A Positive Jam Season 1 Bonus: The Minneapolis Roots and Mythos of The Hold Steady

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.