Modest Mouse
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 Lo-Fi
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
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 North-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) 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 2000, 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 "...and very frequent even in the minds of modest, mouse-coloured people..."^[2] Image File history File linksMetadata No higher resolution available. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Issaquah City Hall For the ferry, see MV Issaquah. ... For the capital city of the United States, see Washington, D.C.. For other uses, see Washington (disambiguation). ... For other uses of terms redirecting here, see US (disambiguation), USA (disambiguation), and United States (disambiguation) Motto In God We Trust(since 1956) (From Many, One; Latin, traditional) Anthem The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City National language English (de facto)1 Demonym American... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Alternative music redirects here. ... Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music often used to refer to bands that are on small independent record labels or that arent on labels at all. ... Noise pop is a term used to loosely describe a number of alternative rock bands that fuse punk rocks attitude and anger with the atonal noise, feedback, and free song structures of noise music, presented in a decidedly pop context. ... Lo-fi — from Low Fidelity — describes a sound recording which contains accidental artifacts, like distortion, or environmental noise, or a recording which has a limited frequency response. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... In the music industry, a record label can be a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. ... Epic Records is an American record label, owned and operated by Sony BMG. // Epic was launched originally as a jazz and classical music label in 1953 by CBS. Its bright-yellow, black and blue logo became a familiar trademark for many jazz and classical releases. ... Up Records is a Seattle based independent record label founded in 1994 by Chris Takino and Rich Jensen. ... K Records is an independent record label in Olympia, Washington, co-founded, owned, and operated by Calvin Johnson, formerly of the bands Cool Rays, Beat Happening, The Go Team, The Halo Benders and, at present, in the band Dub Narcotic Sound System. ... The Smiths were an English rock band active from 1982 to 1987. ... Dirty Dozen Brass Band The Dirty Dozen Brass Band is a New Orleans, Louisiana brass band. ... Ugly Casanova is an American Indie rock band carried on Sub Pop Records. ... The Helio Sequence is an indie electronica/shoegazer band signed to indie label Sub Pop. ... Steve Wold, more commonly known as Seasick Steve, is an American bluesman. ... Isaac Brock (born on July 9, 1975 in Issaquah, Washington) is the lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter for the American indie rock band Modest Mouse, as well as his side project band, Ugly Casanova. ... Eric Judy, 2000 Eric Judy is the bassist for the indie rock band Modest Mouse. ... Jeremiah Green was the drummer for the indie rock band Modest Mouse from 1993 to 2003, and has since returned to band as of July 2004. ... Johnny Marr (born John Martin Maher on 31 October 1963 in Ardwick, Manchester) is a prolific English guitarist, keyboardist, harmonica player and singer. ... Tom Peloso, the son of Peter and Maureen Peloso,[1] is a current active member of the American rock group Modest Mouse. ... Joe Plummer is a percussionist from Mariposa, California. ... Dann Gallucci played guitar, keyboard, and synthesizer in Modest Mouse. ... Benjamin Weikel plays drums and keys for the Band The Helio Sequence. ... For other uses of terms redirecting here, see US (disambiguation), USA (disambiguation), and United States (disambiguation) Motto In God We Trust(since 1956) (From Many, One; Latin, traditional) Anthem The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington, D.C. Largest city New York City National language English (de facto)1 Demonym American... Indie rock is a subgenre of rock music often used to refer to bands that are on small independent record labels or that arent on labels at all. ... This article is about the type of musical group. ... Issaquah City Hall For the ferry, see MV Issaquah. ... Isaac Brock (born on July 9, 1975 in Issaquah, Washington) is the lead singer, guitarist, and songwriter for the American indie rock band Modest Mouse, as well as his side project band, Ugly Casanova. ... Jeremiah Green was the drummer for the indie rock band Modest Mouse from 1993 to 2003, and has since returned to band as of July 2004. ... Eric Judy, 2000 Eric Judy is the bassist for the indie rock band Modest Mouse. ... Dann Gallucci played guitar, keyboard, and synthesizer in Modest Mouse. ... Categories: Stub | Modest Mouse albums | 1996 albums ... Johnny Marr (born John Martin Maher on 31 October 1963 in Ardwick, Manchester) is a prolific English guitarist, keyboardist, harmonica player and singer. ... The Smiths were an English rock band active from 1982 to 1987. ... Percussion instruments are played by being struck, shaken, rubbed or scraped. ... Joe Plummer is a percussionist from Mariposa, California. ... Black Heart Procession The Black Heart Procession (occasionally spelled The Blackheart Procession) is an indie rock band from San Diego, CA, USA. The band was formed in 1997 by Pall Jenkins (member of the short-lived Ugly Casanova) and Tobias Nathaniel (both members of the band Three Mile Pilot). ... Tom Peloso, the son of Peter and Maureen Peloso,[1] is a current active member of the American rock group Modest Mouse. ... We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank is the fifth studio album by Washington-based American indie rock band Modest Mouse, released in 2007. ... Sony Corporation ) is a Japanese multinational corporation and one of the worlds largest media conglomerates with revenue of $66. ... Epic Records is an American record label, owned and operated by Sony BMG. // Epic was launched originally as a jazz and classical music label in 1953 by CBS. Its bright-yellow, black and blue logo became a familiar trademark for many jazz and classical releases. ... The Pixies[1] are an American alternative rock band formed in Boston, Massachusetts in 1985. ... Built to Spill is an American rock music band based in Boise, Idaho. ... Alternative music redirects here. ... For the American writer, see Virginia Euwer Wolff. ...

