Stereogum Home
May 21, 2008

The Hold Steady Unveil Stay Positive Album Art

thubmnail icon: The Hold Steady Unveil Stay Positive Album Art

Yesterday guest blogger Chris Walla posted up the Hold Steady's new Ben Nichols-backed track "Sequestered In Memphis." The song has a different vibe (and more horns) than the live take of Stay Positive's 7 Seconds and Youth Of Today-referencing title track, but we've seen the tracklist, and know there are nine more to unpack, so it's all still a crap shoot. For now, we do know what the album cover looks like, at least.

With Craig's mention of a D.C.-hardcore influence and "Stay Positive"'s shouts to Ray Cappo and Kevin Seconds' crews, this is not at all what we were expecting. But it is very brown, and that infinity/positive symbol is like an updated version of wearing an "X" on your hand ... for folks who drink.

Stay Positive is out 7/14 in the UK via Rough Trade and 7/15 in the US via Vagrant.

Posted at 10:33 AM in
Tags:




13 Comments

Wicked !

like a day at the races

Posted by: Keaton34 profile link at 05/21/08 10:49 AM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Well, that's clever, innit?

Posted by: oh. at 05/21/08 10:49 AM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

THis leak yet? I know, I know, how gauche to ask, but, I can't wait. Plus, I'll pay to see them live this summer, where they will actually get the $$$ rather than Rich Egan at Vagrant.

Posted by: Bunkered at 05/21/08 10:51 AM | Reply
Score = -2 Vote up Vote down

It kind of looks like a bit in the same tone as The Futureheads' "News & Tributes." Maybe it's a Vagrant thing? Who knows... "Sequestered in Memphis" gets better with each listen and its on repeat.

Posted by: Michael at 05/21/08 11:04 AM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Double Plus Good

Posted by: Chuy profile link at 05/21/08 11:43 AM | Reply
Score = 1 Vote up Vote down

when is this gonna leak?
it cant leak soon enough.
sequestered in memphis=awesome

Posted by: queen mary at 05/21/08 12:42 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

dig it!

Posted by: tape deck mountain at 05/21/08 1:18 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Before I play devil's advocate, none of us are without blood on our hands. Just saying. I understand the anticipation, yet, when did we start asking the question of "when is this gonna leak? it can't leak soon enough" so openly and without shame. It's no secret that leaks are inevitable and easily available, but come on, seriously, where is the respect. It's kind of a slap in the face to a great band when you basically say you plan on stealing the album. Me personally, the whole "leak" thing is kind of making music too fluid for me and decrease in appreciative value. I said it yesterday and I'll say it again: I'm waiting for this album to be officially released and purchased because it will be all that much more to savor. Here's hoping anyone who may encounter a leak of this album (or any other album you really enjoy) at least has the manners to return the favor by shelling out a meager $10.

Posted by: Michael at 05/21/08 1:28 PM | Reply
Score = 1 Vote up Vote down

Here in NYC, the only place where you can buy an album for 10 bucks - not used - is Virgin and Best Buy, and each store profits what, $2 - 3 from that price? (Digitally, you can but I'm assuming you're talking about the physical product.) BB will have it on-sale for $10, or lower for only the first week, then raise it to $13.99, just like what they did for the new Death Cab (7.99 - 13.99), however, Virgin could keep it @ $10 for awhile if they deem it an "essential buy": Vampire Weekend and MGMT have been $10 since both albums were released 4-5 months ago and In Rainbows and MIA have been fluctuating between $10 and $12.99 since January.

So download the album when it leaks to quench your thirst, save some of yr paycheck to buy a ticket when Hold Steady comes to town and buy the album at the merch table, or buy it through their website when it released. Or, you can support your local indie record store if you don't mind paying basically full price.

Speaking of full price, how about Neil Diamond having the #1 album last week with the average price of $16.99! Ah, older white people and their money. I guess they all went to Barnes and Noble.

Posted by: b.LOUD in reply to Michael's comment at 05/21/08 3:11 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Yeah, it kind of depends on where you shop seeing that "big business" names get the edge with competitve prices, but you can still work around that (if you are super anti-big business.) I'm fortunate enough to live in an area that has a few indie record stores with reasonable prices. I liked your merch stand purchase standpoint, and to elaborate on that, I would think anyone who needs to have this album ASAP would be able to pre-order it directly from the band or band's label -- They probably throw in some extra bells and whistles for doing so. Plus, who doesn't love getting things in the mail that aren't bills? Bottom line, though: Just buy the album the first week it comes out if you are planning to already because you know in a week or two, it's going to cost you as much as $5 more.

