Commit This to Memory: Difference between revisions

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{{Infobox album

| name = Commit This to Memory

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| alt =

| released = June 7, 2005

| recorded = October–November 2004<br />Seedy Underbelly Studios <small>([[Valley Village, Los Angeles|Valley Village]], [[California]])</small><br />Sound Castle <small>([[Silver Lake, Los Angeles|Silver Lake]], California)</small><br />Cello Studios <small>([[Hollywood]], California)</small>

| venue =

| studio =

| genre = {{flat list|

*[[Emo]]

*[[pop punk]]<ref>{{cite webmagazine|last1=Bacle|first1=Ariana|title=Motion City Soundtrack Announce Break Up|url=httphttps://www.ew.com/article/2016/03/11/motion-city-soundtrack-break-up|websitemagazine=Entertainment Weekly|publisheraccess-date=EntertainmentMarch Weekly|accessdate=11 March, 2016|archiveurlarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160311204120/http://www.ew.com/article/2016/03/11/motion-city-soundtrack-break-up|archivedatearchive-date=11 March 11, 2016|date=11 March 11, 2016}}</ref>}}

| length = 39:19

| label = [[Epitaph Records|Epitaph]]

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}}

}}

'''''Commit This to Memory''''' is the second [[studio album]] by American [[Rock music|rock]] band [[Motion City Soundtrack]]. [[Record producer|Produced]] by [[Mark Hoppus]], the album was released on June 7, 2005, in the United States by [[Epitaph Records]]. MotionThe CityMinnesota-based Soundtrack,rock act formed in 1997, haddeveloping firsttheir foundemotionally-charged, successpop-punk withsound theirover the interim years. Their debut album, ''[[I Am the Movie]]'', (2002).saw Therelease bandon touredindependent inlabel theEpitaph interimin years, creating positive [[word-of-mouth]]2003. InIt 2004,was thefollowed band joined [[Blink-182]] on the road forwith a stringheavy oftouring showsschedule, whichincluding ledstints toon theirthe bassist,[[Warped MarkTour]] Hoppus,and joiningas the band in the studio for his first producing effort.opening

act for multi-platinum group [[Blink-182]]. Blink bassist Hoppus took a liking to the quintet, offering to produce their next studio effort.

Recorded over six weeks in late 2004, ''Commit This to Memory'' was created largely at Seedy Underbelly Studios, a suburban home converted into a studio in [[Los Angeles]]' [[Valley Village, Los Angeles|Valley Village]] region. The album was written partially composed there and in their hometown of [[Minneapolis]] and partially in Los Angeles, during a period in which frontman [[Justin Pierre]] was seeking treatment for [[alcohol abuse]]. He hopedaimed for his lyricism to better emphasizestronger [[storytelling]] in his lyricism, inspired by the lyricswork of [[Tom Waits]], [[Ben Folds]], and [[John K. Samson]]. Hoppus mainly worked with the band on completingfinalizing song arrangements.

The''Commit albumThis to Memory'' became the band's breakthrough,<ref name="cb">{{cite news|url=http://citybeat.com/cincinnati/article-31942-reeling_in_the_years.html|title=Reelingand inremains the Years|date=Januaryband's 14,most 2015|work=Cincinnatisuccessful CityBeat|___location=[[Cincinnati]],release. [[Ohio]]|author=ReyanBoth Ali|accessdate=Maythe 29,album 2015}}</ref> withand leadmain single "[[Everything Is Alright]]" becomingwere certified [[RIAA certification|gold]] by the band's[[Recording signatureIndustry songAssociation of America]]. The album peaked at number two on ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]''{{'s}} [[Independent Albums]] chart. The singles' music videos achieved rotation on cable channel [[MTV2]] while the band toured alongside [[Fall Out Boy]] and [[Panic! at the Disco]] on the [[Nintendo Fusion Tour]], later also joining the [[Warped Tour]] for a stint. In 2014, ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' referred to the album as a classic of [[pop punk]] classic, "full of hook-laden, keyboard-assisted songs whose bright melodies don’tdon't mask the despair and self-loathing lurking beneath them."<ref name=avclub>{{cite news|url=httphttps://www.avclub.com/article/beginners-guide-bouncy-buzz-pop-punk-201853|title=A beginner's guide to the bouncy buzz of pop-punk|newspaper=[[The A.V. Club]]|author1=Kyle Ryan |author2=Jason Heller |author3=David Anthony |date=March 6, 2014|accessdateaccess-date=JuneMay 2927, 20082020}}</ref>

==Background==

Motion City Soundtrack was formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Vocalist Justin Pierre and guitarist Joshua Cain were friends who had come up playing in several local bands. Influenced by the synth-heavy rock of bands like [[the Rentals]] and [[Superchunk]], the duo formed Motion City Soundtrack in 1997. It went through several lineup changes, with the band gaining permanent members Tony Thaxton (drums), Jesse Johnson

Motion(keys) Cityand SoundtrackMatthew formedTaylor in 1997(bass) in [[Minneapolis]], [[Minnesota]]2001. The bandquintet signedrecorded toand [[Epitaphself-released Records]]their indebut 2003 after recordingalbum, ''[[I Am the Movie]]'', theirin debut2002, independently and selling copies of it out of the back of their tour van for a year.<ref name="theage"/> MotionThe Citynext becameyear, it was picked up for larger distribution through California-based independent label Epitaph, best known as the home of punk rockers [[the Offspring]] and [[Bad Religion]]. The group were part of aan slewabundance of Epitaph signings, including [[Matchbook Romance]], [[Scatter the Ashes]] and [[From First Toto Last]], amid concerns the Southern California label had strayed too far from its roots, and seemedor "a little too [[emo]]."<ref name="cleve">{{cite news|title=Cain is Able : Motion City Soundtrack's Joshua Cain is all business|author=Chris Rager|date=December 20, 2004|work=[[Cleveland Free Times]]}}</ref> By the time theThe band begantoured productionheavily onin theirsupport sophomore record, ''I Amof the Movie''LP, hadattracting solda nearlynew 62,000fanbase; copies.<reftheir name="cleve"/>2004 Thestint groupon hadthe accumulatedfamed significantVans buzz,Warped andTour werewas regarded asconsidered a "must-see" actamong onpunk the [[Warped Tour 2004]]fans.<ref name="cleve"/>

