As recommended by Ucunt...

Every couple of years sad old (very old) git Allan Jones, editor of Uncut (and former Melody Maker scribe) gets the full weight of his saggy old arse behind the next big thing from the US of A.

A couple of years ago it was Marah (and I was totally won over by their brand of R'n'R evangelism). 2005 it was Richmond Fontaine (and I'm very fond of the tragic, literate destitution of lead singer Willy Vlautin). Today it's The Hold Steady, and Mr. Jones was there in person at the Hoxton Bar & Kitchen (Kitchen??) to boozily cheer on his latest proxylated flames.

There've been lots of high fallutin' claims as to the Springsteenesque-ness of this combo, but just because someone can actually write lyrics, rather than randomly fill in spaces in their tunes with words, then the 'S' word gets bandied about. Personally I thought they were more Cheap Trick than E. St. The singers irritating habit of mouthing again all of the words he's just sung (he actually speaks/drawls most of the words) immediately after he's just sung them, should be stopped, forthwith. As should the habit of dragging his hand across his balding head, and down his Spielbergian features.

It's not that I didn't like them, but I just wasn't in the mood for this level of over-hyped adequacy.