Casey's EPs, Songs, and Albums of 2012

Reflecting back on 2012, I can't help to compare it to 2011 due to the fact that I only started paying attention to a broader scope of music that year. As of now, 2012 feels a lot weaker at the top than 2011, however the depth far surpasses it. It pained me to leave off records such as Chromatics, Gifts From Enola, Lone, Masked Intruder and Savoir Adore, but this year just had too many strong albums to mention every single one of them. It's even crazier when you think that if you had told me that all of Two Door Cinema Club, Say Anything, Sleigh Bells and Motion City Soundtrack wouldn't have a place on this list, I would have thought you were crazy. Surely a couple of those could release poor albums, but there was no chance that all of them could. Alas, the worst happened, and none of those albums will receive any more mention than this. Pop punk also had a very down year after taking up three of my top five spots (or so) last year, and you won't find a record that I consider pop punk amongst the top 25. Bands you will find featured predominantly are fun., Yellowcard, Frank Ocean, Take One Car, Kendrick Lamar, A$AP Rocky, ScHoolboy Q, and far more that you can find below. If you click on the name of the album, you will find links to our coverage. If you click on the name of the song, you will be taken to Youtube for a listen.

Artist of the Day: Motion City Soundtrack

Although the band undeniably peaked after 2005's venerated album Commit This to Memory, Motion City Soundtrack has had an undeniably good run since their humble beginnings in 1997. The band's new EP Making Moves, released just this week, seems to show an improvement from the disappointment that was June's Go. Motion City Soundtrack, like most pop-punk bands of their generation, are buoyed by strong vocals with decent contributions being made by all supporting instruments- look no further than the drumming on "Time Turned Fragile" for evidence of the band's competence.

Album Review: Motion City Soundtrack - Making Moves

Album Rating: A-

On a list of the bigger disappointments of 2012, you will probably find Motion City Soundtrack's latest album Go among the names. After the excellent 2010 record My Dinosaur Life expectations for Go were sky high, but even while there were gems such as "Circuits and Wires," "Happy Anniversary" and "Floating Down The River," the weaknesses outmatched the strengths and led to a very incohesive and unspectacular record. Luckily, Motion City Soundtrack is releasing a new 7" record as part of the band's Making Moves series, and the batch of songs recorded for this 7" immediately stand out as better than a large majority of Go, and is a fantastic cushion for the disappointing blow received back in July.

Album Review: Motion City Soundtrack - Go

Album Rating: B

Motion City Soundtrack is no stranger to dark albums. My Dinosaur Life was just that, from the aggressively attacking guitars on "Disappear" to the moody synths of "Delirium," an off-kilter tune with lyrics about battling substance abuse. Much to the chagrin of an outspoken number of fans, Justin Pierre and company have flexed their pop writing chops as well. Even If It Kills Me is almost entirely a straight-up pop record. Would piano ballad "The Conversation" fit on I Am the Movie? How about wedging goofy "Calling All Cops" onto Commit This To Memory? Probably not.

Motion City Soundtrack Starts Recording New Album

Coming off of their debut major label release of 2010, My Dinosaur Life, Motion City Soundtrack have already begun recording their brand new album, which is currently nameless. Very little is known about this album at the moment. Expect info on who's producing the album, what label it will be released on, etc. in the coming weeks and months. The band was dropped from Columbia shortly after the release of their last album, so it would make sense if they went back to an indie label rather than major.

Albums Of The Year 2010 #4: Motion City Soundtrack - My Dinosaur Life

Motion City Soundtrack is proof that anyone with talent can make it, and the presumed "band image" isn't needed.  Sadly, their looks have probably made getting to this point of their careers where they have been signed by a major label much more difficult than it should have been.  Their brand of nerdy pop-punk deserves to sell more records than any of those manufactured pretty boy bands out there. My Dinosaur Life includes some of the best songs of Motion City Soundtrack's now four album discography, moving some of the synth back into the mix, but still not losing the band's traditional sound. "Worker Bee" introduces the album perfectly, as it could almost be symbolizing the band's label move, as singer Justin Pierre explains "I'm through with the old school, so let's commence the winning". "Disappear" is one of the fastest paced, yet darkest Motion City songs, blaring riffs and rumbling bass creating the feeling of anger expressed throughout the lyrics. "Pulp Fiction" brings back the classic MCS synth lines, with the band's customary witty lyrics and strong hook forming one of the strongest tracks on My Dinosaur Life. "The Weakends" is the band as their musical best, as the whole band reaches into their pool of talent to create a closer that is sure to blow you away. Motion City Soundtrack gives a figment of hope that the industry is not moving towards image, and that musical integrity will still remain in the future. Motion City Soundtrack can be streamed on Myspace here.