#gaslight anthem is literally my favorite band ever but because I live on the other side of the country no one I know has heard of them 😭😭

[thegreatbluecat72]

Ok ok ok I do love rock (we can thank Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock for that) and I liked the songs I listened to from the gaslight anthem and added them to my playlist 😁😁😁 ty for the recs!!!

of course!!! Their music is so timeless to me, I hope you can enjoy it for years to come!!

[chaos-and-recover]

ALL OF THE ASKS 🖤

EVERY TIME.

Alright let’s do this.

1: Favorite band?

AFI and/or July Talk

2: Favorite song?

Of all time? I think I realized recently that it is in fact Falling Slowly. The fact that I have like 7 different versions in my music library was a solid clue that I fucking love it.

3: What’s a band/artist you loved as a child but can barely listen to now?

My brother and I loved Kris Kross when we were little. That’s some cheeseball rap right there. Also when I was 12 I was super into Prodigy. But then, Firestarter is still a good fucking song.

4: Did you ever see a band/artist live?

Yes? A lot? Many times?

5: Are you going to any gigs soon?

I was supposed to go to Chicago next weekend to see my boys the Plain White T’s but they cancelled the show and I’m bummed.

I’m seeing Jimmy Eat World on December 5th and I’m stoked about it.

I’m also seeing July Talk three nights in a row on the 20th, 21st and 22nd because I have no self control and I love them.

6: Ever been to a festival?

Yes, several. I used to love them and now I’m too old for that shit and there’s too many of them and the bands are spread too thin and no one festival has enough bands I like to justify it lol.

8: A song with a number in the title?

Green Day - 21 Guns

9: A song that gets you through shit?

AFI - Narrative of Soul Against Soul

10: A good song for long bus rides?

Anberlin - Autobahn

11: A song you’d have sex to?

Take That - Pretty Things (I mean it’s kinda weird but uh I’m into it)

12: A song to shut everything out?

36 Crazyfists - Slit Wrist Theory (like 90% sure this song almost got me sent to therapy given how many times my 17 year old self blasted it)

13: A song for when you’re lonely?

The entire “Cities” album by Anberlin is my security blanket. I’ll saw The Unwinding Cable Car though.

14: A song that’s become a joke between you and your friends?

Jack’s Mannequin - Dark Blue ( @sinceubeenjon knows why)

15: A song to jam out to at 4AM?

The Used - The Taste Of Ink. Because it literally references 4:00 in the morning lol

16: An album you could listen to for days on end?

I’m pretty sure I did listen to Decemberunderground by AFI for days on end in 2006. And like… constantly ever since.

17: A song that punches you in the gut every single time?

Anberlin - Atonement. Fuuuuuuuck me :) 

18: A song for when you’re crazy angry?

I wanna saw Slit Wrist Theory again but I’m also trying not to repeat songs so uhhhh The Used - Box Full Of Sharp Objects. I have a lot of angst apparently.

19: If you had to pick one song to represent what you’re feeling right now, what would it be?

It’s not actually Christmas but it is a holiday in the US and I have a cold so “It’s Christmas And I’m Sick” by MxPx. Honestly, I have nothing else. I have no feelings right now lol.

20: A song that calms you down?

The Used - Bllue & Yellow

21: A song that makes you feel alive?

Anberlin - Dismantle.Repair

22: A band with an insane fandom?

Are Twenty One Pilots fans still bonkers? That’s one. Or a certain segment of 1D fandom. You know the one (the Larries. Jesus christ people.)

23: What are some lyrics you love to pieces?

There are so many. Here are some of my favourites:

“It’s not about the money we makeIt’s about the passions that we ache forWhat makes your heart beat fasterTell me now what does your body long after?”-Time & Confusion by Anberlin

“And as the days go onThe love, the lust, the buzz that wasReduced to dust, could be becauseIt never was something moreThan just a void filling feeling”-FL,GA by The Rocket Summer

“I saw you every time I closed my eyesIn the Hughes film I had scored, produced and starred in in my mindI could recite you, well I’d written every lineBut you strayed far from the flawless script on which I’d spent a lifetime”-Veronica Sawyer Smokes by AFI

“I tried, but it rang and rang, I called all nightFrom a payphone, remember those? From another lifeIf everything I meant to youYou can’t lick and seal then fold in twoThen I’ve been so blind.”-Dizzy by Jimmy Eat World

“Let it out, let me in, take a hold of my handThere’s nothing like another soul that’s been cut up the sameAnd did you wanna drive without a word in between?I can understand, you need a minute to breatheAnd to sew up the seams after all this defeat.”-Handwritten by The Gaslight Anthem

I’m gonna stop there.

