Music >> Artists >> Alternative
Formed:
1999 in Minneapolis, MN

Genre:
Alternative

Years Active:
'90s, '00s, '10s






Motion City Soundtrack

Biography

A leading light in the punk-pop genre, Motion City Soundtrack includes members Joshua Cain (guitar), Tony Thaxton (drums), Justin Pierre (vocals/guitar), Jesse Johnson (Moog), and Matthew Taylor (bass). Following their high-school graduation, Minneapolis natives Pierre and Cain — both of whom were inspired by Sunny Day Real Estate, Jawbox, the Flaming Lips, and Superchunk — formed the band in 1999. The pair assembled a temporary lineup and issued a self-released 7" that same year. Later, while touring through Pennsylvania in support of their release, Motion City Soundtrack met Thaxton and Taylor of the Virginia-based band Submerge. The two musicians decided to leave their hometown of Richmond, VA, to join Motion City Soundtrack full-time, and the expanded band soon entered the studio with producer/engineer Ed Rose (the Get Up Kids, Ultimate Facebook). Three weeks before recording commenced, they were also joined by keyboardist Jesse Johnson (whose personal record label, Ordinary Records, had issued some of Jimmy Eat World's earliest material in 1995) to relieve singer/guitarist Pierre of his synthesizer duties. . A leading light in the punk-pop genre, Motion City Soundtrack includes members Joshua Cain (guitar), Tony Thaxton (drums), Justin Pierre (vocals/guitar), Jesse Johnson (Moog), and Matthew Taylor (bass). Following their high-school graduation, Minneapolis natives Pierre and Cain — both of whom were inspired by Sunny Day Real Estate, Jawbox, the Flaming Lips, and Superchunk — formed the band in 1999. The pair assembled a temporary lineup and issued a self-released 7" that same year. Later, while touring through Pennsylvania in support of their release, Motion City Soundtrack met Thaxton and Taylor of the Virginia-based band Submerge. The two musicians decided to leave their hometown of Richmond, VA, to join Motion City Soundtrack full-time, and the expanded band soon entered the studio with producer/engineer Ed Rose (the Get Up Kids, Ultimate Facebook). Three weeks before recording commenced, they were also joined by keyboardist Jesse Johnson (whose personal record label, Ordinary Records, had issued some of Jimmy Eat World's earliest material in 1995) to relieve singer/guitarist Pierre of his synthesizer duties.

With a new lineup firmly in place, the band's punk-glazed debut, I Am the Movie, was released in the summer of 2003. While playing venues and basements in support of the album, Motion City Soundtrack was picked up by Epitaph Records; later, they joined blink-182 on a tour through Europe and Japan. Blink's bassist, Mark Hoppus, took a liking to the band and agreed to produce their next album; the resulting Commit This to Memory was released two years later and featured an increasingly pop-heavy sound. A deluxe version of the album (complete with bonus DVD) appeared in 2006, and the band spent the summer on Warped Tour before heading to Europe with OK Go that fall. Entering the studio for the third time, Motion City Soundtrack began to work with producers Adam Schlesinger (of Fountains of Wayne), Eli Janney (of Girls Against Boys), and Ric Ocasek (of the Cars). The completed product, Even If It Kills Me, was released in September 2007.

Even If It Kills Me cracked the Top 20 during its first week, becoming the band's highest-charting album to date. Major labels took notice, and by the following summer, Motion City Soundtrack had signed a new contract with Columbia Records. Eager to capitalize on such momentum, the group quickly wrapped up their Warped Tour obligations, wrote new material during the latter half of 2008, and returned to the recording studio with Mark Hoppus. My Dinosaur Life was completed by June 2009 and released early the following year, with "Disappear" serving as the lead single. After a couple years of touring, which found the band making stops all over the United States as well the U.K. and Brazil, Motion City Soundtrack went back into the studio in 2011 to work on new material. Their fifth album, Go, arrived in 2012 on Epitaph.

