Lifting Spirits with Lifter Puller

When I got notice that they were reissuing the entire catalogue of Lifter Puller, I have to admit I squealed and did a little dance in my office. Who's Lifter Puller you say? Some would say it's the band that Craig Finn and Tab Kubler were in before The Hold Steady, but really, The Hold Steady is just the band they formed after Lifter Puller. (See the difference?) I somehow wrongly assumed the release was next week, but here it is, December already and the whole kit and kaboodle is available now both digitally and physically.

Lifter Puller - Lifter Puller
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Lifter Puller started out with a kind of sloppy Archers of Loaf charm, as evidenced in their self-titled debut (1997), released now for the first time digitally. From this album, the highlight is clearly "Star Wars Hips," but I also have a fondness for "Mission Viejo."

Free AOL Album Stream

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Lifter Puller - Half Dead and Dynamite
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Here the band has figured out their sound (still Archers of Loaf-ish, but more consistent), complete with Craig Finn's Keruoac-like verbal hurricane. Characters begin to take form, like the Eye-Patch guy, Katrina and a cast of characters from a fun night in Minneapolis that takes a turn for the worst. Highlights include "To Live And Die In LBI," "Nassau Coliseum" and the title track.

Download: "To Live and Die in LBI"
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Lifter Puller - The Entertainment and Arts EP
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Their only EP, The Entertainment and Arts is like a boiled down version of Half Dead and Dynamite, complete with an updated version of "Star Wars Hips" and several of my favorite Craig Finn songs. There's "Plymouth Rock," "Roaming the Foam" and "Let's Get Incredible." Add the four lives tracks, and it might be the most essential LP recording.

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Lifter Puller - Fiestas & Fiascos
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Fiestas & Fiascos is an album long narrative about druggies and party goers navigating the Minneopolis nightlife, highlighted by "Nice, Nice" - a nightclub that has since burned down. Keyboards become more prominent, as well as Finn's signature lyrical homicide. Spruced up with six live recordings captured from one of their last shows before breaking up, at The Triple Rock.

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Lifter Puller - Slips Backward
Stream / Purchase [mp3]

LP never got a proper follow-up to F&F, but with Slips Backwards we get a pretty decent collection of rarities, singles and b-sides. Highlights include the essential tracks "Math is Money," "4 Dix," "Secret Santa Cruz," as well as our third version of "Star Wars Hips."

Free AOL Album Stream

Previously: Essential Lifter Puller (Woke up in the grass with the assless chaps)