Underrated Classic: The Gaslight Anthem 'Sink or Swim'

As The Gaslight Anthem announce a 10 year anniversary tour of their breakthrough and brilliant record, The '59 Sound, we look back at their debut which helped put the New Jersey punks on the map. Mixing rockabilly, punk, garage, and straight up rock and roll, The Gaslight Anthem's debut, Sink Or Swim, allowed the emo and indie scene of the early 2000s to take notice to the four lads from The Garden State. Released in 2007, the album is a tribute to their home state and their influences like The Clash, Bruce Springsteen, Bouncing Souls, and Tom Petty. The record is chock full of tunes of a band wanting to be bigger than the bars and clubs they are playing. It is 12 songs of a band who know they can craft anthems that will evoke a feeling in audiences around the globe that will sing along forever with them. Sink or Swim wasn't just a record, it was a statement -- if people took to this album, wait until they hear what we have next or if no one cares, at least we tried. For the band, luckily they were able to swim and a decade on, they are supercharged and ready for more.

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📷 #ryanmcginleystudios https://t.co/oydnUMzBE8 pic.twitter.com/40nvpuf4Mt

— Justin Timberlake (@jtimberlake) January 2, 2018

Justin Timberlake will release his new album, Man of the Woods, next month. The record is said to be inspired by his upbringing in Tennessee and his family.

After a five year hiatus, The Gaslight Anthem will return this summer with a series of concerts to celebrate the 10th anniversary of their breakthrough record, The '59 Sound. The band's only confirmed date at the moment is New York's Governors Ball in June.

Kendrick Lamar will produce and curate the upcoming Black Panther Soundtrack which will be made available via Top Dawg Entertainment. The soundtrack will arrive next month.

Ringo Starr and Barry Gibb have been tapped to be knighted by the Queen of England later this year. The former Beatle and Bee Gee will now go by Sir.

Mark Ronson and Diplo have joined forces to form a new project called Silk City. The duo are slated to make their live debut at Coachella. 

After 10 years apart, The Stray Cats will reunite in March at the Las Vegas Car Show. The Long Island rockabilly icons helped reinvest interest in the genre in the 1980s and their leader, Brian Setzer, has since gone on to have a successful big band career.

Brittany Howard of Alabama Shakes has formed a new side project called Bermuda Triangle with Nashville musicians Becca Mancari and Jesse Lafser. The trio are set to make their live debut next month in L.A.

A Decade Under the Influence: 10 Albums For 10 Years

It is hard to imagine we have been doing this for 10 years. This website, blog, whatever you call it started in November 2006 when I was still living in my parents basement. I had graduated from college in May and still looking for work. I was a college radio DJ and many people kept asking me for new music, I figured a blog would be the best way to lay it all out.

In the decade we have been around, we may not have changed the landscape of anything but I am super proud of what we have accomplished. Having interviewed new artists from around the world and heroes like Mike D. of Beastie Boys, Dave Grohl, the Gallagher brothers, Bad Brains, Henry Rollins, Ian MacKaye, among others, this has been a music nerds dream.

Within this decade, so many wonderful records have come out that shaped the course of music forever. Some of those records just shaped our souls. Here is a look back what I feel are the 10 best records to arrive since we started in November 2006.

10.  The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound (2006)

The sophomore record from these Jersey punks struck a chord with us thanks to their heartfelt lyrics, throwback to arena rock sound that made them feel larger than life. A decade later, the record still resonates with its themes of growing up, leaving things behind and starting anew.

9. Amy Winhouse - Back to Black (2006)

Without Amy there would be no Adele. Without Amy the music world would be a lot less funky. It was as if the Ronnettes were fronted by a woman who was able to sing and speak her mind and not be told what to do. It was a record of love, loss and liberation and 10 years later, we still go back to black.

8. Against Me! - Transgender Dysphoria Blues (2014)

When Laura Jane Grace announced she was transitioning it shocked the music world due to her signature abrasive voice and style. Transgender Dysphoria Blues became a record of what it was like for her to realize what she needed to do and what needed to happen for her. It is a love letter to our bodies and the boldest, bravest statement in the history of music.