History

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". Blue Cadet-3, Do You Connect? is Modest Mouses first EP release. ... For other people with this name, see Calvin Johnson. ... K Records is an independent record label in Olympia, Washington, co-founded, owned, and operated by Calvin Johnson, formerly of the bands Cool Rays, Beat Happening, The Go Team, The Halo Benders and, at present, in the band Dub Narcotic Sound System. ... Sub Pop is a record label in Seattle, Washington that achieved fame in the 1990s for first signing Nirvana, Soundgarden, Mudhoney and many other bands from the local Seattle music scene. ... For the emotional state, see Depression (mood). ... Steve Wold, more commonly known as Seasick Steve, is an American bluesman. ... Sad Sappy Sucker (sometimes written as SadSappySucker) is the name of the 2001 album release by indie rock band Modest Mouse. ... Up Records is a Seattle based independent record label founded in 1994 by Chris Takino and Rich Jensen. ... Categories: Stub | Modest Mouse albums | 1996 albums ... Out of print EP by Modest Mouse released on Up Records in 1996. ... The Lonesome Crowded West is the second full-length album recorded by indie rock band Modest Mouse. ... This article does not discuss cultist groups, personality cults, or cult in its original sense of religious practice. See cult (disambiguation) for more meanings of the term cult. A cult following is a group of fans devoted to a specific area of pop culture. ... The Fruit that Ate Itself is the name of an LP released by the indie rock band Modest Mouse in 1996. ... Categories: Stub | Modest Mouse albums | 2000 albums ...

The Moon & Antarctica and Epic signing

In 2000, Modest Mouse released The Moon & Antarctica, their first album on Epic Records. The band enjoyed some success on alternative radio with the singles "3rd Planet" and "Gravity Rides Everything." It was critically well-received^[4] including a 9.8 out of 10 score from popular online music magazine, Pitchfork Media[1]. It has subsequently gone on to receive further acclaim.^[5] 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.^[6] Modest Mouse promos chronology Alternate covers Promo cover (2000) Reissue cover (2004) The Moon & Antarctica is the third full-length album by indie rock band Modest Mouse, first released by Epic Records on June 13, 2000. ... Epic Records is an American record label, owned and operated by Sony BMG. // Epic was launched originally as a jazz and classical music label in 1953 by CBS. Its bright-yellow, black and blue logo became a familiar trademark for many jazz and classical releases. ... Alternative music redirects here. ... Pitchfork Media, usually known simply as Pitchfork, is a Chicago-based daily Internet publication devoted to music criticism and commentary, music news, and artist interviews. ... Ugly Casanova is an American Indie rock band carried on Sub Pop Records. ... Nissan Motor Co. ... It has been suggested that Mini MPV be merged into this article or section. ...

