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Boys and Girls in America is the third studio album by the Hold Steady, released on October 3, 2006, by Vagrant Records. On August 18, 2006, first single "Chips Ahoy!" was released as a free download from music site Pitchfork Media. The second single, "Stuck Between Stations" began to appear on campus radio playlists in November 2006. Backing vocals for the track "Chillout Tent" are provided by Soul Asylum's Dave Pirner and the Reputation's Elizabeth Elmore. Dana Kletter (ex-Blackgirls, Dear Enemy, and Hole's Live Through This) contributed backing vocals to "Chips Ahoy!", "You Can Make Him Like You", and "First Night". The album title is a line taken from the opening lines of the song "Stuck Between Stations" ("There are nights when I think that Sal Paradise was right/Boys and girls in America have such a sad time together"), which in turn refers to a quote from American novelist and poet Jack Kerouac's 1957 novel On the Road and its narrator, Sal Paradise. The title is repeated in the lyrics in "First Night." Boys and Girls in America has sold 94,000 albums as of April 2010. The album received a metascore of 85 out of 100 on Metacritic, making it tied with four other albums for the 12th best-reviewed album of 2006. Magnet and The Onion's AV Club named it the best album of 2006. Pitchfork rated Boys and Girls in America 9.4 out of 10, and named it the fifth-best album of the year. They later ranked it as the 64th best album of the decade.
I really really really enjoyed this. Reminds me a LOT of The Mountain Goats. Listened to it on a Friday, forgot to rate it, listened to it again on a Monday and liked it even more the second time.
I remember when the record came out. It was their third album, but it was the first one that everyone started talking about. Their heartland rock, epic rock reminiscent of 70s Springsteen and that bigger-than-life music that was so rare to hear from a new band in the mid-00s left us all impressed. I always felt like their music lacked songs, themes and melodies that you could really hold on to. But just for their musical conception, their brilliant narrative and for being such a rare bird, they deserved their moment of glory, short but intense
Like a rockier Counting Crows. I like the storytelling and the piano. Classic rock done properly! Riffs and grooves, but not too heavy or grungy. Although I like the lyrical content that I could make out, I’m not a fan of the over talkative vocal style (Springsteen just about gets right). Excellent and worthy inclusion nonetheless.
I always like this band just fine but it does seem like very much a Springsteen shtick with not as talented a vocalist.
Brilliant record.
Love this album. 4 stars.
This actually was a very entertaining listening experience! Musically probably not very groundbreaking, and I know of bands that do this even better, but this sound immediately hit my musical sweet-spot. "Gonna walk around and drink some more!" Heck yeah!
Very 'American sounding' and incredibly lyrical. Some Springsteen vibes at times. Good album
This sounds like the lead singer from Soul Coughing lost all interest in jazz and became obsessed with drugs.
This had a good vibe. Period.
Not sure what makes this stand out to the other 2000s Rock. Not bad, but just not very noteworthy to me.
Whatever my conclusions, the Hold Steady are honest about some aspect of life in this country. The quote that frames it comes from On The Road, which - fair enough - I had a similar ambiguous reaction to, preceded by anticipation. I guess there is an emotional problem, and a structural one, cooperating. Bleakness need not ruin an album concept, but it is challenging to work into the Song. And that craft arrives, tacked-on and ultimately not satisfying; not dissatisfying either. An amusical experience I'm grateful enough to have had.
boring rock. dude can't sing. 2/5.
Not jiving with this one at all, even if ‘80s rock revival was having a moment in the late aughts. The instrumentals sound dated on arrival, and though there are few bright spots in the arrangements creatively, the vocals sink any interest I may have had after that point.
Not the worst 3 2
Personally don't like this sound at all.
The vocalist is very much on top of the music and you feel more noise and interruption. And the music is better than him.
These guys always reminded me of early 70s Springsteen
This album is an updated heartland rock for the 21st century. It has decent guitar work, strong melodies, and is varied enough to stay interesting while still having a cohesive identity. So much of this sound has been done since that it’s hard to review this fairly, but it is a good album.
Rating: 6/10
Indie rock. Ni fu ni fa.
The hideous album cover did not prepare me for a fairly solid alt-country album.
I mean, this was great, musically on point, very enjoyable. I'm guessing THS kills it live. More than a little derivative, but it was a fun summer listen. Fave Songs: Stuck Between Stations, Hot Soft Light, Party Pit, Chips Ahoy!, Massive Nights
This was a pretty decent album. It’s like if Bruce Springsteen made modern alternative music with an Americana style. The album cover definitely threw me off a bit but I thought the instrumentals and lyrics were actually quite good. Based on how it’s rated I’m shocked it isn’t more talked about or popular. I would revisit this one. 7.1/10
I'm kind of surprised to see this band on here. I've heard a couple songs on here before, plus a few others, and they never sounded like anything special. This listen confirmed that for me.
A fine alt rock vibe, but nothing particularly special. Citrus seems the most interesting, but I'm not that big of a fan of the lead singers vocal style. Its fine but nothing i would seek out.
It's a steady album. Reminiscent of a lot of other artists in the genre. Party Pit carried on a bit. I'm sure he's still walking.
Bruh
Like Springsteen for millennial teenyboppers. Rating: 3 Playlist track: Stuck Between Stations Date listened: 25/11/24
Bigger, brasher Arab Strap with any subtlety jettisoned. I love Arab Strap. Not this.
Ok
pretty basic rock
There were times when it sounded like Bruce Springsteen but in indie music fashion. None of that is a good thing. Thankfully, it was short.