RESULTS: EWB's 100 Favourite Artists 2008

[ZJ Penn]

Good top 5 to finish, I was hoping Metallica would pip the top spot as the list went on, but not to be. At the risk of losing face (they're obviously very popular), I've got not idea who Gaslight Anthem are off the top of my head. However I do have £10 burning a hole in my iTunes account and I'm interested to see what they're about. Any ideas where I should start?

[NobBe Nobbs]

Don't care about the Gaslight Anthem because I've never heard anything by them, but I like the top ten.

[Tarheels.]

I knew EWB loved Gaslight Anthem, but god damn. I didn't expect Muse to be number 1 either I had just assumed The Beatles would get it. I loved the entire top 20 though so I'm completely fine with it.

[METALMAN]

Good top 5 to finish, I was hoping Metallica would pip the top spot as the list went on, but not to be. At the risk of losing face (they're obviously very popular), I've got not idea who Gaslight Anthem are off the top of my head. However I do have £10 burning a hole in my iTunes account and I'm interested to see what they're about. Any ideas where I should start?

Any of their albums. Both are fantastic. The 59 Sound may be a bit better for someone new to their music though. If you don't want to spend that much you could always buy the Senor & the Queen EP which is also pretty good.

[Clawson]

Jesus, can you pick anymore of a faggy photo of Noel?

[METALMAN]

How about one where he's crying after he cracked his ribs?

On the subject of photos - you could have found one of Dylan where he's slightly younger looking.

Edited October 5, 2008 by metalman

[TheRossWalker]

How the fuck is that possible?

Muse to have nearly twice the points of anyone else?

I'll admit to not liking them, however, I can see what everyone else can see in them, but fuckdamn. I knew they'd be up there, probable winner, but fuck. They've just destroyed everything.

Yeah, I have nothing else other than swearing, Gaslight will win next year, and Fitzy should have came in to represent Dropkick Murphys with me so they could at least place somewhere.

[Clawson]

How about one where he's crying after he cracked his ribs?

I was there for that. Proves how manly he is to get back out afterwards.

[METALMAN]

You actually witnessed it? That's pretty cool. I've never been to a gig where there has been an "incident".

[New Damage]

Gaslight Anthem that high? I'd never even heard of them except for the constant love through here. I shouldn't like them after then seeing them on a cover of Kerrang knowing the kind of tripe that's been plaguing the covers the last few years (see that nounce from Bring Me The Horizon), but briefly heard two of their songs on YouTube, and whilst they weren't bad, they're weren't superfantastic either. Just slightly catchy tunes I guess.

Oasis just do nothing for me, and the band members (well, the Gallachers) piss me off. To me it's just basically if Nirvana and The Beatles had a love child, it'd be Oasis.

Metallica being number three, great, but Muse over them? I can kinda understand that they're popular, but not that popular to win this twice. I guess its the vocals and the fact that there seems to be a lot of sci-fi like noise in the tracks I have heard in their songs for me to enjoy them. They do however blast out some great riffs, but again their songs have the more you listen to them, the less you like them effect on me.

Beatles are one of those bands that every says how great they are/were that when you listen to them, it doesn't live up to what people say they are. Then of course they went on their up-their-selves fest. I'm not a fan of the Beatles, but I can see that they have some good songs, and I prefere their songs done by other bands.

Edited October 5, 2008 by TheModernWay

[TheRossWalker]

Gaslight Anthem are a "growing" band". I'll admit myself to not being overly impressed with them on first listen, but once I sat down and gave them a real chance, they became my favourite band of the year, and damn close to my favourite band of all time.

I have several friends who aren't familiar with EWB at all who can attest to this.

Edited October 5, 2008 by TheRossWalker

[Clawson]

Yeah I'm giving Gaslight Anthem their first listen through right now but I like what I'm hearing in the first minute and half voice-wise.

[tristy]

Nine Inch Nails in the top 10

I like the Gaslight Anthem, but holy hell, top 5? And Muse? Oh well, I guess EWB does like them alot. Can't really get that upset when it's a list about EWB's favorite bands, can you?

