Brooklyn, NY

When The Hold Steady first burst onto the scene, their blend of high literature and high-octane frat rock sounded like nothing else, and it still does. Nearly a decade on, Craig Finn’s shouted, gnarled tales of lowlifes and their hijinx at rock bottom capture those life-altering moments when – caught in a moment of religious epiphany while crushing a beer can on your forehead – you know, finally, how many Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders can dance on the headstock of a Stratocaster.