Midtown: Forget What You Know

Sounds Like: Music played at a party in a teen movie.

See Also: Jimmy Eat World, Savest the Day, New Found Glory

The new album "Forget What You Know" by Midtown is quite good. "Forget What You Know" has an eclectic smoky-indie-club-with-orange-and-blue-stage-lights feel to it.

With this album, Midtown tackles religion, politics and of course, love and sex. In the song "Empty Like the Ocean" the lead singer actually told me that he "doesn't want to fuck" me. I respect that kind of honesty. So many indie rockers just string me along.

The song "Whole New World" has impressive vocals ÷ sort of Sting meets Bono with a pinch of Brian Adams. I may or may not have played it on repeat for a while.

The whole album is enjoyable. Its style ÷ indie rock meets emo meets new wave punk ÷ is something we have all seen before. But the group's sound is more raw and therefore above the rest.

This band is definitely going places. Eastside? No. Westside? No. Downtown? No. Midtown.

- Celeste Meiffren

Pidgeon: from gutter w/love

Sounds Like: The Strokes beating up on the Cardigans.

See Also: The Pixies, Motorhead (if they sucked).

Isn't it a bit much to have three lead singers for one band? Maybe not, but it's a terrible setup if they (along the rest of the band) all suck. Beyond the two male guitarists' deplorable screaming and the female guitarist's weak vocals are the overall pathetic playing skills of this San Francisco-based band.

With tracks like "War Pickle" and "Nationalism Moves West," Pidgeon (yeah, apparently they can't spell, either) makes a futile effort to sound as if they have a substantial message and thus a purpose to exist as a band. Unfortunately, Pidgeon lacks the capability to draw or keep a real fan base. In fact, I highly doubt they could pack a small bar. They probably couldn't pack a public bathroom stall.

Pidgeon should remain in the gutter and out of the recording studio.

÷ Kylee Dawson