[Clawson]

Yeah I'll admit I thought everybody here was overhyping the shit out of them, but holy hell they are awesome. I wouldn't put them in my top 10 but I have no qualms with having them there.

[YI]

Honestly, I'm fucking surprised The Gaslight Anthem made the top 20, let alone the top 5. To go from no votes last year (I was going to vote for them then, purely off the strength of "Sink Or Swim", which I still claim to be a classic in the making, but I felt voting for a band with one album was weird) to top 5 is fucking insane.

Also, to ModernWay with your comment about Kerrang. They are seriously a completely different kettle of fish to other Kerrang cover bands. Even the ones that have come out of the punk-rock scene like Cancer Bats and Converge...completely different. The Kerrang cover thing, call me a cynic, but the fact they received no prior coverage, I have a feeling it was more "An 'alternative' band could well 'break out' and fuck, we haven't talked about them before...shit lets make it look like they're ours".

What I love about Gaslight is, even if it's 'false' and 'manufactured' at times, they have this amazing feel of nostalgia, that just makes you feel all warm and fuzzy.

As for those asking about material. Personally I prefer "Sink Or Swim" out of the albums. A classic in the making, one of the few recent albums I get tingles listening to. However, given that "Sink Or Swim" is more punky, whereas "The '59 Sound" has a more heartland rock/indie-rock/bluesy kind of vibe, I think "The '59 Sound" is possibly easier for people to get into. But, their best song ("Blue Jeans & White T-Shirts") is on the "Senor & The Queen EP").

In celebration I say we all sit down and play a round of the Gaslight Anthem drinking game...and...die. I haven't updated it to include the 2nd album yet, but, given that off the first album and the EP you'd probably die if you played it....but yeah.

The Gaslight Anthem Drinking Game

Spoiler: Click here to view

What You Need:

"Sink Or Swim" by The Gaslight Anthem

"The Senor & The Queen EP" by The Gaslight Anthem

Booze

Under an hour of free time.

The Rules:

Have a shot when you hear any of the following words;

• Maria
  
• Drive/Driving related
  
• Dance/Dancing related
  

Number Of Shots:

92

Level Of Intoxication:

Probably...Death

I'll put a full 100 list up in simple terms later on today.

[New Damage]

Yeah, I was just kinda making the link to the amount of crap they usally have on the cover since about 2005, and then GA, which you automatically assume are one of them, then a few weeks later you see this abomination of a human-being on the cover, just looking probably twice as metrosexual/gay.

Spoiler: Click here to view

Just a minute, did Limp Bizkit make it in? They should've by way of Choclate Starfish alone.

Edited October 6, 2008 by TheModernWay

[Dingle]

Ehh, I'd have loved The Smiths to have been higher but I'm fine with the placing. Great top 10, and even though I don't like Metallica or The Beatles, and I don't think Muse are the best band ever, it's all good. Gaslight's high placing is absurd, but heh, exposure for them~!

[Kaney]

I don't comment in here like, ever and wasn't planning to until I saw the last batch. I was like all whaa, The Smiths, Blur etc, C&C are garbage and then Muse get the win which was hilarious. Awesome.

[Clawson]

The Gaslight Anthem Drinking Game

Spoiler: Click here to view

What You Need:

"Sink Or Swim" by The Gaslight Anthem

"The Senor & The Queen EP" by The Gaslight Anthem

Booze

Under an hour of free time.

The Rules:

Have a shot when you hear any of the following words;

• Maria
  
• Drive/Driving related
  
• Dance/Dancing related
  

Number Of Shots:

92

Level Of Intoxication:

Probably...Death

Does the use of Mary in 1930 count as a Maria?

And that game reminds me of a time I told my friend to listen to an Oasis album and chug a beer at every Beatles reference. Since he didn't know any of their albums I threw together a playlist with every song I could think of with one.

[Gazz]

Does the use of Mary in 1930 count as a Maria?

By the time you get that far, either you will say it won't because you can't stomach another shot, or, you'll be well past been capable of hearing anymore (Y)