Customer Reviews

Welcome to the Middle

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

alright...do this:
take a lil radiohead...put it in a bowl.
then take some coldplay, and put it in there too.
then, take a slab of smashing pumpkins, and toss it in as well.
and finally, throw in your favorite emo band. blend it up...

you now have...laguardia!

i'm not sure why this hasn't caught on more yet. fans of the alt/rock scene should be eating this up.

the vocalist sounds like thom yorke trying to sing like billy corgan. lyrics: think emo. the music: think the complexity of radiohead, with the sound of coldplay, with the aggression of some of the old pumpkins albums.

the first 3 tracks are amazing, as well as...well...all of the songs.

so jump on the indie train and pick this up.

I saw these guys a couple months ago at the Black Cat in D.C. and I instantly loved their fresh sound in a world of banal and trite manufactured music. I saw them again last week while they were on tour in support of this album and their set was tighter and more emotionally powerful than ever.
I would blend Laguardia somewhere between pure, solid rock and roll and a more progressive, alternative indie sound supported by an awesome keyboard and powerful drums that are at times haunting and other times hard driving, fist-shaking rock. The tracks on the album are phenomenal, especially "Banner", which always finds me singing out loud from the first lyric, "Come back home and see your friends....We all have the best intentions....Banner...." The single off the album, "Holy Ghost" is a truly great track which is normally the first song I turn on to start my day with caffeinated, musical energy.
"Roseanna" immediately makes you wonder the kind of "behind the music" story about the girl who inspired (or should I say uninspired?) such a great song. Finally, "Butterfly" is as complex an arrangement as you'll find in modern music, taking the listener on a roller-coaster of sounds that suddenly stop at the end of the Penn Station line.
In the end, every song on this album is pure and unspoiled from the paradigms in today's music world. The band brings you through the rise and fall of life's mecurial, emotional thermometer and saves us the hangover normally associated with such troubles by delivering these experiences in a nicely packaged jewel case.

This is one hell of an album. laguardia is from my home of philadelphia, and i have seen them them live a few times over the years, and theyve given incredibly fun and high-energy shows. this is an amazing album, and with its infectious rhythms and melodies, i cant stop listening to it. a few of their songs sound kind of similar to bands like radiohead, but they really do have a style all their own. its just an upbeat, fast-moving alternitive-type album that never stops rocking! I love it!

I was lucky enough to catch Laguardia on tour, opening for the Fire Theft, and I was blown away. I knew I had to get this album when I heard "Butterfly", and upon first listen, each song is equally as good. A truely great album

Wow. This is a great disc. Mature songwriting, intricate and unpredictable melodies, and music with some real emotional meat. The comparisons to Radiohead and Coldplay are understandable, but misplaced. Laguardia is in a league of it's own. Buy this disc, or at least stream their stuff at laguardiamusic.com to convince yourself.

Laguardia's debut--'Welcome to the Middle'--is an incredible album that is well worth the $10. I second the other reviewer's surprise that indie fans haven't given Laguardia the kudos they deserve. Laguardia's sound is unique, but they do remind one of an edgier Radiohead. The lead singer has a distinctive voice that sounds almost like Bob Dylan in some ways. I saw the band several times in 2003 and this year at a couple of venues in DC--Velvet Lounge and the Black Cat--and thought their live performances were outstanding. Recommended without reservations. -Wash, DC

this album is truely something different....I have always been in hot pursuit of new music..(not the radio ready kind)...I just bought Beluah? yoko....Holy Sons....Arab Strap,Hugs and Pints at the...blah blah blah...not since The Shins "oh interverted world" have I enjoyed an album so much...and been surprised by the consistency of quality in the writing..for example..I bought the Fruit Bats recently,...and the record was good, but had no spark....from "Banner", to "Cuba"...Laguardia's songs make me sing. The only problem is that i know pretty soon every one else will be singing too and it is going to drive me out of my mind...so i'll enjoy it now while it lasts.BUY THIS ALBUM!!!

I saw Laguardia live with The Fire Theft(BEST EMO EVER) and they were fantastic. So i went and got the CD, and, belive me when i say...its amazing.

Damn. This band had some potential, back in 2000 the second song on the album, "Hpoly Ghost", totally could have been a huge radio single and the rest of the album flirted with blonde redhead-esque melodies. Sadly they are no more.

Buy this disc! You'll be sorry if you don't invest 10 bucks to get the best new alternative music out there. Bottom line: These guys rock! Saw them in Philly recently. See them before they're big and require you to join a fan club to get show tix. They're more than worth t.