Lifter Puller, or LFTR PLLR, was an American

indie rock Indie rock is a Music subgenre, subgenre of rock music that originated in the United States, United Kingdom and New Zealand from the 1970s to the 1980s. Originally used to describe independent record labels, the term became associated with the mu ...

band from the

Twin Cities Twin cities are a special case of two neighboring cities or urban centres that grow into a single conurbation – or narrowly separated urban areas – over time. There are no formal criteria, but twin cities are generally comparable in statu ...

and the

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

area between 1994 and 2000. Their music is considered innovative, with its angular riffs and a synth-infused sound that predated the '80s revival fads of the early 2000s. Arguably, however, the band is most known for frontman Craig Finn's elaborate lyrics, which often relied upon an established universe of drug-addled coeds, cash-strapped nightclub proprietors, murdered ravers and other nostalgic excursions in Minneapolis and Boston. The band released three LPs and an EP before breaking up in the summer of 2000. In 2002, the compilation ''

Soft Rock Soft rock is a form of rock music that originated in the late 1960s in Southern California and the United Kingdom which smoothed over the edges of singer-songwriter and pop rock, relying on simple, melodic songs with big, lush productions. S ...

'' was released, featuring nearly every song in the Lifter Puller catalogue, excluding their final album, ''

Fiestas and Fiascos ''Fiestas and Fiascos'' is the final Lifter Puller LP composed of new material and the only album of theirs not included on ''Soft Rock (album), Soft Rock''. The record is much tighter than previous songs, as where the band plays hook-centrically ...

'', and the songs "Prescription Sunglasses", "Emperor", "Slips Backwards," and "Bitchy Christmas," as well as the original version of "Nassau Colisseum," the b-side to the "Slips Backwards" single. After several years out of print, all of the original Lifter Puller records were re-issued digitally with bonus tracks in December 2009. These reissues were accompanied by a limited-edition book entitled ''Lifter Puller vs. The End of.'' Singer/guitarist Craig Finn and bassist

Tad Kubler Tad Kubler is an American guitarist, known for his work with Lifter Puller, Song of Zarathustra, and, most-notably, The Hold Steady. He previously worked with Brett Johnson, bass player for Atmosphere, in the band Ten-fold Hate, in Minneapolis. ...

are now members of

The Hold Steady The Hold Steady is an American rock band originally from Minneapolis, Minnesota, now based in Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2003. The band consists of Craig Finn (vocals, guitar), Tad Kubler (guitar), Galen Polivka (bass), Bobby Drake (drums), ...

, which continues to explore some of the lyrical themes established by Lifter Puller while eschewing the art punk sound of the prior band in favor of a sound more akin to classic-rock revivalism. In 2003, the band reunited for three sold out shows for the opening of the

Triple Rock Social Club The Triple Rock Social Club was a bar, music venue, and restaurant in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States, co-owned by Gretchen Funk and Erik Funk of the punk band Dillinger Four. The club is mentioned in the Motion City Soundtrack song "Bett ...

in their hometown of Minneapolis. Lifter Puller - First Avenue Star

Lifter Puller has been honored with a star on the outside mural of the

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

nightclub First Avenue, recognizing performers that have played sold-out shows or have otherwise demonstrated a major contribution to the culture at the iconic venue. Receiving a star "might be the most prestigious public honor an artist can receive in Minneapolis," according to journalist Steve Marsh. Kubler and Finn's subsequent group The Hold Steady also has a star. The band reunited on July 4, 2015 in Minneapolis at the Triple Rock Social Club at

Dillinger Four Dillinger Four, sometimes abbreviated as D4, is an American punk rock band formed in 1994 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They have released four full-length studio albums. Since 1996, the band's lineup has been Patrick Costello on bass guitar and ...

's annual "D4th of July" event for an eight-song set. On September 2, 2016 they reunited again to support

Atmosphere An atmosphere () is a layer of gas or layers of gases that envelop a planet, and is held in place by the gravity of the planetary body. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A s ...

Red Rocks Amphitheater Red Rocks Amphitheatre (also colloquially as simply Red Rocks) is an open-air amphitheatre built into a rock structure in the western United States, near Morrison, Colorado, west of Denver. There is a large, tilted, disc-shaped rock behind th ...

Morrison, Colorado The Town of Morrison is a Colorado municipalities#Home rule municipality, home rule municipality in Jefferson County, Colorado, Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. The population was 428 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. Red R ...

. On December 3rd, 2016, Lifter Puller opened for The Hold Steady at The Brooklyn Bowl on the final of a four-night series of shows commemorating the tenth anniversary of the album ''Boys and Girls In America''.

Members

Final band line-up: *

Craig Finn Craig Finn (born August 22, 1971) is an American singer-songwriter and musician. He is best known as the frontman of the American indie rock band The Hold Steady, with whom he has recorded eight studio albums. Prior to forming The Hold Steady, Fi ...

— lead vocals, guitar *Steve Barone — guitar, keyboards *Dan Monick — drums *

— bass guitar (1998–2000) Past members: *Tommy Roach — bass guitar (1994–1998) *Dave Gerlach— drums (1994–1996)

Discography

Albums

*''

Lifter Puller Lifter Puller, or LFTR PLLR, was an American indie rock band from the Minneapolis-St. Paul, Twin Cities and the Boston area between 1994 and 2000. Their music is considered innovative, with its angular riffs and a synth-infused sound that predat ...

'' — 1997 *''

Half Dead and Dynamite ''Half Dead and Dynamite'' is an album by the Minnesota indie rock band Lifter Puller Lifter Puller, or LFTR PLLR, was an American indie rock band from the Twin Cities and the Boston area between 1994 and 2000. Their music is considered inno ...

'' — 1997 *''

'' — 2000

Singles

*"Prescription Sunglasses b/w Emperor" — 1995 *"Slips Backwards b/w Nassau Coliseum" — 1995 *"The Mezzanine Gyp b/w Star Wars Hips" — 1996 *"Bay City Rolling" — 2001 *"4-Dix" — 2001

EPs

*''

The Entertainment and Arts ''The Entertainment and Arts'' is an EP by Lifter Puller. It was released in 1998 and recorded with Eric Olsen and Dave Gardner at Burr Holland Studio in MPLS. Track listing #Plymouth Rock (0:49) #The Candy Machine and My Girlfriend (2:51) #San ...

'' — 1998

Compilations

*''

'' — 2002 *''Lifter Puller Vs. the End of'' — 2009

References

External links

LFTRPLLR.COM Official WebsiteLifter Puller remembered with reissue series and bookInterview with Craig FinnPitchfork interview with Craig and TadInterview with Steve Barone
{{Authority control Indie rock musical groups from Minnesota Musical groups established in 1994 Musical groups disestablished in 2000 1994 establishments in Minnesota Frenchkiss Records artists