Motion City Soundtrack / Schatzi
Split EP
Doghouse / Redemption
Ahhh• the lost art of the split release. It’s too bad that more bands don’t do this, as it’s an great way for new bands to be found. I never would have listened to Motion City Soundtrack, were it not for this split between Doghouse and Redemption, and boy, I would have been missing out. What a nice little surprise!
Motion City Soundtrack sound a bit like Four Minute Mile-era Get Up Kids, with a more capable singer. The three songs they have on this split rock out with unbridled energy and force, yet have the ability to show a softer side, as well. I guess you could say they’re a pretty generic “emo” band. That is, they follow all of the already established clichés of the genre (Moogs, whiney vocals, etc.). To be honest, though, they’re such a cool sounding band, it doesn’t really matter that they’re not breaking down the walls with originality. “Throw Down” is such a hard rocker that it alone makes this split worth the cash.
Most of you are already familiar with Schatzi, as they have released several stellar releases. The songs they have here are typical Schatzi: rockin’, melodic, layered and extremely well-crafted (except for the stupid Journey cover). I own the last two full lengths that they put out, and I must say that they only seem to be getting better as a band. I don’t know if something bad has happened in their lives, but the two original songs they have here reek of sadness. “Coreopsis” has some really Cure-esque guitars that turn into distorted Jawbox-like buzzsaws in the chorus. The lead singer kind of sings/moans his lines through the verse. Upon arriving at the chorus, he really belts it out. Speaking of Jawbox, the chorus of this one is totally Your Own Special Sweetheart-era Jawbox, which is a treat, as the rest of the world seems to have forgotten about Jawbox. Thanks, Schatzi.
Yes, indeed. This is a fun little split. It’s only 16 minutes long, but there’s plenty of rock here to be enjoyed by all. This should be pretty affordable, and is a pretty good representation of what Schatzi is all about. I can’t speak in depth about Motion City Soundtrack, but I know the songs they have are really cool and kicked my buttocks. This one’s worth picking up.
Doghouse Records: http://www.doghouserecords.com/
