School's out. The sun poked through the “June gloom” yesterday. And most importantly, our 2009 Summer Guide was released this morning. It's official, summer has arrived… and while our guide has an abundance of information for making this summer the best one yet, we couldn't include everything. So without further ado, let me recommend an album that needs to be part of your summer rotation: The '59 Sound by The Gaslight Anthem.
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Hailing from New Brunswick, NJ, TGA is made up of frontman Brian
Fallon, bassist Alex Levine, drummer Benny Horowitz and guitarist Alex
Rosamilia. The band says their unique sound–a combination of classic
rock N roll and new age punk–is inspired by rock legends Bruce
Springsteen, Tom Petty and Otis Redding, and those influences are
apparent in The '59 Sound. The album was released in August 2008, but
if you have yet to pick up a copy, don't panic, the record is timeless.
With numerous references to the glory of youth, summer, and California,
the album is bursting with energy, emotion and gripping lyrics. It
takes you on a journey back to adolescence and is written with maturity
and confidence. You won't find any fluff here.
It starts out with “Great Expectations,” a rocker about that period of
time in life when you think anything is possible. Next, the album keeps
pace with the title track, which I thought was an
early Springsteen song the first time I heard it. My favorite track,
“Miles Davis and the Cool,” is the halfway point of the record, and
where the ride really begins. Fallon sings, “There's just something
about the summertime, there's just something about the moon.” The album
ends as strong as it begins with “The Backseat,” featuring lyrics like,
“We rode a fever out of Boston, dreamed of California lights.” And,
“You know the summer always brought it…that wild and reckless breeze.”
Coming from the east coast myself, I know what it's like to dream of
California lights. There's a reason a certain nostalgia is associated
with Southern California, and there's a reason bands have been singing
about this place forever.” The '59 Sound is yet another reminder to
stay young, enjoy the simple beauty of summer, and make memories that
last forever… because when October rolls around, and the nights get a
little bit cooler, those memories will be relived with the songs that
carried us through June, July, and August.
