• slippin’
• 2/3
• awkward
• swirling
• glossy
  

• Like the Hold Steady, Phoenix were on a steady rise, then made an amazing record and got some important looks. (‘Saturday Night Live’), then the Cadillac commercial. Things happened in succession to move the band to the next level.
• Vagrant Records COO Jon Cohen • Regarding the Hold Steady’s steady rise to prominence and their chance of a next-level breakthrough. Unfortunately for Craig Finn and company, Pitchfork just handed the band’s new album, “Heaven Is Whenever,” a middling review. The site’s rating, 6.2, is kind of a low number for a band that spent half a decade getting feted by critics. “this remains an uncharacteristically weak effort by a good band that may be in danger of running out of stories,” writes Stephen M. Deusner, who called it a transitional record. They might get past that, though – middling reviews never stopped Death Cab or Coldplay, did they? source

• Best of the year:

• 
  obvious
• 
  spazzy
• 
  ragged
• 
  beautiful
• 
  hypnotic
  

• Best of the decade:

• 
  balanced
• 
  literate
• 
  yes!
• 
  better
• 
  pioneer*

* – We know this choice is somewhat controversial, because people hate Ben Gibbard for no good reason. But we’re going to say it now: Without this album, you would not have the popular success of indie rock that you see today. “We Have the Facts and We’re Voting Yes” made it cool. At least cooler than Dashboard Confessional. Which as you might notice, is not on the list. Do you want us to put it on there? Or do you even want to remember “Screaming Infidelities”? Good. Death Cab’s album, beyond being a gateway drug for any college student, also has some pretty amazing songs on it. ‘Nuff said.

• 1. Between this and The Walkmen’s “The Rat,” you have two of the three best songs of the decade right here. (The third is coming in the next few weeks.) A surreal, beautiful, simple song, Antony deserves the high praise this song (and album) earned.
  2. The Hold Steady’s Craig Finn is a walking Wikipedia entry on the city of Minneapolis, something that straight-up defines the sound of “Your Little Hoodrat Friend,” a four-minute explanation of why this band is so awesome to people not in the know.
  3. Sort of a ying to The Hold Steady’s yang, Art Brut’s Eddie Argos is nearly as self-referential as Finn is. On “Emily Kane,” Argos counts down to the second when his first relationship ended. And not surprisingly, the whole album is this clever.
  4. People seem to give Conor Oberst crap for being too pretentious for his own good, but for one shining moment this decade, he was able to get past all that and create a truly shining piece of work, “I’m Wide Awake It’s Morning.” “Land Locked Blues” is our favorite highlight.
  5. Perhaps the best story to come out of 2005 was the long-gestating return of Vashti Bunyan, a former Andrew Loog Oldham protégé who released a spectacular, unheard album, “Just Another Diamond Day,” in 1970, only to disappear for 35 years. Thanks to Devendra Banhart, Animal Collective and other hipster fans, she returned with “Lookaftering,” an amazingly assured victory lap. “Wayward Hum” doesn’t even need words to be a highlight.source

• Are you emo? You may get persecuted. Mexico’s National Human Rights Commission says that people who wear skinny jeans, listen to Taking Back Sunday, cry into their journal and have silly haircuts are in danger of attacks from others. Well, duh! It’s because you guys listen to emo. We understand. Here, for your own safety, Mexican teens, we’re introducing you to The Hold Steady. Thank us later. source