7. Robyn - Body Talk (2010)

When Robyn released her Body Talk series in 2010, the singer reinvented herself for a whole new audience. The spellbinding sounds of heartbreak and hip-hop mixed with Euro trash beats created one of the most loved albums of the decade.

6. Kanye West - Graduation (2007)

West broke hip-hop boundaries with Graduation and was, in my opinion, his final masterpiece. It was a transitional record that saw him sample Daft Punk, Elton John and call out Jay Z. It was a record that showed West had no boundaries and why, at that time, he was the most important name in music.

5. Arcade Fire - Neon Bible (2007)

To sum up this whole record in with just one word - "Wow." Every band with one album out should take note, if you want to know how to define the sophomore slump and create a brilliant second disc, listen to Neon Bible. The Canadian 10 piece stormed back from their 2004 debut, Funeral, with a record about modern times. A much more mature album, they may have lost their random dance breakdown's in the middle of songs, but picked up a narrative writing style that rivals most poets. They express what they do not like in this world, our obsession with young celebrity, war, and how we respond to natural disaster. Their combination of folk and classical with a punk edge made them appeal to the masses.

4. Run the Jewels - Run the Jewels 2 (2014)

Since 2012, independent New York producer and rapper  extraordinaire El-P linked with Georgia emcee Killer Mike, these two have been making beautiful music together collaborating on their own albums and then coming together as Run The Jewels in 2013. heir debut was a great way to declare who they were and what they planned on doing, but it is the follow-up record that is their impact statement, their call to arms, their way of letting the world know they are not going anywhere. As Killer Mike proclaims on "Blockbuster Night Pt.1," "Last album voodoo, proved that we was fucking brutal," yet, is is the second album that takes that verbal and beat brutality to a whole other level. The only thing more aggressive than El-P’s beats is the sound of a black metal bands roaring guitars and that is not even touching on Killer Mike’s lyrical flow and words. What Killer Mike does on RTJ2 is become a hip-hop news commentator to tell us what it is like outside of our mindless lives and that we need to wake up, no wonder Zach de la Rocha of Rage Against the Machine jumped on to work with these two to craft this dynamic, diverse, and brilliant record.   

3. Kendrick Lamar - To Pimp a Butterfly (2015) 

Two days after the 20^th anniversary of Tupac’s Me Against the World, Kendrick Lamar surprise released his sophomore album a week ahead of schedule and if anyone ever doubted that the Compton rapper could be the second coming of Pac, all doubts are officially pushed aside. Beautiful, raw, honest, intense, To Pimp A Butterfly is a modern poet putting social commentary and storylines over beats provided by the likes of Flying Lotus, Thundercat, Terrace Martin, Pharrell, Dr. Dre, among others. Clocking in at 80 minutes, which is long for any record, especially by today’s standards, Lamar lets his feelings about celebrity, love, the hood, and black culture out with a vengeance. Combining hip-hop, funk, jazz, psychedelica, and rock, Lamar defies the sophomore slump and proves he will not be pigeonholed. With lyrics about Trayvon Martin to Michael Jackson to Nelson Mandela, as well as his “interview” with Tupac, this record is a lyrical document of our times by a one-man verbal wrecking ball. It is an album that speaks to our times and a record that decades from now will still be the center of conversation. It became an instant classic and the soundtrack to a movement -- "We Gon' Be Alright!" was the anthem for those still fighting a struggle. The power and brilliance behind this record goes beyond it being the album of the year, it might become the album of the decade and one of the best we will ever hear in our lifetime. Hail, Hail King Kendrick!  

2. Radiohead - In Rainbows (2007)


Maybe it is because they told EMI to fuck off, maybe it is because they realize the golden age of album collecting maybe coming to an end and we need to adapt, maybe it is because they are musical geniuses. Whatever it is, Radiohead are always ahead of their time and are always willing to take chances. In Rainbows is no exception, announcing on their website just a week before they intended to release the new material, Radiohead told fans "pay whatever you want," and even do whatever you want with it. Granted an established band like so has the ability to do so, but the fact they did it is just very cool. Aside from a unique distribution, the record also pushed the band to beyond the limits of their control and showcased their genius once more.

