A Positive Jam

Intro To A Positive Jam Season 1: The Hold Steady - Almost Killed Me Jul 12, 2020

A Positive Jam is a podcast dedicated to breaking down great albums track by track. Our first season focuses on The Hold Steady’s classic debut album, Almost Killed Me.

The Hold Steady emerged in 2004 with Almost Killed Me, a record that took a throwback 70s’ rock sound and made it wholly new. In a time of 80s knock-offs, dance-punk bands, and the last gasps of nu-grunge and boy bands, The Hold Steady kicked the doors down with a bag of one-liners and guitar solos. They reminded the sniffling indie kids and critics of the early ‘00s that this was supposed to be a party. And, they changed our lives.

In our intro episode, co-hosts Mike Taylor and Daniel Shvartsman explain why this album matters and what we aim to do over the course of the 12 episodes that cover season 1. We will be breaking down the 10 tracks from Almost Killed Me, one episode at a time, as well as breaking down bonus tracks and the Minneapolis music scene.

A Positive Jam debuts with full episodes in the first week of August 2020 and will be available on Spotify, Apple, Stitcher, Google Play, and wherever you get podcasts. Subscribe to get episodes as soon as they come out, and hold steady for the season through one of the great rock albums of this millennium.

Season 1 of A Positive Jam is sponsored by Retro Gear Shop. Check out Retro Gear Shop at https://retrogearshop.com/

A Positive Jam Season 1 Playlist: The Hold Steady Starter Kit Jul 22, 2020

As we build up for the launch of A Positive Jam - coming in on August 5th - we're releasing a couple playlist episodes. These playlists should help you get excited to dive into the Hold Steady's debut, Almost Killed Me, and will set the context for the 2004 music scene that the Hold Steady crashed into.

In this episode, Mike Taylor walks us through his Hold Steady starter kit. The six songs - only six?! - that will get someone new to the band up to speed on what the Hold Steady is generally about. And if you're already a big fan of the band, you'll probably get fired up re-listening to these tracks. Or maybe we missed a track? If so, you can tell us on twitter @mbrookstaylor or @danielshortman.

Check out the full playlist here - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4Ail7NL4yZDOxVQgXXQvKx?si=JcONNoMoSriDi314TeXeRQ

And make sure to subscribe to A Positive Jam here:

And hold steady for our debut episode, August 5th!

A Positive Jam Season 1 Playlist: The Early '00s Music Scene Jul 29, 2020

As we build up for the launch of A Positive Jam - which is one week away, on August 5th - we're releasing a couple playlist episodes. These playlists should help you get excited to dive into the Hold Steady's debut, Almost Killed Me, and will set the context for the 2004 music scene that the Hold Steady crashed into.

In this episode, Daniel Shvartsman sets the scene for music in the early '00s. A time where R&B and rap fully eclipsed rock, where indie mainstream music was falling into two nostalgic channels, where unconventional song structures and emo were having a moment. But also, 2004 would be a turning point year. This playlist will bring you back to that era and see why music was ready for a change, as driven by the Hold Steady and others.

There's no way to get to everything in 33 songs, of course. Any other tracks you remember from this era as important ones? Let us know on twitter @mbrookstaylor or @danielshortman, or @shortmanstudios.

Check out the full playlist here - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2hEU9wP2t4KdiBBjhHabGn?si=7rOOTgbRSUiqszit827yaQ

And make sure to subscribe to A Positive Jam here:

And hold steady for our debut episode, August 5th!

A Positive Jam Track 1: Positive Jam Aug 05, 2020

We start it all off with a positive jam. Namely, "Positive Jam", the first track on Almost Killed Me.

Matt Brooks of the Washington Post joins us to break down the Hold Steady's thesis statement, their scene establisher, their introduction to their triumphant career.

We break down how the track works, including how it sets up the band's ethos as much as Craig Finn's lyrical interests. We talk about where it could have gone wrong and why it's not our generation's "We Didn't Start The Fire". And we discuss whether this track stands alone, and whether it works as the first track for someone new to The Hold Steady.

A Positive Jam Track 2: The Swish Aug 12, 2020

"Positive Jam" set out what the Hold Steady cared about, but it was "The Swish" that showed who the Hold Steady were and what they were about.

Matt Brooks (Washington Post) joins us again to break down the first big rocker of the Hold Steady's album career, track two of their debut Almost Killed Me. We get into the musical elements, including the ringing guitars and the AC/DC tricks, as well as the lyrical elements - the name drops, the geography, the specificity. We explain why Joni Mitchell is an underrated but lyrically tied reference for the Hold Steady, argue over whether the song ends well, and debut our special feature section, Map Corner.

