Music

Five songs to help you say So Long, Farewell to Motion City Soundtrack

Motion City Soundtrack are preparing to say So Long, Farewell to UK fans this month, as their final tour rolls into Manchester, Birmingham and London.

The influential Minnesota emo-pop-punk-alt-rockers (you get the idea…) announced their split earlier this year, saying, ‘we have no idea what the future holds, but for now we are done’.

Having always been so consistently honest, compelling and shamelessly reminiscent in their storytelling, MCS leave behind a glorious back-catalogue that’s inspired many musicians that’ve followed in their footsteps. None more so that Cheap Meat frontman Ross Drummond, who proudly recalls the time he skipped school to be first in line for the Commit This To Memory tour.

Here, Ross carefully handpicks five of his all-time favourite Motion City Soundtrack songs to help us prepare for the So Long, Farewell tour:

1. Severance

I think this is my favourite song of theirs. Yeah, I’m being the guy picking a track off a limited 7″ but I always wanted MCS to be a bit more dark and brooding and this is as close as they got.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aE8GlSj68No

2. A-OK

I obsess over tracklistings and how things flow on records, I’m doing it whilst we put the demos together for what will be our album (I can’t confirm or deny if there are spreadsheets). Motion City Soundtrack have consistently had great last tracks on their albums.

Motion City Soundtrack: A-OK (HQ)

3. The Weakends

Case in point. The end of My Dinosaur Life, banger. Justin Pierre is one of my favourite lyricists and I think this was him at his darkest; I love a tortured artist.

Motion City Soundtrack - My Dinosaur Life - 12 - The Weakends

4. A Life Less Ordinary

Here, have an actual music video! Justin Pierre’s commitment to the long sleeve under T-Shirt demands respect as does Jesse’s tambourine playing. Also, I figure everyone would pick stuff off the first two records but My Dinosaur Life is great.

FUN FACT: This is my most listened to Motion City Soundtrack album on iTunes!

Motion City Soundtrack - A Life Less Ordinary (Need a Little Help)

5. Attractive Today

I can’t stand the term, but, if there’s such a thing as good pop-punk, this is it.

Motion City Soundtrack - Attractive Today

Book tickets for Motion City Soundtrack now at Ticketmaster.co.uk.