Artist Of The Week: The Gaslight Anthem

The WERS Artist Of  The Week is Brunswick, New Jersey based rock-band, The Gaslight Anthem! Their latest record, Handwritten, is out now and features the singles “Here Comes My Man” and “45″.

The Gaslight Anthem formed back in 2006 and is made up of Brian Fallon (lead vocals, guitar), Alex Rosamilia (guitar, backing vocals), Alex Levine (bass, backing vocals) and Benny Horowitz (drums, percussion). They released their first record, Sink Or Swim, a year after forming. The record did not receive much press from major music publications, the record did create positive buzz on the internet and from independent critics. After releasing Sink Or Swim, the band released an EP, Senor And The Queen, in February 2008. Their second full-length record, The ’59 Sound, was released about six months later.

The ’59 Sound proved to be The Gaslight Anthem’s breakout album and it peaked at number 70 on the Billboard 200 chart. The record placed on eMusic and NME’s best of 2008 lists and the title track from the record placed at 62 on Rolling Stone’s best songs of the year list. A year after the release of The ’59 Sound, Bruce Springsteen made a guest appearance during two of The Gaslight Anthem’s shows in the U.K., which caused the band’s popularity and record sales to skyrocket.

In 2010, they released their third record, American Slang, which debuted at number 16 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling over 26,000 copies during its first week. The record was met with positive reviews from critics.

Flash forward two years, and The Gaslight Anthem returned with their fourth studio record, Handwritten, which was released earlier this year. The band recordedHandwritten at Blackbird Studios in Nashville. The record debuted at number 3 on the Billboard Chart.

Needless to say 2012 has been a huge year for The Gaslight Anthem and it seems probable that the band’s popularity will continue to grow and grow!  What’s your favorite album by The Gaslight Anthem? Let us know in the comments, and make sure to keep listening to 88.9 WERS to hear music from The Gaslight Anthem!

By Mariel Wade

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