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. Everywhere and His Nasty Parlour Tricks is the title of an EP released by the indie rock band Modest Mouse. ... Cake is a band from Sacramento, California, formed in 1991. ... De La Soul is a Grammy-award winning hip hop group from Long Island, New York. ... The Flaming Lips (formed in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1983) are an American alternative rock band. ... The Hackensaw Boys are an Americana band from Charlottesville, Virginia inspired by punk, bluegrass, and old-time music. ... Kinky may refer to: Kinky (band), a five member band from Monterrey, Mexico Kinky (album), an album by that band Kink (sexual), unconventional sexual practices Kinky Friedman, an American singer, novelist and Texas politician Kinky may mean afro textured hair Kink Kinki, Japan. ... The Unlimited Sunshine Tour is an American traveling music festival headlined by alternative rock band Cake, and featuring an eclectic mix of bands from multiple musical genres. ...

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^[7]). 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. This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Not to be confused with the 1960s Motown group The Vells, Vells is an indie rock band from Seattle, WA. The band was formed by Modest Mouse drummer Jeremiah Green after his brief departure from the group in 2001. ... Adam Forkner (b. ... [[VVRSSNN]]is the debut album by the band VVRSSNN, pronounced Version Ranging from glitch to ambient, the album spans the limits while pushing the boundaries of indie rock, all while showcasing the talents of Forkner. ... Benjamin Weikel plays drums and keys for the Band The Helio Sequence. ... The Helio Sequence is an indie electronica/shoegazer band signed to indie label Sub Pop. ... Dann Gallucci played guitar, keyboard, and synthesizer in Modest Mouse. ... is the 96th day of the year (97th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The description Gold Album is applied to recorded music albums that have sold a minimum number of copies (in the US, currently 500,000 sales). ... Good News for People Who Love Bad News is the fourth full-length album recorded by indie rock band Modest Mouse. ... Float On can refer to: Float On (The Floaters song) Float On (Modest Mouse song) Category: ... Good News for People Who Love Bad News is the fourth full-length album recorded by the indie rock band Modest Mouse. ... SNL redirects here. ... is the 317th day of the year (318th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... All Tomorrows Parties logo projected at 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." For specific national Supreme Courts, see Category:National supreme courts. ... Holding decision pending Court membership Case opinions Laws applied Copyright Act of 1976 MGM Studios, Inc. ... David Hackett Souter (born September 17, 1939) has been an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States since 1990. ... Top 40 is a radio format based on frequent repetition of songs from a constantly-updated list of the forty best-selling singles. ... The Decameron is a collection of novellas that was finished by Giovanni Boccaccio in 1353. ...

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". Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Smiths were an English rock band active from 1982 to 1987. ... Johnny Marr (born John Martin Maher on 31 October 1963 in Ardwick, Manchester) is a prolific English guitarist, keyboardist, harmonica player and singer. ... Dann Gallucci played guitar, keyboard, and synthesizer in Modest Mouse. ... We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank is the fifth studio album by Washington-based American indie rock band Modest Mouse, released in 2007. ... is the 79th day of the year (80th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 353rd day of the year (354th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. ... Dashboard is the fist single from Modest Mouses upcoming record We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank. ...

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 is a song called "The Whale Song" and "Satellite Skin" as well as another song with The Dirty Dozen Brass Band.^[8] This article is about the magazine. ... Dirty Dozen Brass Band The Dirty Dozen Brass Band is a New Orleans, Louisiana brass band. ...

