Piebald, and Jealous Sound

If you've ever sat in your third-period trigonometry class and daydreamed that Ben Folds would hook up with the guys from Weezer to record an album (and really, who hasn't?), then boy do I have a band for you: Piebald. Don't let the third wave ska-style name throw you off -- this is a peppy, punky, piano-flecked foursome from Boston that's kinda emo in the way that only a band whose best song is called "Holden Caulfield" can be, yet goofy enough to avoid coming off like bellyaching buffoons. Some purist Piebaldies have complained that the band's just-released fifth album, All Ears, All Eyes, All the Time, continues to trade in the sloppy hard-core crunch and time-signature craziness of old for a more polished pop-rock sound. True, perhaps, but grow up -- Piebald has.

Jealous Sound is an emo supergroup -- members of the L.A. quartet have previously logged time in Knapsack, Jawbox, Shudder to Think, and Sunday's Best -- without the superwhine. Unfortunately, it's also without the supersongs. If Jimmy Eat World ever pulled a hamstring, I'd stick 'em in the lineup, but beyond that I wouldn't give 'em much playing time.