I have written about Joe Steinhardt many times though I heard his music for the first time less than six months ago. Joe is one of a handful of songwriters I always find myself writing about. Patrick Stickles and Conor Oberst are two of the others. Between the three of them they have written most of my favorite rock songs of the 21st Century.
When it comes to Steinhardt you might think I am playing cooler than thou but I am not. Steinhardt isn’t an art rocker, he isn’t impenetratable, he is no more a hard listen than, say, early Costello is. What Steinhardt is, what he does, is write the best songs in the world. If you listen to For Science’s first album, one of my fave albums of all time, Revenge For Hire, there is no waiting for it to take off, no waiting for the sweet part: it begins with “Leeloo” one minute, seven seconds of pure joy. And it is relentless, extravagantly, perfectly onwards and on. No mistaking one influence (though Steinhardt doesn’t mention ithem on his list, it is hardly a shocker one song is called “Love Batteries” and, as I’m sure you’re aware I am a long term Buzzcocks fanatic and FOR SCIENCE WERE THEIR EQUAL. Greenday weren’t. Blink 182 weren’t. Also on Revenge For Hire is a song, “Colordo” I consider as perfect as an early Lennon/McCartney. There is nothing about “Colorado” that doesn’t work. At barely a minute in length, even its hooks have hooks, it aches in beauty and insecurity. From the first couplet it insists you meet the song, that you join it, that you share it, “Not that it’s over I can only hope you’re gonna sing along”. And you are. Trust me. You will sing along. This post isn’t a review of Revenge For Hire (one day I’ll get to it) no no “Shut Up Cindy” and OMG “Fenway Lights”!!!
Trust me, buy this album. It is beyond great. A tight fast melodic blast as great as Another Music In A Different Kitchen. You know what? Fuck me, it’s as great as Singles Going Steady.
And the second and last For Science isn’t as good as that. Tomorrow’s Just Another Day can’t sing through its sorrows the way revenge does. But it is worth noting that Tomorrow was the first Steinhardt I heard and I love it completely but it has its own ambitions. For one thing the songs got longer and for another the symphonic hellaciousness of “A Rage Against Heaven” -over FOUR MINUTES OF IT!!!- while great in its own rights would fit in better with Joe’s current band Modern Hut. But Tomorrow doesn’t manage to dance on its troubles the way revenge, it is mired in an aching loss and Steinhard doesn’t write his way out of it.
Still, it doesn’t include Steinhardt’s hands down no doubt first flat out shoulda ruled the world masterpiece, “Headaches”. “Headaches” is so great it is the one For Science song Joe has taken along with him to Modern Hut.
Modern Hut is a country-folk rock band which leans hard on Joe’s influences and on joe’s documented ability to write just plain terrific songs. I’ve heard six of em including the “Headaches’ remake. They are all unbelievable and the “Louis St.” with Marissa from Screaming females singing is great beyond belief. You can hear em between youtube and myspace… plus, plus, plus? A great cover of John Prine’s “In Spite Of Ourselves” (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QeNXuZF4lA)
John Prine isn’t on the playlist Steinhardt sent me, but he is represented by Iris de Mint and Iris, at least the ease of acoustic folk rock is a signpost for Modern Hut’s sound.
The Playlist?
Yup this post was meant to be about Steinhardt’s playlist but like I said at the beginning, he is one of those singers I love to write about.
So I mostly will keep the playlist till tomorrow and for now redefine Steinhardts’ list for you (of course, when you know the bloke you are writing about, there is always the chance the bloke in question will dub you a bloody fool but here it goes anyway).
1) People Steinhardt just loves:
Butch Hancock
Lucinda Williams
Eddie Hinton
Drive-By Truckers (yeah, yeah, I don’t give a shit about by the “Drive By truckers” line, they still ain’t an influence)
Elton John
Witch – Seer
The Roches
Prince
Natalie Merchant (ugh, shoot me now)
Joni Mitchell
2) People Who Influenced Steinhardt:
Vic Chesnutt
Connie Dungs
Witch – Seer
Shellshag
Stormshadow
Iris Dement
Warren Zevon
Fleetwood Mac
The Cure
J Church
Screeching Weasel
Alejandro Escovedo
Sgt. Sunshine
Ps. I’ve looked up Screeching Weasel -they are the mixing link between the Ramones and For Science.
On my very next Steinhardt post I will get to work on the songs, I promise!!!