The punk rock world owes New Brunswick, New Jersey alot. New Brunswick is a shitty place. Punk is a shitty form of music. Gritty, unclean and raw. Punk cannot be defined by anyone, no matter who writes about it. It incorporates any form of music that stands up for something and puts it on the line. Emo, Thrash, Grunge, take your pick, all have roots in punk rock. Punk is a statement, a vented message, that leaves no prisoners spared, unleashing whatever needs to be said upon who whoever cares to listen. And in reality, such is the nature, it doesn't care who listens. It fails to let itself be a genre or some iTunes classification, constantly evolving and adapting to the changing nature of any music scene, for this is exactly what punk stands up for: freedom of expression and opinion. It is because of this willingness to accept and tolerate that punk has a reputation for consolidating lost youths, with mohawks and full sleeves, looking like extra's on some greyscale Hollywood B zombie movie, outcast from mainstream culture and rejected by the Billboard Top 100. In some, or most, cases punk contains a sociopolitical message, this was not always the case and is a common mis-conception of an essential quality of the music. It is a mainstream method of communicating cutting edge ideals and philosophies and thereby uniting whoever could relate, untainted by media, the powers that be or 24 hour news neo-conservative "journalists". It is a message, a method, a statement, an extension of normal average Joe's playing guitars about what they feel passionate about. Punk is an attitude.
New Brunswick, New Jersey. A shitty town, a shitty state for a shitty form of music. The perfect petri dish in which punk rock needs to thrive and go boldly to reach millions across The USA and in Europe. Located about 30 miles south of New York City in The Garden State, it has been a breeding ground for underground punk and rock. The bright lights of The Big Apple have acted like a catalyst igniting an attitude of DIY punk with a philosophy of "Why can't we". Like a labourer looking from the gutter to the stars, it is the bastard child American Dream of Uncle Sam and Lady Liberty. America has long preached via the mass media the endeavor and resilience of the American people and hidden it's blue-collar and working class problems from it's own people with patriotic propaganda. However, punk rock in these forgotten towns and disregarded communities has bitten back. In recent years it has revived a punk scene first inflicted on New York in the 1970's with the Ramones, the Misfits and Patti Smith Group. The Bouncing Souls and The Gaslight Anthem both hail from the town. The former is a band which has been playing together for over 20 years, writing songs about getting laid, working through a shitty life, with a shitty job and trying to have a fuckin' good time. Again, a common misconception that punk must be political is proved false here. The central themes of the Souls songs are never too serious, but everyday problems which most people come across and deal with. Never ones to take themselves too seriously, yet not without a bold injection of passion. The Bouncing Souls have never been interested in pleasing anyone else, and this is what makes them so endearing and provides them with an incredibly loyal fanbase. Although not attracting attention from major radio stations, the fact they are still going after 2 decades, arguably stronger now than ever, speaks volumes for the quality of the music they produce. Listen to any track from How I Spent My Summer Vacation or Gold Record to understand this band. A highlight track is surely "True Believers" - This clip is at CBGB's.
The Gaslight Anthem are undoubtedly my breakthrough act of 2009. Their second album The 59 Sound is one of the most promising and complete albums since Hot Fuss. Every track sounds perfect and together the whole record is a jigsaw of musical genius. The lead single of the album "The 59 Sound" is a whirlwind of energy, unhindered rock and passionate vocals, climaxing in a fantastic and ultimately groundbreaking song. They have received airplay since June 2008 on Mike Davies' punk rock show on Radio 1. Two other tracks stand out on the album if pressed, though I still maintain the album as a whole is as near flawless as I've heard this year. "Here's Lookin' at You, Kid" named after a line in Casablanca, is Brian Fallon's heartfelt tale of lost-love and despair through his youth. Lyrically brilliant and utterly heartbreaking. But, I must say the final track "The Backseat" is my track of the record. I managed to see it performed live last February and was simply blown away. The beating drums mid-way through plus Fallon's strained vocal chords, are just superlative. I purchased both The 59 Sound and their debut Sink or Swim in October, and still can't get enough. In June they played Glastonbury and were joined by Bruce Springsteen on stage, giving them some press coverage, this band deserves it. They are destined to be big and in the last year have had some mainstream airplay. It will be one band I will not begrudge for becoming successful. I love punk rock, for me it is an expressive art form that carries a message. New Brunswick has produced two of the most relevant and finest punk bands around today, one with a huge cult following and underground status of over 20 years, the other is on the verge of becoming one of the greatest bands of a generation.
Brian Fallon from The Gaslight Anthem performing.
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