Admittedly, this song did appear on a record in 2008, this was a very special version of the song that occurred at Glastonbury in the June of this year.  The Gaslight Anthem were joined by fellow New Jersey hero, Bruce Springsteen in this rendition of The ‘59 Sound.

Don’t worry, I have not forgotten about my top 100 of the decade list even though it has been more than a week since I updated it. Today we continue our look back at the greatest albums of the past ten years. In case you missed them, you can read the other entries below:
61-70
71-80
81-90
91-100

60. Sufjan Stevens – Seven Swans (2004)
Undoubtedly the most spiritual of the young singer-songwriter’s album catalog, Seven Swans is bursting with life, despite being one of Stevens’ sparser efforts. Most of the songs from this release consist of Stevens’ earnest, wavering voice and his trusty banjo, without much of the orchestration and electronic sounds of his other works. Stevens openly displays faith as a motivator behind his music career on songs like “Abraham” and “The Transfiguration,” and it works far better than any CCM artist.

59. Beck – The Information (2006)
From the opening line, “One, two, you know what to do,” to the last, Beck weaves together an altogether fun album reminiscent of his work in the 90’s. The danceable rhythms, stoned-sounding vocals, and the occasional Spanish phrase thrown in for good measure are vintage Beck and that’s a great thing. I’ve been a big fan for going on 15 years and his fun sense of creativity hardly ever disappoints. Check out songs like “Elevator Music” and “Cellphone’s Dead” to get a good taste of his mid-2000’s greatness.

58. Spoon – Gimme Fiction (2005)
Speaking of danceable tunes, Spoon has put out a ton of them in this decade and every collection has proved to be excellent. This was the first album of theirs that I bought and it quickly turned me into a fan. This is the way good pop music is supposed to sound. Listen to “I Turn My Camera On,” and “The Delicate Place,” and I promise that you’ll agree.

57. MGMT – Oracular Spectacular (2008)
This breakthrough album took the country by storm in 2008 and with good reason. “Time to Pretend,” with its resonating tale of youthful hopes and dreams being dashed to pieces against the disappointments of life, is one of the best songs of the decade. These relative newcomers have a great future ahead of them and I look forward to hearing their future releases. In addition to aforementioned tune, be sure to check out “Weekend Wars,” and “Electric Feel.”

56. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah – Clap Your Hands Say Yeah (2006)
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah’s debut album broke new ground soon after it was released by becoming one of the first word-of-mouth hits of the internet era. Though it had little radio support in the beginning, positive attention from music blogs soon pushed the band out of the shadows and into the spotlight, cementing their place in the 2000’s indie rock canon. Among the best songs that you should hear from this release are “The Skin of my Yellow Country Teeth,” and “Let the Cool Goddess Rust Away.”

55. The Gaslight Anthem – That ’59 Sound (2008)
In case you ever wondered what would happen if a young Bruce Springsteen had fronted the Clash, here is your answer. The Gaslight Anthem blaze through songs that seem like snapshots of real life in small town America with a punk rock ferocity. Like the aforementioned Springsteen, they name-drop characters (like Mary, unsurprisingly) all around, lending an air of realism to each of these slices of Americana. Check out the songs “That ’59 Sound” and “Great Expectations.”

54. The Jayhawks – Rainy Day Music (2003)
The Jayhawks were among folk rock’s elite few when this excellent album, thus far their final one, dropped in 2003. With harmonies that echo The Byrds and a plethora jangling melodies, this release is there to make one smile, even when the subject matter wouldn’t normally lend itself to that kind of reaction. Among my favorite tunes on the album are “Stumbling Through the Dark,” and “All the Right Reasons,” but the entire thing is great.

53. The Killers – Hot Fuss (2004)
This debut album from The Killers, with its retro-1980’s sound reminiscent of bands like Duran Duran, was a huge hit in the mid-2000’s and with good reason. It’s catchy and fun dance rock that sticks in your head for days after you hear it. Listen to “Somebody Told Me” and “Mr. Brightside,” and then see if you can get them out of your mind.

52. Band of Horses – Cease to Begin (2007)
At times their sound echoes contemporaries My Morning Jacket and classic rocker Neil Young, but this album really set BoH as their own band and as a force with which to be reckoned. Their reverb drenched vocals and decidedly Southern sound need to be heard. Check out songs like “Is There a Ghost” and “Detlef Schrempf for a nice primer on the band and then pick up the whole album.

51. Kings of Leon – Only By Night (2008)
These sons of a traveling Pentecostal preacher slowly built up their status in the U.S. over the decade before breaking through in 2008 with this magnum opus, turning them from bluesy, southern rock purveyors to arena rock headliners. Though not my favorite of their works, the huge sound of Only By Night is made for the big stage. Listen to “Crawl,” “Sex on Fire,” and “Use Somebody.”

To be continued…

After closer examination and actually checking the definition my problem isn’t exactly survivor guilt, it’s more about not fully understanding the randomness of life and why two  people can fight a similar enemy and only one of us defeats it.

Survivor Guilt is not the proper term.

I am not full of guilt because I am still here, but the emotional response to someone dying of cancer hits me very hard because of where I have been.

I understand the alternative and wrestled with that once diagnosed. The “what if’s” kept me up at night. I understand how this could have played out. I do not regret still being here. (that is why survivor guilt is the wrong term)

After an emotional night of talking with my wife about how some things recently affected me because my bout with cancer and the year I was being treated and the financial issues that followed, we came to the conclusion that as I approach my 3rd cancerversary I may need to seek some support NOW instead of then.

Apparently the post cancer stresses are worse than the during cancer stress.

I also don’t want to walk around feeling privileged that I am still here, it is very likely just a matter of timing and good fortune and that makes me (what my Dr’s called me) A Lucky Bastard. It’s as simple as that.

I need to work on this and accept that the healing process is going to be a lot of work. The psychological damage is extensive and the entire ordeal has left some big scars. Flashbacks are something I need to prepare for and try to avoid, just never know what is going to set me off or when.

