The Gaslight Anthem “The ’59 Sound” released

The ’59 Sound The Gaslight Anthem

Writer(s): Brian Fallon, Alex Rosamilia, Alex Levine, Benny Horowitz (see lyrics here) Released: July 22, 2008 First Charted: January 31, 2009 Peak: 35 MR, 1 DF (Click for codes to charts.) Sales (in millions): -- Airplay/Streaming (in millions): -- radio, 7.2 video, 26.54 streaming

Awards: Click on award for more details.

About the Song: The Gaslight Anthem formed in 2006 in New Jersey. The members consisted of singer and rhythm guitarist Brian Fallon, guitarist Alex Rosamillia, bassist Alex Levine, and drummer Benny Horowitz. Their debut album, 2007’s Sink or Swim, failed to chart but its follow-up, 2008’s The ’59 Sound, reached #70 in the US and 55 in the UK. The album was promoted with four singles. The title cut and lead single was a minor hit on the Billboard alternative rock chart. CMJ New Music’s Tyler Theofilos said it is “about the exhileration that goes along with raw, driving rock.” WK Brian Fallon said the band tried emulating the sound of late ‘50s soul music because “it seemed like there was a general feeling of excitement going on that I don’t think is necessarily happening right now…That era…is embodied in that Memphis sound.” WK The song isn’t just a reference to vintage rock but Fallon’s self-built 1959 Fender Bassman amp. SF Alex Levine also used to play a 1959 Fender Bassman. WK Lyrically the song “is an elegy for a friend who died while the band was elsewhere performing a gig.” WK It was the first song written by Fallon for the album. He said, “I never wrote a song like that before. And I thought it was better than anything else I ever wrote.” WK He explained, “I look at our music as a soundtrack and I look at the lyrics like a movie script. And I try to write them so people are watching the images go by in their head as they’re hearing the lyrics.” SF Resources: DMDB encyclopedia entry for The Gaslight Anthem SF Songfacts WK Wikipedia Related Links: First posted 2/23/2024.