From The Closet: Lifter Puller

In this weeks installment of From the Closet I would like to shine a light on one of the greatest bands that you probably haven’t thought of in ten years: Lifter Puller.  Lifter Puller, also know as LFTR PLLR, reigns from the great state of Minnesota, which has also given us such luminaries as The Replacements, Husker Du, Soul Asylum, and the purple one himself, Prince.

Between the years of 1994 and 2000, Lifter Puller created some of the most inventive rock music put to tape.  While the music is tight without losing it’s swagger, I would have to say that the mystique surrounding the band landed squarely on the shoulders of vocalist/guitarist, Craig Finn.  Finn has since moved on to the highly acclaimed The Hold Steady, and while this current project is fantastic, lyrically, it can’t stand up to what he did in Lifter Puller.  In the three LPs released by Lifter Puller, Finn created a cast of characters so familiar in their depravity, like friends from high school and college, that you couldn’t help but feel sorry for them, and eventually love them.

While two of their LPs (Lifter Puller & Half Dead and Dynamite) are long out of print, the songs on them, along with singles and b-sides were collected on Soft Rock. Their third and final LP, Fiestas and Fiascoes is still currently in print.

[audio: https://austintownhall.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/01_Lonely_In_A_Limousine.mp3]

Download: Lifter Puller – Lonely in a Limousine [MP3]