This is, like everything else… a work in progress.

…

My wife and I saw “ The Gaslight Anthem” last night at the WellMont theater in Montclair. They put on a very energetic show and played a full solid hour covering their three albums to date and added in a Tom Petty cover and a 5 song encore. This was apparently their last show before heading back into the studio to record their next album.

A very cool, loud and late night. (thanks babe)

Be Well. (I’m certainly working on it) -Scott

When I am down, I love listening to that song…

We are the boys from Little Eden
We are the heart of the Saturday night
We drink from the fountains off the fireworks
and off the sweat and bone for a better life

We like our choruses sung together
We like our arms in our brothers’ arms
Call every girl we ever met Maria
But I only love Virginia’s heart

Still we sing with our heroes, 33 rounds per minute
We’re never going home until the sun says we’re finished
I’ll love you forever if I ever love at all
With wild hearts, blue jeans, & white t-shirts

Some things Baby never told you
Some things Papa done ain’t right
Spent a lifetime just to get over
You always said my Mama tried

Still we sing with our heroes, 33 rounds per minute
We’re never going home until the sun says we’re finished
I’ll love you forever if I ever love at all
With wild hearts, blue jeans, & white t-shirts

So tonight I’ll call you from a 4th Street payphone
But I’ll sleep on the beach if I ain’t got a ride
Someday I’ll buy you that house on Cookman
We could sleep on the beach all night
Sleep on the beach if we ain’t got a ride
Sleep on the beach all night
Sleep on the beach all night
Sleep on the beach if we ain’t got a ride …

The Gaslight Anthem
Murder by Death
Jesse Malin
Broadway Calls
House of Blues Boston
October 17th, 2009

It’s amazing how quickly the Gaslight Anthem, a band that was barely known outside the state of New Jersey until recently, has exploded onto the scene in 2009. After an opening slot at a free WFNX show this summer, the band returned to Boston to headline the House of Blues in an engagement that signaled the arrival of the blue-collar quintet as one of today’s most promising acts.

The night began with a set from Broadway Calls, an up and coming pop-punk act that has seemingly opened for about 100 different bands this fall. While their short set was solid, it wasn’t as nearly as well received as their performance supporting Streetlight Manifesto at the same venue a month earlier.

As the cavernous venue finally began to fill up, Jesse Malin and his supporting band took the stage to perform a set of sunny pop tunes that had the crowd slightly interested. I’ll have to admit it wasn’t exactly my thing, so I didn’t pay too much attention.

Next up was Murder by Death, a band that served as a perfect opener for the Gaslight Anthem with their gruff, no frills style. The band played a 40 minute set of songs that dealt mainly with whiskey, drinking, the desert, and being in jail. It seemed as if the quartet was straight out of a John Wayne movie, and the crowd ate it up.

Fallon Earlier This Summers straight out of a John Wayne movie, and the crowd ate it up.

The Gaslight Anthem would then take the stage as Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” was pumped over the PA system. With a huge smile on his face, lead singer Brian Fallon would strum the first notes to “High Lonesome” as the dance party instantly became a rousing rock show. The band would then tear through “Casanova, Baby!” and “Old White Lincoln” as the crowd surged toward the front of the stage and sang along.

As the set wore on, the New Jersey quintet seemed to pick up steam with every song, and those in attendance responded in kind. Fallon and co. would not only play every song from their breakout album The ‘59 Sound, but they would also play a number of tracks from their debut full length Sink or Swim, as well as from their more recent Senior and the Queen EP. While it was not surprising that they would venture into older material, it was surprising how enthusiastically the crowd responded to it. It’s good to see that radio success hasn’t created an army of fair weather fans.

The ear to ear grin that Fallon had showcased at the start of the set never left his face,  An outsider might have thought he had just won the lottery, and based on the size of the crowd that packed the House of Blues and their enthusiasm, he might as well have. After a show stopping rendition of “Here’s Looking At You, Kid,” the band would charge into “The Backseat,” a set closing number that had crowd serfers flying through the air.

Bassist Alex Levine

After a brief time break, the group would return for an encore that would feature zero songs from their most recent album but would still inspire quite a bit of chaos in the pit. “Blue Jeans and White T-Shirts” was followed by “Drive,” and the show was then closed with a cathartic version of “Say You Won’t (Recognize)” that saw nearly everyone on the floor crashing and bouncing into each other like bumper cars.

With smiles still intact, the band would leave the stage a full hour and a half after they had made their appearance, which is almost unheard of for a band with only two full length records. They had given their fans everything they had wanted and more, which is just one of the reasons why one of rock’s best kept secrets may officially be out.

 

Edit this setlist | More The Gaslight Anthem setlists

Live review of The Gaslight Anthem’s second to last tour date behind The ‘59 Sound, Tuesday October 27th at House Of Blues. Up now at Illinois Entertainer Dot Com.

Forward, Into The Past

I don’t live in the past, but I don’t disavow it, either. I’m crammed into small clubs to hear The Gaslight Anthem and The Reigning Sound as often as I am out watching veterans like John Hiatt and Graham Parker still crafting magic. And when a tour like Sixties Spectacular comes rolling through town featuring The Turtles, The Rascals and Herman’s Hermits, well I’m there, too.

The show was opened by a ’60s cover band who played a competent set of radio staples. While hearing a pedestrian version of “Honky Tonk Women” might be acceptable at a wedding or corporate function, I dreaded the fact that my a quarter of my $50 ticket was designated to 30-40 minutes of this. I also feared I might be seeing these same people acting as the band behind the remaining original members of these featured groups. I’ve been to oldies shows before where a group of unknown musicians simply changed shirts between sets to morph from The Grass Roots into The Buckinghams. But as it turned out, I had nothing to fear (although one of these bands could have used the help). And old bladders be damned, the show lasted almost three and a half hours.

Why can't you and me learn to love one another?

