Editor’s Note: Lindsay Hutton is a freelance writer who has been involved with the Twin Cities music scene since 2004. She first met Motion City Soundtrack in 2007 and was also present during some of the recording process for their latest album My Dinosaur Life. We’re glad to offer her personal perspective on the new album in the following guest article, and you may contact her at lindsay.m.r.hutton [at] gmail [dot] com for any inquiries.

Motion City Soundtrack is a band with solid roots in the midwest music scene since 2003. Since then they have steadily headed toward the industry’s standard of success, yet in many ways they have also re-imagined the concept of triumph. With roughly ten years of rigorous touring even without steady radio play, this Minnesota-based band has earned the distinction of putting on some of the most solid rock shows and has developed one of the most dedicated and positive fanbases worldwide.

Attend a MCS show, and you cannot help but get swept away with the chorus-chanting, head-bobbing, fist-pumping crowd. Having earned such a well-established fanbase through their previous independent label (Epitaph) and their exceptional personal reputations gained by always staying to talk with the very last fan at their shows, they have taken the natural step for the future growth of their music by signing to Columbia Records. And on January 19th, they are releasing their new album My Dinosaur Life.

Produced by Mark Hoppus of Blink-182, My Dinosaur Life feels like a more raw—more genuine—Motion City Soundtrack. Justin Pierre’s vocals are less practiced, but more honest. Matt Taylor’s bass lines seem more distinctive and drive several of the tracks. Jesse Johnson textures the album with Moog synthesizers. Joshua Cain and Pierre’s guitars are tenacious and divergent. And Tony Thaxton’s drums are, as always, expert.

The different, revitalized feel of this album could very well have incidentally been created while trying to work around the band’s greatest obstacle of 2009. With drummer Thaxton’s arm healing from a major break all year, the band had to find new ways of writing and recording the album. This led to more experimentation in song writing, and because the bandmates were often separated by several states while composing, the album ended up being an eclectic gathering of songs that were clearly influenced strongly by different members.

This experimentation allowed the band to refresh their music, delivering a sound that the fans have always loved, but one that plays like a love child from their three previous albums. Motion City Soundtrack’s followers often distinguish themselves by which record they have “favorited” from this band, but whichever they prefer, My Dinosaur Life has songs to please the entire realm of Motion City fans.

The album opens with a quick ditty, “Worker Bee,” that sounds like a familiar opener, while the next few tracks take you quickly into an explorative journey for MCS. “A Lifeless Ordinary” is bouncy, and the bass prompts you to get up and dance. Similarly, “Her Words Destroyed My Planet” (Watch the video for it) is a gritty pop single laden with pulp culture references.

From there, the record takes you from the lightness of the first tracks into the darker territory of the band with “Disappear,” a more rock-influenced song that feels like you are being allowed into a previously unseen depth. The album pulls you back up into “Delirium” with its catchy bass lines, but at the same time you are taken farther down into Pierre’s wounded lyrics (“There’s a voice / There’s a voice / There’s a voice in my head / It’s rather soothing and it tells me I’d be better off dead”). “History Lesson” neatly wraps up your course in struggle and despondency with an anthem to those who have seen it all but have nothing to say about it. This song is one that buddies will inevitably shout around at their favorite bars.

Whereas the first half of the album sneakily exposes you to what seems like a different side of MCS, the second half of the album flows ahead with mostly poppy, bounce-able songs. “Stand Too Close” is an acoustic, self-deprecating love song; typical for Pierre’s lyrics. “Pulp Fiction” is an electric, pretty pop tune that could be found floating above a Japanese disco, while “@!#?@!” is another anthem, but one that is much more tongue-in-cheek. Scene kids will sing this curse-ridden chorus together out of their car windows on their way to the Triple Rock or to Station 4.

“Hysteria” is packed full of nervous energy, and pushes you frantically onto the rest of the record. “Skin and Bones” is another love song, but with a dismal point of view (“Will we be alright left alone tonight?”) that leaves you wanting just one more song. And after the fun ride of the second half, “The Weakends” closes out the album. With its dark lyrics and grueling guitars, it dutifully reminds you of the different, harder sound you heard in the first half of the album, and many will likely go right back to the beginning to hear it again.

My Dinosaur Life will no doubt bring much more credit to this deserving Minneapolis band. Not only from the already true fans and familiar critics, but also from the music lovers who never realized that the place between “L” and “N” in their music collection was waiting for Motion City Soundtrack to occupy it.

On “Worker Bee” Pierre sings, “It’s been a good year / A good new beginning / I’ve been a good little worker bee / I deserve a gold star.” Not only one gold star, Motion City Soundtrack, you deserve five. Here’s to hoping it is indeed a good year, and with all of the buzz for this record already, it’s looking like it will be. Hopefully you already have a ticket for their sold out show at First Ave on January 23rd, as it is sure to be full of dedicated followers and excitement for the new material.

Editor’s Note: Lindsay also conducted a short interview with Justin from Motion City Soundtrack, which you can find below.

Lindsay: What was the most exciting or rewarding part of recording My Dinosaur Life?

Justin: I think the most exhilarating thing about physically making this record was knowing we had to deliver it at a certain time to a company of a certain size, yet we had a drummer with a broken arm and no idea when he’d be ready to play on it. That really set up the overall attitude of how we approached this particular beast. We sort of had a “whatever happens, happens” attitude which was very freeing. Working with Mark again allowed us to do this in a very relaxed way as we have a sort of short hand with him in the studio and he is a champion of the band.

Lindsay: In turn, what was the most challenging aspect?

Justin: Mostly the one-armed drummer scenario and the anticipation of whether or not he’d be ready in time. For me it has always been the lyrics. Usually there are two or three songs that I am unable to write lyrics to for various reasons. It gets down to the wire and suddenly we have 2 days left and I have no words, yet I’ve been writing everyday at night after the session is finished. Often times I’ll have one really great line in a verse and be unable to match it in quality. This happened with the song “The Weakends.” I ended up chopping the whole 1st verse I had into pieces, letting the 2nd verse get some of the good stuff, then changed the melody for the 2nd half of each verse completely and going in a separate direction all together. Up until this point I had spent a month or two trying to force it to work. After I made the aforementioned changes, it pretty much wrote itself in a matter of hours.

Lindsay: Motion City Soundtrack has had the opportunity to tour worldwide and visit hundreds of cities, yet you still call Minneapolis home. In your opinion, what is the most charming aspect of Minnesota? What keeps you here?

Justin: I actually enjoy the fact that we have seasons. For some reason Minnesota gets disgustingly hot in the Summers and ridiculously cold in the Winters. As much as I hate this, it reminds me that I am alive, and I can dig that. Also, I like the whole big, small town feel the city has. It’s big enough to lose yourself in, yet small enough to know where everything is.

Lindsay: You have a show on the 23rd of January at First Ave in support of My Dinosaur Life. What can your fans expect to hear during this tour? Are you playing all of your new tracks off of the album, or will there be an even mix of new and beloved old songs?

Justin: The plan is to eventually be able to play everything. I’m sure there will be a healthy mix of old and new, but the emphasis will be on the new for now.

Lindsay: Any last words?

Justin: Yeah. Always do the right thing.

Links

Motion City Soundtrack – Website / MySpace (stream the new album) / Facebook / YouTube

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posted January 18th, 2010 at 10:27 am Reviews Lindsay Hutton, Motion City Soundtrack