In the Frame Film Reviews: October 2015

Saturday, October 31, 2015

Building nothing out of something - songs 20 to 16

The remaining 20 songs account for 1 hour 48 minutes and 23 seconds of the band's catalog. I guess you could say it would be my dream setlist. One of the things I have often thought about all the bands I like or have liked over the years, is how incredible it would be if I could choose the setlist for one of their concerts. With Modest Mouse, there's nothing I don't want to hear, but I obviously prefer some songs to others. I might die of happiness if I heard the remaining 20 songs played at a single show.

I'm not going to reveal which 20 songs are left, but you can work it out from the list in my initial post if you can't wait to find out. For today, I'll reveal the next five songs:

20. White Lies Yellow Teeth (7" Single)

You went out for a walk
I'm sure you went a long ways
Sorting things out in our heads
We'll forget in a few days

In the place before you're made
They give you all these options
Like if you've got wings
Or have you got feelings
Or can you breathe underwater?

He chose lifting ten times his weight
And natural body armor
On the day his mother gave
He came out as an insect

People talking soda pop
They talk it quite a lot
The opinions that I don't give
Are the opinions I don't got

White lies fall off my yellow teeth
I didn't convince you but I believed
White lies fall off my yellow teeth
I didn't convince you but I believed

All so plain it's all a plan
It's all so true of most everyone
The sky does not ever end
The air just gets much thinner

I knew a man who went on and on
About how he knew a man who knew a man
Who knew a man who knew him once
You can keep digging down and down inside
And even turn around or find in hell
You're find your digging up again

Some hippie told me, "Free your pets"
So I let them all go free
It didn't take no time at all
'Til they came running back to me

White lies fall off my yellow teeth
I didn't convince you but I believed
White lies fall off my yellow teeth
I didn't convince you but I believed

White Lies Yellow Teeth was an unreleased track from the This Is a Long Drive for Someone With Nothing to Think About sessions until seeing a 7" release when the vinyl version of the album was reissued. It's presence in the Top 20 tells you how much I love this song.

This is a track that relentlessly burns its way into your brain. It builds and builds, with numerous sequences where the band just rocks out. The chunky guitar drives the song and the drums have much more than a supporting role. This one is on my Driving mix and I often find myself shouting along.

It's a hell of a sophisticated structure for a band just entering their twenties. If songs like this are initially discarded, it speaks volumes about the band's other work. There's no way I would have left this off the debut album, but I am thrilled to own it now.

19. Parting of the Sensory (We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank)

There's no work in walking in to fuel the talk
I would grab my shoes and then away I'll walk
Through all the stubborn beauty I start at the dawn
Until the sun had fully stopped

Never walking away from
Just a way to pull apart
Dehydrate back into minerals
A lifelong walk to the same exact spot

Carbon's anniversary
The parting of the sensory
Old, old mystery
The parting of the sensory

Who the hell made you the boss?
We placed our chips in all the right spots
But still lost
Any shithead who had ever walked
Could take the ship and do a much finer job
This fit like clothes made out of wasps, aw, fuck it I guess I lost

The parting of the sensory
Carbon's anniversary
Just part it again if you please
Carbon's anniversary

Who the hell made you the boss?
If you say what to do I know when not to stop
If you were the ship who would ever get on
The weather changed it for the worse

And came down on us like it had been rehearsed
And like we hope, but change will surely come
And be awful for most but really good for some
I took a trip to the exact same spot
We pulled the trigger, but we forgot to cock
And every single shot aw, fuck it I guess we lost

Some day you will die and somehow
Something's going to steal your carbon
Some day you will die and somehow
Something's going to steal your carbon

Well, some day you will die somehow
And something's going to steal your carbon
Some day you will die and someone
Or something's will steal your carbon

Some day, something will die and
Somehow you'll figure out how
Often you will die somehow and
Something's going to steal your carbon

The thing is you will die
And you will probably just steal its carbon
Some day you will die somehow
And something's going to steal your carbon

Some day, somehow or something will die
And you will steal its carbon
Somehow you will die and you'll figure out how
Often you will die somehow
And something's going to steal your carbon

Some day you will die somehow
And someone's going to steal your carbon
Some day you will die and somehow
You'll figure out how often

Some day you will die somehow
And something's going to steal your carbon
You will die and somehow
It's going to steal your

I'd have figure out and find out, we were bathed in carbon
You will figure out that somehow you will
Some day you will die somehow
And something's going to steal your carbon

Brock's delivery in the first three verses is an inspired choice. It's calm and forces you to pay attention. The song is already sounding like a profound statement. The first lyric that jumps out at me is:

"A lifelong walk to the same exact spot"

That sums up how fleeting life is, and how meaningless it can seem when compared to the history of time itself. We're made of water, carbon and a few minerals.