First up was The New Rascals, a legally-retitled band featuring original Young Rascals members Dino Danelli on drums and Gene Cornish (a native of this town) on guitar. A long time acrimonious split with Felix Cavaliere and the absence of Eddie Brigati meant that the primary vocalists of the band were no longer in the fold, their slots filled by current members Bill Pascali on keyboards and lead vocals and bassist/vocalist Charlie Souza. (Although they are advertised as formerly being with Vanilla Fudge and Tom Petty, respectively, neither were ever with the named artists in their heyday. Souza played bass with a late version of Mudcrutch and left before Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers; Pascali sang and played keyboards on one of Carmine Appice’s many reanimations of Vanilla Fudge earlier in the decade.)

Unfortunately, despite a wealth of great material to offer, the New Rascals were disappointing. I’m hoping that the issue was merely being under-rehearsed rather than lacking in ability. I don’t expect Pascali to be as soulful as Cavaliere, one of the era’s greatest singers, but he was often flat and occasionally struggled when playing piano and organ simultaneously. On other occasions, the band seemed to be playing off-rhythm. Ordinarily I’d chalk this up to bad monitors and/or faulty equipment, but having just witnessed the cover band whip through a set unscathed, I can’t lay blame there.

Cornish, who recently has endured some health scares, was as animated as he could be and flashed solid rock chops as the sole guitarist, and Souza did bring great energy and good voice to the mix. Danelli can still play flash, spinning sticks and muting cymbals, and on several songs everything clicked to remind the audience what an incredible catalogue of music this band generated in their career. Highlights included a rousing ”People Got To Be Free”, “A Girl Like You” and a stripped-down “Groovin”, featuring a soulful harmonica solo by Cornish. The crowd ate it up warts and all, of course, and gave the band a rousing ovation. I saw enough good moments to warrant seeing them again in the hope that this was just an off-night.

Stll two of the greatest voices in pop music

When the musicians in The Turtles hit the stage one by one, the keyboard player spun in circles before taking his place behind the rack, and I thought I had seen that move before. Sure enough, it turned out to be Greg Hawkes from The Cars, who has been with The Turtles for three years; the remainder of the band (although also not original members) have been in their shells for twenty. But the show is all about Howard Kaylan and Mark Volman, the original lead vocalists, who are still singing as well as they did in their prime.

Scheduled for approximately forty minutes like The Rascals, I wondered how many Turtles favorites I wouldn’t hear, since my admiration for them goes way beyond the hit singles. Thankfully I got a good sampling of both, from “Outside Chance” to “”Happy Together”, ”You Baby” and “She’s My Girl”. The band was tight, Howard and Mark sounded fabulous, and their infamous stage banter was on display as they ripped into sacred cows as well as each other. I’ve seen them several times over the years, and can honestly say that they are as good now as they have ever been.

It’s amazing to think how long these two have been (happy) together, from sax-honking friends in The Crossfires to huge stardom in the ’60s to the Zappa years, followed by literally hundreds of session appearances and their hilarious syndicated radio show. Yet here they are, almost fifty years later, still viable and still creative. There were a lot of incredible artists vying for chart position and limited radio play in the ’60s, and the under-appreciated Turtles were an integral part of that amazing musical era.

The concert was promoted as an oldies show, and the majority of the attendees looked to be several years older than me and there for the hits. I don’t think many appreciated the segment of the set where the band ripped into several minutes of Frank Zappa material (a medley including a ferocious version of “Peaches en Regalia”) and a couple of tunes from the Flo and Eddie catalogue, but I was thrilled. But even with the mid-set segue, after so much familiar material was performed so well, the band got several well deserved lengthy ovations and a standing O at the end.

During the break, the lobby was flooded with fans lined up in queues past long banquet tables where their heroes sat with Sharpie pens. It was quite the assembly line – hand over a twenty, receive a CD, get your autograph, thanks and keep moving please. I’m not certain how much the bands got paid to perform, but the money that changed hands at intermission was staggering; an exercise repeated after the show. It dawned on me that with a three thousand seat theatre almost sold out, this annual caravan of yesterday was far more financially viable than most bands or tours that come through town.

And now…Intermission!

I’ll finish this tale of time travel on Saturday. Until then, enjoy some of the great music that The Rascals and The Turtles brought to the world. Listen to samples of The Ultimate Rascals and The Turtles: 20 Greatest Hits and check out some video below.

The Turtles:  “She’d Rather Be With Me“

The Rascals: “Good Lovin“

The Turtles:  “Elenore“ - how great was Johnny Barbata on drums?

The Rascals: “People Got To Be Free“

And Happy Birthday, ‘erman! Hard to believe he’s 62 today!

See, that’s what I found at the ladies’ room in one of my favourite bars last week. I already knew that the bartenders like the band, it seems as if some other female guest beside me enjoys the music of those young men as well. Nice.

On Saturday I saw The Gaslight Anthem at the House of Blues in Boston and as always, they put on a show with energy that is second to none.

I arrived to the House of Blues at around 1:30 in hopes of being on the rail and maybe catching a glimpse of sound check.  When we heard music coming from inside, we walked right up to the door and were able to stand and watch the band run through “Once Upon a Time” by Robert Bradley’s Blackwater Surprise, the Beatles’ “Come Together,” and a few bits of other songs I didn’t recognize.  Singer Brian Fallon then looked over to the small group that had gathered by this point and said, “You guys have one song.  What do you want to hear?”  After briefly consulting the group, I called out “1930,” my favorite Gaslight song at the moment.  The band ran through the song and after, Fallon started playing the verse slow and quietly, almost as if he was working on a softer rendition of the song.  I guess we’ll see if anything comes of it.

We waited for the doors to open and found our spot in the center on the rail.  The night started with Broadway Calls, which is your typical pop-punk band, and Jesse Malin, who gave his blend of rock and punk.  Then Murder by Death played their unique style which I can only describe as gothic alt-country southern hard rock.  It was refreshing to hear a band with such a different sound and even though it’s not everyone’s style of choice, they were still engaged by their deep sound.  One of the highlights of their set was when lead vocalist/guitarist Adam Turla stood alone and played “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down,)” written by Sonny Bono, but most akin to Nancy Sinatra’s recording, in his low baritone.

