Soundwave 2010 - Motion City Soundtrack

Fans have been waiting for Justin Pierre and his Motion City Soundtrack to come back to Australia for a long time and their Soundwave performance did not disappoint. Showing the world that they are truly the band to beat after their success of their first three albums, I Am The Movie, Even If It Kills Me and Commit This To Memory. In 2010, after 4 years of waiting, Motion City Soundtrack release a fourth disc and with that a new and anger-filled record to excite and entice old fans as well as capture new fans with tracks from with new record – My Dinosaur Life. Also being their first record on a mainstream recording label – Columbia we see the band branch out and encourage a wider range of music for the mainstream listeners around the world with new popular favourites like Disappear and Her Words Destroyed My Planet.

At Eastern Creek Raceway, they looked good and their energy was excellent producing a solid outing and for me a great start to Soundwave. Although outnamed by so many other acts this year, they only received a short 30-40 minute set but that was sufficient for Justin to promote the new album as well as play some old favourites that fans came to hear.

1.Disappear
2.The Future Freaks Me Out
3.My Favourite Accident
4.Broken Heart
5.When You're Around
6.Delerium
7.This Is For Real
8.A Lifeless Ordinary
9.Attractive Today
10.Her Words Destroyed My Planet
11.Everything Is Alright

Soundwave Review - Overall

Soundwave at Eastern Creek Raceway like past years gone by produces a large array of rock, metal, emo and punk rock acts to come around to Australia and blast away with noise. This year we say a multitude of international acts appear from all over the world. What brings tear to mine and I'm sure many fan's eyes is the rebirth and reformation of several acts including minor favourite band - The Get Up Kids, who have molded the path of modern Emo-Pop for the generation of listeners around the world over the last decade.

Interestingly, not only the reforming of bands occurred but Soundwave Festival 2010 was a chance for international acts to show what they have done for popular and rock music around the world including Paramore, Motion City Soundtrack and Jimmy Eat World. But who really stole the stage away this year? Eagles of Death Metal and Reel Big Fish produced solid live outings as hoped but nothing can be taken away from the main stage acts that were brought in for those old fans; and encapsulated young listeners out there as well - Jane's Addiction and Faith No More. With Perry Farrell and Mike Patten's stage presence mixed with their deep and influential alternative rock/metal music over the 80s and 90s they were quite simply FAST and LOUD and brought fans together as one, although hardcore Anti-Flag or H.I.M. fans just couldn't miss those acts on alternate stages.

Stay tuned - Individual reviews coming soon...

Confirmed Act 1: Motion City Soundtrack

Well all the bands that are coming, particularly the bigger acts will have a problem since their dilemma of trying to mix the old and the new stuff, seeing that most of they had a new album in the last 18 months. None more so than Motion City Soundtrack. They have flown under the radar for quite some time in the alternative rock and pop-punk world yet their stage presence, stage antics and ability to lyrically write fantastic songs bodes well for 2010. After releasing their newest record, My Dinosaur Life, in late January 2010, this will surely be the majority of the act with such poppy and catchy track as Worker Bee, Delirium, Her Words Destroyed My Planet, Stand Too Close and Disappear, they essentially could cover the whole 40 minute set with the new album... but they won't. Of course there will be moments of the older stuff while fans love and obviously some new fans will enjoy the set due to the increasingly poppy yet meaningful lyrics and music by Motion City Soundtrack.

1.Worker Bee
2.The Future Freaks Me Out
3.My Favourite Accident
4.Broken Heart
5.Delirium
6.This Is For Real
7.When “You're” Around
8.Pulp Fiction
9.Motherfuckers
10.Last Night
11.A Lifeless Ordinary (Need A Little Help)
12.Even If It Kills Me
13.Attractive Today
14.Stand Too Close
15.Perfect Teeth
16.Her Words Destroyed My Planet
17.L.G. FUAD
18.Disappear
19.Everything Is Alright

Soundwave Festival 2010 Mix Volume 1

1. Anti-Flag - The Press Corpse
2. Jimmy Eat World - A Praise Chorus
3. Motion City Soundtrack - Delirium
4. Jane's Addiction - Mountain Song
5. Faith No More - Epic
6. The Get Up Kids - Ten Minutes
7. Paramore - Ignorance
8. Anti-Flag - Power To The Peaceful
9. Faith No More - We Care A Lot
10. The Get Up Kids - Holiday
11. Jane's Addiction - Stop!
12. AFI - Miss Murder
13. Motion City Soundtrack - Disappear
14. Paramore - Brick By Boring Brick
15. AFI - Medicate
16. Jimmy Eat World - Blister
17. Motion City Soundtrack - Everything Is Alright
18. Jimmy Eat World - Sweetness

Motion City Soundtrack - My Dinosaur Life

This album was written by the five members of Motion City Soundtrack, produced by Mark Hoppus of Blink-182 fame, and mixed by the legendary Andy Wallace. If that isn't enough to describe just how undeniably accessible and fun "My Dinosaur Life" is, then I must continue.