Another great line is:

"This fit like clothes made out of wasps"

If you've ever worn an uncomfortable shirt, you know the feeling. I really like that description.

However, there's more to this song than calm, reflective lyrics. The second half of the song picks up the pace and becomes a rant with the whole band joining in. The violin is a nice touch too.

Here's a live version:

18. The Tortoise and the Tourist (Strangers to Ourselves)

Wake up, get ready
Wake up, get ready
What a wonderful trip's ahead
Well, wake up, get ready
Wake up, get ready
Such a wonderful trip's ahead

We get dressed as ghosts
With sheets taken from the bed
Inside our socks we hide travelers checks
We are tourists of the dead

So let's pack up
Let's go
So let's pack up
Let's go
Let's pack up
Let's go

Let's go

There was this tortoise, its shell was covered with jewels
And had been since time began
It knew the world through all its histories
And the universe and its mysteries
One day it came across a man
The two were talking
The tortoise offered to tell him
About the future and how the universe ran
Oh, the man killed the tortoise, took his shell
And with a song on his lips walked off again

So let's walk off
Let's go
So let's walk off
Let's go
Let's walk off
Let's go
So let's walk off
Let's go

Pack a lunch wander 'round
Toss the map on the ground
It isn't accurate anyways
We've been getting away
We've been getting away
We are strangers to ourselves
We sneak out
Drip by drip
Through paper cuts on our hands
Day after day
Nothing's quite the same
We are tourists in our own heads

So let's walk on
Let's go
Let's walk on
Let's go
Let's walk on (I think I feel ready to go)
Let's go
Let's walk on
Let's go
(I think I feel ready to go)
(I think I feel ready to go)
(I think I feel ready to go)
(I think I feel ready to go)
(I think I feel ready to go)
(I think I feel ready to go)

Social media and the Internet has greatly enhanced our access to music. We can easily check out bands that are new to us. I'm definitely in favor. However, there is one thing about music that it has ruined; I can no longer sit down with a new album without already knowing some of the tracks. I already knew half the songs from Strangers to Ourselves because of singles, video releases, TV appearances and songs played at some of the shows. A small part of the excitement is forever gone from the arrival of a new album because of that, unless you somehow manage to avoid teasers.

I mention all that because The Tortoise and the Tourist was completely new to me when I first listened to the album. Until that point, The Best Room was my favorite of the new songs that I had heard, but it took about ten seconds for that to change. That opening guitar and the drums kicking in had me hooked. This sounds like vintage Modest Mouse.

Brock's vocals are superb, with the delivery matching the music perfectly. The first verse foreshadows what is to come:

"Wake up, get ready. wake up, get ready, what a wonderful trip's ahead"

I couldn't have said it better myself. Get ready for the best song on the album and enjoy the journey.

The second verse also paints a great picture:

"We get dressed as ghosts
With sheets taken from the bed
Inside our socks we hide travelers checks
We are tourists of the dead"

But the verse that gets me thinking the most is:

"There was this tortoise, its shell was covered with jewels
And had been since time began
It knew the world through all its histories
And the universe and its mysteries
One day it came across a man
The two were talking
The tortoise offered to tell him
About the future and how the universe ran
Oh, the man killed the tortoise, took his shell
And with a song on his lips walked off again"

What a fitting metaphor for human nature. That sums up how greedy and shallow far too many people in this world are. I actually feel sorry for that tortoise and I'm being deadly serious. I want to befriend it and show it that we're not all thieves and killers. If some alien race or other visited us tomorrow and offered eternal life, we'd never trust them. Some people would sue for being denied the right to die and others would just kill the lying bastards. It's sad in a way.

If you have friends that you can trust, cherish them. Too many others would kill you for your shell.

The final line that I want to mention is:

"We are tourists in our own heads"

I live inside my own head. My thoughts are my own and they can get me through just about anything. I can only be bored if I am with other people who want to do something that I consider pointless. I'm also reminded of the scene in The Shawshank Redemption where Andy Dufresne knows that solitary will be bearable because he has Mozart in his head. "There are some things they just can't touch."