24: Would you ever get any song lyrics tattooed? If so which ones?

I have some! I have “Just point to the light that casts out the dark” from White Fireworks by The Rocket Summer in Bryce Avary’s handwriting and I’m pretty damn pleased with it. I’d probably get more. He also wrote “Be reckless, be bright” for me from The Rescuing Type that I wanna get done. 

25: What’s a band/artist you’d addict your children to from an early age?

Kids? Gross. I’m gonna try to get my niece into some good shit. When is an appropriate age to get her into AFI?

26: A vocalist you love?

I’m perfectly neutral and rational about Davey Havok, tbh, I’ve never been extra about him a day in my life.

I also love me some Adam Lambert and have very strong opinions about him fronting Queen (they are all variations of “he’s great at it fight me.)

27: Has a band/artist ever inspired you to do something?

Yes, usually dumb shit, like travel across a country/continent/ocean to see them.

28: A band/artist you love but no longer exists?

MOTHERFUCKING ANBERLIN.

29: What was your favorite band/artist when you were 12?

The Backstreet Boys, lol.

30: A band/artist you can’t stand?

Twenty One goddamn Pilots. Also ask me how I feel about Metric some time. (I FUCKIN HATE METRIC.)

31: What’s your favorite genre?

I honestly don’t have one. The music I like is all over the goddamn map.

32: Can you play any instruments?

I played percussion for 6 years in school and was self-taught on bass, though I haven’t pulled mine out in literal years. (One day I’m gonna get it out again and learn Pink Eyes by AFI. It’s gonna happen.)

33: Do you sing?

Hahahahahahhahahaa not so anyone can hear me.

34: If you could be a member of any band for one show, who would it be?

I would Jordan Pundik from New Found Glory because I still maintain that he only has to sing like half of every song and the crowd does the rest.

35: Do you have a favorite piece of merch?

My current favourite merch item in the world is my 36 Crazyfists hoodie. It’s so soft, so warm, so comfy. My Anberlin carabiner has served me very well over the years too.

36: What’s the first album you ever bought with your own money?

I always tell people it was the first BSB album but it was actually a Raptors promo CD released ahead of their first season in the NBA. BSB just sounds more like it’s a real thing that existed.

37: Do you prefer buying physical copies of albums or do you download them on the internet?

Physical. Digital versions just… I don’t connect with them as well? I don’t know, I don’t feel like I really own them if I can’t touch ‘em.

38: CDs or vinyls?

Vinyl. Also, not to be a pedant, but the plural of vinyl is vinyl.

39: Do you play your music out loud or with headphones?

Headphones. Used to be out loud all the time back in the days of desktop computers when I’d be alone in a room on the computer and could do that without annoying everyone lol.

40: A band/artist a friend showed you?

I guess I can blame Raven for how much I love Eric Church, does that count?

41: A song that gives you the chills?

Anberlin - The Unwinding Cable Car, but like, a very specific recording of it. This one, in fact, starting at 3:08 when Stephen is singing the bridge and the crowd comes in with “this is the correlation between salvation and love” part completely unprompted and it builds up until he’s holding “heart” and we’re holding “dark” and it’s fucking magical and you know what’s not captured on the audio recording? The look on Christian’s goddamn face when that happened. That was a hell of a show.

42: A song to play at your funeral?

I mean, you could go ahead and play that version of Cable Car linked in the last answer because it’s probably what killed me anyway, but if you wanna be more cliche just bust out Hear You Me by Jimmy Eat World.

43: A band/artist with amazing an instrumental but really bad lyrics?

I listened to BedLIGHT for BlueEYES for the first time in a few years the other day so um. Them. The lyrics have not held up super well but my GOD they’re catchy. (Although “But I guess I shouldn’t hat you you, in fact I oughtta thank you for helping me write this song / If this album tops the Billboard I think I’ll save the quarter to call you and let you know” from Too Late still fucking kills though.)

44: A love song?

Any love song? 200,000 by my sweet baby boy The Rocket Summer, it’s the cutest fucking song in the world.

45: A song you love to sing to yourself?

I don’t sing to myself, that’s embarrassing (it’s probably like, Raise Your Glass by Pink or something, though)

46: What do you listen to when you go for a run?

