Craig Finn Has Full Eyes, A Clear Heart...And Half A Dozen Stubbies

Craig Finn, frontman of The Hold Steady, has released his first solo album, Clear Heart Full Eyes. It certainly doesn't veer too far away from his tried and tested formula, but that is never a bad thing. The first taste off it, 'Apollo Bay', is a yarn about a trip in Australia that spirals halfway into a burning psych jam. With choral lines that include driving to the aforementioned bay, and the excitement that we are partaking in a geographical kinship with a worthy wordsmith, the affinity to Mr Finn is immediate (although surely you could partake in beers much better than Victoria Bitter?). The rest of the album follows suit, so whilst musically we end up straddling the rock of Lifter Puller and the stadium rollick of The Hold Steady, Finn remains as true as ever to his autobiographical sword, carving colourful vignettes with his usual esoteric verve. I've been a moderate fan of The Hold Steady for some time - one of my favourite tracks is 'Chips Ahoy' - and after seeing them destroy The Zoo back in March last year, even more so. This album shows another shade of Finn, whilst highlighting the fact that he is one of the best lyricists in business today, his literary rants as verbose and empathetic as ever. Well worth a listen, Full Eyes Clear Heart is out now through Vagrant Records.



Craig Finn - Apollo Bay
Craig Finn - No Future

Stand Up With The Sound Turned Down

Halifax band The Belle Comedians have just brought a nice little EP Without A Sound which you can grab a download of here. I really liked the rollicking slink of opener 'Lost In The Straws', a swaying barroom ballad that evokes The Hold Steady, Drive By Truckers or even Aussie act Augie March at their most robust. The rest of the album develops from this promising beginning - 'Modern Touch' has that Springsteen swagger that many indie bands are tapping into right now, whilst 'Stop To Rust' is a haunting stop-start crawler and 'The Big Empty' echoes Jason Molina's Electric Magnolia Co. I know I've thrown a lot of touchstones out there, so Ill make it simpler - this is Americana writ large, with a dollop of Gothic and a quart of whiskey thrown expertly into the buttery batter. Whilst much of this can be attributed to chief songwriter and vocalist Benjamin Ross, the instrumentation in offer here is enveloping and engaging. These guys need more recognition - Im happy to give it to em.

The Belle Comedians - Lost In The Straws
The Belle Comedians - The Big Empty

We Are The Hold Steady

Sorry about the late post here people. The Hold Steady played at the Zoo here in Brisbane last night - I know, whats the point of telling you if its already been? Well I only got my ticket on the door late in the day, and I was also busy with study (after eating pan fried chorizo and watching Black Swan, of course). ANYWAY, it was the first headlining show that The Hold Steady have done in Brisbane - and it was fucking amazing. Craig Finn is the most charismatic guy, his songs a boozy psalms - he even put the ashes from a cigarette on his forehead to mark Ash Wednesday! But is not doing his yearly Lenten duty of kicking the booze - as he is in Brisbane! The band played just about every hit they have and then some. It was crazy good. And I am wholeheartedly converted.

(NB - this post is pretty much for the people who saw the gig last night. My body, mind and soul is still recuperating, as will theirs be. Still, enjoy the two tracks below!)

The Hold Steady - Chips Ahoy
The Hold Steady - The Weekenders

Crocodiles Show Their Mirror Image

This is actually a little old, but I likee... So a couple weeks ago Crocodiles partook in the ever-reliable Insound's Studio Sessions (its third of such sessions - the previous incarcerations were from SM faves Woven Bones and The Hold Steady), and its very cool, showcase a few cuts from latest album Sleep Forever and a blistering version of the title track from last year's Summer of Hate. Here's the video and download for 'Mirrors' - enjoy!

Crocodiles - Mirrors

Keep On Truckin

Its hard to believe that Drive By Truckers' new LP The Big To-Do is their eighth album. Furthermore, its shocking to think that after such prolific output and incendiary live shows, they are still in essence an underground band - or even worse, seen as an oddity or novelty act. The notion infuriates me. They are more akin to bands like Hold Steady or My Morning Jacket - lyrical storytellers with a psychedelic, almost Crazy Horse-lite take on riffery.

Whilst their albums of yore have been prone to sprawl - double album sprawl - The Big To Do is a welcome change, and is a great way to introduce yourselves to this great Atlanta, Georgia band. They still havent changed though - with stories about strippers, booze drenched dropouts and killer wives. The Big To-Do is a great record, chase it down, put it on, and immerse yourselves into the murky and yet somehow joyous Southern comforts of the Truckers.

Drive By Truckers - This Fucking Job