Why is the Gaslight Anthem lableled a "punk" band?

To me punk has become a cause with many groups attached. The term punk has been pillaged for many years and is now an empty shell (in my opinion). The Gaslight are punk on the basis that their music has a "punk sound", their influences are punk bands, and they emerged from the New Jersey punk scene.

Punk has become very militant and elitist. But I think the music emerging through the door it originally kicked open is great and continues to expand.

I've always seen the "lonesome, down-on-his-luck everyman" vibe that all of Brian's songs give out as "punk". Previous posts have said how punk is a way for the unaccepted to be accepted; that's how I feel about the lyrics.

EvilHead wrote:

When I first listen TGA i thought they was a punk band but after listen to more songs you can understand that they are more than a simply punk band!

THIS. They are more than simply a punk band. That doesn't mean they can't be punk as a one element. Sometimes it's more in just who they are as people, and other times it's reflected in their music. I think it's possible to be punk combined with other things. That's what makes you worth listening to. I mean if you really wanna get technical, punk was only the stuff that came out in the 70s

StitchesOnTheRadio wrote:

EvilHead wrote:

When I first listen TGA i thought they was a punk band but after listen to more songs you can understand that they are more than a simply punk band!

THIS. They are more than simply a punk band. That doesn't mean they can't be punk as a one element. Sometimes it's more in just who they are as people, and other times it's reflected in their music. I think it's possible to be punk combined with other things. That's what makes you worth listening to. I mean if you really wanna get technical, punk was only the stuff that came out in the 70s

70's punk is usually called '77 punk, where'd you hear that.

Bluuu wrote:

StitchesOnTheRadio wrote:

EvilHead wrote:

When I first listen TGA i thought they was a punk band but after listen to more songs you can understand that they are more than a simply punk band!

THIS. They are more than simply a punk band. That doesn't mean they can't be punk as a one element. Sometimes it's more in just who they are as people, and other times it's reflected in their music. I think it's possible to be punk combined with other things. That's what makes you worth listening to. I mean if you really wanna get technical, punk was only the stuff that came out in the 70s

70's punk is usually called '77 punk, where'd you hear that.

well 77 is in the 70s. Anyway I heard it from talking to a lot of people, took several music studies classes that all said the same thing. There's other types of punk now so I'm just kidding around. What I'm getting at is not the sound of the music so much as the intention behind it. It's confusing. I tried writing several things here that explained what I'm getting at and none of it said it right so I'm not going to try and explain because I don't remember the wording other people used so I'm gonna say it wrong and everyone's gonna freak out.

I was just jokin' around because people get so crazy about what's punk and not punk and the "purity" of it all.

No, I totally get that and agree 100%

"Punk was whatever we made it to be." - D. Boon