[[MarkTheir Hoppus]]'rise involvementto stemsprominence fromcontinued when anthe [[Atticusgroup Clothing]]joined employeeBlink-182 played- himthen ''Ione Amof the Movie'largest pop-punk acts worldwide - on a European arena tour. That band's bassist, Mark Hoppus, had first heard of the group from an employee at his clothing company, [[Atticus Clothing]]. He wasenjoyed sothe takengroup withso itmuch that he raved about the bandthem in ''[[Rolling Stone (magazine)|Rolling Stone]]'' magazine, invitingand invited them to open for his group, [[Blink-182]]. onThe theirsix 2004musicians Europeanbecame tour.quick On the trekfriends, hefrequently becametalking goodbackstage friendsbefore with the musiciansperformances.<ref name="shooman"/><ref name="Hoppus"/> HeHoppus toldwas them that he had purchaseddeveloping an abundanceinterest ofin recording gearmusic andfrom amplifiersa forproduction thestandpoint, [[Blink-182having (album)|previousrecently Blink-182acquired album]]a andlarge told the bandamount of hisgear interestand in recording music from a production standpointamplifiers.<ref name="Hoppus"/> At the final show of the tour, guitarist Joshua Cain went to Hoppus' dressing room and asked him to produce their next record.<ref name="mtv">{{cite news|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1617362/motion-city-soundtrack-tell-blink-182s-mark-hoppus-how-great.jhtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222091621/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1617362/motion-city-soundtrack-tell-blink-182s-mark-hoppus-how-great.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 22, 2014|title=Motion City Soundtrack Tell Blink-182's Mark Hoppus How Great He Is|author=James Montgomery|date=July 31, 2009|publisher=[[MTV News]]|accessdateaccess-date=November 4, 2012}}</ref> Although Hoppus had never produced anything before, he was excited to be a part of the album and accepted the offer.<ref name="Hoppus"/><ref name=rs/>

==Recording and production==

[[File:Mark Hoppus 2004.jpg|thumb|right|upright|[[Mark Hoppus]] of [[Blink-182]] performingproduced inthe 2004album.]]

The band first began writing songs at their rehearsal space in their hometown of Minneapolis, which they nicknamed the "Dungeon", due to its ability to "suck the life and energy out of the band."<ref name="theage">{{cite news|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/music/forward-motion/2005/08/24/1124562925211.html|title=Forward Motion|date=August 26, 2005|newspaper=[[The Age]]|accessdateaccess-date=April 15, 2014}}</ref> For Pierre, the album came at the brink of a transitionalpersonal period for him,transition in which he began to seek treatment for alcohol abuse.<ref name=pierrepodcast/> He left the band during the writing stages for Los Angeles where he moved in with Epitaph founder [[Brett Gurewitz]] and began attending [[Alcoholics Anonymous]] meetings.<ref name="cb">{{cite news|url=http://citybeat.com/cincinnati/article-31942-reeling_in_the_years.html|title=Reeling in the Years|date=January 14, 2015|work=Cincinnati CityBeat|___location=[[Cincinnati]], Ohio|author=Reyan Ali|access-date=May 29, 2015}}</ref> Afterwards, the bandgroup rejoined Pierre in Los AngelesL.A. to begin recording demos for a month; the change of scenery brought about a new energy for the group, according to Pierrequintet.<ref name="theage"/> ''Commit This to Memory'' would be the first album by the band to feature material crafted by each musician in the group, as previous releases had featured songs written in the years prior to each member joining.<ref name="theage"/> In addition, the band had more time and funds to spend time working on the album. "It was also the first time we had a lot more time and money to go in and feel like we were making a real record this time, whereas ''I Am the Movie'' was recorded in little segments here and there and eventually pieced together," said drummer [[Tony Thaxton]].<ref name="wildcat">{{cite news|url=http://wc.arizona.edu/papers/98/208/04_11.html|title=Motion City Soundtrack keeps busy|author= Michael Petitti |date=October 27, 2005|newspaper=[[Arizona Daily Wildcat]]|accessdateaccess-date=April 15, 2014}}</ref>