1. The Hold Steady - Boys and Girls in America (2006)

This is not the best record musically in comparison to others on this list, but in every sense of the world Boys and Girls in America changed my life. I first heard it a few months after it was released and was blown away. It was everything a confused early 20-something-year-old needed to hear. A decade later, it is everything a sorta confused 30-something-year-old needs to hear. Life is going to be okay and the plan you have may not happen right away but the adventure that takes you there is what makes or breaks you. Your heart will break, you heart will get filled, your life is something all of your own. The Hold Steady told me that with this record and whenever things feel strange, this is the record to put on.

Brian Fallon on 'Corden'

Watch Brian Fallon perform "Nobody Wins" on The Late Late Show with James Corden.

QUICK SPINS

Iggy Pop – Post Pop Depression

In what might be the Godfather of Punk's swansong, Iggy Pop goes out with a bang with his best album in decades. Recruiting Josh Homme to play and produce the album as well as Matt Helders of Artic Monkeys on drums and members of Queens of the Stone Age, Pop assembled a band that is indebted to his career and makes them shine as they still make the star of the show a spectacle. It has been a long time since Pop has sounded this raw and uncharted without sounding frivolous. It also is the first time Pop has sounded this polished without being overproduced. If this is how the master wants to hang up his career, then he did it in all the right ways.

FINAL GRADE: A+

Listen to Our Essential Iggy Pop Playlist on Spotify

Bob Mould – Patch The Sky

Bob Mould has struck a creative vein in recent years and has not backed away from whatever is stirring his creativity. Like a fine wine, the former Husker Du singer gets better with age and Patch the Sky is proof of that. Fresh off the heals of his fantastic 2014 release, Beauty and Ruin, Patch the Sky is a record to celebrate.

FINAL GRADE: A

Jeff Buckley – You and I

In a posthumous release that features more covers than originals, it still is haunting to hear Jeff Buckley’s voice and imagine what could have been. As imaginative as it is vulnerable, it is a beautiful record.

FINAL GRADE: A

Violent Soho – Waco

On their third album, Australian post-grunge renegades rediscover the form that made them international indie sensations. With hard hitting songs and pulse pounding rhythms, Waco, is without a doubt their finest hour.

FINAL GRADE: A-

Flatbush Zombies – 3001: A Laced Odyssey

At long last, the debut album from New York rap collective Flatbush Zombies has arrived and it was worth the wait. The album is a psychedelic rap trip that throws back to the attitude era of the 90s and mixes in modern sounds that have been blaring on the streets.

FINAL GRADE: A-

Bear Hands – You’ll Pay For This

Just in time for the better weather, Brooklyn post-punkers Bear Hands bring together a collection of songs that is both joyous and euphoric. The experimental sounds delivered on the band’s third release are just the right amount of pop and indie fused together.

FINAL GRADE: B+

Underworld – Barbara Barbara, We Face a Shining Future

Six years after their last release, Underworld return to reclaim the dancefloors from phony button pushers and computer nerds to show how it is done.

FINAL GRADE: B+

Loretta Lynn – Full Circle

As country music gains popularity by the day, it takes a legend to show you how it is done. Twelve years since her last release, the brilliant Loretta Lynn returns with one of her best albums. Produced by June and Johnny Cash’s son, John Carter Cash, it is the sound of the heartland that America needs.

FINAL GRADE: B+

Joy Formidable – Hitch

The hard rocking Welsh trio return with another album of sonic slamming riffs and heavy hitting beats. The Joy Formidable seemed to be everywhere when they arrived in 2011 and not a band at the time sounded anything like them. Two years later they returned with the heavy Wolf’s Law and now are back but bring the melody and sound that made them a buzz band five years ago.

FINAL GRADE: B

The Thermals – We Disappear

The Portland indie rock trio are back with their seventh album and while not much has changed in terms of sound, it is a new collection of songs to add to their impressive arsenal.

FINAL GRADE: B

The I Don’t Cares – Wild Stab

Paul Westerberg and Juliana Hatfield combine forces and point a middle finger at the music establishment and showcase that sometimes not giving a fuck is exactly what you need to do.