Posted by: Michael in reply to b.LOUD's comment at 05/21/08 3:47 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

PS ........ IT JUST LEAKED!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: b.LOUD in reply to b.LOUD's comment at 05/23/08 11:11 AM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

The Hold Steady are my life and Michael is right

Posted by: stefan at 05/21/08 2:52 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

J&R ususally has new releases for $10. Amazon is pretty reasonable. I never pay more that $13 for a CD. Whatever deal you get at the merch table, it's likely the same price on Amazon if not more.

Posted by: Rob at 05/21/08 3:40 PM | Reply
Score = 0 Vote up Vote down

Leave a comment


 

The 'Gum Drop

Get our newsletter. MP3s and giveaways weekly.

Search




Sort by:date relevance

Information

  • Contact:
  • About
  • Press
  • Advertising
  • Stereogum RSS Stereogum RSS XML Icon
  • MP3-Only RSS Stereogum RSS XML Icon

Staff

Founder/Editor-In-Chief
Scott Lapatine
Executive Editor
Amrit Singh
Senior Writer
Brandon Stosuy
Columnist
Jon McMillan
Technology & Operations
Jim Jazwiecki
Angela Williams

The Cool Kids

All Stereogum Posts


Get Flash to see our mp3 player. Here are our mp3s: of Montreal - Instant Karma (KUT Session) (»)
of Montreal - Nowhere Man (KUT Session) (»)
Animal Collective - Brother Sport (NPR Live) (»)
of Montreal - Gallery Piece (Jon Brion Remix) (»)
Tokyo Police Club - In A Cave (»)
Chromeo - 100 (Trackademicks B-LIVE Pemberton Mix) (»)
Midlake - Roscoe (»)
We Have Band - You've Had Band (Demo) (»)
Fire On Fire - Hartford Blues (»)
Amazing Baby - Pump Your Brakes (»)
Threatmantics - Don't Care (»)
The Broken West - Auctioneer (»)
The Broken West - Perfect Games (»)
Army Navy - My Thin Sides (»)
Surf City - Dickshakers Union (»)
Surf City - Headin' Inside (»)
Ryan Adams - Times Like These (Live) (»)

Band to Watch logo

Band To Watch: Threatmantics

Threatmantics are a scruffy Welsh rock trio that throw some wrinkles into the scruffy rock formula: Instead of a lead guitarist, they have a lead John Cale viola, and their drummer does double-time with a keyboard. The two guys mixing...

MORE »

Quit Your Day Job logo

Quit Your Day Job: The Broken West

Ross Flournoy, the Memphis-born lead vocalist and guitarist for the Samuel Beckett referencing (I Can't Go On, I'll Go On) Los Angeles pop quartet the Broken West, writes and records soundtracks for DVDs when not performing songs from his band's...

MORE »

Premature Evaluation logo

Premature Evaluation: Ryan Adams - Cardinology

The prolific author, Oasis fan and Courtney Love lover Ryan Adams is rarely far from our thoughts. The fact that the man is so open and free about his goings on, it can be hard to remember the talent that...

MORE »

Video Hangover logo

Video Hangover: Marcy Playground - "Saint Joe On The Schoolbus"

Every week, we dig in the archives for videos that we find noteworthy, memorable, or just unbelievably stupid. And then, Jon McMillan breaks 'em down for you. This week: Marcy Playground blows their one chance at video immortality.

MORE »

Oldstand logo

OldStand: Rolling Stone, September 13, 1984

Take our ink-stained hands and join us at the OldStand, where Jon McMillan goes to remind everyone what an honest-to-goodness music magazine is supposed to look like. Lots of Huey Lewis (and the News) news lately, so let's go back...

MORE »

The Outsiders logo

The Outsiders: Vol. 21: Harry Pussy

Not all of Stereogum's favorite sounds conform to what folks expect us to cover. In this space, resident Bananafish fetishist Brandon Stosuy focuses on bands, albums, singles, and villages in Sweden that may otherwise pass by unnoticed. This installment's virtual...

MORE »

The 'Gum Drop logo

The Wrens - "In Turkish Waters"

In January, The Lifted Brow, a biannual "50% fiction and 50% everything else" Melbourne-based magazine, is putting out an issue that includes two CDs with exclusive music from Spiral Stairs, the Magnetic Fields' Claudia Gonson, Frightened Rabbit, and Dan Deacon,...

MORE »