Watch: The Gaslight Anthem - Baba O'Riley

Nothing to do with upcoming album American Slang, but this is pretty damn cool. It's the Gaslight Anthem covering the Who classic 'Baba O'Riley' (some of you non-Who fans might know it from one of those CSI shows. CSI: Blackrock maybe.

Watch The Gaslight Anthem - 'Baba O'Riley':

Album News: Gaslight Anthem - American Slang

The Gaslight Anthem are set to release new album American Slang on June 15th. The first single from the album, also called 'American Slang' made its debut yesterday, and can be streamed in full online. The tracklist and album cover have also been announced. The album promises to be more radio-friendly than the last (at least that's what the single is telling me), and could mark the band's transition to the big time.

Tracklist:
American Slang
Stay Lucky
Bring It On
The Diamond Church Street Choir
The Queen of Lower Chelsea
Orphans
Boxer
Old Haunts
The Spirit of Jazz
We Did It When We Were Young

Stream:
The Gaslight Anthem - 'American Slang'

Album News: The Gaslight Anthem - American Slang

Brian Fallon of the Gaslight Anthem has confirmed that their third album will be called American Slang, and is due to be released on June 15th.

"We're calling the record 'American Slang'; that's the best description of us," said Fallon. "It's kind of like this offhanded backstory that no one gets to see. It's not popular stories — we came from regular things, not extremely bad, not extremely good. ... None of us were, like, really, really broke. I never feel like any of us had it worse than anyone else."

Fallon says American Slang is "a hyper-literal album. These stories are coming out of my life and the reflections on the things I've gotten as I've gotten older. It's more autobiographical, definitely more direct. Not so shrouded in mystery. I'm not trying to confuse anyone with a trail of images on this one."

List: Top 20 EPs of the 00s

My end of decade lists continue. But each day, we get nearer and nearer my list of the best 100 albums or so of the 00s! As I'm busy typing that list, I've split this into two halves. The second half, i.e. the top ten, features some fine blurbs, in case you decide you might have to buy some of these half-albums. Also, I left off Ryan Adams' Love is Hell EPs, as they would've held the top two positions, and will be high up my album list, as one sole album.

20. Bright Eyes - Four Winds (2007)
19. The Tallest Man on Earth - The Tallest Man on Earth (2006)
18. Bon Iver - Blood Bank (2009)
17. Gemma Hayes - Work to a Calm (2001)
16. Gorillaz - Tomorrow Comes Today (2000)
15. Yeah Yeah Yeahs - IsIs (2007)
14. Ben Nichols - The Last Pale Light In the West (2009)
13. Mumford and Sons - Mumford and Sons (2008)
12. Jill Andrews - EP (2008)
11. Fleet Foxes - Sun Giant (2008)

10. Joanna Newsom - Joanna Newsom and the Ys Street Band (2007)

Not only is this Joanna Newsom's beautiful follow-up to Ys, but it's also the best named release of the decade. A genius titled EP which contains three gorgeous, encapsulating songs. She's a marvellously consistent artist, and I can't wait to see what the next decade has in store for her.

9. Iron and Wine - Woman King (2005)

Sam Beam is also one of the most consistent artists around, and Woman King may well be his finest ever release under the Iron and Wine moniker. He's also fantastic live, so if and when he does return, I advise you to go to see him.

8. The National - Cherry Tree (2004)

The Virginia EP narrowly missed the top twenty here, but this is their better short-length record. Cherry Tree signalled the brilliance that was yet to come from the National on their excellent Alligator and Boxer full lengths.

7. TV on the Radio - Young Liars (2003)

Another teaser EP, this one showed glimpses of what TV on the Radio would come to be. Even still, it's a fantastic release, and one any artist would be delighted to have in their canon. Check out the excellent 'Staring at the Sun' and the phenomenal 'Blind', a seven minute tune which feels like it ends too soon..

6. Richard Hawley - Richard Hawley (2001)

This decade has been Hawley's decade. He has stood out on his own. Previously a session musician, his self-titled EP, with songs like 'Naked in Pitsmoor' and 'Coming Home' showed that Hawley could be the Roy Orbison of the 00s.

5. The Gaslight Anthem - Senor and the Queen (2008)

A lot of these EPs are teasers that the best is yet to come from an artist, but Senor and the Queen contains a lot of the Gaslight Anthem's best work. Overall it's their best ever release, mainly because of the song 'Blue Jeans and White T-Shirts'.