Pick out your favorite Shaker Heights' outfit, pull around to the window, and let's get rocking. Check out our favorite lines and more background on this episode in our show notes - https://shortmanstudios.com/a-positive-jam-season-one-track-2-the-swish

A Positive Jam Track 3: Barfruit Blues Aug 19, 2020

Barfruit Blues starts sludgy and ugly, but turns into a soaring, affirmative song about the power of music. The band's back together, they're back in a bar, and it's better to leave and return than to never go anywhere at all. Right?

Mike and Daniel break down the razor-sharp lines on this track and how a jumble of sounds and parts comes together by the second half to make for a triumphant third track on Almost Killed Me.

This episode also features an archival live version of the song from 2005.

See our show notes including some of our category winners and more details on the song and the episode here - https://shortmanstudios.com/a-positive-jam-track-3-barfruit-blues/

A Positive Jam Track 4: Most People Are DJs Aug 26, 2020

We're on the party boat for track 4 as the Hold Steady brings listeners down to Ybor City for the first time. Mike has been to Ybor City, so we talk about why it's the perfect setting for Hold Steady style bacchanalia. We also get into why this is a lighter and more fun song, and which lines really work well on the track. Also, that guitar solo that just keeps going? We get into that.

Most People Are DJs is another statement of purpose, but the Hold Steady manage it while only getting a little bit heavy. Just a little light in the head-y. Meta references and porn stars crop up, jet skis and girls wearing berets, and by the time you finish listening to this episode you'll be stumbling but still in it.

Check out show notes here: https://shortmanstudios.com/a-positive-jam-track-4-most-people-are-djs/

A Positive Jam Track 5: Certain Songs Sep 02, 2020

Certain Songs slows things down, and it marks the feature debut of Franz Nicolay’s piano playing - a key sonic element in the albums that follow Almost Killed Me. Certain Songs not only foreshadows the Hold Steady's future; it also raises the question: Do the band’s heartfelt ballads bring the momentum to a halt?

We talk about how Certain Songs’ “piano man” balladeering fits on the album, whether slow songs are acceptable for hard-rock Hold Steady fans, and what it means that Craig Finn's lyrics spotlight a woman for the first time on the album. We also draw on canonic cultural works like...checks notes...The OC to explain why drawing on Billy Joel, Meatloaf, and the more populist side of rock and roll is effective, at least in this case.

Check out full show notes here: https://shortmanstudios.com/a-positive-jam-track-5-certain-songs/

A Positive Jam Track 6: Knuckles Sep 09, 2020

More than any other track on the album, "Knuckles" shows what makes the Hold Steady different. The one liners, the pop culture references, the crunchy guitars. The quips and the catalog of missed expectations are enough to fill a couple podcast episodes.

But there's more to the song than Craig Finn's comedy routine. Matt Brooks rejoins co-hosts Mike Taylor and Daniel Shvartsman, to discuss key themes - Knuckles’ political context and whether this is a protest song; the dissonance between the narrator's view of himself and what other people think; Craig Finn’s lyrical techniques; and the jagged synth lines that fall alongside the lyrics like bits of confetti.

Most importantly, we take a beat to consider the classic Sunny D commercial and how that puts The Hold Steady on the map.

Check out the full show notes here: https://shortmanstudios.com/a-positive-jam-track-6-knuckles/

A Positive Jam Track 7: Hostile, Mass Sep 16, 2020

Hostile, Mass is another quintessential Hold Steady track. A mix of punky snarl, classic guitar licks, and Springsteenian sax solos and hope, the track is a stand-out for Almost Killed Me and an ill omen for the band's future at the same time.

To break it all down, we're joined by Leon Neyfakh of Fiasco and Slow Burn fame. He explains why this is his favorite track on the album, as the conversation runs the gamut from NoFX to the persistence of high school drop-out fashion sensibilities to why Season 3 of A Positive Jam should be about the Smashing Pumpkins.

We also weigh whether the Hold Steady Universe plot line matters if you want to enjoy the music and break out another Map Corner.

Check out our full show notes at https://shortmanstudios.com/a-positive-jam-track-7-hostile-ma/.

A Positive Jam Track 8: Sketchy Metal Sep 23, 2020

Sketchy Metal may be the dud of Almost Killed Me. What makes it stand out that way, and what is there to redeem the song?