Recording sessions for ''Commit This to Memory'', which were booked by Hoppus, wereand scheduled over six weeks at Seedy Underbelly Studios in the L.A. suburb of [[Valley Village, Los Angeles|Valley Village]],. a district of [[Los Angeles]], [[California]],The whichstudio was actually a rented house that had once belonged to [[Jeff Porcaro]], the drummer for [[Toto (band)|Toto]].<ref name="shooman"/><ref name="Hoppus"/><ref name="mtv1"/> The band had, according to Hoppus, "a million ideas and a lot of energy and enthusiasm to make a great record".<ref name="Hoppus">{{cite web |url=http://pickrset.com/musicnews/1441/exclusive+mark+hoppus+pickrset+interview |title=Mark Hoppus Interview |publisher=pickRset |date=September 3, 2008 |accessdateaccess-date=November 4, 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurlarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090211114626/http://pickrset.com/musicnews/1441/exclusive%2Bmark%2Bhoppus%2Bpickrset%2Binterview |archivedatearchive-date=February 11, 2009 }}</ref> Pierre strove for the record to have a sound that resembled the bands [[Braid (band)|Braid]], [[Superchunk]], [[Jawbox]] and the [[Pixies (band)|Pixies]].<ref name="mtv1">{{cite news|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1504262/motion-city-soundtrack-throw-noisy-house-party.jhtml|title=Mark Hoppus Throws House Party For Motion City Soundtrack|author=James Montgomery|date=June 16, 2005|publisher=MTV News|accessdate=November 4, 2012}}</ref> Living in a suburb, the neighbors had called police to the band and Hoppus several times for being too loud at night time, especially when Hoppus brought a [[Roland TR-808]] drum machine outside to work on a song late at night.<ref name="mtv1"/> According to Pierre, Hoppus was not interested in putting his own stamp on the music, but rather bringing out the best in what he saw in the group.<ref name=pierrepodcast/> Hoppus generally modeled his production after [[Jerry Finn]] (a longtime producer of Blink-182), and therefore it involved much watching and listening. "Mark kept telling us, 'Your name is going to be a lot bigger on the front than mine is on the back'," recalled Justin Pierre, "So he would throw suggestions out there but always say, 'Feel free to turn these down.' And we would!"<ref name="shooman">{{cite book |last=Shooman |first=Joe|title=Blink-182: The Bands, The Breakdown & The Return|publisher=Independent Music Press |date=June 24, 2010 |pages=147 |isbn=978-1-90619-110-8}}</ref>

Pierre characterized Hoppus as both "very involved and not involved,", with his job as producer mainly giving notes on the sound of the instruments and offering suggestions to improve songs. Hoppus mostly worked with the band on arrangements, believing the songs were too packed and "needed to breathe".<ref name="Hoppus"/> Hoppus mentioned that label politics had hindered the creativity of Blink's ''[[Take Off Your Pants and Jacket]]'' (2001), and did not want to see the same fate befall the band.<ref name=ca>{{cite news| author=Keith Carman| date =April 27, 2005| title =Motion City Soundtrack Give Mad Props To Blink's Hoppus| work=[[ChartAttack]]}}</ref> He was "meticulous" in his approach, partially due to the fact that it was his first production job. Hoppus was the one who advised the band to merge two previously unrelated songs—a slower, softer song and a pulsating drum track—into one, which became "Time Turned Fragile".<ref name=pierrepodcast/> The frontman of [[Fall Out Boy]], [[Patrick Stump]], contributed guest vocals to "[[Everything Is Alright]]", and Hoppus to "Hangman".<ref name="liner">{{cite AV media notes | title=Commit This to Memory| year=2005| others=[[Motion City Soundtrack]] | type=liner notes | publisher=Epitaph | ___location=[[United States|US]] | id=86750-2}}</ref> With production completed, Hoppus was very excited for the band that he felt was on the cusp of "great things", recalling, "After six weeks of these guys living all together in two rooms of this house with a studio attached they created this amazingly beautiful and honest album. Justin's lyrics are so brutally truthful."<ref name="Hoppus"/> The group completed recording in November 2004, and judged final mixes over the interim months.<ref name="cleve"/> Pierre later called ''Commit This to Memory'' his personal favorite album by the band.<ref name="noisey" />

==Music and lyrics==

{{multiple image|caption_align=center|header_align=center

| align = left

| direction = vertical

| width = 100

| image1 = Tom Waits 2.jpg

| alt1 = Tom Waits during an interview in Buenos Aires, Argentina, April 2007

| image2 = Ben Folds at Uptown Mix 2004 cropped.jpg

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| caption3 = Pierre hoped to emulate the writing styles of [[Tom Waits]], [[Ben Folds]] and [[John K. Samson]].

}}

In a 2015 interview, Pierre notes that fans have told him that they find ''Commit This to Memory'' a "winter album,", to which he agrees, noting the unintentional mention of the new year in several songs.<ref name=pierrepodcast/> His lyricism on ''Commit This to Memory'' centralizes around [[Personal development|change]] and, in his words, "being a complete fuckup, yet, at the same time, being somewhat successful".<ref name="altpress05"/> On the record, he "addresses the themes of [[substance abuse]], [[psychological disorder]]s and failing relationships."<ref name="pga">{{cite news|url=http://puregrainaudio.com/interviews/interview-with-motion-city-soundtrack-vocalist-and-guitarist-justin-pierre-discusses-commit-this-to-memory-songwriting-and-the-shortest-lifetime-ever|title=Interview with Motion City Soundtrack; Vocalist and Guitarist Justin Pierre Discusses 'Commit This To Memory', Songwriting and the Shortest Lifetime Ever|date=January 12, 2015|author=Justin Franco|accessdateaccess-date=January 15, 2015|publisher=Pure Grain Audio |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150206083534/http://puregrainaudio.com/interviews/interview-with-motion-city-soundtrack-vocalist-and-guitarist-justin-pierre-discusses-commit-this-to-memory-songwriting-and-the-shortest-lifetime-ever |archive-date=Feb 6, 2015}}</ref> Pierre penned "[[Everything Is Alright]]" as a summary of his OCD ([[Obsessive–compulsive disorder]]) tendencies. He intended to utilize his [[social anxiety]] and fears in the song's form, which he has since employed in numerous other compositions. "I don’tdon't think the [phrase] "[[tongue-in-cheek]]" is correct, but it’sit's something where the verses are one thing and then the chorus is another, but it's sort of like giving yourself a pep talk,", said Pierre.<ref name="AP">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.altpress.com/features/entry/backtracking_the_story_of_everything_is_alright_by_motion_city_soundtrack|title=BackTracking: The story of "Everything Is Alright" by Motion City Soundtrack|author= Jason Pettigrew|date=July 29, 2013|magazine=[[Alternative Press (music magazine)|Alternative Press]]|accessdateaccess-date=April 15, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130801165943/http://www.altpress.com/features/entry/backtracking_the_story_of_everything_is_alright_by_motion_city_soundtrack |archive-date=Aug 1, 2013}}</ref> The song's lyrics include hating such mundane things as "theme parks, flying, strangers, [and] waiting in line," things that Pierre genuinely disliked at the time of the song's writing.<ref name="AP" /> For the record, he intended to simplify his lyrics to enhance [[storytelling]] and he drew inspiration from [[Tom Waits]], [[Ben Folds]] and [[John K. Samson]]'s writing styles.<ref name="altpress05"/> Keeping in the Waits/Folds inspiration, Pierre strove to write from another person's point of view; in the case of "Time Turned Fragile", it is sung from the perspective of his father.<ref name=rs>{{cite journal| last =Robertson| first =Jessica| date =June 9, 2005|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/motion-city-soundtrack-get-committed-20050609|title =Motion City Get Committed| journal =[[Rolling Stone (magazine)|Rolling Stone]]| volumeissue =976 | issueissn =9760035-791X }}</ref> Pierre has also suggested the [[Carpenters (band)|Carpenters]] pagewere an unlikely influence, observing "it’s similar how both their music and [''Memory''] has a darkness lurking underneath it all."<ref name="Duguay 2022 w837">{{cite web | issnlast=Duguay | first=0035Rob | title=The Dig Interview: Justin Courtney Pierre Of Motion City Soundtrack | website=Dig Bos | date=June 20, 2022 | url=https://digboston.com/the-791Xdig-interview-justin-courtney-pierre-of-motion-city-soundtrack/ | access-date=April 17, 2024}}</ref>