Finally came The Gaslight Anthem.  The last time I saw Gaslight was in May and since then, Brian Fallon has learned a lot about working a crowd.  He was always an engaging performer, but it can’t be easy going from a small room like The Stone Pony to a bigger club like the House of Blues in five months.  Fallon took off his guitar for “Old White Lincoln” and went all over the stage and got closer to people since he was not confined to a mic stand.  Also, his live vocals were greatly improved.  In the past, he would shift between different registers of his voice and lose some control.  Although this was never a big problem because he and the band made up for it passion, it was nice to see it corrected this time around.

The set was mostly pulled from their record The ‘59 Sound which was released last year (they played 11 of the record’s 12 songs)  and the band was incredibly tight and polished on all of the material.  Gaslight has a way of connecting to a crowd in a way I’ve never seen before.  There is always a group packed together in the front screaming out the words to the band, almost in an attempt to drown them out.  A personal highlight was during “Angry Johnny and the Radio” when Brian Fallon sang a verse and a chorus of Lyle Lovett’s “If I Had a Boat,” only two of us were belting out a song that nobody else in the room seemed to know.

It was interesting to see how a band takes moving up to bigger venues and I don’t think The Gaslight Anthem could have handled it better.  It looks like the rooms are only getting bigger from here.

Setlist:
High Lonesome
Casanova, Baby!
Old White Lincoln
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
The ‘59 Sound
We Came to Dance
Film Noir
Miles Davis & The Cool
The Patient Ferris Wheel
Stand By Me / I’da Called You Woody, Joe
Angry Johnny and the Radio / If I Had a Boat
Great Expectations
Here’s Looking at You, Kid
The Backseat

Encore:
Blue Jeans & White T-Shirts
Drive
Say I Won’t (Recognize)

‘Sink or Swim’ is the 2007 debut album from New Jersey rockers The Gaslight Anthem.

During a recent roundtable podcast discussion, a friend laid down the argument for this album as his choice for the best album of the past ten years. A bold statement that I argued right off the bat, the only flaw to my rebuff was that I had never actually heard the album… I just like a good argument.

Intrigued as I was, I decided to give it a listen (in secret).

SIDE A

Right of the block the pace is set for the rest of the album. Good catchy rifts, with driving guitars, tight drums

It doesn’t take long to win me over. The second track I coul’da been a contender, is an absolute gem. Atmospheric with its rocking chorus and a perfect display of ’smokey’ vocals, reminiscent of my favourite band Lucero, from frontman Brian Fallon.

The album does not let up here, as the album carries through the energy that it has created. Wooderson is another fast tempo song that builds until its climatic harmonic release in the outro. This emotion building song structure is mirrored in the foot stomping ode to mythical love-interest Mary in 1930.

By the sixth track, The Navesink Banks, we get out first breather. It is the first of two acoustic tracks, both of which emphasise the true warmth of the smokey country-music vocal stylings of the band. Its a much needed breather as a lot of energy is expended in the first half of the album. In honesty, the song pales in comparison to the closing song of the album Red at Night.

SIDE B

It’s hard to say that the second half of the album doesn’t match up to the first as it contains two of my favourite tracks off the album. But this surely is a credit to the consistency of the album, that one song doesn’t meet their own impeccable standards set in the first 6 songs. The tribute to The Clash’s songwriter, Joe Strummer, I woul’da called you Woody, Joe and Drive are excellent tracks in their own right.

As mentioned previously, the album finishes with a cracking acoustic track. As folk-country as they come, it is a great ‘come down’ track after the intensity of the album.

Summary

A lot is written about the influences of this record. The not-so well hidden homage to the brilliant Joe Strummer, and the smokey-rock path blazed by Springsteen, are just two that are worth a mention. But what is particularly astounding about this album is that this is their debut release.

In a world where listening to music is completely selective, due to MP3 and pay-per-track downloads, it is a pleasure to hear an album that you are content to put 40minutes out of your day to listen to it in its entirety.

The Verdict

Although I am not completely sold on ‘Sink or Swim’ being the best album of the last 10 years, it is however (at very least) a brilliant standout record. If someone were to tell me that it wasn’t, I would defend it to the hilt.

out.

Good for a book adap.

The Gryffe River, Near Houston 8.30am 16th Oct '09

“Meet Me By The River’s Edge” – The Gaslight Anthem

See I’ve been here for 28 years.
Pounding sweat beneath these wheels.
We tattooed lines beneath our skin.
No surrender, my Bobby Jean.
(2x)

We’ve been burned by all our fears.
Just from growing up around here.
Our father’s factories marked our cars.
While Eden burned against the stars.

And Sally said, Sally said.
I can’t take no more regret.
It cut us deep, into our souls.
Came and climbed into our bed.
And Sally said, Sally said.
Meet me by the River’s edge.
We’re going to wash these sins away.
Or else we won’t come back again.

You know I had these ballroom dreams.
That, as a child, came to me.
I was a boy in Grandma’s arms.
A mother’s pride and a wounded heart.
And I was full with fiery wonder.
You wore Audrey Hepburn pearls.
You were the only one who understood me then and the only one who will.

And Sally said, Sally said.
I can’t take no more regret.
It cut us deep, into our souls.
Came and climbed into our bed.
And Sally said, Sally said.
Meet me by the River’s edge.
We’re going to wash these sins away.
Or else we won’t come back again.

And now I drive the 101 on the California night.
And I’m amazed at all the stars beneath that old Hollywood sign.
And they waltz, (?), to a place we never kept.
And I’m not sure if we belong here, if I ever really left, or If I can go home.

And Sally said, Sally said.
I can’t take no more regret.
It cut us deep, into our souls.
Came and climbed into our bed.
And Sally said, Sally said.
Meet me by the River’s edge.
We’re going to wash these sins away.
Or else we won’t come back again.

No retreat. No regrets.
Meet me by the river’s edge.