The Mozart in my head is Modest Mouse.

I was pretty gutted that The Tortoise and the Tourist wasn't played when I saw the band last month. I'll have to wait to hear it performed live.

It's only flaw is that it ends at all. Another three minutes would be most welcome.

Here's the video:

17. Bury Me With It (Good News for People Who Love Bad News)

We were shootin' at a mound of dirt
Well nothing was broken, nothing was hurt
But I probably really should have been at work
But when my free time's gone would you promise me this, that you'll

Please bury me with it
Please bury me with it

Well as sure as planets come I know that they end
And if I'm here when that happens
Just promise me this my friend

Please bury me with it
I just don't need none of that Mad Max bullshit

Well the suit got tight and it split at the seams
But I kept it out of habit and kept it real clean
But if it's getting faded, if it's runnin' outta thread
Could you do this for me my friend?

And please just, please, bury me with it
Please bury me with it

Well we moved to the left and we moved to the right
And sure as hell stayed out almost every single night
But if the party's over, if the fun has to end
Could you do this for me my friend?

Would you just please bury me with it?
Please bury me with it

Good news for people, who love bad news
We've lost the plot and we just can't choose
We are hummingbirds who are just not willing to move
And that's good news for people who love bad news

We are hummingbirds who lost the plot and we will not move
We have good news for anyone who loves bad news

We were aiming for the moon, we were shooting at the stars
But the kids were just shooting at the buses and the cars
So don't drink the water don't you breathe the air
And if it's gotten to that point then I have to declare

That you could please bury me with it
Please bury me with it

Well fads they come and fads they go
And God I love that rock and roll
Well the point was fast but it was too blunt to miss
Life handed us a paycheck, we said "We worked harder than this!"

Please bury me with it
Please bury me with it, oh shit now

We are hummingbirds who are just not willing to move
And there's good news for people, who love bad news
We are hummingbirds who lost the plot and we will not move
We have great news for anyone, who loves bad news

This song has always been good, but I'm starting to consider it one of the band's best. There's that Pixies vibe again, but no problem there.

The theme is simple; if the enjoyable things in life are taken away, what's the point in living?

One of my absolute favorite lyrics from a long list appears in this song:

"I just don't need none of that Mad Max bullshit"

If you've ever seen a Mad Max movie, you'll know what Brock is getting at. If your whole existence is a brutal struggle to survive, with everyone trying to kill you or steal what little you have, would you even bother living in that world? I grin every time I hear that line. It's just perfect.

Have you noticed how songs that mention the title tend to be one of the best on the respective album? The Tortoise and the Tourist mentions Strangers to Ourselves and now Bury Me With It references Good News for People Who Love Bad News.

There are at least two other brilliant lines in this song and I feel compelled to mention them:

"Life handed us a paycheck, we said 'We worked harder than this!'"

"We are hummingbirds who are just not willing to move"

I haven't even mentioned the music yet. It's exciting, reflective, loud, quiet and everything I would want in a song. I like how the drums are used and Brock's ranting vocals. There's guitar everywhere, and that's rarely a bad thing.

Here's a live version:

16. Fly Trapped In a Jar (We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank)

Of part and parcel,
Well we're already dead,
Well it's probably been said,
That it's always been said,
That,

One wing isn't even enough,
It isn't even enough,
It isn't even enough,
To leave,

One wing isn't even enough,
It wasn't even enough,
It wasn't even enough,
To leave,
(Ha ha ha ha)

I'm gonna' shake myself right out the door,
I'm gonna' take myself when it's finally over,
I'm gonna' let my own bad self take over,
I'm gonna' move my arm out with my shoulder,
And

One wing wasn't even enough,
It wasn't even enough,
It wasn't even enough,
To leave,

One wing wasn't even enough,
It wasn't even enough,
It wasn't even enough,
To leave,

One wing wasn't even enough,
It wasn't even enough,
It wasn't even enough,
To leave,

First off, Gary was on trial and drunk before we left bed,
As things got better was it hard to say that he had no idea,
Well I hadn't noticed but the people really noticed that they really didn't want us around,
So we all just opened up our mouths and walked to this town

Well I was walking just a little bit sideways and you were walking sideways too,
Well I hadn't learned when a front door can be used,
Here it goes now...

We had darkened doors so we didn't read what the sign read
Though simple enough it was to me really tough the ground needs to be fed,
Well I hadn't noticed but the people really noticed that they didn't really want us around,
So not a single one of us will ever leave town,
Here we go sir...

