Modest Mouse

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Modest Mouse
Performing at the United Palace Theatre, New York City in 2007
Performing at the United Palace Theatre, New York City in 2007
Background information
Origin Issaquah, Washington, U.S.
Genre(s) Alternative rock
Indie rock
Noise Pop
Years active 1993–present
Label(s) Epic
Up Records
K Records
Associated acts The Smiths
Dirty Dozen Brass Band
Ugly Casanova
The Helio Sequence
Seasick Steve
764-Hero
Website www.modestmousemusic.com
Members
Isaac Brock
Eric Judy
Jeremiah Green
Johnny Marr
Tom Peloso
Joe Plummer
Former members
John Wickhart
Dann Gallucci
Benjamin Weikel

Modest Mouse is an American indie rock band formed in 1993 in Issaquah, Washington by singer/lyricist/guitarist Isaac Brock, drummer Jeremiah Green, bassist Eric Judy, and guitarist Dann Gallucci.[1] Since their 1996 debut album, This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About, their lineup has centered around Brock, Green and Judy. Guitarist Johnny Marr (formerly of The Smiths), who lives in Portland, Oregon, joined the band in May 2006, along with percussionist Joe Plummer (formerly of the Black Heart Procession) and multi-instrumentalist Tom Peloso, to work on the album We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank. Since being signed to Sony's Epic Records in 2001, the band has attained significant popular success. Elements of Modest Mouse's early sound have been likened to or inspired by that of Pixies, Built to Spill and numerous other alternative rock bands. Their name is derived from a passage from the Virginia Woolf story "The Mark on the Wall" which reads "I wish I could hit upon a pleasant track of thought, a track indirectly reflecting credit upon myself, for those are the pleasantest thoughts, and very frequent even in the minds of modest mouse-coloured people, who believe genuinely that they dislike to hear their own praises."[2]

Contents

[edit] History

[edit] Early days on Up Records

In 1994, Brock, Green, John Wickhart and Dann Gallucci recorded their debut EP, Blue Cadet-3, Do You Connect?, at Calvin Johnson's Dub Narcotic Studios, which was then released on K Records. Then followed a single with Sub Pop that was recorded by Steve Wold (now better known as bluesman Seasick Steve) at Moon Studios. During this time, Modest Mouse also recorded their would-be debut album Sad Sappy Sucker, but constant delays caused the album to be shelved and forgotten (it was officially released in 2001). After moving to Up Records, temporarily losing guitarist Dann Gallucci,[3] Modest Mouse put out several releases recorded at Moon Studios, including 1996's This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About. This double LP was produced and recorded by Steve Wold (at this time Wold was a member of the band as well). The next offering was Interstate 8, also produced by Wold. 1997's The Lonesome Crowded West, (also recorded at Moon Studios, by Scott Swayze) turned out to be the band's breakthrough album. The Lonesome Crowded West gained the band a cult following, and is now widely considered to be one of the defining albums of mid-90s indie rock. Prior to the release, the band had recorded the EP The Fruit That Ate Itself. In 1999, Up Records released a singles and rarities collection entitled Building Nothing Out of Something, which included the entirety of Interstate 8 except for the songs "Edit the Sad Parts" and "Buttons to Push the Buttons".

[edit] The Moon & Antarctica and Epic signing

In 2000, Modest Mouse released The Moon & Antarctica, their first album on Epic Records. The album was more instrumental compared to their previous work, and this was partially due to Brock's breaking his jaw during recording. He, not knowing if he could sing, focused on making a more experimental album.[4] The band enjoyed some success on alternative radio with the singles "3rd Planet" and "Gravity Rides Everything." It was critically well-received[5] including a 9.8 out of 10 score from popular online music magazine, Pitchfork Media[2]. It has subsequently gone on to receive further acclaim.[6] Brock has since put out an album with his side project Ugly Casanova on Sub Pop Records. The band licensed "Gravity Rides Everything" for a commercial for Nissan's Quest minivan, a move that Brock has publicly acknowledged as blatantly commercial but necessary to achieve financial stability.[7]

In 2001, Modest Mouse released the EP Everywhere and His Nasty Parlour Tricks, a collection of unused songs from the The Moon and Antarctica recording sessions, as well as releasing Sad Sappy Sucker, a collection of songs Modest Mouse recorded in 1994, originally intended to be their debut album, but shelved in favor of This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About. In 2002, they joined Cake, De La Soul, The Flaming Lips, The Hackensaw Boys and Kinky on the Unlimited Sunshine Tour.

