Modest Mouse

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About Modest Mouse

Modest Mouse have lived many lives—as feisty lo-fi heroes, beloved indie oddballs, unlikely chart-toppers and respected rock statesmen. It’s a reflection of frontman Isaac Brock’s raw, restless, somewhat unhinged spirit: he’s remained the only consistent member throughout the band’s existence since forming as a trio in 1992 in Washington. Modest Mouse were influential from the start, rising from the hallowed DIY grounds of Calvin Johnson’s K Records. In the ‘90s, they released several EPs and two albums that balanced dark, sprawling, inward-looking indie with Pixies-inspired pop and raucous, tantrum-throwing rock—all informed by Brock’s panoramic view of existential dread. The band launched into the 21st century with a major-label deal and 2000’s The Moon & Antarctica, an expansive, mercurial collection of warped strings and keys and layers upon layers of guitars that both assuage and assault. They’d polish up that sound even more for 2004’s Good News for People Who Love Bad News, which holds more than a few heady gems, including hit single “Float On”, a perfect representation of Modest Mouse’s manic guitar pop masquerading as a sunny, if not sardonic, sing-along. The bigger they got, the brassier the hooks became, with help from former The Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr on 2007’s We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank and an ever-evolving lineup. Brock—still spitting out his best neurotic, nihilistic, quote-worthy lines—remains the harried heart of it all, keeping Modest Mouse as wondrously weird as ever.

ORIGIN
Issaquah, WA, United States
FORMED
1993
GENRE
Alternative
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