When I did run more often it was to movie soundtracks. 127 Hours had some really good running tunes. Also there’s a song on the Inception soundtrack that was perfect for a good sprint.

47: A song that represents a deserted city at night?

The Taste of Ink by The Used kinda gives me that feeling, I guess.

48: A wild song?

Wild? How about Wild by AFI, is that good enough lol.

49: An upbeat song with grim lyrics?

Motion City Soundtrack - Everything Is Alright.

50: What are some song titles you love?

Okay so I can’t really think of any but it took me until entirely too recently to realize that “Lying Is The Most Fun A Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off” and “But It’s Better If You Do” by Panic! At The Disco fucking… they go together. They’re supposed to be read together. Years that took me. That album was my second most-played in iTunes and I didn’t… figure that out. I’m dumb as hell.

51: If your life ended today, what song would you chose to represent it?

One song, to represent my entire life? Hell if I know. Probably like, Tonight by NKOTB though, let’s be honest.

52: Can you give me a 5 song playlist on ___?

ON WHAT I NEED A TOPIC.

53: Do you listen to instrumental music?

Sometimes, sure.

54: Weirdest band/artist you know of?

Foxy Shazam were weird as hell. We put their album on at work years ago because the sticker… I can’t remember what the sticker compared them to now but it was a mix of bands that made us say “that can’t POSSIBLY be right” and then it was? (one of them was Queen, I remember that). They were fucking weirdos and I miss them TERRIBLY.

55: A song about drugs? 

You know who I haven’t mentioned in this yet? Lucky Boys Confusion. They have a lot of songs about drugs. 40/80 comes to mind. What a jam. What a band.

56: A heart-wrenching song?

This might seem like an odd choice but 11.24.11 by 36 Crazyfists. It goes hard as hell but then “don’t plan to live forever but I wanted her to,” and it’s about his mother, it just fucking wrecks me.

57: A band/artist you’re proud of?

July Talk. They deserve to be bigger but they’re doing so well and I’m so proud of them and if they were any bigger I would absolutely be insufferable about it.

58: A band/artist who’s music could bring you back from the dead?

If I had been dead for like five years but you told me Lucky Boys Confusion were going on tour I would be up and at every single show in a snap, I want to see them again SO BADLY.

59: A band/artist with a sick aesthetic?

Listen, I fucking love July Talk’s black/white, light/dark, sweet/rough contrasting aesthetic. It is everything. It is so well-executed. Talk to me about the first album and how well they played into it. I love them. I love everything they choose to be. I FUCKING LOVE JULY TALK.

60: A song that has a lot of meaning to you?

Plain White T’s - Radios In Heaven is a bit of a thing for me.

[joementa]

A Playlist About Me.

A couple of months ago, a really great friend of mine asked me to send her a playlist of songs that have had a big impact on me.  I’d also say that these are songs that probably best describe my life until now. I spent a lot of time working on that playlist, so I figured I would post it here.  

I usually keep a playlist to 20 songs, but that was an impossible task.  So I decided to get a little creative and order the playlist the way a good show’s setlist would flow.  I think I did a really great job doing that.  So here you go – 23 songs that tell my story.  At the bottom of the playlist, I’ve included some notes about each song.  I tried not to provide too many details, but if you would like more, please contact me and I will give all of them to you.  Some of these have a lot of extra analysis and details that is just too much for here!

Hopefully you enjoy this playlist and potentially discover some new music as well!

Intro/House PA song: Wilson Pickett – “In The Midnight Hour” (In The Midnight Hour)

Dave Matthews Band – “The Best of What’s Around” (Under The Table And Dreaming)

The O’Jays – “I Love Music” (Family Reunion)

Arthur Conley – “Sweet Soul Music” (Sweet Soul Music)

The Crystals – “Da Doo Ron Ron”

Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – “The Tears Of A Clown” (Make It Happen)

The Jackson 5 – “I Want You Back” (Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5)

The Five Stairsteps – “O-o-h Child” (Stairsteps)

Fleetwood Mac – “Don’t Stop” (Fleetwood Mac)

The Beatles – “Yellow Submarine” (Revolver)

Elvis Presley – “I Want You, I Need You, I Love You”

Donna Lewis – “I Love You Always Forever” (Now In A Minute)

Sister Hazel – “All For You” (Somewhere More Familiar)

Bob Dylan – “Like A Rolling Stone” (Highway 61 Revisited)

Journey – “When The Lights Go Down” (Infinity)