{{Listen|filename= LG FUAD MCS.ogg |title="L.G. Fuad" | description=The band's style combines Pierre's dark lyrics with more upbeat music, including prominent use of the [[Moog synthesizer]].<ref name=avclub/>|format=[[Ogg]]}}

Pierre has in retrospect labeled half of the album's writing as being completed while inebriated and the other half while getting sober.<ref name="noisey"/> For example, he penned the lyrics to "Attractive Today" and "Time Turned Fragile" while drunk in his apartment, in a "sad and lonely place.".<ref name=pierrepodcast/> In this approach, words mostly "just came out,", and were not substantially revised. In addition, he was listening to the 2003 album ''[[Reconstruction Site]]'' by [[the Weakerthans]], and found himself inspired by the songwriting of frontman [[John K. Samson]].<ref name=pierrepodcast/> Pierre would often take lyrics from other bands songs for song titles; "Time Turned Fragile" is lifted from a lyric in [[Limbeck]]'s "[[Hi, Everything's Great|Julia]]", while "Together We'll Ring in the New Year" was pulled from the Tom Waits song "[[Franks Wild Years|Please Wake Me Up]]".<ref name=pierrepodcast/> "[[L.G. Fuad]]"—which stands for "Let's Get Fucked Up and Die"—grew out of a night on Motion City Soundtrack's 2003 UK tour with [[The All-American Rejects]], in which the latter band's merchandise manager was severely inebriated.<ref name="altpress05"/> He stood on the merchandise stand and shouted what became the song's refrain. All involved found great humor in the "mantra", which went on to be printed on business cards as a joke.<ref name=altpress05>{{cite journal| date =July 2005| title =Motion City Soundtrack Article| journal = [[Alternative Press (music magazine)|Alternative Press]]| volume = | issue = 204| pages =129–130 | issn =1065-1667 | url =}}</ref> "Hold Me Down" was inspired by a former roommate of Pierre's. After she had moved out, Pierre found a portion of her math homework in a couch cushion, leading to him imagining a scenario of finding a letter from a departed lover.<ref name=pierrepodcast>{{cite video|people = Lucy, Evan (Interviewer); Pierre, Justin (Interviewee)|date = January 15, 2015|title = Episode 025: Justin Pierre (10-Year Motion City Soundtrack Retrospective)|url = http://ec.libsyn.com/p/4/0/0/4005c806b8ff4410/VV025.mp3?d13a76d516d9dec20c3d276ce028ed5089ab1ce3dae902ea1d06ca8634d4cc5d4645&c_id=8177547|format = mp3|medium = Podcast|publisher = Voice & Verse|accessdateaccess-date = January 15, 2015|archiveurlarchive-url = https://wwwweb.webcitationarchive.org/6VbgpNDLF?url=web/20150115195117/http://ec.libsyn.com/p/4/0/0/4005c806b8ff4410/VV025.mp3?d13a76d516d9dec20c3d276ce028ed5089ab1ce3dae902ea1d06ca8634d4cc5d4645&c_id=8177547|archivedatearchive-date = January 15, 2015|url-status = dead}}</ref>

The album has been called definitive of [[pop punk]].<ref name="avclub"/> Joshua Cain dismissed this label, remarking, "I definitely wouldn't consider us a pop-punk band. Our influences are more based on '90s bands like [[Superchunk]] and early [[Weezer]]."<ref name=altpress05.1>{{cite journal| author=Eric Schelkopf| date =January 28, 2005|archiveurlarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050312204437/http://www.nwherald.com/EntertainmentSection/sound/293671886277726.php|archivedatearchive-date=March 12, 2005| title =Epitaph bands join for tour stops at NIU, Metro | journal =[[Kane County Chronicle]]|url=http://www.nwherald.com/EntertainmentSection/sound/293671886277726.php}}</ref> Pierre strove for the record to have a sound that resembled the bands [[Braid (band)|Braid]], [[Superchunk]], [[Jawbox]] and the [[Pixies (band)|Pixies]].<ref name="mtv1">{{cite news|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1504262/motion-city-soundtrack-throw-noisy-house-party.jhtml|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140222091727/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1504262/motion-city-soundtrack-throw-noisy-house-party.jhtml|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 22, 2014|title=Mark Hoppus Throws House Party For Motion City Soundtrack|author=James Montgomery|date=June 16, 2005|publisher=MTV News|access-date=November 4, 2012}}</ref>