FINAL GRADE: B

Nada Surf – You Know Who You Are

The New York indie icons are back with their first record in four years and showcase a slightly new formula to the sound that made them heroes 20 years ago.

FINAL GRADE: B

RJD2 – Dame Fortune

Philly beatmaker RJD2 returns and shakes things up a bit by adding more vocals to his instrumentals than usual for one album, however, the result is a fresh piece of new direction to a man that has been altering the musical landscape for decades.

FINAL GRADE: B

The Coral – Distance In Between

The British indie back returns with a record of predictable but fun rock and roll. This album probably won’t inspire new fans but will certainly please the old ones.

FINAL GRADE: B-

Brian Fallon – Painkillers

For his official solo outing, The Gaslight Anthem’s frontman brings the endearing and tender qualities of his heart and pours them into his work. Using the Horrible Crows, his first side project as his backing band, the record is more folk than it is rock or pop but does contain elements Fallon is known for. He doesn’t stray too far from the curve but does let us in deeper into his soul.

FINAL GRADE: B-

Pete Yorn – ArrangingTime

The latest release from the New Jersey singer /songwriter, who now spends his days in the L.A. sun, is a frolicking soft rock record where he reunites with musicforthemorningafter producer R. Walt Vincent for what feels like spiritual sequel to their blockbuster 2001 LP.

FINAL GRADE: B-  

Brian Fallon on Colbert

Watch The Gaslight Anthem's Brian Fallon perform his awesome new single "A Wonderful Life" on The Late Show.

Live Review: Brian Fallon @ Marlin Room of Webster Hall

In the first solo outing to prep his new solo album, Painkillers, available in March, Gaslight Anthem singer Brian Fallon brought along familiar faces with him as he closed out leg one of the tour in New York City.

In a show that was supposed to be held in the 250-person capacity Studio at Webster Hall, the demand grew that they moved it upstairs into the Marlin Room to add in another 100 people. With Fallon was his backing band The Crowes, which many fans will recognize was his first side project from Gaslight -- The Horrible Crowes. Rebranded and redubbed, Fallon and his friends hit the small stage to the delight of an audience that packed in to see their favorite songwriter in a very small setting on a very cold night.

"You don't have to be here, so, I thank you. I mean that," Fallon told the crowd about halfway through his 90-minute set. With songs that were from Elsie, The Horrible Crowes' first album, new songs that made their Manhattan debut from Painkillers and a few covers of Molly and the Zombies and Springsteen, Fallon gave everyone a taste of what it is like inside his head and heart.

"I am just a guy in a jean jacket," he said to the crowd as he was involved in serious stage banter with his band mates. As people screamed out Gaslight Anthem song titles,  Fallon would fire back and say "don't be stupid" as the crowd ate it up. It wasn't his main band, it was him, fully exposed for the songwriter and artist that he is or just the guy in a jean jacket that plays guitar. However you want to look at it, his heart, mind, and soul, is in his music and exposed for the world to hear.

Quick News

M83 have finished their new album. Producer J. Meldal-Johnsen took to Twitter to post the news:

A new M83 album is now finished. I'm very happy with it.

— J. Meldal-Johnsen (@justinmj) December 17, 2015

Singer Anthony Gonzalez spoke to Entertainment Weekly about the French band's new LP and said it was different from anything they have done before and influenced by 80s shows like Who's The Boss? and Punky Brewster. No word on a release just yet.

The tracklisting to Brian Fallon's Painkillers has been revealed. The Gaslight Anthem singer will release his solo debut in March, take a look:
1. A Wonderful Life
2. Painkillers
3. Among Other Foolish Things
4. Smoke
5. Steve McQueen
6. Nobody Wins
7. Rosemary
8. Red Lights
9. Long Drives
10. Honey Magnolia
11. Mojo Hand
12. Open All Night

NWA, Cheap Trick, Deep Purple and Steve Miller all beat out Janet Jackson, Nine Inch Nails, The Smiths to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in February. 

Radiohead producer Nigel Goodrich apparently is a Stormtrooper in the new Star Wars film, The Force Awakens. Four Tet tweeted about his role on Twitter:

@FourTet thanks man!

