The Gaslight Anthem

Instantly transformed into a band of legend at Glastonbury in 2009, when Bruce Springsteen joined the New Jersey four-piece on stage for a stormin' rendition of signature track "The '59 Sound", the Gaslight Anthem possesses a core sound and identity so solid you can bet your mortgage on a bright future for them. 2007's full-length debut Sink or Swim offered strong hints of something beyond the ordinary, with its soulful brand of punk-fired alt rock (check out "I'da Called You Woody, Joe") and the following year's EP Señor and the Queen provided an excellent bridge to global breakthrough album The '59 Sound — "Meet Me by the River's Edge" offers a lyrical nod to the Boss, while iTunes bonus track "Once Upon a Time" shows they're equally effective bringing it down a notch . . . a tack continued throughout 2010's mid-paced, mature American Slang, the band's confirmation that heartlandish, Garden State greatness is already well within their grasp.