The Motion Sick :: "30 Lives"

Back in the fall of 2005, my friend Noah and I were running a website. We sort of planned to figure things out as we went along but, simply put, we had no clue what we were doing. During this period of time, we were contacted by a band out of Boston called The Motion Sick. They sent us their record which, along with the first Birdmonster EP, were the first promo albums we ever received (check down to 11.13.05). For a long time I saved the envelope it came in because I thought this was the beginning of something important. Perhaps, I was correct.

The Motion Sick's first album Her Brilliant Fifteen, the one they sent me in 2005, was entirely forgettable and I was entirely disappointed. It showed flashes of being something else but in the end, it was just okay. More than that, it might even have been a little bad. The Motion Sick became another footnote in a brain full of bands and songs that are less than great. And what could you expect, anyhow? After all, there were from Boston not New York.

Fast-forward. It is three weeks ago and I am listening to The Motion Sick's latest single, "30 Lives." I am enjoying it. I don't want it to be good because they sent me their album. I know it's good because there's a pulsating keyboard-riff and a sing-a-long chorus that's creeping its way into my brain. Then they hit the bridge and the chant begins. "Up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, B, A, select, start." Like an old Nintendo code (because that's exactly what it is) they're bringing the metaphor home. If life were a video game and you were in love, wouldn't you want to enter a code to spend 30 more lives with the object of your affection. Now, the code is borrowed from the Contra "Konami Code" and Contra wasn't so much about love as it was about destroying rebel governments in Central America but this is all, in the end, semantics.

The important part is as "30 Lives" tumbles toward the finish with a synth-riff that steps up and down stairs, the "up, up, down, down" chant from the bridge bangs on and the chorus pumps it's rhymes into your cortex. If you don't catch the chorus, the Konami chant will infect your brain until all your thoughts are rendered in 8-bit graphics. You'll think about Mario Brothers, California Games, Zelda, and maybe even that girl you loved who you'd like 30 more tries with. Or 30 lifetimes. Back when things were simple and Central America was evil and video games only had four buttons and indie rock was just Pavement. Well, things are more complicated now but this isn't. It's just good.

Listen :: The Motion Sick - "30 Lives"
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