==Reception and legacy==

{{AlbumMusic ratings

==Reception==

| rev1 =[[AbsolutePunk]] | rev1Score = (Favorable<!--Score is broken-->)<ref name="Apunk">{{cite web|url=http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=106408|title=Motion City Soundtrack -– Commit This To Memory|last=Kohli|first=Rohan|website=[[AbsolutePunk]]|accessdate=2009-11access-date=November 28, 2009}}</ref>

|rev2= [[Allmusic]]|rev2Score= {{Rating|3.5|5}}<ref name="Allm">{{cite web|url={{AllmusicAllMusic|class=album|id=r743038|pure_url=yes}}|title=Commit This to Memory > Overview|websitepublisher=[[AllmusicAllMusic]]|last=Loftus|first=Johnny|accessdate=2009-11access-date=November 28, 2009}}</ref>

{{Album ratings

| rev1 =[[AbsolutePunk]] | rev1Score = (Favorable<!--Score is broken-->)<ref name="Apunk">{{cite web|url=http://www.absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=106408|title=Motion City Soundtrack - Commit This To Memory|last=Kohli|first=Rohan|website=[[AbsolutePunk]]|accessdate=2009-11-28}}</ref>

|rev2= [[Allmusic]]|rev2Score= {{Rating|3.5|5}}<ref name="Allm">{{cite web|url={{Allmusic|class=album|id=r743038|pure_url=yes}}|title=Commit This to Memory > Overview|website=[[Allmusic]]|last=Loftus|first=Johnny|accessdate=2009-11-28}}</ref>

|rev3=[[Alternative Press (magazine)|Alternative Press]]|rev3Score= {{Rating|4|5}} [http://www.altpress.com/reviews/entry/committhistomemory/ link]

| rev4 =''[[Entertainment Weekly]]''

| rev4Score = (mixed)<ref name=ewreview"ewreviewB">{{cite journalmagazine| last =Maerz| first =Jennifer| date =June 13, 2005| title =''Commit This to Memory'' -– Review| journalmagazine = [[Entertainment Weekly]]| volumeissue = 825| issueissn = 8251049-0434| pageurl =https://ew.com/article/2005/06/13/commit-this-memory/| issnaccess-date =1049September 27, 2012| archive-0434date =April 16, 2014| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20140416182442/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1070637,00.html| accessdateurl-status =September 27, 2012live}}</ref>

|rev5= [[PopMatters]]

|rev5Score= (5/10)<ref name="Popm">{{cite magazine|url=httphttps://www.popmatters.com/music/reviews/m/motioncitysoundtrack-commit.shtml|title=Motion City Soundtrack: Commit This to Memory|magazine=[[PopMatters]]|last=Jagernauth |first=Kevin|accessdate=2009-11access-date=November 28, 2009}}</ref>

}}Upon its release, ''Commit This to Memory'' received general acclaim from music critics. Scott Heisel of ''[[Alternative Press (music magazine)|Alternative Press]]'' wrote that "''Memory'' is an inspired, mature sophomore disc chock full of catchy, intelligent pop-rock."<ref name="ap">{{cite magazine|author=Scott Heisel|url=http://www.altpress.com/reviews/entry/committhistomemory|title=Review: ''Commit This to Memory''|magazine=[[Alternative Press (music magazine)|Alternative Press]]|accessdateaccess-date=April 14, 2014}}</ref> [[Allmusic]]'s Johnny Loftus considered the band more intelligent and sophisticated than their [[Warped Tour]] peers: "Motion City Soundtrack['s] wistful memories, tales of breaking up, and frantic searches for answers [are] realer than the next pop-punk combo on the quadruple summertime bill."<ref name="am">{{cite web|author=Johnny Loftus |url=httphttps://www.allmusic.com/album/commit-this-to-memory-mw0000208534|title=Review: ''Commit This to Memory''|websitepublisher=[[AllmusicAllMusic]]|accessdateaccess-date=April 14, 2014}}</ref> Jennifer Maerz of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' ended her review with the note that "MCS' slick, soaring anthems ultimately unite the spirits of those who see themselves, like Pierre, as 'lifeless corners of this empty frame.'"<ref name=ewreview"ewreviewB">{{cite journalmagazine| last =Maerz| first =Jennifer| date =June 13, 2005| title =''Commit This to Memory'' -– Review| journalmagazine = [[Entertainment Weekly]]| volumeissue = 825| issueissn = 8251049-0434| pageurl =https://ew.com/article/2005/06/13/commit-this-memory/| issnaccess-date =1049September 27, 2012| archive-0434date =April 16, 2014| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20140416182442/http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,1070637,00.html| accessdateurl-status =September 27, 2012live}}</ref> Mark Griffiths of ''[[Kerrang!]]'' wrote, "It's a bright and invigorating affair [...] and is, in short, fantastic."<ref name="Kerrang">{{cite news|title=Album Reviews |date=July 2005 |work=[[Kerrang!]] |author=Mark Griffiths |url=http://www.motioncitysoundtrack.com/press_kerang_july.jpg |accessdateaccess-date=May 29, 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurlarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060926162329/http://www.motioncitysoundtrack.com/press_kerang_july.jpg |archivedatearchive-date=September 26, 2006 }}</ref> ''[[The Washington Post]]''{{'s}} Marianne Meyer opined that the record "nimbly moves from skittish rhythms to genuinely tender sentiment."<ref name="wp">{{cite news|title=Live!|date=April 27, 2005|worknewspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|author=Marianne Meyer|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/04/27/AR2005042700713.html?referrer=emailarticle|accessdateaccess-date=May 29, 2015}}</ref>