— nigel godrich (@nigelgod) December 17, 2015

Eagles of Death Metal will return to Paris in February and finish out the tour that was cut short after the tragedy during their gig at Le Bataclan. The band released a statement on Facebook:

We are proud to announce that our rescheduled European tour -- now called 'The Nos Amis Tour' -- will begin on February...
Posted by Eagles Of Death Metal on Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Quick News

Brian Fallon of the The Gaslight Anthem's solo debut, Painkillers, has been pushed from January to March.

Members of Midlake, Jason Lytle of Grandaddy, Ben Bridwell of Band of Horses, Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand, Fran Healy of Travis are forming a new band called Banquet. The band will be releasing their debut next year.

Trent Reznor has announced an artbook based on the work of Russell Mills' designs for Nine Inch Nails' 2013 record, Hesitation Marks. The 320-page hardback book, is limited to 2,000 copies, will come packaged with a framed, mixed-media painting composed by Mills specifically for the project.

Drive-By Truckers have confirmed that they will be releasing a new record next year. No further details has been given at press time.

Is David Bowie going to be on the new Gorillaz record or are Gorillaz going to be on the new David Bowie record? That is the unsolved mystery after Gorillaz artist Jamie Hewlett posted a portrait he made of The Thin White Duke on Instagram. Bowie will be releasing his new album, Black Star, next month, while Gorillaz plan on a new album sometime next year. Take a look at the picture, below:

Bad David

A photo posted by hewll (@hewll) on Dec 5, 2015 at 10:33pm PST

Quick News

Sigur Ros will head on tour next year where they will debut and road test new material of their upcoming album and unreleased material. The band said in a statement: "all we can say right now is it’s going to be different, with new unreleased songs, a new show and maybe some other *new* things. beyond that, we can only ask you to trust us on this one."

Wu-Tang Clan have sold their rare album, Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, for reported 'millions' to an undisclosed buyer. The only catch is that it can only be heard 88 years from now. 

De La Soul have finished their fan funded album, And the Anonymous Nobody, it will be out in April.

British band Flowers will release their sophomore album, Everybody is Dying to Meet You in February.

Speaking to fans on Dimestore Saints, Gaslight Anthem's Brian Fallon discussed his upcoming solo album and said: "It is a lot more work to record and write your own record and do everything, thank God I had Butch, who plays a ton of instruments I can’t play. When I went into this I wanted it to have energy at times but not sound like Gaslight, which is tough because it’s my songs in both." The record is out in January.

Quick News

Massive Attack have confirmed that they will be releasing new music before the end of the year. While no other details have been given, it will be the first album from the duo in five years.

The Gaslight Anthem's Brian Fallon will release his solo debut, Painkillers, in early 2016. The album was produced by Butch Walker.

Rick Ross will release his eighth album, Black Matter, in December.

The 1975 announced that they will release their sophomore album, I Like It When You Sleep, For You Are So Beautiful Yet So Unaware Of It, in February.

Is a character in the upcoming Star Wars film, The Force Awakens, inspired by Beastie Boys? Apparently that is the case with the character Ello Asty which takes it's name from the trio's album, Hello Nasty. Thanks to the internet, one fan spotted that the words: "Born to Ill" are written on the character's helmet after being spotted in a photo.

#forceawakens character Ello Asty named after a Beastie Boys album! His helmet says Born To Ill in Aurebesh. pic.twitter.com/q5jYP58E6f

— Mark (@Markvasquez27) October 3, 2015

Rihanna will call her new album, ANTI and has released the artwork to the LP. No tracklisting nor release date has been released. Take a look at the cover, below:

Quick News

Bloc Party have confirmed that their new album will arrive in early 2016.

Earl Sweatshirt is reissuing his first two albums, Doris, and I Don't Like Shit, I Don't Go Outside, in December.

Third Man Records will be releasing The White Stripes: Live at the Golden Dollar Vol. III at the end of the month. The live set comes from a 1999 performance from the duo.

Butch Walker will be producing Brian Fallon of The Gaslight Anthem's solo debut. No release date has been set.

Speaking at the New Yorker festival, Patti Smith has confirmed she is working on a companion memoir to her Best Selling autobiography, Just Kids.

