The Witzard

Craig Finn (CREDIT: D. James Goodwin) Craig Finn has announced the release of his eagerly-awaited new album. The Hold Steady frontman's fifth solo LP, A Legacy of Rentals, arrives on CD and digital download, via Positive Jams/Thirty Tigers this May. The album will be available in several formats, including CD, standard vinyl, and limited-edition white vinyl (online orders only.) Both physical pre-orders and digital pre-Saves are available now. A Legacy of Rentals was largely written during the heaviness of 2020, in the shadow of The Pandemic and the George Floyd murder that tragically occurred in Finn's hometown of Minneapolis. Recorded in May 2021 with Finn's long-time collaborators, producer Josh Kaufman and engineer D. James Goodwin, A Legacy of Rentals is heralded by the first song, "Messing with The Settings," available today on all digital streaming platforms. An exclusive album trailer, also, titled A Legacy of Rentails, is available now, as well. ...

The Hold Steady (CREDIT: Adam Parshall) It would be a little hard-pressed and slightly reach to call The Hold Steady a Punk/Hardcore band,but they definitely seem to be a crew of former Punks/presently Punk-adjacent musicians. The Hold Steady's current 6-piece line-up consists of lead vocalist/guitarist Craig Finn, drummer Bobby Drake, pianist/keyboardist Franz Nicolay, bass guitarist Galen Polivka, lead guitarist Tad Kubler, and rhythm guitarist Steve Selvidge. Finn is seemingly a fan, mutual admirer, and supporter of Titus Andronicus , Brian Fallon (The Gaslight Anthem,) Against Me!/Laura Jane Grace, and Jeff & Laura AKA Jeff Rosenstock & Laura Stevenson (Bomb The Music Industry!) Plus, last year, Craig Finn released "It's Never Been A Fair Fight" as a solo single, which appeared to be a direct response to his feelings towards the state of the Punk/Hardcore scene at the time. Bobby Drake spent time playing with Arm, who are described on Discogs as b...

Earlier this morning, Titus Andronicus posted a rather cryptic video on their band YouTube page simply entitled "TITUS ANDRONICUS - 2020 TEASER." It came packaged along with this block of text within the Description section: "On March 9th 2010, Titus Andronicus released their landmark album The Monitor . On March 9th 2020, Titus Andronicus released this cryptic video. What does it mean? Stay tuned to find out..." along with the cryptic hashtag #MON1T0R . The monitor was, of course, Titus Andronicus' sophomore album and follow-up to Seinfeld-referencing The Airing of The Grievances . It included soaring contributions from frontman Patrick Stickles and a who's-who of 2010 Indie Rock musicians, family, and friends, including Brett Bondar , Ian Graetzer, David Bentley , Eric Harm, Greg Farley (Conor Oberst,) Andrew Cedermark, Dustin Wong (Ponytail,) Pete Feigenbaum, Kevin McMahon (Diarrhea Planet,) Ian O'Neil (Deer Tick,) Jenn Wasner (Wye Oak,) Li...

I guess, at this point in my life, on the verge of 32, I would deem myself an "aging Punk" (I know, it's an extremely un-Punk thing to do!) but I feel, as though, before labeling someone else an "aging Punk," I should, at least, own up to my own dwindling status in the community/sub-culture. I've been listening to Punk/Hardcore music for about 17 years now; so, that would mean I first discovered the genres around 15-16, which sounds about right. I guess, if my memory serves me correctly, I discovered a bunch of formative 80's punk bands like Black Flag, Fugazi, Minor Threat, The Misfits, Samhain, Bad Religion, etc. through listening to Pop Punk bands, such as blink-182, Sum 41, and Green Day, during the early 2000's. I've always felt a special attachment to the worlds of Punk/Hardcore—attending amany sweaty shows dimly-lit shows long before I was even old enough to drink!—and oddly enough, the older I get, the more of an attachment I feel toward...