Jersey Shore's offspring, Jerseylicious and Jersey Couture, are two trashy reality TV shows giving the Garden State a bad name right now. But not all things Jersey are as nauseating as the sight of Snooki without makeup. Take The Gaslight Anthem, for example. The '59 Sound, the New Brunswick quartet's 2008 sophomore album, catapulted them into national stardom, joining the ranks of Jersey-bred rockers Bruce Springsteen and Bon Jovi. (The Gaslight Anthem even drew The Boss onstage with them during a performance last year in Europe.) Now touring in support of American Slang, a solid follow-up to The '59 Sound, The Gaslight Anthem has graduated to larger venues, but is still offering fans the same kind of rockin' blue-collar poetry that conjures images of hot rods, slicked-back hair, and cuffed jeans.

• Local Wire