Singer-guitarist Brent Larson formed the Motion in 1999, the beginning of the end of the glory days of midwestern indie rock–but that didn’t stop him from plugging away. Save for Larson’s burnout guitar solos, the trio sounded like almost everything playing at the Empty Bottle that week; they released a self-titled CD on their own label, Sad Loud America, that was adrenalized but unaffecting. They’ve since revamped their sound, introducing a little space and more grime; Larson no longer screams at the same volume throughout each song. Demos for their forthcoming Cold Heroes, to be produced by former Lustre King drummer Jay Dandurand, evoke the raw melancholy of Dinosaur Jr more than the polished melancholy of the Promise Ring, and the guys seem so excited to have written the increasingly urgent “No Utopia” that they can hardly play it without losing their composure. Best of all, in their live sets the Motion don’t waste a lot of time on preaching or pseudointellectual banter–they just show up and rock out. Thursday, May 30, 9:30 PM, Empty Bottle, 1035 N. Western; 773-276-3600.
