The Gaslight Anthem, Heartless Bastards

Earnest, but not earnest like a mall emo band, and punk rock, but edgier than mall punk bands, The Gaslight Anthem, which also throws a heavy dosage of Springsteen into the mix, goes far beyond most Warped Tour attendees' grasps. Touring the nation on the strength of its 2008 breakout album, The '59 Sound, the New Jersey outfit might not be as widely hyped as Springsteen back on the Born to Run tour, but, make no mistake, this band does has something special.

Sure, you can gaze at all the tattoos singer/guitarist Brian Fallon has, or you can revel in the fast tempos in some of the band's songs, but ultimately, the band isn't tied to the punk rock ball and chain. It isn't necessarily courting the kinds of heights that Springsteen aimed for on his third record, either; rather, The Gaslight Anthem is out to prove that punk rock isn't just kids' stuff. Stick around till the end too, as it's a solid bet that the band will close with the title track from The '59 Sound, one of the best songs released last year.

Austin's Heartless Bastards, no strangers to Dallas clubs since relocating from Ohio to Austin last year, open.