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"Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep." Scott Adams, creator of the Dilbert Comic Strip, said this. Some could wonder who or what he was saying this to at the time. Voorhees, New Jersey/Philadelphia, Pennsylvania’s The Crosstown Rivalry don’t just blend old rock roots with new age tunes. They create their own. Of course, bands can copy other band's sounds, but wouldn’t you make Mr. Adams sad? With comparisons ranging from Fall Out Boy to New Found Glory, the 5-piece band has a bright future ahead of them. The band puts together catchy hooks and choruses with energetic break-downs and bridges. They take these comparisons and embed them into their energetic live show, with not a dull moment.

Take for instance, their 2008 release Pull Down The Sky. Produced by Rob Freeman (Hit The Lights, Cobra Starship), the album kicks off with “Greetings From The Garden State” which is nothing more than a prelude instrumental to get you hooked into the album. Followed by, “You Wish You Were Here” which sounds like a New Found Glory b-side straight down to the pop-punkish breakdowns near the end of the song. When vocalist Lawrence Theckston speaks his first words, the melodic guitars of Chris McLelland and Kevin Trzcinski make your heart skip a beat. Theckston shouts out ,“I know your with me/ So sing along we’ve got a place where we can all/Call our home” he immediately has the listener interested. Throughout the whole EP, you can tell that the band isn’t about becoming famous. They want to make music that they love and not take the similar roads of past bands. If you don’t believe me, listen to the hidden track, “Falling For You.” Soft acoustic guitar which is bound to get you thinking about that special someone. So do yourself a favor, get a pair of headphones, listen to their previous release, History Is Just His Story. Listen to the progression they have made and how they have matured. It’s really something creative.

So getting back to Mr. Adams. The band has creativity and they have been using it for the better. While they haven’t made mistakes, they certainly know what the listener wants to hear. It’s been a hard working two years for these East Coast newcomers, but 2009 looks like a gorgeous year for The Crosstown Rivalry. Be sure to catch them running all over the East Coast, cause certainly The Crosstown Rivalry won’t be Jersey’s best kept secret. They are sure to make the garden state proud.

-Kyle Schnitzer(The Daily Chorus)