To buy the music of The Gaslight Anthem click HERE

With a handful of excellent opening bands, The Gaslight Anthem’s final tour on The ‘59 Sound tour arrived in New York City on a cool Thursday night. Poised to release their third full-length next year, the New Jersey four-piece set their sights on Terminal 5 to give a proper sendoff to their 2008 smash LP.

Broadway Calls opened the evening, but the first act I caught was Jesse Malin. A forty-year old rock veteran, Malin began writing songs and founded hardcore band Heart Attack in the early 1980s. Since disbanding, though, Malin has worked on his solo career. With a full band behind him this evening, Malin played fairly long set, drawing largely from 2007’s Glitter in the Gutter.

Murder by Death began their set with In Bocca Al Lupo’s “Sometimes the Line Walks You”. The next three songs came from their latest effort, Red of Tooth and Claw–the album actually made up half of the band’s set. A nice cover of “Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down)”  broke the set into two parts, with a solid performance of “Until Morale Improves, the Beatings Will Continue” from Who Will Survive and What’s Left of Them beginning to wrap things up. The final song of the evening was the instrumental “Those Who Stayed” from the band’s first album, Like the Exorcist, But More Breakdancing.

Sometimes the Line Walks You
‘52 Ford
Ball & Chain
Rumbrave
A Masters In Reverse Psychology
Fuego!
Steal Away
Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) (Sonny Bono cover)
Brother
Comin’ Home
Until Morale Improves, the Beatings Will Continue
One More Notch
Those Who Stayed

The Gaslight Anthem frontman Brian Fallon

Tributary “High Lonesome” began things for The Gaslight Anthem who raced through most of The ‘59 Sound (sans “Meet By the River’s Edge”). “Even Cowgirls Get the Blues” was particularly strong, and “We Came to Dance” is always quite well-received. A brief bit of “Stand By Me” was inserted into”I’da Called You Woody, Joe”, and 2007’s “Angry Johnny and the Radio” had the entire crowd singing, “we always loved the sad sad songs!”

inTuneMusic has reviewed The Gaslight Anthem many times over the last year, so please check out our other reviews for detailed comments about particular songs. The hour-and-a-half setlist:

High Lonesome
Casanova, Baby!
Old White Lincoln
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
The ‘59 Sound
We Came to Dance
Film Noir
Miles Davis and the Cool
The Patient Ferris Wheel
I’da Called You Woody, Joe
Angry Johnny and the Radio
Great Expectations
Here’s Looking At You, Kid
The Backseat
Blue Jeans & White T-Shirts
Drive
The Navesink Banks
We’re Getting A Divorce, You Keep The Diner

“Blue Jeans & White T-Shirts” began the four song encore, with three songs from Sink or Swim closing out the night. That album’s final track, “We’re Getting A Divorce, You Keep The Diner”, was a great way to end the show. Fallon’s vocals were top-notch through the evening, and the rest of the band sounded excellent as well. The Gaslight Anthem return to the area with a December 11 performance in Montclair, New Jersey.

inTuneMusic is very interested in any submissions/corrections from this event including photographs, setlists, and audio/video. Please contact us, you will receive complete credit for any submission.

The second festival I covered this year was about a month after Download and it was the much talked about Oxegen. This year’s bill was the best ever-specky indie kids could get their kicks from the likes of Blur and Yeah Yeah Yeahs, goths had Nick Cave and Nine Inch Nails, pop kids had Katy Perry and Lady GaGa, rockers had Therapy? and Eagles of Death Metal and dance heads had their own tent. We camped out as usual this year BECAUSE I AM HARDCORE (not in the “I’m hardcore/I’m a Straight Edge wanker” way-in a comedy way of course) and the weather was probably the worst I’ve ever experienced. Still, the music was great and thanks to the Hot Press people being so understanding, I didn’t have to review Kings of Leon so I could watch Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds instead. Result!

Day one consisted of travelling down, getting drenched, interviewing Duke Special on camera then meeting Brody Dalle, catching up with the Therapy? boys, drinking some beer and spotting Udo from Accept (http://www.therapyquestionmark.co.uk/biography/diary/read.php?diaryid=272). What he was doing there I’ll never know, but he seemed to get my phone number outta somewhere. Hmmmm…

Day two was a total washout. After Yeah Yeah Yeahs I thought I was a goner (probably should’ve followed Carrie’s lead by getting hammered on wine) but it cleared up nicely for old Nick who put on the show of his life. Day three saw us leave after Katy Perry (who was amazing) but not before torrrential rain soaked us so badly my phone drowned in my pocket. Still, the GaGa and Katy more than made up for it.

Anyway, I covered day two for Hot Press, and here’s the reprint that I lovingly typed up while caked in mud.

(Pic by Carrie-www.carriedavenport.com)

Oxegen Day Two (July 11)

Kicking things off bright and early, New Jersey blue collar punks the Gaslight Anthem arrive onstage 20minutes late and grinning like seven year olds who just won a year’s supply of sweets. Currently the subject of many a bro-mance (ahem) singer Brian Fallon is a charming devil and his band play cuts culled from their second record The ’59 Sound. It’s safe to say that the boys are on a total Tom Petty/Bruce Springsteen trip (in fact they even cover ‘American Girl’ as a homage) but their honesty and warmth make songs like ‘Great Expectations,’ ‘Old White Lincoln’ and the title track sound enormous.

The same can be said for Aussie outfit Howling Bells too, who play our very own Hot Press Tent. They might have been beset by a bucket-load of mishaps (their guitarist’s luggage was sent to Istanbul, they missed their ferry, they had to drive for 30 hours straight and according to singer Juanita Stein they stayed in a whore-house in Amsterdam) but they’re clearly loving being onstage and their set is a dreamy, ethereal clutch of tunes that sound like Florence and the Machine only, you know, good.

