When you have over 60 international bands touring Australia at the same time, a number of things can occur… The Poms frequently get sunburnt, the yanks usually get arrested & the kiwis just never end up going back. But there’s one thing that can always be counted on… Photo shots with koalas and kangaroos. Here’s Gaslight Anthem drummer Benny Horowitz fulfilling his tourist visa obligation.

Down under, we must also look like guinea pigs or something. On the one day at the Soundwave Festival 4 weeks ago, I personally witnessed multiple new songs from bands eager to test out their new tunes on a hopefully welcoming audience. The Blackout, The Bronx and There For Tomorrow are all outfits who took the opportunity to do so, since they have new albums coming out soon. But the most intriguing band to perform a new track was New Jersey’s The Gaslight Anthem.

Still unknown as to whether this was an offcut from ‘The American Slang’ sessions, a new track for a forthcoming album, or just some awesome ditty that a talented bunch of guys can write and dispose of when they see fit, the song is called ‘Biloxi Parish’. Now I could break it down for you with paragraphs of descriptive analysis, but all I really need to say is “The Gaslight Anthem” and you should already know the quality that you are in for.

Or should you? For – as can be seen on the humorous, if mumbled, preamble on the following video – front-man Brian Fallon calls this an “oddball” song. A little bit “bluesy”, a whole lot “good”, how about you watch the video and let that riff take over your soul…

Oh, and one last thing… If you want to be certain that we all get another Gaslight Anthem album some time in the future, please ensure that you don’t give “that kid from Foxy Shazam 20 bucks”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0s_0bSMNPu4&feature=related