This album seems to find Motion City Soundtrack coming through a difficult time, but with a but sunnier outlook than that of their previous album, "Even If It Kills Me". The opening track, "Worker Bee", is not a typical super-fast sugar rush like the listener may be expecting if they are familiar with this band. It is, comparatively, a mid-tempo track in this context. It still has the quality that makes it perfect to open the gates on a great pop-rock album, and sets the tone for a bumpy yet enjoyable ride.

"Her Words Destroyed My Planet", if I had to wager, will be recognized as a big hit sooner rather than later. If you don't believe me, watch the video. Try not to have flashbacks to the memorable Fall Out Boy video for "Dance, Dance". I dare you.

"Disappear" may be the angriest track this band have ever released, or at least the most frenetic. The vocals sound like a panic attack that somehow managed to find its way to a microphone.

Motion City Soundtrack shines brightly when they lay their hearts on the line. "Stand Too Close" will prove this, if you don't believe me. If you don't wistfully recall some lost love or recover a deep-seated pain from listening to "Skin and Bones", you're a robot, and in the words of William Murderface, robots are NOT to be trusted.

The sound of this album has all of the guitar, synth and drums that you expect from this band. But as a fan, and a musician who started on four strings, I urge the listener to dig deep and appreciate the deftness of Matt Taylor's bass playing. Taylor's developing skill certainly anchors the sound of this album.

Lyrics and Singing: Justin Pierre is a master lyricist not because he paints an abstract and dark canvas of enigmatic poetry. He is a master of his role as main lyric writer for Motion City Soundtrack because he tells his story with brutal honesty, down to every anal-retentive detail of whatever inspires the track in question. Whether it is the disillusioned but hopeful spirit conveyed in the key lines of opening track "Worker Bee" (I've been a good little worker bee / I deserve a gold star"), the pop-culture references that this band have become known for ("Her Words Destroyed My Planet", "Stand Too Close"), or the hilariously and nonchalantly profane "@!#?@!", the lyrics never let up in tone.

My only gripe is that for a guy who claims to be sober and clean, Mr. Pierre seems to have a continuing fixation on drugs, evidenced in "Delirium". It's still a catchy and memorable track, but how many times can one man beat the same dead horse?

Impression: Is there a number higher than 10 that I can choose for this category? Honestly, this is my favorite Motion City Soundtrack album since the beginning of their career. "My Dinosaur Life" has established that not only are this group of outcast musicians and misfit Midwesterners catchy, but they are competent. Motion City Soundtrack has made an album that plays to every strong point of every note or lyric that this quintet have previously put to celluloid or computer. It shoe-gazes without being overly self-aware. It is bouncy, bouyant, and I can safely say it is brilliant.

Alice In Wonderland Soundtrack

AT THE REQUEST OF A FRIEND, I HAVE RECORDED A COVER VERSION OF THE FAIN/HILLIARD SONG 'VERY GOOD ADVICE' FROM THE OLD WALT DISNEY 'ALICE IN WONDERLAND' FILM, FOR THE NEW WALT DISNEY (TIM BURTON) 'ALICE IN WONDERLAND' FILM...

IT'S IN WITH THESE
AND OUT ON THE 2ND OF MARCH I THINK...

01.  Alice Performed by Avril Lavigne
02.  The Poison Performed by The All-American Rejects
03.  The Technicolor Phase Performed by Owl City
04.  Her Name Is Alice Performed by Shinedown
05.  Painting Flowers Performed by All Time Low
06.  Where's My Angel Performed by Metro Station
07.  Strange Performed by Tokio Hotel and Kerli
08.  Follow Me Down Performed by 3OH!3 feat. Neon Hitch
09.  Very Good Advice Performed by Robert Smith
10.  In Transit Performed by Mark Hoppus with Pete Wentz
11.  Welcome To Mystery Performed by Plain White T’s
12.  Tea Party Performed by Kerli
13.  The Lobster Quadrille Performed by Franz Ferdinand
14.  Running Out of Time Performed by Motion City Soundtrack
15.  Fell Down a Hole Performed by Wolfmother
16.  White Rabbit Performed by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals

ANY OTHER NEWS THAT'S FIT TO PRINT?

I HAVE RECORDED A COVER FOR A JOHN MARTYN TRIBUTE ALBUM, AS WELL AS A COUPLE OR THREE OTHER 'COLLABORATIONS'... THERE IS AN 'EXCLUSIVE' ITUNES ALBUM STILL IN THE WORKS... AND PART TWO OF THE 'DREAM' SESSIONS IS SLOWLY TAKING SHAPE...

THERE IS HOWEVER A LOT OF FLUX AROUND...
SO MORE REAL NEWS WHEN THE AIR CLEARS

RSX