There's a scene in Spielberg's Catch Me If You Can where Frank Abagnail asks, "Why do the Yankees always win? Because no one can take their eyes off the pinstripes." Motion City Soundtrack are the pinstripes of the modern scene. They're exactly what you want a band to be; they look like rock stars, the act like rock stars and most importantly they sound like the raw edged yet fun band that's missing from your CD collection. Motion City Soundtrack have a wide following, ranging from the adrenalin fed skater kids with No Fear logos on their t-shirts to the more mature end of the alternative landscape. The intelligently crafted lyrics and slick melodies on the reticent Indoor Living and the intense Modern Chemistry cater to all members of the audience. The Future Freaks Me Out and Autographs & Apologies are the stand out tracks of the set, each member of the band revealing their pinstripes.
Realising that I hadn't written the setlist down, mid-way through absorbing My Favorite Accident I started jotting on a scrap of paper. One of those adrenaline fed skater kids, with the slogan 'If you're not living on the edge, you're taking up too much room' on his t-shirt, turned around and asked if I was reviewing the gig. He said "Just write this down: Motion City fuckin' rock. Full stop, The end." Who could argue with that? :: Paul Newbold |
