Sad farewells to Mike Nesmith and Steve Bronski last week... December always robs us of a few more heroes, doesn't it?
Here's two classics...
But marking these sad departures can't stop the year end countdown train, which today pulls into Station #13, and some old favourites here at Top Ten Towers...
#13 The Hold Steady - Open Door Policy
While I miss the more literary and considered aspect of Craig Finn's solo output, the reformed Hold Steady have yet to put a foot wrong. Time away has obviously recharged their batteries and this is the second strong LP they've produced since patching themselves back together.
Still an acquired taste (like most of the bands on this countdown, I guess), Open Door Policy managed to rock as loud as their earlier efforts whilst continuing to allow Finn to tell his spiky tales of confused and disenfranchised Midwest losers. As always with Finn's lyrics, the devil is in the details...
St. Catherine's was a nightmare
You know they took away my headphones
Sure they let you keep your handset
But the courtyard is a dead zone
And the nurse that they assigned me had Eruption as her ring tone
Blasting out through built in speakers like it's bug spray
Buzzing like a hornet halfway blown
I like this album
ReplyDelete