Jessica Grose of ''[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]'' favorably compared it to Blink-182's ''[[Enema of the State]]'' (1999).<ref name="spin05">{{cite news|title=Band of the Day: Motion City Soundtrack|date=June 9, 2005|work=[[Spin (magazine)|Spin]]|author=Jessica Grose|url=http://www.spin.com/features/band_of_the_day/2005/06/06092005_motion_city_soundtrack/|accessdateaccess-date=May 29, 2015|archiveurlarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060809215809/http://www.spin.com/features/band_of_the_day/2005/06/06092005_motion_city_soundtrack/|archivedatearchive-date=August 9, 2006}}</ref> Tony McMenamin of ''[[Blender (magazine)|Blender]]'' deemed it the publication's album of the month, calling it "a charged mix of instantly catchy pop-punk lashings and somber acoustic wailings."<ref name="blender05">{{cite news|title=Editors' Picks: July 2005|date=July 2005|work=[[Blender (magazine)|Blender]]|author=Tony McMenamin|url=http://www.blender.com/guide/articles.aspx?id=1688|accessdateaccess-date=May 29, 2015|archiveurlarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051123034520/http://www.blender.com/guide/articles.aspx?id=1688|archivedatearchive-date=November 23, 2005}}</ref>

The album was leaked to [[file sharing]] websites within a day of the final [[Audio mastering|mastering]] and months before its official release.<ref name=rehearsalvid>{{cite video|people = Megan Cunningham, Mike Raffensperger (Producers) |title= Rehearsal Space: Motion City Soundtrack |url= http://www.zoom-in.com/spotlights/rehearsal_space_motion_city_soundtrack |format= Streaming video |medium= Interview |publisher= Zoom-In |accessdateaccess-date = May 29, 2015|archiveurlarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080705005216/http://www.zoom-in.com/spotlights/rehearsal_space_motion_city_soundtrack|archivedatearchive-date=July 5, 2008}}</ref> It debuted on the [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]] in the issue dated June 25, 2005 at position 72,<ref name=billboard1>{{cite journalmagazine| date =June 25, 2005| title =The ''Billboard'' 200| journalmagazine =[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]| volume =117| issue = 26| page =53 | issn =0006-2510| url = }}</ref> selling 16,000 copies in its opening week.<ref name=billboard>{{cite journalmagazine| author=Cortney Harding| date =October 6, 2007| title =Chart Motion| journalmagazine =[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]| volume =119| issue = 40| page =46 | issn =0006-2510| url = }}</ref> It charted better on the magazine's [[Independent Albums]] chart, where it peaked at number two.<ref name="ind"/> By the end of its inaugural year, the album had moved 125,000 units.<ref name="SPIN 2005 e262"/> The last official estimate placed it at 285,000 albums sold in the U.S.,<ref name="oc"/> but Pierre said in 2015 interview that the number is closer to 500,000.<ref name="noisey">{{cite news|url=httphttps://noiseywww.vice.com/blogen/article/rank-your-records-motion-city-soundtracks-justin-pierre/|author=Jonah Bayer|title=Rank Your Records: Motion City Soundtrack's Justin Pierre Rates the Band's Five Albums|publisher=[[Vice Media, Inc.|Noisey]] ([[Vice Media, Inc.]])|date=October 1, 2015|accessdateaccess-date=October 1, 2015}}</ref> The band's music videos found regular rotation on networks such as [[MTV2]], and the band also performed on ''[[Late Night with Conan O'Brien]]''.<ref name="westw"/> ''[[Rolling Stone]]''{{'}}s Lauren Gilton considered the album a [[sleeper hit]].<ref name="rs05">{{cite news|title=Bands to Watch: Motion City Soundtrack |author=Lauren Gilton |date=December 1, 2005 |url=http://www.motioncitysoundtrack.com/RSPress.jpg |page=28 |issue=988 |accessdateaccess-date=May 29, 2015 |url-status=dead |archiveurlarchive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061218225055/http://www.motioncitysoundtrack.com/RSPress.jpg |archivedatearchive-date=December 18, 2006 }}</ref> Nevertheless, the band's breakthrough brought naysayers, and the group became targets for critics of [[pop punk]]: "[the band was] frequently characterized as the sort of ultra-commercial punk poseurs who water down the genre to the point of drowning it."<ref name="westw">{{cite magazine|url=http://www.westword.com/2006-02-16/music/constant-motion/full|title=Constant Motion|author= Michael Roberts |date=February 16, 2006|magazine=[[Westword]]|accessdateaccess-date=April 15, 2014}}</ref>