[edit] Mainstream success with Good News for People Who Love Bad News

In 2003, Green quit the band after suffering a nervous breakdown; the official word was that he was quitting to work with his side project, Vells. The same year, he and bassist Eric Judy appeared on Adam Forkner's debut solo album, VVRSSNN. Green was replaced with two new members, drummer Benjamin Weikel (who also drummed for The Helio Sequence, as well as playing keyboard) and guitarist Dann Gallucci (who had been a member of Modest Mouse previously, and appears on Sad Sappy Sucker). On April 6, 2004, Modest Mouse released their fourth album, the platinum-selling Good News for People Who Love Bad News, which scored two hits with "Float On" and "Ocean Breathes Salty" (both of which they performed on Saturday Night Live on November 13, 2004[8]). Later that year, Green returned to the band, and Weikel returned to drumming exclusively for The Helio Sequence. Gallucci left the band in August. In 2004 the band also curated an edition of the All Tomorrow's Parties festival.

Modest Mouse was mentioned by name in the 2005 Supreme Court decision in the case of MGM v. Grokster. Justice David Souter wrote that on the Grokster P2P network, "Users seeking Top 40 songs, for example, or the latest release by Modest Mouse, are certain to be far more numerous than those seeking a free Decameron, and Grokster and StreamCast translated that demand into dollars."

[edit] Johnny Marr and We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank

In 2006, former The Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr joined Modest Mouse, replacing Dann Gallucci, to begin work on the next Modest Mouse album. The album, entitled We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank was released on March 20, 2007 after being delayed from December 19, 2006. The album was successful in being the first Modest Mouse album to reach number 1 on the US Billboard 200 charts, and spawned the hit single "Dashboard", as well as "Missed the Boat".

In issue 1045 of Rolling Stone magazine, Austin Scaggs called Isaac to discuss future plans. Isaac reports that his biggest priority is that to finish a Modest Mouse EP. Referring, of course, to the songs that did not make it onto Good News and We Were Dead. He says there are songs named "The Whale Song" and "Satellite Skin" as well as another song with The Dirty Dozen Brass Band.[9]

Isaac Brock says he will begin writing music for their next album during March. An update on the band's blog featured a picture of the band rehearsing new songs. The band will tour with REM and The National in 2008.[10]

The band announced a North American tour beginning in June 2008. The band returns to Florida since their November 2006 Bang Music Festival show where they were cut off stage early, with three shows in Miami, Orlando, and St. Augustine.[11] While an update on the modest mouse blog subtitled catching up on some words for the next tour, it is in fact the lyrics to Heart Cooks Brain. [12] Modest Mouse is currently getting ready for this year's upcoming North American tour starting with Florida. The Modest Mouse Official Website has all the details and ticket information.

[edit] Discography

Main article: Modest Mouse discography

[edit] Studio albums

[edit] Former members

  • Dann Gallucci (he has left and rejoined the band on several occasions, but is currently not a member) – guitar, keyboards, vocals, percussion, synthesizers – See also: Murder City Devils, Triumph of Lethargy, A Gun Called Tension
  • Benjamin Weikel (former member) – drums, percussion
  • Steve Wold (former member and producer) – slide guitar, mandolin, guitar
  • Jeff Kennedy (former member) – violin, banjo
  • Nicole Johnson (former occasional accompaniment) – vocals on Building Nothing Out of Something, This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About, The Lonesome Crowded West
  • John Wickhart (former member) – bass guitar on Sad Sappy Sucker
  • Robin Peringer (former member) - touring guitar player
  • Peter Engh - provided recording equipment

[edit] References

  1. ^ Epitonic.com: Your Source for Cutting-Edge Music
  2. ^ [1]
  3. ^ Epitonic.com: Your Source for Cutting-Edge Music
  4. ^ Modest Mouse | The A.V. Club
  5. ^ Modest Mouse: The Moon & Antarctica (2000): Reviews
  6. ^ Listology: Pitchfork's Top 100 Albums of 2000-2004
  7. ^ Modest Mouse | The A.V. Club
  8. ^ SNL Archives - Episode. Retrieved June 12, 2007.
  9. ^ Pitchfork Reveals Modest Mouse's New EP pitchforkmedia.com, retrieved 6 April 2008
  10. ^ Billboard Article for MM, billboard.com/, retrieved 6 April 2008
  11. ^ NME news article, NME.com, retrieved 8 May 2008
  12. ^ [Modest Mouse blog], modestmouse.com, retrieved 20 May 2008

[edit] External links

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v • d • e
Modest Mouse
Isaac Brock · Jeremiah Green · Eric Judy · Johnny Marr · Tom Peloso · Joe Plummer
Dann Gallucci · Benjamin Weikel · John Wickhart · Steve Wold
Studio albums
Extended plays
Other albums
Singles
Labels
Epic Records · Hit or Miss · K Records · Rebel Beat Factory · Sub Pop · Suicide Squeeze Records · Up Records
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