Quick News

While Gaslight Anthem are on hiatus, frontman Brian Fallon tweeted that he is working on his first solo album.

I'm working on demos for my first solo record! More info to come! pic.twitter.com/KsFM1mQsCk

— Brian Fallon (@thebrianfallon) September 15, 2015

Danger Mouse and A$AP Rocky are going to release a concept album together. The news comes after Rocky announced the plan and said the duo are done working on while he was on Pharrell's Beats 1 Radio Show. Rocky said: "We kind of already did. Danger Mouse is ill. People don't appreciate that kind of shit. There's no lyrics out there. What's important about this, he told me, 'yo dude, you bring out a side in me that I need'. And I feel he brings out a side in me. We got records. I can't wait to let you hear them."

Big Boi has teased an OutKast biopic while he was doing a Reddit AMA session. When asked if he and Andre 3000 would consider the idea, he replied: "Me and ‘Dre were just discussing this over Labor Day. Stay tuned.”

Quick News

Brian Fallon of Gaslight Anthem did an interview in Germany recently and thanks to the people at AbsolutePunk for translating it, it seems as if Gaslight will go on a bit of hiatus. Fallon said: "A year or two, I think. We take our time until we have an idea for a new album and everyone is convinced that it is really good."

Paul Simonon of The Clash, Phil Manzanera of Roxy Music and drumming legend Tony Allen may have all worked with Damon Albarn at one point or another but now they are joining forces to back Italian music legends Ligabue and Columbian singer Andrea Echeverri and violinist Anna Phoebe in a new supergroup. The untitled group will perform at the La Notte Della Taranta festival in Italy next month. Manzanera said: "I'm delighted that La Notte della Taranta has attracted such wonderful artists and it's a tribute to the fine local muscians and dancers that they want to be part of this incredible concert. I'm hoping that this year, all of us performing can ensure that one of Italy's best kept secrets, reaches a wider international audience."

Puscifer will release their new album, Money Shot, in October.

Gary Clark Jr. is currently in his native Austin, Texas, working on his new album, The Story of Sonny Boy Slim. He told Rolling Stone: "The only real theme is, 'Through all the bullshit, there's always hope. That's kinda it." He continued, "I really just wanted to put everything together and be 1,000 percent who I am. This album is exactly what that is, loud."

Irish folk-rock legends The Pogues are getting their own whiskey. While the band have been around for over 30 years, it is about time they get branded on a bottle. It will be released worldwide later this year. 

Gaslight Anthem's Brian Fallon Covers Oasis

Gaslight Anthem's Brian Fallon recently performed at radio station CFOX and did a fantastic cover of the Oasis classic "Don't Look Back in Anger." Take a look!

EXCLUSIVE! The Scandals INTV!

New Jersey has a long history of working class bands, artists like Bruce Springsteen, Bouncing Souls, The Gaslight Anthem, Titus Andronicus, Screaming Females, Thursday, and many others. Yet, one of the working class artists that have emerged from The Garden State in recent years has been punk heroes The Scandals. The band, who have been around for close to a decade, are recording their latest EP with Brian Fallon of The Gaslight Anthem at Red Bull Studios New York. While the EP doesn't have a release or title, it will certainly be arriving in 2015. As we close this year, we spoke to frontman Jared Hart about his band, what the new year will bring, and recording at Red Bull with Fallon. Take a look at our interview below:
 

The band has been around for 10 years, after all these years what have you learned from each other being in this band?

I think the biggest thing you learn when you spend this much time with people is how to realize what bugs your friends and how they can bug you. The trick is learning how to keep yourselves in check and how to catch those quirks before they can become something else.

You are currently in the studio working with Brian Fallon on your upcoming EP, how did this relationship come about?

Brian and the Gaslight guys all came up in the same places in new Jersey that we're from. We're fortunate enough to share some of the same dives like The Court Tavern and the Asbury Lanes, and even more importantly we share a lot of the same friends that call those places home. Over the last couple of years we've played with Gaslight as well as some solo shows with Brian and it's great to be able to be friends with musicians who are on the same wavelength as you and also happen to be some of the most solid people around.

What has it been like working with him?

