Who performs the guest vocals on The Hold Steady's 'Magazines'?

[Mike.V]

Fairly obscure question here, but that’s what the board is for right?

I’m a big fan of The Hold Steady, and “Magazines”, one of the tracks on their album Stay Positive, contains vocals that definitely do not sound like Craig Finn. It’s a gravelly voice that sings “Magazines and daddy issues/I know you’re pretty pissed/I hope you’ll still let me kiss you” during the chorus towards the end of the song.

So who is it? Another band member? Craig after gurgling shrapnel? Another rocker (it sounds a bit like Trever Keith of Face to Face or Dicky Barrett of the Mighty Mighty Bosstones)?

I’ve checked All Music, The Hold Steady’s website and wikia, and Google with no luck so far…

[Ferret_Herder]

This may help - I can’t listen right now because this computer doesn’t have speakers on it, and I don’t have the podcast on my iPod atm. The Hold Steady performed in studio on the Sound Opinions radio show, and one of the live songs was “Magazines”. Three members were there, Craig Finn, Tad Kubler, and Franz Nicolay. Maybe you can decipher it by listening to their speaking vs. singing voices?

[Mike.V]

Well that version definitely didn’t have the same gravelly vocals, but it was also acoustic so that might have been toning down the song in general. It does make me suspect it’s not a band member though. Thanks for the link all the same, it’s a pretty interesting interview.

[Ichbin_Dubist]

It’s Ben Nichols from Lucero, I’m pretty sure.

[Mike.V]

That’s it! Thanks so much Ichbin Dubist.

From http://www.pastemagazine.com/blogs/diary/2008/09/the-hold-steady-studio-diary---stay-positive---9.html

At one point during overdubs, Lucero was in New York City playing a couple of shows, and The Hold Steady, being friends and fans of the band, arranged for singer Ben Nichols to come by the next afternoon to try some backing vocal ideas. Craig had been thinking about what would suit Ben’s rather gruff, whiskey soaked, Americana styling vocal sound. So he had a plan for our guest man.
Saturday afternoon rolled in and most of The Hold Steady and Ben, with a few friends in tow, all arrived at the studio around the same time. With a couple of bottles of Jameson. And the normal 12 packs of brews. We were ready to work. Craig directed Ben, both out in the studio, and we nailed a bunch of cool parts. Since Ben was leaving town, we put him where we might need him in each song, knowing that we could always take out later.
Ben laid down great vocals in “Sequestered In Memphis,” “Constructive Summer” and “Magazines.” In “Constructive,” Ben got to sing some of the primo lines in the song including the “Get Hammered!” shout in the second chorus and “Raise a toast to St. Joe Strummer!” in the last chorus.

[Ichbin_Dubist]

Patterson Hood’s on there somewhere too.