Subsequent reviews of the album have continued to be positive. In 2014, ''[[The A.V. Club]]'' referred to the album as a classic of [[pop punk]], "full of hook-laden, keyboard-assisted songs whose bright melodies don’tdon't mask the despair and self-loathing lurking beneath them."<ref name="avclub"/> Reyan Ali of ''Cincinnati CityBeat'' wrote that ''Commit This to Memory'' "absolutely bleeds charm,", commenting, "Even with all the dire thematic matter Pierre’sPierre's lyrics covered, [...] the band framed the words with music that sparkled, owing to spunky, inspired hooks, full-sounding record production and ample doses of Moog."<ref name="cb"/> ''[[Alternative Press (music magazine)|Alternative Press]]''{{'s}} Tyler Sharp deemed the record a "classic,",<ref name="altpress14">{{cite news|url=http://www.altpress.com/news/entry/motion_city_soundtrack_announce_commit_this_to_memory_10th_anniversary_tour|title=Motion City Soundtrack announce ‘Commit'Commit This To Memory’Memory' 10th Anniversary Tour|author= Tyler Sharp |date=November 10, 2014|work=[[Alternative Press (music magazine)|Alternative Press]]|accessdateaccess-date=May 29, 2015}}</ref> while Taylor Morgan of ''[[OC Weekly]]'' called it "the soundtrack of [[millennial]] youth, reminiscent of breakups, making out, goofing off, and growing up."<ref name="oc">{{cite news|url=http://blogs.ocweekly.com/heardmentality/2015/02/motion_city_soundtrack_february_12th_2015_1.php|title=Motion City Soundtrack Delivers Pop Punk Nostalgia in Anaheim|author=Taylor Morgan|date=February 13, 2015|work=[[OC Weekly]]|accessdateaccess-date=May 29, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518103844/http://blogs.ocweekly.com/heardmentality/2015/02/motion_city_soundtrack_february_12th_2015_1.php|archive-date=May 18, 2015|url-status=dead}}</ref> James Rettig at [[Stereogum]] termed it their best album.<ref name="Rettig 2016 c293">{{cite web | last=Rettig | first=James | title=Sorority Noise – "Everything Is Alright" (Motion City Soundtrack Cover) | website=Stereogum | date=July 28, 2016 | url=https://www.stereogum.com/1890906/sorority-noise-everything-is-alright-motion-city-soundtrack-cover/music/ | access-date=April 17, 2024}}</ref> [[BuzzFeed]] included the album at number 21 on their "36 Pop Punk Albums You Need To Hear Before You F——ing Die" list.<ref name=BuzzFeed>{{cite web|url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/mariasherm/36-pop-punk-albums-you-need-to-hear-before-you-f-ing-die|title=36 Pop Punk Albums You Need To Hear Before You F----ing Die|author1=Sherman, Maria |author2=Broderick, Ryan |work=BuzzFeed|date=July 2, 2013|accessdateaccess-date=July 29, 2015}}</ref> ''[[NME]]'' listed the album as one of "20 Pop Punk Albums Which Will Make You Nostalgic".<ref>{{cite web|url=httphttps://www.nme.com/photos/20-pop-punk-albums-which-will-make-you-nostalgic/340824|title=20 Pop Punk Albums Which Will Make You Nostalgic|date=June 9, 2014|work=NME.com|accessdateaccess-date=July 29, 2015}}</ref>

Angelo Spagnolo of ''[[BuzzFeed]]'' wrote that "''Commit This To Memory'' is the type of record your ex left in your car and you pull it from beneath the seat a year later and listen as a flood of memories punches you in the lungs."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Spagnolo |first=Angelo |date=2015-11-15 |title=17 Albums That Prove 2005 Was Actually The Golden Era Of Emo |url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/angelospagnolo/great-albums-from-when-i-was-17 |access-date=2025-04-21 |website=BuzzFeed |language=en}}</ref>

==Touring==

[[File:Motion City Soundtrack in Denver.jpg|thumb|The band performs in [[Denver]], [[Colorado]] in February 2005.]]

During the recording of the album, the band embarked on their first headlining tour, The Sub-Par Punk Who Cares Tour 2004.<ref name="cleve"/> After recording, the band set out on the inaugural Epitaph Tour, alongside Matchbook Romance and From First to Last, with appearances by [[the Matches]] and Scatter the Ashes on select dates.<ref name="bbtour"/> The tour visited every major US city, and ran from February 2 to March 19, 2005.<ref name="bbtour">{{cite magazine|url=httphttps://www.billboard.com/articles/news/65606/billboard-bits-kroq-epitaph-american-hi-fi|title=''Billboard'' Bits: KROQ, Epitaph, American Hi-Fi|author= Barry A. Jeckell|date=November 19, 2004|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|accessdateaccess-date=April 20, 2014}}</ref> The band played to larger crowds on the tours supporting the album, including over 9,000 fans on a Chicago date in 2005.<ref name="theage"/> The group "toured incessantly,", including dates on the [[Warped Tour 2005]].<ref name="wildcat"/> Afterwards, the band joined the [[Nintendo Fusion Tour]] with [[Fall Out Boy]], [[Panic! at the Disco]], and [[The Starting Line]], which was their largest nationwide tour to that point.<ref name="theage"/> The group had been friends with Fall Out Boy for many years prior, having both played side-by-side before either group found their respective success.<ref name="wildcat"/> The next year, the band also played more U.S. shows with [[OK Go]] and [[Plain White Ts]], and again headlined the Warped Tour.<ref name="SPIN 2005 e262">{{cite web | title=Motion City Soundtrack Announces Tour | website=SPIN | date=December 13, 2005 | url=https://www.spin.com/2005/12/motion-city-soundtrack-announces-tour/ | access-date=April 17, 2024}}</ref>

The band embarked on a tour celebrating the tenth anniversary of the album between January and February 2015, playing the album in its entirety.<ref name="altpress14"/> "It doesn't feel like ten years ago, but then it also feels like a lifetime ago," said Pierre.<ref name="pga"/> The group later extended this anniversary tour, and further toured the album between June and August 2015.<ref name="pollstar">{{cite news|author=Sarah Marie Pittman|url=http://www.pollstar.com/news_article.aspx?ID=817920|title=Motion City Soundtrack’s 10-Year Anniversary Party|date=April 30, 2015|work=[[Pollstar]]|accessdate=May 29, 2015}}</ref>

