Title: American Slang (Amazon, Interpunk, Wikipedia)
Artist: The Gaslight Anthem (Official, MySpace, Wikipedia)
I’d never actually heard The Gaslight Anthem until last week when they were on NPR’s All Things Considered. The teaser for the segment described the band’s music as “working class soul.” Needless to say I was intrigued and hung out in my car to listen to the piece. And boy am I glad that I did.
American Slang is an album that at once sounds familiar yet is impossible to nail down to one specific sound or style. After my first listen, I heard hints and whispers of Bruce Springsteen, Otis Redding, The Clash, The Rolling Stones, Hot Water Music, Wilson Picket, and The Ramones. But that’s not all. There is a lot of New Jersey influence on this band and it is extremely evident in their music. I could be wrong, but I thought I could hear bits and pieces of Jersey bands like Those Unknown, the Hudson Falcons, and The Bouncing Souls.
If I had to pick one way to describe American Slang, other than rock ‘n’ roll, it would be alt soul. Based on a quick search on Google, it appears that the term alt soul isn’t used to describe a genre of music. So what exactly do I mean by alt soul? I would define alt soul as a mix of 60s style soul music (ala Otis Redding, Wilson Picket, Sam & Dave, James Brown, and Ray Charles) with punk rock. This is not the same as bands that have either mixed soul and ska (The Pietasters) or played traditional soul (The Inciters!) but have their roots in the punk scene. Alt soul is a style that mixes the influences to create something different, not at all unlike alt country, except that the influence stems from 60s soul instead of country.
One thing that American Slang oozes is the essence of Motown. Songs like “The Diamond Church Street Choir,” “Stay Lucky,” and “Boxer” could have easily been played right alongside “Mustang Sally” and “Soul Man.” There is an urgency and power to this music that really does remind me of the music of the 60s. The lyrics though are personal while capturing the same working class heart that Springsteen, The Clash, and Creedence Clearwater Revival captured so well. These songs are heartfelt, powerful, and catchy with huge sing-a-long choruses that are sure to keep you head nodding and feet taping along to the beat all summer long (it would be a musical crime if “Boxer” didn’t become a staple for summer 2010). If you are a fan of any of the artists mentioned above or just great music, then do yourself a favor and pick up American Slang.
Artist: The Gaslight Anthem (Official, MySpace, Wikipedia)
I’d never actually heard The Gaslight Anthem until last week when they were on NPR’s All Things Considered. The teaser for the segment described the band’s music as “working class soul.” Needless to say I was intrigued and hung out in my car to listen to the piece. And boy am I glad that I did.
American Slang is an album that at once sounds familiar yet is impossible to nail down to one specific sound or style. After my first listen, I heard hints and whispers of Bruce Springsteen, Otis Redding, The Clash, The Rolling Stones, Hot Water Music, Wilson Picket, and The Ramones. But that’s not all. There is a lot of New Jersey influence on this band and it is extremely evident in their music. I could be wrong, but I thought I could hear bits and pieces of Jersey bands like Those Unknown, the Hudson Falcons, and The Bouncing Souls.
If I had to pick one way to describe American Slang, other than rock ‘n’ roll, it would be alt soul. Based on a quick search on Google, it appears that the term alt soul isn’t used to describe a genre of music. So what exactly do I mean by alt soul? I would define alt soul as a mix of 60s style soul music (ala Otis Redding, Wilson Picket, Sam & Dave, James Brown, and Ray Charles) with punk rock. This is not the same as bands that have either mixed soul and ska (The Pietasters) or played traditional soul (The Inciters!) but have their roots in the punk scene. Alt soul is a style that mixes the influences to create something different, not at all unlike alt country, except that the influence stems from 60s soul instead of country.
One thing that American Slang oozes is the essence of Motown. Songs like “The Diamond Church Street Choir,” “Stay Lucky,” and “Boxer” could have easily been played right alongside “Mustang Sally” and “Soul Man.” There is an urgency and power to this music that really does remind me of the music of the 60s. The lyrics though are personal while capturing the same working class heart that Springsteen, The Clash, and Creedence Clearwater Revival captured so well. These songs are heartfelt, powerful, and catchy with huge sing-a-long choruses that are sure to keep you head nodding and feet taping along to the beat all summer long (it would be a musical crime if “Boxer” didn’t become a staple for summer 2010). If you are a fan of any of the artists mentioned above or just great music, then do yourself a favor and pick up American Slang.
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The Kids Saving Kids Campaign and Becca Levy are still looking for a few good musicians in Oklahoma. If you want to help raise awareness of drunk driving prevention with your music, visit www.ksk.stopddnow.com. You must be the age of 18 or under and have an original recorded song.
Get more information and submit your music to www.ksk.stopddnow.com
For more on Becca Levy, visit www.beccalevy.com
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