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SPIN Sessions: The Gaslight Anthem Unplugged

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It’s easy to draw a line from the soulful punk rock of New Jersey-bred band the Gaslight Anthem back to fellow Garden State hero Bruce Springsteen. But vocalist/guitarist Brian Fallon cites another seminal influence — from the Land of 10,000 Lakes, no less.

“I don’t think there would be a Gaslight Anthem without the Replacements,” Fallon said during his recent performance at SPIN’s NYC office, before opening with an acoustic cover of the Minnesota indie band’s “Left of the Dial,” from 1985’s Tim. Indeed, Fallon’s rough-hewn vocals bring to mind a young Paul Westerberg.

But the tune holds another meaning for the singer: “I always thought that last line in there — ‘If I don’t see you again for a long long while / I’ll try to find you left of the dial’ — meant looking at a radio station as a place where you find friends.”

Check out Fallon’s performance, as well as acoustic renditions of “The ’59 Sound” and “Old White Lincoln,” from the Gaslight Anthem’s 2008 sophomore effort, The ’59 Sound, below.

More Gaslight Anthem on SPIN.com:
>> Gaslight Anthem MP3: “Blue Jeans & White T-Shirts”
>> Video: The Gaslight Anthem Rock NYC