 Sadly we couldn’t actually fit into the Green Spheres tent for the Saturdays (boo) but we did manage to catch them play ‘Work’ and let’s face it, considering it’s the only song they have we didn’t miss too much. Eagles of Death Metal are another of today’s disappointments. Much like their mates in Spinnerette they spend far too much effort trying to be cool when they should let their music do the talking. Jesse ‘Boots Electric’ Hughes may have the tidiest ‘tache of the weekend, but the witty onstage patter just isn’t enough anymore.

Passion Pit in the Hot Press Tent on the other-hand are the exact opposite. They let their futurist funky white boy rhythms say it all and have the whole crowd unintentionally dancing like Bruno. Yeah Yeah Yeahs over on the main stage give us a powerhouse performance despite the torrential rain and a guitar amp which seems hellbent on electrocuting Nick Zinner. Karen O’s lime green leggings might make her look a little bit like a demented mutant frog, but she’s the perfect frontwoman this evening. Their set is a mix of old and new material and ‘Rockers To Swallow,’ ‘Cheated Hearts’ and ‘Date With The Night’ are definite standouts in a Herculean performance.

We spend the next few hours not knowing who to check out catching Pete Doherty, the Mars Volta, Doves and Bloc Party but coming away from the performances feeling a little unsatisfied. We’re mostly ticked off by the former Libertines man, largely because he’s still singing songs like ‘Fuck Forever’ as if they were anthems of a generation even though his most hardcore acolytes are finally starting to realize he’s a dried up old pantomime dame.

But, with the sound of the Pet Shop Boys plastic performance still ringing in our ears (‘It’s A Sin’ was great) we make our way over to the O2 Stage to catch Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’ Oxegen debut. Playing a festival pleasing set, old Nick has the crowd in the palms of his hands wasting no time bashing out ‘Deanna,’ ‘Henry Lee’ and ‘Dig, Lazarus Dig.’ The ominous night sky and mud covered ground only seem to add to the performance with the singer virtually begging for some thunder and lightning during the stomping rain-dance that is ‘Tupelo.’ As per usual, Nick plays his customary role of the possessed preacher man with aplomb stabbing into the night air with his fingers and flailing his arms around like a madman. Highlight has to be the gorgeous ‘Ship Song’ which pleases the lovers and the loveless in equal measure but ‘The Weeping Song’ and a tamer version of ‘The Mercy Seat’ are runners up. The Bad Seeds bring their show stealing set to a close with ‘Stagger Lee’ which is as brooding and menacing as this writer had hoped. Sadly we only get one song for the encore as Nick calls out Shane McGowan, who in fairness looks like he’s had one too many light ales. Even the singer seems bemused by the Pogues’ frontman’s state and embraces him, laughs good naturedly and closes the performance with a bow. What a legend.

Edwin McFee

Not my little secret any longer.

Last year I wrote about The Gaslight Anthem and their album The ‘59 Sound with unabashed fervor. I placed it in my Top 25 last year with a bullet, because I thought I stumbled across the Missing Link between Bruce Springsteen and The Clash. Here’s what I wrote:

I usually have a bone to pick with any CD that starts with the sound of a needle dropping onto a vinyl record, as if to say “we’re old school rock”. But when you back it up musically, like The Gaslight Anthem does with its Springsteen-from-Dublin approach, all is forgiven. Like The Boss, they’re from Jersey, and this energetic, sing-along, punk-tinged quartet bleeds Bruce’s social observations, wanton loneliness and escapist angst without sounding like a wannabe copycat band. Musically they’re closer to a combination of the rhythmic Edge-like guitar chop of U2 and the sonic political energy of The Clash and…well, early U2.

Having “anthem” as part of their name is appropriate; their literate, lyrical songs resonate with importance and are sold with the passionate vocals of Brian Fallon. I can’t listen to “The Patient Ferris Wheel” or “Meet Me By The River’s Edge” without stifling the reflex to pogo up and down, pumping my fist…not the best combination when driving. Of course, once I noticed that former Flogging Molly guitarist Ted Hutt produced it that explained everything. Hard to believe a band gets this good in two and a half years, but this album is so impressive that I’m grabbing their earlier effort on good faith.

Seeing them live tonight reinforced every thought. 

What can I say? Brian Fallon had the crowd in the palm of his hand the moment he walked on stage. The rest of the night? He juggled them. And I’m not certain if drummer Benny Horowitz had an unlit cigarette or a lollipop in his mouth the entire night, but whether he was channeling James Dean or Kojak didn’t matter. He threw the pulse of the band on his back and carried that weight; all chops and no show-off. Bassist Alex Levine is a massive physical presence, especially next to the comparably diminutive Fallon. His bass thundered all night, but who would dare tell him to lower it one notch? The crowd, fixated on every move, clapped when he clapped and sang when he sang, as if he was the official audience conductor.

I was wondering why guitarist Alex Rosamilia appeared shy by comparison, forgoing the front line to remain a few steps back stage right, at times bent in halfas if bowing to the rhythm. I soon realized that the cacophony of sounds (strings here, accordion there… a horn section?) was emanating from his flavored playing. While Fallon was hammering out the path forward with choppy rhythms, Rosamilia was aural popcorn, splattering a Jason Pollack potpourri of soundscape that made no two songs sound alike.

The Water Street Music Hall was packed, and although the crowd skewed pretty young compared to most, this was a revival meeting from the jump. Sing-alongs, fist-pumping accolades, a well-earned four-song encore and a captive audience that left as sweat-soaked and drained as the band. The Gaslight Anthem earned every penny tonight,  and I suspect they do every night. They ripped through most of the new album – half of which are anthems – along with a couple of cuts each from Senor and the Queen and Sink or Swim. They’re bouncing around the US kicking asses one city at a time – don’t miss them!

And somehow I thought they were still my little secret? Oh, foolish mortal!

Gaslight Anthem MySpace site

Official website

Listen to clips and buy the album on Amazon.

Who wouldn’t like these guys?

Beginning tomorrow, Dave House (Kingston, UK) will embark on a 17-day tour of the US in support of his latest full-length, Intersections. The record is the third solo effort from the bassist of the recently defunct British punk band, The Steal.