We talk about its down-tempo approach, the ongoing pace of Craig Finn one-liners, the way the band still gets a heavy sound out of this track, and the prevalence of Catholic imagery on this track. And because it comes up, we share our takes on 70s rock stars and sitcom characters. It’s always positive jamming with podcasters.

Check out the full show notes here: https://shortmanstudios.com/a-positive-jam-track-8-sketchy-metal/

A Positive Jam Track 9: Sweet Payne Sep 30, 2020

Sweet Payne starts off on an awkward step as it connects various threads in Almost Killed Me and in the Hold Steady mythology. But it rises from those beginnings to a glorious finish, revealing some of Craig Finn’s best lines and some of the album’s best ensemble playing. It also introduces the idea of the Unified Scene, a defining aspiration and mantra for The Hold Steady, and digs into the Twin Cities as much as anything in the Hold Steady’s discography.

To understand this, we have Shawn Westfall, writer and comedian and founder of The Unified Scene Theater, join us to explain how Sweet Payne fits in, how the dissonance between sunny harmonics and lyrical darkness plays out for the Hold Steady, what hardcore can teach us about the Cityscape Skins, the importance of community, and more. We also bust out a last Map Corner for this season to get deep into the Minneapolis roots.

Check out show notes here: https://shortmanstudios.com/a-positive-jam-track-9-sweet-payne/

A Positive Jam Track 10: Killer Parties Oct 07, 2020

Every party comes to an end, and some parties almost kill us. We wrap up our review of Almost Killed Me (though not Season 1 of A Positive Jam!) with a look at "Killer Parties", the closing track on the Hold Steady's debut album. It's a ritual as much as a song, and we treat it with all due consideration. That includes making this a four-person episode, with regular guest Matt Brooks rejoining us as well as Shawn Westfall hitting us up for back-to-back appearances.

Mike Taylor kicks off the episode with a story about trailing the Hold Steady on their fall 2006 tour and how Killer Parties underlines all that is good about the band. We then go into a discussion about the band's use of ritual, including Craig Finn's So Much Joy speech, and the dichotomy between freshness and familiarity.

Check out our show notes here, and stay tuned for a few bonus episodes over the rest of the month: https://shortmanstudios.com/a-positive-jam-track-10-killer-parties/

A Positive Jam Season 1 Bonus: Bonus Tracks Oct 14, 2020

Almost Killed Me has a deluxe edition that features five bonus tracks. Bonus tracks are a good thing, especially coming from a great band. So, we break down the five tracks one by one to see what makes them stand out and why they might have been left off the album. These are lesser known but there are plenty of gems here.

We cover:

Milkcrate Mosh
Hot Fries
Curves & Nerves
You Gotta Dance (With Who You Came To The Dance With)
Modesto Is Not That Sweet

Two more episodes remain on Season 1 of Positive Jam after this, so stay tuned!

A Positive Jam Season 1 Bonus: The Minneapolis Roots and Mythos of The Hold Steady Oct 21, 2020

The Twin Cities ooze through the Hold Steady's work, lyrically, musically, and as a matter of ethos. What does that actually mean and how can we better understand that?

We bring on Kyle Undem and Brian Holm, co-founders and editors of 30music.com, a classic '00s webzine that reviewed, covered, and interviewed indie music acts of the time, including the Hold Steady. As Minneapolis indie music fans, they both saw the rise of the Hold Steady up close and can understand better than us where the Hold Steady comes from. So we talk about the band’s geographical and musical heritage, Lifter Puller, the resonance of Minneapolis in their lyrics, and how much of this stuff Craig Finn was making up.

A Positive Jam Season 1 Bonus: Emily Harris On Almost Killed Me's Sound and Gear Oct 28, 2020

Emily Harris, host of the Get Offset podcast and guitarist in Sundae Crush, joins A Positive Jam to talk about the Hold Steady and specifically to drill into the sound and the gear that the band uses. She talks us through her experience as a fan, getting to know Tad Kubler and Steve Selvidge, and how the band has evolved over the year. It's a great way to round off Season 1 of A Positive Jam.

We're starting to prepare for Season 2, and if you have any interest in being involved or any requests, get in touch with us. On twitter we're @shortmanstudios, @danielshortman, and @mbrookstaylor. By email, you can find us at mail@shortmanstudios.com.

Thanks for listening and stay positive!

A Positive Jam Season 2: Separation Sunday - Trailer Dec 16, 2020

A Positive Jam is a podcast dedicated to breaking down great albums track by track. Our second season follows on our first, as we cover The Hold Steady's second album, the breakthrough Separation Sunday.

