Chuck Bass is hands-down the best reason to indulge in the farcical drama of Gossip Girl, so it’s intriguing to discover that the man behind those flash threads is a burgeoning rocker. And English to boot. Really? Ed Westwick’s band, The Filthy Youth, predates Gossip Girl, so you can’t completely slag him off for trying to cash in on his tween CW fame, even though the London quintet certainly will benefit from Westwick’s exposure. And the music? Not embarrassing at all. Decent even. And the listed influences are certainly promising: XTC, Paul Weller, The Hives, The Strokes, and, of course, the requisite Velvet Underground and Clash references. Conspicuously absent, however, is any mention of The Libertines- the band The Filthy Youth most closely resembles right down to Westwick’s Pete Doherty-esque phrasing. The songs posted are all demos (two of which have been featured this season in Gossip Girl), as the band is as-yet unsigned. I can’t imagine it will be long before some label starts licking its chops. Let’s hope Westwick keeps his shit together a little better than his idol.

http://www.myspace.com/thefilthyyouth