THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM - American Slang

I love this band. That's really all you need to know.

www.myspace.com/thegaslightanthem
www.gaslightanthem.com

PERSONAL AND THE PIZZAS - Raw Pie

As I've discovered, the summer months are not the optimal time for me to review music. Swimming, running and biking, baseball games, and more means I'm not spending a lot of time indoors to listen to some tunes. I've got a huge backlog of music to listen to, and Personal and the Pizzas certainly haven't helped when I do get a moment to put on an album. Why? Because when I do have time to listen, all I want to put on is Raw Pie.

I happened onto this New Jersey band by accident, but I stuck around after hearing "I Don't Wanna Be No Personal Pizza". Once I heard the rest of the album, I knew these guys would forever hold a special place in my music collection. They wear their musical influences (Do I even have to spell them out? Ramones, Stooges (love the album's title nod to the Stooges' third album), etc.) on their sleeve but they are smart enough to know how to do it right. The spoken intros to some of the songs, the high percentage of songs devoted to pizza, and of course, the tight garage rock playing all combine to make one gloriously fun album. This should be the next soundtrack to your late night parties; if it isn't, you're just not doing it right. Happy Pizza Pie Friday, or more appropriately, Happy Personal and the Pizzas Friday!

www.myspace.com/personalandthepizzas
They are members of the 1-2-3-4-GO! Records family: www.1234gorecords.com

THE GASLIGHT ANTHEM - American Slang (single)

"American Slang" is the title track to The Gaslight Anthem's third album, due to be released in June of this year. These New Jersey boys have found the formula for producing a sound that you could expect if Bruce Springsteen fronted a punk rock band. Upbeat rock and roll with heartfelt, slightly ragged vocals and catchy melodies. I'm a big fan of The Gaslight Anthem and this single shows that we can continue to expect good things from this band. I'm sure they're only going to get bigger and bigger - how could a band this awesome not?

www.myspace.com/thegaslightanthem
www.gaslightanthem.com

Thing One - You'll Be Fine

Hailing from New Jersey, they started out playing hip-hop but they have since evolved into an electropop/dance/rock band. There are still some hip-hop influences as well as some soul and funk influences, but their main objective now is to get you dancing, and they do a damn good job. I saw them live and their set was excellent; they combine computer generated sounds with live instrumentation to result in a truly danceable sound that filled up the room. Check them out. (Interesting side facts: Bassist Spencer Miles is the brother of Ra Ra Riot's lead singer, Wesley Miles; Miles and singer Joey Palestina went to high school with Vampire Weekend guitarist Ezra Koenig - maybe there's something in the water back home?)

www.myspace.com/thingone
www.thing-one.com