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.^[9] REM is an acronym for: Rapid eye movement, a phase of sleep Rosicrucian Egyptian Museum, a museum about ancient Egypt Röntgen equivalent man, a unit for measuring levels of exposure to radiation REM may also refer to: R.E.M. (band), an American rock music band formed in Athens... The National is a Brooklyn-based indie rock band formed in 1999, by friends from Cincinnati, Ohio. ...

Discography

Main article: Modest Mouse discography

// This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About (April 16, 1996) The Lonesome Crowded West (November 18, 1997) The Moon & Antarctica (June 13, 2000) Good News for People Who Love Bad News (April 6, 2004) We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank (March 20, 2007...

Studio albums

• Sad Sappy Sucker (1994, officially released 2001)
• This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About (1996)
• The Fruit That Ate Itself (1997)
• The Lonesome Crowded West (1997)
• Building Nothing Out Of Something (1999)
• The Moon & Antarctica (2000)
• Good News for People Who Love Bad News (2004)
• We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank (2007)

Sad Sappy Sucker (sometimes written as SadSappySucker) is the name of the 2001 album release by indie rock band Modest Mouse. ... Categories: Stub | Modest Mouse albums | 1996 albums ... The Fruit that Ate Itself is the name of an LP released by the indie rock band Modest Mouse in 1996. ... The Lonesome Crowded West is the second full-length album recorded by indie rock band Modest Mouse. ... Categories: Stub | Modest Mouse albums | 2000 albums ... Modest Mouse promos chronology Alternate covers Promo cover (2000) Reissue cover (2004) The Moon & Antarctica is the third full-length album by indie rock band Modest Mouse, first released by Epic Records on June 13, 2000. ... Good News for People Who Love Bad News is the fourth full-length album recorded by indie rock band Modest Mouse. ... We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank is the fifth studio album by Washington-based American indie rock band Modest Mouse, released in 2007. ...

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

Dann Gallucci played guitar, keyboard, and synthesizer in Modest Mouse. ... Percussion instruments are played by being struck, shaken, rubbed or scraped. ... Synth redirects here. ... Murder City Devils was a rock-n-roll band active between 1996 and 2001. ... A Gun Called Tension is a band with Dann Gallucci, from the bands Modest Mouse, The Murder City Devils, Triumph of Lethargy, and Skinned Alive to Death, and Sean Reveron of The Beta Band. ... Benjamin Weikel plays drums and keys for the Band The Helio Sequence. ... Steve Wold, more commonly known as Seasick Steve, is an American bluesman. ... For the technique, see Slide (guitar technique). ... This article is about the musical instrument. ... For the Anne Rice novel, see Violin (novel). ... For other uses, see Banjo (disambiguation) The banjo is a stringed instrument developed by enslaved Africans in the United States, adapted from several African instruments. ... A sunburst-colored Fender Precision Bass The electric bass guitar (or electric bass[1][2]; pronounced , as in base) is a bass stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers (either by plucking, slapping, popping, or tapping) or using a pick. ...

References

is the 163rd day of the year (164th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. ... is the 96th day of the year (97th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 96th day of the year (97th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 2008 (MMVIII) is the current year, a leap year that started on Tuesday of the Anno Domini (or common era), in accordance to the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to:

Modest Mouse

• Official Modest Mouse website
• Epic Records' Modest Mouse site
• Modest Mouse at MySpace
• Synthesis.net interview with Isaac Brock
• Modest Mouse at Virb
• Modest Mouse at Allmusic
• Early Modest Mouse demos
• Bruce's knerd.com-hosted Modest Mouse archive 1994-2004
• Interstate-8.com : A Modest Mouse fan collaborative
• ModMouse Fan Community
• Onion A.V. Club interview with Isaac Brock
• Filter Magazine interview with Isaac Brock
• Modest Mouse "Untitled" documentary
• Video of "Fly Trapped In A Jar"
• Modest Mouse lyrics on Lyricwiki