Boston – “Let Me Take You Home Tonight” (Boston)

The Rolling Stones – “Tumbling Dice” (Exile On Main Street)

Prince – “Little Red Corvette” (1999)

The Gaslight Anthem – “Mae” (Handwritten)

Bruce Springsteen – “Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)” (The Wild, The Innocent & The E-Street Shuffle)

Main set closer: Counting Crows – “A Long December” (Recovering The Satellites)

E1 (1st song in encore): Bob Marley & The Wailers – “Turn Your Lights Down Low” (Exodus)

E2 (2nd song in encore): The Beatles – “Twist & Shout” (Please Please Me)

Notes:

Intro/House PA song: Wilson Pickett – “In The Midnight Hour” (In The Midnight Hour) When I was a kid, I used to spend a lot of Friday and Saturday nights by myself, pretending I was a DJ in my bedroom.  I would imagine people in my room, dancing and singing to all the music that I was playing.  My “intro” song was this song.  I would put this song on before I would start my pretend DJ set, and would walk around my room hyping up the imaginary crowd.

Dave Matthews Band – “The Best of What’s Around” (Under The Table And Dreaming) In the summer of 2005, I started playing the guitar, and I got bored very quickly with just strumming chords.  A friend of mine recommended that I start listening to DMB.  At the time, I had never listened to any DMB songs, at all, before.  I bought what I thought was their first album (technically, Remember Two Things is the first one), Under The Table And Dreaming.  It was a beautiful summer afternoon.  I put the album into my car’s CD player, rolled down the windows, and couldn’t believe what I was hearing.  I had never heard a song like this before.  

I listened to this song on repeat at least 10 times before I even made it to the next song on the album.  It’s interesting that they became one of my favorite bands ever, because in middle school and high school, I hated them.  They were the band that all of the cool kids went to go see.  I was never one of them, and I was never invited to go to those shows.  So I hated them without ever even listening to them.  By the time I got into them, they weren’t even cool anymore, and had actually just released what is widely considered to be their worst album (Stand Up).  Flash back to today, and they are my most-seen band!

The O’Jays – “I Love Music” (Family Reunion) This is pretty self-explanatory.  I love The O’Jays, of course, as well as anything TSOP-related.  I seriously think it is one of the most underrated musical genres.  Gamble & Huff are two of the greatest songwriters ever.  

Arthur Conley – “Sweet Soul Music” (Sweet Soul Music) Another one that’s pretty self-explanatory.  I love music that’s about music, and I love soul music.  I’m not a fan of categorizing music, but sometimes it’s necessary.  Motown soul is probably my most favorite type of music.  Even when I was really young, I knew all about the bands/musicians that Arthur Conley name drops in this song.  

The Crystals – “Da Doo Ron Ron” Just a classic.  I don’t even remember learning this song.  

Smokey Robinson & The Miracles – “The Tears Of A Clown” (Make It Happen) I have this vivid memory of lying on my bed upstairs after school, with my parents downstairs prepping dinner.  They played this song a lot.  The riff is infectious.  Of course I’ve always loved Smokey and this song in particular is one that brings back fond memories.  Even today, when I hear this song, I literally can still smell the house that I grew up in and hear my parents singing this song to each other.

The Jackson 5 – “I Want You Back” (Diana Ross Presents The Jackson 5) When I think of my most favorite bands ever, I have to include The Jackson 5 in there.  As a kid, they were up there with the Beatles for me.  This was the first song of theirs that hooked me in, and rightfully so.  It’s amazing (obviously).  

The Five Stairsteps – “O-o-h Child” (Stairsteps) This song is beautiful.

Fleetwood Mac – “Don’t Stop” (Fleetwood Mac) I love how this song is upbeat, but addresses some heavier topics.  If you’re someone who has struggled with being negative, or feels down, you should be thankful that a song like this exists.  

The Beatles – “Yellow Submarine” (Revolver) The Beatles are my most favorite band ever.  Legend has it that this was the first Beatles song that I loved.  I used to run around the house singing the chorus over…and over…and over…and over.  It’s obviously not my favorite Beatles song, but I had to include it.  I literally don’t remember learning the Beatles’ music. It’s always been in my life.  

Elvis Presley – “I Want You, I Need You, I Love You” Elvis was the first musician I remember actually discovering on my own.  It was in second grade.  Someone gave me a bunch of used cassettes, and Elvis’ Golden Records was one of them.  I obviously knew who Elvis was, but I didn’t know his music.  The more I listened to this, the more obsessed I became with Elvis.  

