and with only some minor stylistic shifts as they have grown calmer.