It was honestly one of the most productive and relatively seamless studio experiences I've ever had. Brian really puts everything he has into a project and he showed nothing short of that with us.  We were able to be completely honest with our opinions and really work together on creating the best record we possibly could. I can also say we all learned a lot of things from him that we'll be taking with us for future recordings.

Being from New Jersey and the legacy that Jersey bands have – Springsteen, Southside Johnny, Bouncing Souls, Gaslight Anthem, Thursday, and so many others. How do The Scandals uphold the legacy of Jersey rock?

I think the one thing that you can say about Jersey bands is that they write about real things. They write about things they know, things they've seen, places they've been, and people they've met. I've always loved that about Jersey bands. When I write a song I like to think about it as a documentation of the particular place and time that I'm occupying. New Jersey will always play a role in those kinds of visuals.

What is it like to be recording ​in the​ Red Bull Studios New York? How did this blossom?

Working at Red Bull Studios New York​ has been great. We've had a blast working with the engineers and crew and they've been vital to how smooth this process went. We're grateful to be a part of the Red Bull Sound Select program and they've been supporting our band in many ways over the last year and change. One of the benefits has been the ability to utilize what Red Bull Studios

​ New York​ has to offer. The Sound Select family's been amazing to us and they're definitely all on our Christmas card list this year.

It has been said that you spend more time in the van than in your own beds. What has the open road taught you?

The road's taught me a lot of things.  It's taught me how to pack light, how to sleep sitting up, how to ration food, and I've gotten better at Tetris with every van pack we do. But, most importantly I've learned that there's absolutely nothing else in the world I'd rather be doing.

You have a cult like following in the tri-state area, when you go out and do a show in another state with new faces, what is that experience like?

Playing close to home is always a blast because the shows just keep getting better. Every time we play in New Jersey the energy gets crazier and we absolutely love that. But there's something special about showing up to a place you've never been, playing in front of people who have never heard a second of your music, and then winning them over by the end of it. It's even better when those people come back to see you the next time you're in their area.

What is next for The Scandals?

We're playing some great end of the year shows with I Am the Avalanche at Bowery Ballroom in NYC on Dec. 26th, and The Stone Pony with The Bouncing Souls on Dec. 27th. After that we'll be booking some short east coast runs leading up to our tour with The Gaslight Anthem in February. Within that time we'll hopefully know what we'll be doing in terms of releasing our new EP and then by May we'll be back in Europe. We can't wait to see what 2015 is going to be like.

After 10 years together, what has been the best thing about being in this band?

The best things about being in this band are the people I've met because of it. If it all ended tomorrow I would be left with some of the best friends I could ever ask for. Whether they're from Jersey, Boston, DC, California, or Germany, I'm grateful for all of them and they've left a huge impact on my songwriting and my life in general and it all stems from music. Nothing can beat that.

Since you are on the road so much, what is one thing you cannot leave home without?

I personally never leave home without a camera. I'm always the one filming or taking pictures and I'm always happy I did when I get back home. That, and heavy doses of Vitamin C.

Gaslight Anthem on Letterman

Watch The Gaslight Anthem perform "Get Hurt" on Letterman.

Quick Spins

 

The Gaslight Anthem – Get Hurt

The Jersey punks moved to Nashville to craft a record of heartbreak, tenderness, and clearly the most introspective of their career. The band, known for their rockabilly meets punk attitude go for more roll than rock on Get Hurt, which, by their standards is a bold move. The Gaslight Anthem clearly are growing up and are clearly different people from when they arrived on the scene a decade ago, and now, as they get older life sets in. The record, which is inspired by singer Brian Fallon’s divorce showcases his pain but also the pain that the band goes through seeing their leader suffer. It does have it’s moments of “classic” Gaslight but instead of anthems, it is more stories from a man coming back from the brink. Get Hurt is a break-up record but it is also a record that has a sense of hope for a better tomorrow.

FINAL GRADE: A

SPEAK – Pedals

The Austin synth-pop artists return for their second album and rise to the occasion to prove that this is no sophomore slump. The band packs enough joy and energy into this record that it becomes an instant dance party and will keep you tapping your feet all day long.