Donna Lewis – “I Love You Always Forever” (Now In A Minute) This is the first modern song that I ever remember consciously listening to.  I taped it off of the radio and listened to it over and over again.

Sister Hazel – “All For You” (Somewhere More Familiar) This is the song that started getting me into ‘90’s music.  I remember hearing this, and it sounded so unfamiliar to me.  It’s easy to say that this song has “the ‘90’s sound”, and it does – but before I heard this, I literally had NO CLUE what ‘90’s music sounded like.  I didn’t know any of the quintessential ‘90’s bands.  So when I first heard this song, it sounded like nothing I had ever heard before.  And that’s because I hadn’t!

Bob Dylan – “Like A Rolling Stone” (Highway 61 Revisited) This is the song that hooked me onto Dylan.  

Journey – “When The Lights Go Down” (Infinity) The first summer that I had my license, I was living in down at the beach by myself.  At the time I was in a heavy classic rock phase.  Very late at night, I would hop into my car, roll down the windows and put this song on repeat while I drove around the beach and bay areas in South Jersey.

Boston – “Let Me Take You Home Tonight” (Boston) This was another song from that same first-summer-with-my-license at the beach.  I love listening to classic rock in the summer, especially bands like Boston.  This is by far my favorite Boston song.  

The Rolling Stones – “Tumbling Dice” (Exile On Main Street) This is a great anthem for feeling confident.  Throw this one on in the daytime in the summer, roll down the windows, and you’ll feel really great.

Prince – “Little Red Corvette” (1999) This is my second favorite Prince song (behind “It’s Gonna Be Lonely”), and is the first song of his that I ever loved.  Prince is definitely up there with my all-time favorite musicians.  I would probably put him second behind Bruce for me. Fun fact – it wasn’t until COLLEGE, after hearing this song for almost TWO DECADES, that I realized this song is not actually about a car.  

The Gaslight Anthem – “Mae” (Handwritten) This is one of my favorite songs by one of my favorite bands.  The music fits perfectly to the mood of the song.  It’s so well done.  I always thought that this song should have opened Handwritten.  Imagine this song transitioning right into “45”.  That would have been perfect!

This is my favorite opener that TGA does.  The crowd and band are pretty chill throughout the song, but just like the song itself builds up, you can feel the emotional buildup in the crowd.  It gets thicker.  You can feel the anticipation from the crowd.  When that last note hits, you can feel the crowd getting ready for the mayhem that’s about to ensue, because you know a fast rock ‘n roll song is immediately coming next.

The transition from “Mae” into the next song on this list is perfect (and intentional).

Bruce Springsteen – “Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)” (The Wild, The Innocent & The E-Street Shuffle) This is my favorite song ever, hands down, off of my favorite album ever, hands down.  How fun is this song?  SO FUN!  I will never get tired of hearing this song live, nor will I ever get tired of hearing it. Those opening chords create an excitement that is nearly incomprehensible.  And every time I hear “Incident On 57th Street”, I always hope that it will segue directly into “Rosie”, the way it does on the album. It’s the best segue I’ve ever heard on any album.  This song leaves you breathless by the end.  That’s why we need to follow it up with a slower, reflective song.        

Main set closer: Counting Crows – “A Long December” (Recovering The Satellites)

I listen to this song a lot, especially in the winter.  This is one of those songs that gives you the hope that even if right now is not okay, but tomorrow can be.

Encore

E1 (1st song in encore): Bob Marley & The Wailers – “Turn Your Lights Down Low” (Exodus) You always want to start off the encore with a chill, slow song, right before you go out with a bang. I love this song because it doesn’t sound like a typical reggae song.  To enjoy it best, listen to it at night with the lights turned down low (duh…), preferably out on a deck with the smell and sound of the ocean surrounding you. It’s the perfect way to enjoy this song.

And now for the bang…..the mayhem that ensues when you first hear the opening chords of…..  

E2 (2nd song in encore): The Beatles – “Twist & Shout” (Please Please Me) The same way I used to always start my DJ sessions with “In The Midnight Hour”, I always ended them with “Twist & Shout”.  This is one of my favorite songs ever, it’s just 2 and a half minutes of rock ‘n roll and soul bliss.  Fun fact: this is my favorite cover that Bruce does, and even though it’s a cover, it’s one of my favorite songs to see at his shows.