These days, frontman Andrew McMahon is going it alone under his own name.

There’s an album forthcoming, and the teaser video certainly has some nice music to it…

Not exactly new (they’ve been around since ’99), but I’ve been listening to Motion City Soundtrack today. From Minneapolis Minnesota (seriously America, nowhere needs that many M’s and N’s in a place name… How do kids learn to spell in that place!), they’re fun rock.

So, his shows are essentially like a poetry night with piano instead of poetry. Insights into his life, his thinking, insights into composers’ lives, their thinking…

And some pretty good piano playing too!

“I remember that feeling,” says Ty, “I remember getting goosebumps from the music for the first time and I remember thinking to myself ‘I want to do that someday. I want to be able to play music that can give people goosebumps.’” Not long after that first concert, the boys began taking music lessons. They began with the piano and later took on violin as well. “We hated playing the violin,” remembers Ty. “Our parents used to make us walk around the block at Christmas time and play songs with our sisters for all of our neighbors.” And while they didn’t necessarily love those performances at the time, the experience paved the way for something bigger. “Our dad always used to say, ‘One day you’ll thank me for making you take lessons,’” Trey remembers, then laughs. “I guess he was right.”

Not liking violin lessons – not great for a cellist to read… But their stuff is good. It’s the kind of thing you could hear over the closing montage scene of a tv show. Late night in the car, it’s great!

As does this music. Sure, it’s pop with nothing particularly new to it, but it’s catchy and fun – and isn’t that what pop’s supposed to be?

Their website describes the process of creating their new album:

To capture the new sounds on The Last Bison’s upcoming album titled VA (pronounced Virginia,) the band spent many days and nights in an old A-frame cabin.  The cabin, called “the Wigwam” sits on a summer camp on the edge of the Great Dismal Swamp near the band’s home in Chesapeake, Virginia.  The pine-lined walls and high-lofted beams became home to a temporary studio where front man Ben Hardesty says, “We had freedom to explore and create without the time constraints we lived under on previous projects.”  Out of this rustic cabin emerged a collection of music with booming organic drums and energy beyond anything on their previous work.

And if I had to say what this reminded me off, it would be sitting on the dock at a Summer Camp in Maine. They’re very much Mumford and Sons but with more thought, skill and craftsmanship put into their songs. Unlike the Mumford’s, they don’t reply on a formula to write.

I saw them at Larmer Tree Festival last year, and although I bought a couple of their tracks, I have to confess I didn’t dig much deeper. However, they’re really good.

Putting it into words better than I could, the website quotes, ““Jack Sandham’s catchy riffs and Wednesday Lyle’s self assured drums shove you directly into the midst of a dirty garage rock gig at The
Marquee in 1968” The 405.”

Paper Lights is an alternative/pop band comprised of 6 members from Atlanta, GA. They have spent time traveling and writing music together as well as working closely with one another for many years now. There is a highly collaborative spirit cultivated among the band which translates into a unique and large cinematic soundscape found within their music.

I wasn’t completely filled with hope from the slightly corporate description – but the music’s pretty much perfect. It’s got an almost epic feel with a symphonic approach to structure and use of time. The sounds crisp and draws you in, and the video’s pretty snazzy too.

Paper Lights – On Your Way [Official Video] from Paper Lights on Vimeo.

Formed in Seattle (Spotify describes them as ‘Northwestern transplants’), The Head and the Heart promote songs that are catchy and fun. Plus, there’s plenty of session videos online of them playing with the backdrop of the Puget Sound*

*I should point out, Vashon Island is one of my all-time favourite places to stay.