If a band can state unequivocally that (a) they prefer speedy tempos, (b) they accept abandon as an MO, or (c) they subscribe (at least in part) to a strain of musical conservativism that keeps the proceedings lean and stripped down, then said band will be “punk” to someone. New Jersey’s Gaslight Anthem satisfy all three of these maxims while somehow owing a greater debt to the Boss than to Dag Nasty or the Exploited. Then again, at a time when punk is nothing more than anachronistic dress-up to some, it’s refreshing to see a band rock hard while still looking switchblade sharp. Penning songs with a legitimately swingin’ ’tude that tips its fedora to fintail gas guzzlers as well as to the drunk punks who steal them to race over cliffs is no small feat. If that sounds like your kind of retro-punk, then, as the band sing, “Here’s Looking at You, Kid.”
Runners-up
1_Green Day
2_Street Dogs
3_Black Lips