Shawn Westfall, who joined us as a guest in season 1, will be leading our efforts for season 2, with Mike Taylor and Daniel Shvartsman as co-hosts. As with season 1, we will be covering each song in its own episode and featuring a number of guests throughout the season. We are looking for more audience interaction, so get in touch with us at mail@shortmanstudios.com or contact us on Twitter, @mbrookstaylor, @shawnwestfall, or @danielshortman.

Separation Sunday showed a band rounding into form, growing in confidence, and taking a bite at the epic. They went from rough and under the radar to booming and the next big thing. In our intro episode, we talk about why this record matters, and hope to give you a taste of what's to come for season 2.

Season 2 of A Positive Jam debuts with full episodes on January 6th and will be available on Spotify, Apple, Stitcher, Google Play, and wherever you get podcasts. We will have one pre-season episode coming out next week.

Stay tuned and hold steady, this should be a fun one.

A Positive Jam Season 2 Playlist: The Best Catholic Rock Songs Dec 23, 2020

Separation Sunday is many things, but it's hard to listen to the Hold Steady's breakthrough and not think of Catholicism, nor of Rock and Roll.

As we lead into season 2 of A Positive Jam, covering Separation Sunday, we thought it would be fun to break down a highly subjective playlist of the best in Catholic (and catholic) Rock. Listen to this episode to hear how our three co-hosts - Shawn Westfall, Mike Taylor, and Daniel Shvartsman - view the canon of Catholic Rock.

Check out the full playlist here - https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4sibmfkeyp6fVxJPK2EJWO

And stay tuned for the first full episode of Season 2 on January 6th. Hold Steady, and happy holidays!

A Positive Jam Season 2 Track 1: Hornets! Hornets! Jan 06, 2021

Separation Sunday, the Hold Steady's second album and the subject of season 2 of A Positive Jam, kicks off with "Hornets! Hornets!", a track that shows both how much the band grew between the recording of their debut (Almost Killed Me) and Separation Sunday and how much they were staying the same. A fuller sound, lyrics with both call-backs and new settings, and songwriting that takes things up to another level. "Hornets! Hornets!" is as distinctive and classic as an album opener gets.

Shawn Westfall, Mike Taylor, and Daniel Shvartsman break down all the good stuff, including a thorough Kate Bush analysis, the importance of organs to Craig Finn, and how the album's Catholic themes pop up in lines you might least expect.

A Positive Jam Season 2 Track 2: Cattle & The Creeping Things Jan 13, 2021

"Cattle & The Creeping Things" is a lot of The Hold Steady's fans' favorite songs, featuring Biblical allusions, world building, tight songwriting, and some of the sharpest and harshest instrumentation on the band's discography. As we find out on this episode, however, not everyone feels that way. We unpack the song to figure out why it rocks so hard, and whether it is, somehow, too much.

Shawn Westfall, Mike Taylor, and Daniel Shvartsman break it all down.

Season 2 Track 3: Little Hoodrat Friend Jan 20, 2021

The gateway drug to the Hold Steady. An entrant in the lost best-of-the 2000s Rhino compilation. A straight ahead pop-rock song with verses and choruses and refrains. A backing singer. An emotional gut punch. A study in narrative denial. And a fairly simple song to discuss. That's track 3 on Separation Sunday, the single "Little Hoodrat Friend."

Shawn Westfall, Mike Taylor, and Daniel Shvartsman talk about why the song works, and why you don't have to dig too deep to figure it out.

Season 2 Track 4: Banging Camp Jan 27, 2021

Comes off crunchy but tastes like something deeper: Banging Camp, track 4 on The Hold Steady's Separation Sunday, may evoke tents and summer fun, but there's a more sinister undercurrent. Breaking bread and giving thanks may not mean what you think it means, in other words. We break it all down and figure out why this river trip is more Styxian than it seems on first appearance.

Season 2 Track 5: Charlemagne in Sweatpants Feb 03, 2021

Some songs they get slimy, and then they get slinky, and then they get funky. Some tracks feel like skips to some people and the best track in the band's repertoire to other people. Some songs act as a character's theme music and some reinforce stereotypes about the Holy Roman Emperor's namesakes.

All of which is to say Charlemagne in Sweatpants is a song that spurs different sentiments. The fifth track on the Hold Steady's second, breakthrough album, Separation Sunday, this is a song that deserves special attention. To tackle it, we invite Bob Bland of the Bend & Scoop podcast - https://bendandscoop.com/ - to explain the glory of tramps and sweatpants, once and for all.