The band has on two occasions celebrated the album's tenth and seventeenth anniversaries, respectively, with full-album concerts. The band first played the album in full in 2009;<ref name="Ryan 2009 a325">{{cite web | last=Ryan | first=Kyle | title=Motion City Soundtrack Perform All Three Albums! | website=SPIN | date=December 21, 2009 | url=https://www.spin.com/2009/12/motion-city-soundtrack-perform-all-three-albums/ | access-date=April 17, 2024}}</ref> in 2012, they played the full record as part of their "4 Albums. 2 Nights. 7 Cities" jaunt.<ref name="boston">{{cite web|author=Maggie Hollander|url=http://www.bostonmusicspotlight.com/features-motion-city-soundtrack-interview-with-bassist-matthew-taylor-september-2011/|title=Motion City Soundtrack look back with special tour|publisher=Boston Music Spotlight|date=September 9, 2011|access-date=March 29, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140421064120/http://www.bostonmusicspotlight.com/features-motion-city-soundtrack-interview-with-bassist-matthew-taylor-september-2011/|archive-date=April 21, 2014|url-status=usurped}}</ref> They embarked on a tour celebrating the tenth anniversary of the album between January and February 2015;<ref name="altpress14"/> the group later extended this outing, and further toured the album between June and August 2015.<ref name="pollstar">{{cite news|author=Sarah Marie Pittman|url=http://www.pollstar.com/news_article.aspx?ID=817920|title=Motion City Soundtrack's 10-Year Anniversary Party|date=April 30, 2015|work=[[Pollstar]]|access-date=May 29, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160422082442/http://www.pollstar.com/news_article.aspx?ID=817920|archive-date=April 22, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref> The band planned to celebrate the album's fifteenth birthday with another anniversary tour, but the [[COVID-19 pandemic]] shunted their plans; these shows were later performed in 2022.<ref name="Niesel 2021 m719">{{cite web | last=Niesel | first=Jeff | title=Motion City Soundtrack Singer Talks About Anniversary Tour Coming to Bogart's in January | website=Cincinnati CityBeat | date=December 14, 2021 | url=https://www.citybeat.com/music/motion-city-soundtrack-singer-talks-about-anniversary-tour-coming-to-bogarts-in-january-12343942 | access-date=April 17, 2024}}</ref>

==Track listing==

{{track listing

{{tracklist

| all_writing = Motion City Soundtrack

| headline = Commit This to Memory

Line 121 ⟶ 124:

| length12 = 5:19

}}

{{track listing

{{tracklist

| all_writing =

| headline = BonusDeluxe TracksEdition

| title1title13 = Invisible Monsters

| length1length13 = 3:55

}}

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{{Col-2}}

'''Band'''

*[[Justin Pierre]] – [[Singer|lead vocals]], [[guitar]]

*[[Joshua Cain]] – guitar, backing vocals

*[[Jesse Johnson (keyboardist)|Jesse Johnson]] – [[Moog Concertmate MG-1|Moog]], [[Electronic keyboard|keyboardkeyboards]]

*[[Matthew Taylor (bassist)|Matt Taylor]] – [[bass guitar]], [[Percussionbacking instrument|percussion]]vocals, piano, vocalspercussion

*[[Tony Thaxton]] – [[Drum kit|drums]], percussion

'''Additional musicians'''

*[[Patrick Stump]] – guestadditional vocals on "[[Everything Is Alright]]"

*Robb MacLean – additional vocals on "Everything Is Alright"

*Patrick Carrie – additional vocals on "Everything Is Alright"

*[[Mark Hoppus]] – additional vocals on "Hangman"

{{Col-2}}

'''Production'''

*[[Mark Hoppus]] – producer, guest vocals on "Hangman"

*Ryan Hewitt – co-producer, engineer

*[[Christopher Mario Testa|Chris Testa]] – assistant engineer

*Jacques Wait – additional assistance

*Eric Olsen – additional assistance

*[[Tom Lord-Alge]] – mixing {{small|(tracks 1-4, 8)}}

*[[Mark Trombino]] – mixing {{small|(tracks 5-7, 9-13)}}

*Femio Hernandez – assistant mix engineer {{small|(tracks 1-4, 8)}}

*Cameron Barton – assistant mix engineer {{small|(tracks 5-7, 9-13)}}

*Tom Baker – mastering

*[[Tom Lord-Alge]] – mixing

*[[Mark Trombino]] – mixing

*Ryan Hewitt – producer, engineer

*[[Christopher Mario Testa|Chris Testa]] – engineer

'''Design'''

Line 166 ⟶ 173:

|-

!scope="col"|Chart (2005)

!scope="col"|Peak<br />position

|-

{{album chart|Billboard200|72|artist=Motion City Soundtrack|album=Commit This to Memory|refname="bb200"|accessdateaccess-date=May 29, 2015|rowheader=true}}

|-

{{album chart|BillboardIndependent|2|artist=Motion City Soundtrack|album=Commit This to Memory|refname="ind"|accessdateaccess-date=May 29, 2015|rowheader=true}}

|}

{{col-2}}

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!scope="col"|Position

|-

{{album chart|BillboardIndependent|39|artist=Motion City Soundtrack|album=Commit This to Memory|accessdateaccess-date=May 29, 2015|rowheader=true}}

|}

{{col-end}}

==Certifications==

{{Certification Table Top}}

{{Certification Table Entry|region=United States|artist=Motion City Soundtrack|title=Commit This to Memory|award=Gold|type=album|relyear=2005|certyear=2024|accessdate=March 12, 2024}}

{{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true|nosales=yes|noshipments=yes}}

==References==

Line 189 ⟶ 201:

==External links==

<!-- This is a licensed stream for the album, which is allowed under Wikipedia polices -->

*[https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLX5klc-sDBEnTDmtzs5DSv7NJbjvOdf6y ''Commit This to Memory''] (deluxe edition) at [[YouTube]] (streamed copy where licensed)

* {{Official website|http://MotionCitySoundtrack.com/}}

*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxFG9XUqRLM&noredirect=1 2007 television commercial promoting the album]

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{{Motion City Soundtrack}}

{{Good article}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Commit This To Memory}}