Staying Positively Good

Now that I've gotten my grubby little hands all over the new My Morning Jacket record, my second most eagerly-anticipated album of the summer is without a doubt The Hold Steady's Stay Positive -- due out July 15th on Vagrant. Lucky for me, the band released leadoff single "Sequestered In Memphis" yesterday on iTunes and their MySpace page. I've really got to give it to this band; after just one listen I'm already hooked. I don't know how Craig Finn and crew does it, but the band always finds a way to tighten up its sound on each proceeding record. 2006's Boys and Girls In America was nearly flawless, and if early glowing reviews have anything to say about Stay Positive, this band is only getting warmed up. And if The Hold Steady's early Bruce Springsteen influence was ever in question, this album will quiet the naysayers. With saxes a la Clarence Clemmons and organs remincent of Danny Federici, "Sequestered In Memphis" is the modern day equivalent to the E-Street Band backed "Rosalita". For those of us lucky to live in the New York Metropolitan Area, we get a free show June 29th at McCarren Park Pool in Williamsburg. You can bet I'll be there. They've also mapped out a summer US tour:

HOLD STEADY SUMMER TOUR: 07.17 - Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom 07.18 - Pontiac, MI - Crofoot Ballroom 07.19 - Chicago, IL - Pitchfork Festival 07.21 - Madison, WI - Majestic Theatre 07.22 - Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue 07.23 - Fargo, ND - Fargo Theatre 07.26 - Seattle, WA - Capitol Hill Block Party 07.27 - Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom 07.29 - San Francisco, CA - Mezzanine 07.30 - Los Angeles, CA - Avalon 08.02 - Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theatre 08.03 - El Paso, TX - Club 101 08.05 - Dallas, TX - Palladium Ballroom 08.06 - Austin, TX - La Zona Rosa 08.08 - Oxford, MS - Proud Larry’s 08.09 - Athens, GA - 40 Watt 08.10 - Charleston, SC - The Pourhouse 08.12 - Carrborro, NC - Cat’s Cradle 08.13 - Norfolk, VA - The Norva