Season 2 Track 6: Stevie Nix Feb 10, 2021

There's maybe no better song to appreciate the Hold Steady than "Stevie Nix", track 6 on Separation Sunday. The song hits for the Hold Steady cycle, with hard rock, balladry, howling vocals, sharp lyrics, storytelling, shifting perspectives, and epic songwriting.

To break it all down, we have Shawn Westfall, Mike Taylor, and Daniel Shvartsman on the call, as well as Kyle Undem, a special guest making his second appearance on A Positive Jam and repping the Twin Cities to explain why Profane Existence matters so much. Lawwwwd, to be a Hold Steady listener forever.

We also have a special contest for this episode, with a chance to win a copy of either Separation Sunday or the Hold Steady's newest album, Open Door Policy. Listen to the intro or check out our twitter account, @shortmanstudios, for details!

Season 2 Track 7: Multitude of Casualties Feb 17, 2021

For track 7 of Separation Sunday, "Multitude of Casualties", we hit a cruising velocity. We drove this episode like we stole it, but somehow avoided casualties. Instead we romped through Colorado's history, classic cult movies of the 70s and the 80s, and the importance of narrative shifts (or lack thereof).

Season 2 Track 8: Don't Let Me Explode Feb 24, 2021

Everything is corroding, so we're hitting the road. Well, we never made it to Los Angeles, and Jackie O warned us off of Dallas, but on The Hold Steady's "Don't Let Me Explode", a doo wop dance across the country, we find ourselves talking about curveballs, Rage Against the Machine, things falling apart, and, most of all, the Upper Midwest. It's not the standard Separation Sunday track, but it may be worth more attention than seems at first listen.

Season 2 Track 9: Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night Mar 03, 2021

Hard rocking blues, scene reports and literary or religious spirits, and one of the tightest cover bands we've ever heard: "Chicago Seemed Tired Last Night" has a lot going on. And since Craig Finn told us what to celebrate, we invited a special guest to join us: Matthew Hess, founder of the famed Clicks and Hisses Hold Steady fan resource.

He joins us to explain why this song is so important, and we go through the lyrics and the music to make sense of one of the band's high as hell moments, while acting out one of the key lines from the song all the while.

And after listening, check out Clicks and Hisses if you haven't already: https://clicksandhisses.com/

Season 2 Track 10: Crucifixion Cruise Mar 10, 2021

"Crucifixion Cruise" is the briefest track on Separation Sunday, and arguably both the most forgettable and the biggest sign of concept album excess on the album. But!

But there are some serious questions the song poses that we try to put our mouth around, like:

What's the difference between a poem and a song?
Why is it good that this is a concept album? Or is it good that it's a concept album?
What do Simone Biles, Pink Floyd, Canto IV of the Wasteland, and the Avalanches have to do with Separation Sunday.

Climb aboard, we think you're going to like the view.

Season 2 Track 11: How A Resurrection Really Feels Mar 24, 2021

We're crashing the Easter mass, hair done up in broken glass, and despite what the mural says up on East 13th (which one?) we're going to walk on back.

For the last track of Separation Sunday, we do one of our closest readings, wondering about video booths and redemption, amen cadences and calm and collected priests. Somehow we span from Wilco to Mighty Max to crying in the shower. But maybe as you hear this you'll hear us say we love you too.

(Also, bonus episodes coming starting next week!)

Season 2 Bonus Episode 1: Dictating Doxologies With Father Christian Raab Mar 31, 2021

In our first of two bonus episodes for Season 2, we welcome Father Christian Raab, a Catholic Priest and scholar who also has a musical and Midwestern background, which gives him quite the perspective on Separation Sunday. We talk about beauty, man and God searching for each other, female mystics, the strings of baptism, other St. Theresas, and, somehow, Evelyn Waugh.

Stay turned for our second and final bonus episode of Season 2 next week.

Season 2 Bonus Episode 2: A Reading Of The Wasteland Apr 07, 2021

As listeners will know, A Positive Jam Season 2 host Shawn Westfall has called Separation Sunday our generation's The Wasteland, and so our final bonus episode of the season puts that to the test. We read T.S. Eliot's The Wasteland in a Craig Finn-inspired voice. We think and hope you will enjoy it as another lens on the wisdom of The Hold Steady.

You can follow along here: https://poets.org/poem/waste-land

This wraps up season 2. Get in touch with us on Twitter at @shawnwestfall, @mbrookstaylor, or @danielshortman, or @shortmanstudios.

Email us at mail@shortmanstudios.com.

And hold steady.

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