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Avg: 4.0 (335 ratings)
- Date Released: March 16, 2004
- Genre: Alternative/Punk
- Style: Alternative Hard Rock, Indie Rock
- Label: French Kiss Records / The Orchard
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They Say...
"The '80s almost killed me," admits the Hold Steady's Craig Finn on "Positive Jam," one of ten rock & roll confessionals on the band's debut. That sets the tone for the rest of Almost Killed Me, as Finn reveals a lifestyle that included a "skater phase," a "raver phase," and a "razor blade phase." His lamentations are the appropriate voice for the band's debut, which sets out to recapture the glory of classic American rock and early indie rock. With rugged guitar riffs and solos and Finn's half-sung, scratchy voice, the Hold Steady mostly succeed, easily recalling the classic rock of early Bruce Springsteen or the sincerity of latter-day Hüsker Dü. When he's not remembering the parties and acting like "a Twin Cities trash bin," he reacts to the corruption of today's youth. Finn may seem like a fish out of water at this point, but having survived a self-indulgent life, his lyrics, as well as the Hold Steady's back-to-basics rock, are ironically welcoming.
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10 Total Tracks, 42:48 Total Length
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Credits
- Tim Harrington - Design // Tim Harrington - Layout Design // Matt Henderson - Engineer // Craig Finn - Guitar // Craig Finn - Vocals // Craig Finn - Group Member // Dave Gardner - Mastering // Seth Jabour - Design // Seth Jabour - Layout Design // Tad Kubler - Guitar // Tad Kubler - Design // Tad Kubler - Photography // Tad Kubler - Layout Design // Tad Kubler - Group Member // Judd Counsell - Drums // Judd Counsell - Group Member // The Hold Steady - Main Performer // Peter Hess - Saxophone // Dean Botulonis - Engineer
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