Top Albums

Inside Out - Single, Motion City Soundtrack
1. Inside Out -..
My Dinosaur Life (Deluxe Version), Motion City Soundtrack
2. My Dinosaur ..
Even If It Kills Me (Bonus Track Version), Motion City Soundtrack
3. Even If It K..
Commit This to Memory, Motion City Soundtrack
4. Commit This ..
Go (Deluxe Edition), Motion City Soundtrack
5. Go (Deluxe E..
My Dinosaur Life, Motion City Soundtrack
6. My Dinosaur ..
I Am the Movie, Motion City Soundtrack
7. I Am the Mov..
Even If It Kills Me - EP, Motion City Soundtrack
8. Even If It K..
Commit This to Memory (Deluxe Version), Motion City Soundtrack
9. Commit This ..
Even If It Kills Me, Motion City Soundtrack
10. Even If It K..
Go, Motion City Soundtrack
11. Go
My Dinosaur Life, Motion City Soundtrack
12. My Dinosaur ..
Commit This to Memory, Motion City Soundtrack
13. Commit This ..
Matchbook Romance / Motion City Soundtrack - EP, Matchbook Romance
14. Matchbook Ro..
Even If It Kills Me, Motion City Soundtrack
15. Even If It K..
Making Moves - Single, Motion City Soundtrack
16. Making Moves..
Timelines - Single, Motion City Soundtrack
17. Timelines - ..
True Romance - Single, Motion City Soundtrack
18. True Romance..
Wait So Long / Disappear - Single, Motion City Soundtrack
19. Wait So Long..
Her Words Destroyed My Planet - Single, Motion City Soundtrack
20. Her Words De..

Top Songs

NameAlbumTimePrice
1.
Inside OutInside Out - Single3:08$1.29
2.
Everything Is AlrightCommit This to Memory3:27$1.29
3.
Fell In Love Without You (Acoustic) ..Even If It Kills Me (Bonus ..3:25$1.29
4.
Future Freaks Me OutI Am the Movie3:36$1.29
5.
L.G. FuadCommit This to Memory3:06$1.29
6.
Her Words Destroyed My PlanetMy Dinosaur Life (Deluxe Ve..3:38$0.99
7.
This Is for RealEven If It Kills Me (Bonus ..3:10$1.29
8.
Hold Me DownCommit This to Memory5:19$1.29
9.
Everything Is AlrightBad News Bears (Original Mo..3:28$0.99
10.
Time Turned Fragile (Live)Fearless Collection Vol 7 (..4:01$0.99
11.
Pictures of SuccessMaking Moves - Single4:27$1.29
12.
Major LeaguesMaking Moves - Single3:13$1.29
13.
SeveranceMaking Moves - Single3:11$1.29
14.
Alcohol Eyes (Bonus Track)Go (Deluxe Edition)2:57$1.29
15.
Give Up/Give In (Bonus Track)Go (Deluxe Edition)3:39$1.29
16.
Bottom Feeder (Bonus Track)Go (Deluxe Edition)3:21$1.29
17.
Floating Down the RiverGo (Deluxe Edition)3:15$1.29
18.
Happy AnniversaryGo (Deluxe Edition)4:17$1.29
19.
Bad IdeaGo (Deluxe Edition)3:04$1.29
20.
Worst Is Yet to ComeGo (Deluxe Edition)3:56$1.29
21.
BoxelderGo (Deluxe Edition)3:20$1.29
22.
Coma KidGo (Deluxe Edition)3:30$1.29
23.
Everyone Will DieGo (Deluxe Edition)2:46$1.29
24.
TimelinesGo (Deluxe Edition)4:04$1.29
25.
Son of a GunGo (Deluxe Edition)3:20$1.29

Top Music Videos

It Had to Be You, Motion City Soundtrack
1. It Had to Be ...
Broken Heart (Uncensored Version), Motion City Soundtrack
2. Broken Heart ...
Her Words Destroyed My Planet, Motion City Soundtrack
3. Her Words Des...
Everything Is Alright, Motion City Soundtrack
4. Everything Is...
This Is For Real, Motion City Soundtrack
5. This Is For R...
Fell In Love Without You (Acoustic), Motion City Soundtrack
6. Fell In Love ...
Disappear, Motion City Soundtrack
7. Disappear
Broken Heart, Motion City Soundtrack
8. Broken Heart
Disappear, Motion City Soundtrack
9. Disappear
Hold Me Down, Motion City Soundtrack
10. Hold Me Down
True Romance, Motion City Soundtrack
11. True Romance
On the Dino Trail (With Justin Pierre), Motion City Soundtrack
12. On the Dino T...


Comments



US iTunes, App Store, iBookstore, and Mac App Store
US iTunes, App Store, iBookstore, and Mac App Store

Become a fan of the Show Up Music on Facebook for exclusive offers, the inside scoop on latest and most exclusive music albums, singles and videos.