FINAL GRADE: B+

White Lung – Deep Fantasy

The Canadian hardcore punks fire back with their third record that displays that this band is not slowing down, going soft, nor changing their tone for anyone.

FINAL GRADE: B+

Nico Vega – Lead to Light

The long awaited sophomore album from LA’s Nico Vega is finally hear and proves that it was worth the wait. Recorded at a Texas ranch, these titans of the Sunset Strip bring forth a sound that can fill an area and still make it intimate enough to feel as if you are watching them in a club.

FINAL GRADE: B+

Bright Light Bright Light – Life is Easy

Following the release of his Tour EP, Rod Thomas aka Bright Light Bright Light brings the dynamic power we have been waiting for after that tease of an extended play. Now, with a full albums worth of material, Bright Light Bright Light proves he is ready for his major day in the sun with Life is Easy. A record that will make you dance, cry, feel all the emotion you would want in a record and does it with such pose and grace that if this record does not put him in the stratosphere, than pop music as we know, has failed it’s audience.

FINAL GRADE: B+

The Strypes – 4 Track Mind EP

Ireland’s slick garage rockers The Strypes give us a tease four-song EP that tries to hold us off till the next record, but now only makes us want it more!

FINAL GRADE: B+

Birdy – Fire Within

British songstress Birdy returns with her second album but this time, it is really her first proper album as this is her first composition of all original material. Fire Within is an intimate look inside the soul and heart of a young rising star.

FINAL GRADE: B

Antemasque

The debut album from Mars Volta / At the Drive-in members Cedric Bixler-Zavala and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez, Flea, and Dave Elitch arrives. Antemasque is basically a stranger version of Volta and holds fans over as the building blocks to the Volta foundation are being laid again.

FINAL GRADE: B

Jenny Lewis – The Voyager

On her third solo effort, former Rilo Kiley and Watson Twins singer, Jenny Lewis brings Ryan Adams along to helm the controls and produce a record that finds the perfect balance between folk and pop.

FINAL GRADE: B

United Nations – The Next Four Years

The hardcore supergroup featuring Geoff Rickley of Thursday, members of Glassjaw and Converge unleash their sophomore album that stokes the fire deep within it’s listener. With massive inspiration from Black Flag, United Nations showcase that this once side project is now the real deal.

FINAL GRADE: B

Boris – Noise

The experimental Japanese rockers return with their 19^th album and brings forth every sound, style, and sonic offering they have offered the masses over the years. Noise is their most complete album to date.

FINAL GRADE: B

Jungle

The debut album from British soul producers and DJ’s is finally here and the album has it’s funk, soul, R&B, ebb and flow and would serve more as beats to a mixtape for a series of rappers and singers to voice over.

FINAL GRADE: B-

Pennywise – Yesterdays

With Jim Lindberg back on vocals, Pennywise really return to form and bring a record for fans to add to the collection.

FINAL GRADE: B-

Tiesto – A Town Called Paradise

The EDM explosion has made even the most creative DJ’s complacent and A Town Called Paradise is proof. The legendary Tiesto is back with a subpar trance album that lacks focus, creativity and lives just for the radio singles instead of the beats.

FINAL GRADE: C

Sheer Terror – Standing Up For Falling Down

The NYHC titans return following last year’s release, Kaos for Kristen and seems like a rushed and incoherent effort to a band known for crafting focused and visionary hardcore albums.

FINAL GRADE: C

How to Dress Well – What is the Heart?

How to Dress Well aka Tom Krell returned with a record that could put the dead to sleep.

FINAL GRADE: D

Playlist

Take a look at July's 27-song playlist and hear it on Spotify!

Gaslight Anthem New Album Details

As we mentioned earlier today, The Gaslight Anthem will release their new album, Get Hurt in August. Now, the band has also released the cover & tracklisting to the upcoming LP. Take a look at the cover, above, and the tracklisting, below:

1 Stay Vicious
2 1,000 Years
3 Get Hurt
4 Stray Paper
5 Helter Skeleton
6 Underneath The Ground
7 Rollin' And Tumblin'
8 Red Violins
9 Selected Poems
10 Ain't That A Shame
11 Break Your Heart
12 Dark Places