4. Kings of Leon - Holy Roller Novocaine (2003)

They weren't always pop darlings, you know? Long ago, before X Factor wannabes sang their songs, Kings of Leon were a fantastic rock band, up there with the White Stripes and the Strokes. They weren't polished in any way. They were raw, and they rocked. Hard.

3. Bloc Party - Bloc Party (2004)

I first downloaded this in 2004, on a recommendation from NME before their debut album was released. It was incorrectly titled Banquet EP, but that is mainly the reason it was so good. That one song. 'Banquet'. Perhaps the best rock song to come out of England this decade. And that includes everything Pete Doherty was involved in too.

2. Fight Like Apes - How Am I Supposed to Kill You if You Have All the Guns?

The best EP to come out of Ireland this decade? Certainly. Might well be the best EP to come out of Ireland ever. It also had a more normal souning name than any of their other EPs. It quickly sold out everywhere, and a wave of hype followed the band everywhere. It was truly deserved, as no-one can argue with songs like 'Battlestations' and future single 'Jake Summers' He's the man...

1. Arcade Fire - Arcade Fire (2003)

This is what good EPs are all about. Also known as the Us Kids Know EP. It introduced the world to the fascinating Win Butler and Rene Chassagne, and contained no songs that would appear on their debut album Funeral. (Although 'No Cars Go' was later re-recorded for Neon Bible). It's the perfect EP, as its unique tracklist makes it worth owning, as much as a full-length album.

Album News: The Gaslight Anthem - New album

Great news Gaslight Anthem fans. They're set to go back into the studio in January to record a new album, which is set to be a straight-up rock record.

Watch frontman Brian Fallon talking about what the next record will be like:

Setlist: The Gaslight Anthem, The Academy, Dublin, 4 March 2009

Forgot to post this setlist due to all the Choice shenanigans. Pity I couldn't go to both. Typical that two must-see gigs clashed.


1. Great Expectations
2. High Lonesome
3. Old White Lincoln
4. Even Cowgirls Get the Blues
5. We Came to Dance
6. The '59 Sound
7. Film Noir
8. Miles Davis and the Cool
9. Meet Me by the River's Edge
10. Here's Lookin' At Your Kid
11. Senor & The Queen
12. The Navesink Banks
13. Wherefore Art Thou, Elvis?
14. 1930 Play
15. Boomboxes and Dictionaries
16. Drive
17. The Patient Ferris Wheel
18. The Backseat
---
19. Blue Jeans and White T-Shirts
20. I'da Called You Woody, Joe
21. Cassanova Baby

Live: Gaslight Anthem at the Academy

Thanks to Lauren and Jim for the info. And what great info. (Sorry for the hiatus yesterday, btw, throat infection. Not fun).

The Gaslight Anthem will finally play Ireland. They come to Dublin's Academy on March 4th, 2009, in what will be one of the gigs of the year.

No ticket details yet, but they're priced at €17.50. If you even half agree with any of my opinions, go to this gig. It'll be fantastic.

Watch 'I'da called you Woody, Joe":

Watch: The Gaslight Anthem 'The '59 Sound'

I told you they were brilliant, and the new album would be brilliant. Here:
http://swearimnotpaul.blogspot.com/2008/06/upcoming-brilliance-gaslight-anthem-59.html

Now you can watch the video of the first single from their upcoming album, The '59 Sound, which is also called 'The '59 Sound'. My God it is so fantastic, it makes me never want to pick up a guitar every again. The album is released August 18th, and will be phenomenal.

The Gaslight Anthem "The '59 Sound"

Upcoming Brilliance: The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound

On August 18th, New Jersey "punk rock band" The Gaslight Anthem release the follow-up to their splenid debut album Sink or Swim. I put punk rock in inverted commas, because this usually indicates some sort of post-Sex Pistols nonsense. The Gaslight Anthem are very far from nonsense. Their music is a kind of dirty rock infused with nuanced referencing and witty lyrics. Family Guy would be proud of some of their intertextuality! (Is it still called intertextuality when one band references another's lyrics?)

The Senor and the Queen EP was released to much acclaim (well a small bit of acclaim, but all from notable sources) earlier this year. Their upcoming release The '59 Sound could well break them into the mainstream, and deservedly so. Promotion proper for the album begins on July 22nd when the band release a 7 inch of 'The '59 Sound' and 'Even Cowgirls Get The Blues'.

Expect them to be vaunted by Pitchfork and other mainstream sources when the album is finally released. Check out this stunning tune from their first release this year (the EP), then you'll know why I put them in the "Upcoming Brilliance" category.

The Gaslight Anthem - Blue Jeans and White T-Shirts