The Gaslight Anthem Biography

Summary

"The Gaslight Anthem" is an American rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey. They released their first album, "Sink or Swim", on XOXO Records on May 29, 2007.

Their full-length debut was well received by both independent music review sites such as punknews.org ( ("Sink or Swim" review) , Absolutepunk.net ( (profile) and (review) ), and Racket Magazine ( (interview) ), and more mainstream sites such as Spin.com ( (Band of the Day) ) in August 2007, UltimateGuitar.com ( (album review) )and a feature on FuseTV's (Dozen Days of Downloads) in January 2008.

The Gaslight Anthem's music embraces many elements of the Jersey Shore sound. Indeed, the band's fondness for Bruce Springsteen, a significant influence on their music, is a fact celebrated by fans and critics alike. Representative of such views, one critic writes, 'the Gaslight Anthem are like something out of speculative fiction: this is what pop music would be if Springsteen hadn't listened to his producer, let the Ramones record ''], and launched the C.B.G.B.'ers into megastardom.'. The driving punk sound with which the Gaslight Anthem plays owes a great deal to the New Brunswick hardcore scene and acts such as The Bouncing Souls. The Gaslight Anthem's influences go beyond New Jersey and punk and pay homage to acts from Tom Waits to Wilson Pickett and Joe Strummer, who was the subject of the track 'I'da Called You Woody, Joe,' the band's second single and (video) from "Sink or Swim".

Videos include the band's first single, 'Drive' as well as 'I'da Called You Woody, Joe' from their debut album "Sink or Swim" as well as a video for the song 'The '59 Sound' from the album "The '59 Sound".

The Gaslight Anthem has been on tour throughout 2007 and continuing through 2008, supporting Against Me!, The Loved Ones, The Draft and Rise Against.

A follow-up EP titled "Señor and the Queen" via Florida's (Sabot Productions) was released on February 6, 2008. A 7' vinyl version was also released in limited Red (500 copies) and White (100 Copies).

Although still relatively obscure outside of the US, on August 6, 2008 the band made British music history after they became the first band to ever grace the cover of Kerrang! magazine, the UK's number one selling rock weekly, without Kerrang! magazine having previously written a single word about them. Kerrang! called them 'The best new band you'll hear in 2008'. In addition, the band has received airplay on BBC6 Music, and embarked on there first ever headline UK tour in November.

The band's second full-length album, titled "The '59 Sound", was released on August 19, 2008. Hot Water Music's Chris Wollard and the Mighty Mighty Bosstones's Dicky Barrett are guests on the album. The band covered God's Gonna Cut You Down for a Johnny Cash tribute CD.