According to an announcement on the band’s site, The Hold Steady will spend a portion of the month of June on the road. In a blurt from front man Craig Finn announced the plans. You can read the announcement and see the dates in full after the jump. “Hey Everyone, I hope all is good. I’ve been enjoying my time at home writing music and seeing a bunch of shows. Thank you Nick Lowe , Wu Lyf , Titus Andronicus , Archers of Loaf , and Bruce Springsteen for some great times. Besides going to shows, I’m also going to …

Craig Finn with The Hold Steady at Mohawk (more by Tim Griffin) Hey Everyone, I hope all is good. I've been enjoying my time at home writing music and seeing a bunch of shows. Thank you Nick Lowe, Wu Lyf,...

The gigantic record fair  Independent Label Market  will take place this Saturday, May 19 at Old Spitalfields Market  in London. Participating labels, many of which will offer exclusive or rare releases, include Domino, Warp, R&S;, XL, Ed Banger, Bella Union, fabric, Soul Jazz, Soundway, Fat Cat, Because, Fire, Double Denim, Full Time Hobby, Lucky Number, Wichita, One Little Indian, Ninja Tune, Lex, Lanark, Sunday Best, Moshi Moshi, Fortuna Pop!, Transgressive, Rocket Girl, Sounds of Sweet Nothing, Something in Construction, Angular, and many more. Exclusive releases will be announced throughout the week at the market's Tumblr . A number of artists ...

A few months ago, in some office somewhere in the middle of Brooklyn, Syd Butler was trying to figure out how to grow. He had a pretty decent office, running his label Frenchkiss Records with some debonair, and had a few employees under his wing, doing everything but band publicity (that was outsourced to some pigeon that hits windows in Manhattan). But he had no idea what to do from there. He sat down and had a brainstorming session with his subordinates, subordinating them to think of something. “Think, my lovelies, think!” Syd admonished. “We’ve been at this for ...

The Independent Label Market: London takes place this weekend (Saturday 19th May - Spitalfields) and alongside the news that Brownswood, Buzzin’ Fly, Rocket Girl, Sounds Of Sweet Nothing, Something In Construction, New Music Club, Analogue Enhanced Digital and O. Genesis have been added to the long list of labels involved, the organisers have unveiled some of the exclusive releases you'll be fighting over on Saturday. Check them all out below, and head here for more information on the event. Because / Ed Banger Records Because / Ed Banger / Phantasy Remix 12" Vinyl Compilation Mixed by Daniel Avery (Free with any purchase from ...

Legendary East Village club CBGB looks to be undergoing yet-another rebirth. According to a New York Times report, the current owners of the name are looking to launch a music festival in New York and also open a new version of the club at a downtown location. Both the name and the venue have frequently change hands over the years since the passing of founder Hilly Kristal in 2007 . Currently, the original location is being used by rock/punk-focused fashion designer John Varvatos who launched a boutique there in 2007 , leaving the inside largely intact. Tim Hayes, one of the ...

The New York Times reports that the assets of the late downtown New York club CBGB  have been purchased by a group of investors who seek to revive the brand, as well as the club itself. They are planning a four-day summer festival in New York , from July 5-8. According to The Times , the festival will feature approximately 300   bands  across 30 venues , including Webster Hall, Trash Bar, the Living Room, and Central Park Summerstage. One of the investors, a concert promoter named Tim Hayes, said, "We're trying to continue the idea of supporting live music, making a lot ...

On Monday, June 4, Joe Russo, Dave Dreiwitz, Scott Metzger and Marco Benevento will lead a tribute to Levon Helm called The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down at Brooklyn Bowl. The four-some, who make up Led Zeppelin tribute act Bustle In Your Hedgerow, will be joined by an all-star cast of supporting musicians including Craig Finn & Tad Kubler (The Hold Steady), Members of Guster, Members of The Felice Brothers, Nicole Atkins, Phosphorescent, Family Band, Diamond Doves, Kelli Scarr, Yellowbirds, Tom Hamilton (American Babies). Since Bustle performances are mostly instrumental, we’re thinking all of the special guests will handle ...

This track very possibly could have passed me by if not for the incomparable Ben Morse who recommended this song with an emphatic “love”. This project was put together by Esquire, with the challenge to write ...

“…he laughs a little bit before he breaks down… the way she crossed herself when it’s the bartender’s round…” Craig Finn’s first solo outing is a very literary experience. This is music as storytelling. There’s a clear narrative to many of the songs – addiction, depression, love, heartbreak and loneliness are all in there. And [...]

CRAIG FINN takes a momentary step away from the raucous rock of The Hold Steady for a more comforting sound. MITCH ALEXANDER misses the point and wants to know what Tim Riggins is like in person.

For the third consecutive year, _Esquire_ has teamed with the Big Brother Big Sisters of America organization to present a unique songwriting challenge: selected artists must write and record a song using a specific phrase, the proceeds of which will go to charity.

Fans of the Hold Steady in Texas recently got their first listen to a pair of new tunes that are likely headed for the band's next album During a three-date swing through the Lone Star State last week – their first batch of shows in 2012 since frontman Craig Finn...

There are few songwriters who can tell as story vividly and poignantly as Craig Finn. While his songs with The Hold Steady typically depict the lives of the down-and-out — gutter rats, barflies, drug addicts and a lot of people who make some pretty bad choices — their overwhelming appeal lies in the fact that Read more...