newcritics - Latest Comments in Best of 2008: These Miracles Work

Re: Best of 2008: These Miracles Work

يوتيوب — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 16:45:02 -0000

Very very interesting post..I like this one. gotta bookmark this one

Re: Best of 2008: These Miracles Work

Health_Campus — Sat, 29 Aug 2009 05:34:49 -0000

Very very interesting post..I like this one. gotta bookmark this one.

Cheers,:)

Re: Best of 2008: These Miracles Work

Jason_Chervokas — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 00:30:58 -0000

MS, Ha!...I must confess to having little to no familiarity w/ Pee Wee Herman--never saw the movie or his TV show...so I don't hear what you hear. I will say, the singer, Craig Finn, is almost more of a talker than singer tho' I hear he's been taking singing lessons. I hear a lot of Bob Mould in Finn's style myself (no surprising since Finn came up as a teenager in the Minneapolis scene when Husker Du was at or near the top of the heap). I also don't hear faux-snotty, or, really, snotty at all, unless it's in character...tho' I definitely hear a voice that's affected...but all great rock singers make up a voice for themselves and usually its a voice that sounds silly on close inspection (Mick Jagger anyone?). Glad you checked out the album and liked it. You might like even more their previous record, Boys and Girls in America, which was a breakthrough for the band. It's a great album and most fans probably prefer it to Stay Positive, tho I think in every way Stay Positive sounds like a solid step forward from that excellent breakthrough.

Re: Best of 2008: These Miracles Work

ms — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 15:24:29 -0000

After reading your strong recommendation of this album I checked it out–and I dig it, although not as much as yourself. However, there was something about the lead singer's "faux-snotty" vocal style on some of the tracks that sounded familiar and I was trying to figure out what it reminded me of. Driving around Xmas day listening in the car it hit me...it's the same tone Pee Wee Herman uses explaining to Francis that his bike is "not for sale".

Re: Best of 2008: These Miracles Work

Mark — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 13:47:08 -0000

I agree 100%. I listened to "Stay Positive" more than any other new CD this year and I saw a great show in Baton Rouge this August. "Sequestered In Memphis" (I went there on business...) may be my song of the year...

The other band I loved this year is My Morning Jacket. Oddly enough, they share the same instrumentation as The Hold Steady...charismatic front man who also plays guitar, a classic rock lead guitarist, keyboard guy for textures and a not flashy but very solid rhythm section. MMJ, the only contender for band of the year...

I do love Dylan's new Bootleg Series from his recent work, as well. Amazing what Bob has in the can others would kill to have recorded...

Re: Best of 2008: These Miracles Work

chuck tryon — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 14:27:07 -0000

I think that comment was probably more about my own tendency to learn to appreciate better albums over time. I gave Stay Positive a relatively attentive listen yesterday and found myself really digging it.

Re: Best of 2008: These Miracles Work

Jason_Chervokas — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 23:49:54 -0000

Chuck, yeah, Boys and Girls...is pretty great. Can't get enough of "Southtown Girls," "You Can Make them Like You" or "Massive Nights"...and "First Night" is a minor masterpiece. But I think the new album is even better--more hooks, better lyrics with wider concerns, and lyrics that better fit the melodies.... Sounds to me like a band at the height of it's powers.

Re: Best of 2008: These Miracles Work

chuck tryon — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 12:27:44 -0000

Great review. I like this CD quite a bit. I've been listening to these guys almost non-stop on my iPod for the last month or so. I'll admit that I'm still partial to Boys and Girls in America but that it also takes me months to really appreciate most albums. Having spent a lot of time in Indiana (and as a big fan of Breaking Away, which is about another group of Cutters), I do have an incredible soft spot for "One for the Cutters," though.