The Hold Steady prep new album, set summer dates
Indie rockers The Hold Steady have lined up a handful of dates surrounding the July 15 release of their fourth studio album, "Stay Positive."
The Brooklyn-based act, which co-headlined an extensive tour last fall with the UK's Art Brut, has a pair of obligations in May, including an appearance tomorrow night (5/2) in New York City as part of the Tribeca Film Festival.
The band also mixes in a few summer festivals, including a July 19 slot at Chicago's Pitchfork festival, and the July 26 Capitol Hill Block Party in Seattle. Details are below.
The Hold Steady worked with producer John Agnello (Son Volt, Dinosaur Jr.) on "Stay Positive," the follow-up to 2006's critically lauded "Boys and Girls in America," which Agnello also produced. Frontman Craig Finn said in a press release that the new album is a natural progression for the band, calling it "more musical ... more dynamics, different instrumentation, more complex arrangements, and not always hiding behind raw volume."
The disc was written on the road, while the band was touring behind "Boys and Girls," according to the group's publicist.
"Possibly the most exciting aspect of our band is the community of fans that have followed us around the country," added Finn in a statement. "In talking to them, we have found that no matter their ages, they are so much like us as people, that they seem at times an extension of the music.
"A great American philosopher named D. Boon once said 'Our band could be your life.' I think that is true. But 'Your Life could be Our Band' is also a true statement. I know this because we have lived it. These are our lives. These are your lives. This is our fourth record. Stay Positive."
May 2008
2 - New York, NY - Webster Hall (Tribeca Film Fest)
7 - Middletown, CT - Andrus Field @ Wesleyan University
June 2008
8 - Chula Vista, CA - 94/9 Independence Jam
27 - Baltimore, MD - Ram's Head Live
28 - Philadelphia, PA - The Paul Green School of Rock Music Festival (w/ Devo)
29 - Brooklyn, NY - McCarren Pool
July 2008
19 - Chicago, IL - Pitchfork Festival
26 - Seattle, WA - Capitol Hill Block Party
- Artist Links:
Blogging Chicago's Pitchfork Festival, Day 2 [July 2008]
New Releases, July 15: John Mellencamp, Nas, The Hold Steady [July 2008]
The Hold Steady firms up summer trek [May 2008]
The Hold Steady plots stateside tour with Art Brut [August 2007]
The Hold Steady wrings out more 'America' dates [April 2007]
Coldplay at the HP Pavilion San Jose
2008 Pitchfork Music Festival Photos - Day 3
2008 Pitchfork Music Festival Photos - Day 2
2008 Pitchfork Music Festival Photos - Day 1
Madonna's "Confessions on a Dance Floor" tour
The Duke Spirit on stage and in the studio
Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers with Stevie Nicks
Metallica at the KROQ Weenie Roast in Irvine, CA
R.E.M. at the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, CA
Herbie Hancock at the Sonoma Jazz Festival

