I'm in love with the way you're in love with the night

February 19, 2013 10:06 PM

Every Word Handwritten is a new short film by New Jersey rockers The Gaslight Anthem centered around the lifespan of a single vinyl record. It's title comes from a line in Handwritten, a song off their album of the same name. The Gaslight Anthem have long written about the power of old music formats, from their proclamation that they're the 'last of the jukebox Romeos' on their first album to their many invocations of the mythical 'radio' on songs like Angry Johnny and the Radio and Queen Of Lower Chelsea to 45, another song from Handwritten.
posted by Charlemagne In Sweatpants (4 comments total)

I really like Gaslight Anthem, but this video sort of fell flat for me, which is odd, because I usually like stories about objects. But I don't think any of the people actually captured me as all that interesting; their relationships seemed sort of vaguely defined and generally insignificant.

It did remind me to go listen to Gaslight Anthem some more though, so net positive on the whole.
posted by NoraReed at 11:48 PM on February 19, 2013 [1 favorite]

Like any good hipster, I'm totally on board with (odes to) vinyl records and physical objects and custom-made things. But when I watch the music video honestly all I can think is that it is a celebration of a mythical past in which pop culture was More White.

If the Gaslight Anthem were from Colorado or Minnesota or somewhere like that this wouldn't be a big deal, but they are from New Brunswick - my hometown - so I am judging them pretty hard.
posted by subdee at 1:11 AM on February 20, 2013

subdee,

The Gaslight Anthem also sing about how they want to be cool like Miles Davis, so its not all white.

The '59 Sound is a masterpiece of Springsteen influenced pop rock.

And, their first album contains the greatest Jersey song title of all time: "We're getting a divorce, you keep the diner."
posted by MisantropicPainforest at 5:44 AM on February 20, 2013 [1 favorite]

The fictional record in the film reminds me of the cover of Sunshine & Technology by the Smith Street Band, who are pretty obscure in America - BUT they've supported several friends of Gaslight Anthem like Against Me! and Frank Turner.

I have to agree the film is a bit underwhelming, and it looks like it was shot with an Instagram filter.
posted by Charlemagne In Sweatpants at 4:33 PM on February 20, 2013