Released on CD earlier this summer in the UK by Banquet Records, Intersections is now receiving a proper stateside release from up-and-coming indie, Runner Up Records. The label will press a 12″ LP version of the album on coke bottle clear (300) and mixed marble colored (200) vinyl. To pre-order a copy now, go here.

Intersections will see an official release date of November 24th, although pre-orders will ship well before that. House will have copies for sale on tour as well.

Listen to “Lungs” (free mp3)

TOUR DATES
——————————————————-
OCT 08 – Philadelphia, PA @ Garageland w/ Bridge And Tunnel, The Menzingers, Broadway Calls
OCT 09 – Scranton, PA @ Vintage Theater w/ The Menzingers, Broadway Calls
OCT 10 – Boston, MA @ House w/ The Menzingers, Broadway Calls
OCT 11 – Rochester, NY @ Dubland Underground w/ The Menzingers, Broadway Calls, Sakes Alive!
OCT 12 – Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom w/ The Gaslight Anthem, The Menzingers, Broadway Calls
OCT 13 – Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom w/ Mike Doughty, Jemina Pearl
OCT 14 – Valparaiso, IN @ The Blackbird Cafe w/ Slingshot Dakota, Native, Grown Ups
OCT 15 – Grand Rapids, MI @ The Intersection w/ Victor! Fix The Sun, Native
OCT 16 – Lakewood, OH @ The Soggy Dog House w/ Slingshot Dakota
OCT 17 – Greenville, SC @ The Hangar
OCT 18 – Raleigh, NC @ TBA
OCT 19 – Charlotte, NC @ TBA
OCT 20 – Frederick, MD @ Krasner’s
OCT 21 – West Chester, PA @ Fennario’s w/ Spraynard, Everyone Everywhere, By Surprise!
OCT 22 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Barbary w/ Teenage Bottlerocket, Higher Giant, Cobra Skulls
OCT 23 – Tom’s River, NJ @ The Shed w/ Bridge and Tunnel
OCT 24 – Malvern, PA @ Spraynard House BBQ!!!

As always my weekend was pretty uneventful, with a few exceptions. On Friday I went over to Minneapolis for a few hours. I went to ZLB Plasma(or something like that), which is the scariest place ever. It’s filled with homeless looking people, which I guess makes sense. Most rich people don’t need to sell plasma. Even though I know everything is clean and the owners can’t help that it’s all poor people there, it still creeps me out being there. Things didn’t work out and I ended up not being able to donate, and I’m hesitant about going back.

Afterwards I decided to take a trip over to the Cabooze just to check the place out and see if I could still get tickets to The Gaslight Anthem show. I met the promoter outside of the venue and he told me that I wouldn’t be able to get any tickets unless I bought them from a scalper or something. I knew that’s what he would say, so I wasn’t overly disappointed. I figured since I was in Minneapolis and since I never have a reason to go there, that I would go for a walk. I walked around downtown for a while and checked out tons of little stores. There is a crazy amount of family owned ethnic food stores over there, which is pretty cool. I’m sure I’ll never buy anything from any of them, but it’s cool knowing that they are there.

On the way back to my car I saw a big tour bus pull up behind The Cabooze. A few seconds later 3 of the guys from The Gaslight Anthem got out. I didn’t want to bother them, but they were walking my way so I couldn’t just walk away. They stopped and we talked about Epic(night club downtown) and how the show was sold out. I got a picture with Brian Fallon(singer) and I went on my way. It sucks that I couldn’t make it to the show, but at least I got to meet them.

I read an interview once with Brain and he talked about how he hated when musicians pretended they didn’t have time to talk to their fans. He went on about how he has never turned down talking to someone before or after a show. I think that is the coolest thing ever, when musicians get to jaded to talk to their fans then they are only in it for the money. What’s a famous person without fans?

Next weekend I’m going home (to Ashland) for homecoming  and it will only be my 2nd time there since I moved. Before I moved I thought that I was going to leave and only go back a couple times, I was wrong. I have never been so excited to go to Ashland in my life. People might not realize it, but compared to most cities Ashland is really nice. Enjoy it while you’re there.

Last thing, check out my friends Alex’s blog http://alexthoughts.tumblr.com. Even though he isn’t on NerdPress his blog is still good. He has musical recommendations at the end of every entry and they are usually good choices.

I have been slacking a bit lately, but my entries would have been small and unenthusiastic anyway. I have a moderately adventurous day today, at least compared to my average day here.

I took a short trip up to St Paul and South St Paul. I always thought it was farther of a drive to get there, but it didn’t take more than 15 minutes. It’s cool knowing that I live so close to skyscrapers and real people. I could go up there and run around naked, then come back the next day and nobody would recognize me. I don’t have any plans of doing that, but it’s the idea that’s cool. Someday I’ll live in a place like that and not have to drive to get there.

The point of me driving up there was to find somewhere to “donate”  plasma. It’s not really donating if they pay you for it, but I guess technically they are paying for your time and not the plasma itself. Every person that I asked looked at me like I was crazy. South St. Paul is like the ghetto, these people she live at the Plasma bank, because God knows they need the money just as much as I do.

The reason for my “donation” is that I need money to buy tickets for a show tomorrow. The Gaslight Anthem, The Loved Ones, Frank Turner, and 2 other bands that I don’t care about are playing at The Cabooze. I would be willing to give a finger to see these guys if I have to. I’m a little worried that I won’t be able to get tickets or that they’ll be sold out. If I don’t get to go to this show, I will be more upset than I can even explain. I’m going to get there as early as I can to make sure that they still have tickets.

Tomorrow morning I’m going to get up bright and early and head over to IBR Plasma Center and hope for the best. I’m sure tomorrow night I’ll be too tired to write an entry, but the next day it’ll be all about the show(assuming everything works out). If I don’t even up going to the show, it will be a massive rant about how I hate everything except The Gaslight Anthem.

