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The 100 Best Albums of the 2000s: 40-21

From breathtaking reformulations of shoegaze to British soul revival, this batch of stellar recordings from the 2000s is an eclectic one.

                                      
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From breathtaking reformulations of shoegaze to British soul revival, this batch of stellar recordings from the 2000s is an eclectic one.

Craig Finn's new album continues to differentiate his solo material from the Hold Steady, but without Tad Kubler's guitar heroics as a buffer, his lyrics can be pretty harrowing.

Craig Finn's spoken vocals are a barrier to entry, but the Hold Steady's first two albums literally contain the beginning of the story. These deluxe editions have enough strong extras to warrant a look.

Craig Finn’s second solo album Faith in the Future perseveres in hard times, thanks to Finn’s dark humor.

From Polish black metal to mind-blowing progressive R&B and electronic music, 2014's best albums certainly have something for everyone.

Lovers of guitar-driven rock music looking for a smoother Two Cow Garage or more stripped down the Hold Steady would do well to visit Famous Graves.

While the Hold Steady's catalog has consisted of detailed character sketches and scenarios extolling the virtues of indulging the devil whispering in your ear, Teeth Dreams deals with the demons left in the wake.

On his first solo record, the Hold Steady frontman is backed by a more somber bar band, the kind that gets the drunks slow dancing instead of fist pumping.

Part of the reason it is so fun to see these guys live is because they all look like they belong to completely different bands.

Lead singer Craig Finn dances like a 12-year-old who has forgotten his Ritalin.

An acoustic session that tilts understandably towards a playlist of deflated and sadly-knowing ballads.

Despite the departure of keyboardist Franz Nicolay at the beginning of the year, the band still more than lives up to their reputation as a great live act.

Without a doubt, the Brooklyn-based Hold Steady are one of the most consistently rewarding live bands performing today.

A "gut reaction" to four upcoming big releases.

Can Craig Finn pull his bandmates with him and lift them up to his arena tour in the sky? The Rockist ponders the future of the Hold Steady.

The world's best bar band kick out the joys in this live CD/documentary DVD package.

The Hold Steady frontman illuminates the importance of this '80s MOR Midwestern hardcore band.

For all of the junkies, hoodrats, overdoses, and blood to be found in the Hold Steady's songs, the entire point of the band's output is to cast an unflinching eye and lend a sympathetic voice.

If there's a nagging conviction behind Stay Positive, it's a constant refusal to be pinned down on E Street, revealing a toxic indulgence to revel in the spit and swagger of the punk side of town.

The world is better for every new pair of ears that gets turned on to Of Montreal and Ted Leo. The only real question is this: do you really need this album to begin with?

From bar band to arena-ready rockers, the Hold Steady reach near-Springsteenian heights on their third album, Boys and Girls in America.

Breathless music with a dark edge: isn't that how everyone likes their true blue rock 'n' roll?"