Bed Time

My roommates are gone again, but that’s alright. It means that I don’t have to be quiet at night, or worry about waking them up. I can blare Prison Break all night. I only have 5 episodes left, but I’m losing interest, so it’s for the better. I need a new TV series to watch, if you have any recommendations be sure to let me know. I have Heroes and The Office, but that’s only 2 shows a week, I need something I can watch a whole season of. Preferably a comedy similar to The Office or a drama similar to Heroes and Prison Break.

I feel like I’m too young to be desperate enough to sell plasma. I think I should be at least in my twenties before I start selling bodily fluids to survive. I better get hired somewhere soon. The only problem with that is my homework assignments are starting to become projects and take a lot of time out of school. A job is just going to make that harder.

I think I’m going to get some sleep, but by the time you read this it will already be the afternoon or possibly evening. Hopefully I’ll already have donated plasma and be on my way to the show.

Ever imagined what it would be like to hear Brian Fallon of The Gaslight Anthem cover The Beatles? Well, head after the jump to see a video of him covering “Come Together.”

As a special end-of-year hometown (well, home state) show, The Gaslight Anthem grabbed their friends in Vision, Communication Redlight, and The Hold Outs and booked Montclair’s recently renovated Wellmont Theatre. Located a block from the legendary punk club Bloomfield Ave. Cafe, the Theatre packed the house for The Gaslight Anthem on a frigid Friday night.

Arriving late, I caught part of direct-support act Vision. The hardcore-punk five-piece sounded great, engaging much of the older crowd who likely grew up listening to the band in the early 1990s. Veteran frontman Dave Franklin–who has been in and out of various punk bands in the last decade including a stint with New York hardcore pioneers Killing Time–is clearly aging, but his voice remains solid. The band’s lengthy set concluded with Watching the World Burn’s fairly recent “Close Minded” and 1989’s “Falling Apart” from In the Blink of an Eye.

With a huge chorus and Alex Levine’s throbbing bass line, “Old White Lincoln” kicked off The Gaslight Anthem’s set. The crowd found themselves along to The ‘59 Sound’s hit single: “You and your high top sneakers and your sailor tattoos / Your old ‘55 that you drove through the roof / Of the sky, up above these indifferent stars / Where you just kept coming apart, straight in my arms”.

The Gaslight Anthem's Alex Levine

“Wooderson”, the first of six songs from the band’s 2007 debut, Sink or Swim, followed and offered a peak into the band’s more punk-influenced catalog. Following an excellent performance of “Wherefore Art Though, Elvis?”, “High Lonesome” was revealed to be about some sort of illegal situation (who could have guessed — “the powder on the bar was just this one night, only to get by”).

“We Came to Dance” was not only one of the band’s best songs of the evening but also a fine tribute to fellow Jersey-punks Lifetime (hey, wasn’t that vocalist Ari Katz in the pit for Vision just a half hour earlier?) with the lyrics “we learned from the very best dancers around” paying homage to the band’s seminal Jersey’s Best Dancers.

Following Alex Rosamilia’s eerie opening riff, the crowd exploded on “Great Expectations”, only to be tamed by the mild “Miles Davis and The Cool”. The Asbury Park-inspired “Blue Jeans & White T-Shirts” received an extra warm applause from the local crowd, and “Meet Me by the River’s Edge” was a welcome surprise to the setlist. Frontman Brian Fallon explained “Here’s Looking at You, Kid” as about the girls you meet but don’t ever end up with.

The Gaslight Anthem wrapped up the first part of their setlist with the title-track and “the first song [they] wrote for The ‘59 Sound“. The band’s encore kicked off with “Casanova, Baby!” and continued along with Benny Horowitz’s pounding drums on long-time fan-favorite “1930″.

The Gaslight Anthem's Benny Horowitz

Earlier in the set, Fallon contended that with the invention of high-quality cell phone recording and “that Apple company”, he would not play new songs live for fear of having them leaked early. That went out the window sometime after 11PM, though, when The Gaslight Anthem debuted “Bring it On” for the first time live. Sonically resembling Sink or Swim, the song also appeared to draw influence from Bruce Springsteen (notably, “The Rising”) and possibly Elvis Presley–at least those are my first impressions.

“Say I Won’t (Recognize)” may be one of the band’s best live songs, and when mixed with Fallon singing a few verses from “House of the Rising Sun” and Vision’s Franklin on backing vocals, it’s even better. The penultimate “We’re Getting A Divorce, You Keep The Diner” resulted in the biggest pit of the evening; “The Backseat” was a rousing closing sing-a-long. The full set:

Old White Lincoln
Wooderson
Wherefore Art Thou, Elvis?
Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
High Lonesome
We Came to Dance
Film Noir
I’da Called You Woody, Joe
Great Expectations
Miles Davis and The Cool
Blue Jeans & White T-Shirts
Meet Me by the River’s Edge
Here’s Looking At You, Kid
The ‘59 Sound
Casanova, Baby!
1930
Bring It On
The Navesink Banks
Refugee (Tom Petty cover)
Say I Won’t (Recognize)
We’re Getting A Divorce, You Keep The Diner
The Backseat

The Gaslight Anthem's Brian Fallon

Across twenty-two songs, The Gaslight Anthem never missed a beat. Fallon sounded remarkable, and when he wasn’t singing he was lauding Rosamilia’s lead guitar which also happened to be near-perfect (though he did briefly slip out of key during “Here’s Looking At You, Kid”). At the band’s request, I’m holding off on putting up a recording of “Bring it On”, but the song sounded amazing and shows incredible promise for the band’s next album. Though The Gaslight Anthem is likely going to be holed up for some time recording that new album (due in 2010), Fallon will be doing some solo dates over the coming months–don’t miss the chance to catch these songs (and a great set of covers) performed acoustic.

Note: These photos were obtained using Google search without any source or credit. If these are your photos, please contact us immediately and we will provide appropriate credit!

inTuneMusic is very interested in any submissions/corrections from this event including photographs, setlists, and audio/video. Please contact us, you will receive complete credit for any submission.