Our bodies were laid out,
They were laid for fifteen yards,
Well two feet above each of our heads was a fly trapped in a jar,
Well I hadn't noticed but the people really noticed that they really didn't want us around,
So every single one of us fed the ground,
Here we go now...

One wing wasn't even uhh,
One wing wasn't even enough,

Of part and parcel
Well it's probably been said,
That it's always been said that
We're already dead

Manic Brock returns with a vocal delivery that's right on the edge of sanity. I haven't got a clue what this song is about, but I love how it feels. We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank took a while to grow on me, but now I realize that it's full of good songs. Some of them are beyond good, and this falls into that category. The sweeping guitar frames everything well, but I just love Brock's vocal style on this song. The tempo change near the halfway point signifies an even crazier sequence.

Here's the official video:

As painful as it was to choose five songs to cut this round, I'll probably do the same thing tomorrow. It won't be easy. Thanks for reading.

As always, here is the story so far:

100. Birds Vs Worms
99. Fire It Up
98. We've Got Everything
97. Dukes Up
96. Out of Gas
95. Strangers to Ourselves
94. Of Course We Know
93. Space Travel Is Boring
92. Styrofoam Boots/It's All Nice on Ice, Alright
91. Dance Hall
90. She Ionizes & Atomizes
89. Other People's Lives
88. Whenever You Breathe Out, I Breathe In (Positive Negative)
87. One Chance
86. Polar Opposites

85. Might

84. Pups to Dust

83. Sunspots in the House of the Late Scapegoat

82. All Night Diner

81. March Into the Sea

80. Coyotes

79. Blame It On the Tetons

78. The Good Times Are Killing Me

77. Perfect Disguise

76. A Life of Arctic Sounds

75. Satellite Skin

74. Ohio

73. People as Places as People

72. The Waydown

71. Guilty Cocker Spaniels
70. Florida
69. Missed the Boat
68. The Cold Part
67. Whenever You See Fit
66. Wicked Campaign
65. Lives
64. Beach Side Property
63. Bankrupt On Selling
62. Shit Luck
61. Little Motel
60. Satin in Your Coffin
59. Shit in Your Cut
58. The View
57. Ansel
56. Custom Concern
55. Sugar Boats
54. Dashboard
53. Education
52. Bukowski
51. What People Are Made Of
50. The Ground Walks, with Time in a Box
49. Alone Down There
48. Float On
47. King Rat
46. Lampshades On Fire
45. Be Brave
44. Night on the Sun
43. Interstate 8
42. The World at Large
41. Head South
40. The Best Room
39. Gravity Rides Everything
38. Tundra/Desert
37. Paper Thin Walls
36. Convenient Parking
35. Life Like Weeds
34. A Different City
33. A Manic Depressive Named Laughing Boy
32. Grey Ice Water
31. I Came As a Rat
30. Black Cadillacs
29. Talking Shit About a Pretty Sunset
28. Ocean Breathes Salty
27. Novacain Stain
26. Invisible
25. Breakthrough
24. Edit the Sad Parts
23. Broke
22. Truckers Atlas
21. Tiny Cities Made of Ashes
20. White Lies Yellow Teeth
19.Parting of the Sensory
18. The Tortoise and the Tourist
17. Bury Me With It
16. Fly Trapped In a Jar

Building nothing out of something (overview)

Building nothing out of something - songs 100 to 96
Building nothing out of something - songs 95 to 91

Building nothing out of something - songs 90 to 86

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Building nothing out of something - songs 25 to 21

There are 25 songs left and I finally managed to figure out which five should appear in this installment. I'm actually curious to see how the rest of the songs will be ranked, because I haven't decided in advance. I listened to each of these five songs a few times at work today and tweaked the order a little. I even switched one for a song that I thought would easily make it beyond this point.

The remaining songs last 2 hours, 17 minutes and 28 seconds, so they would fit onto a pair of CDs. I know you needed to know that. If you're making a 320KB MP3 playlist, you'll need 316MB for these 25 tracks.

I'll stop keeping you in suspense:

25. Breakthrough (This Is a Long Drive for Someone With Nothing to Think About)

I got one two three four, five, six, six, six
Running round the neighborhood, pejorative jinx
He said, "The groom's down on me 'cuz he ate the rice"
It was well intentioned but bad advice

Hell yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Let it breakthrough, oh let it breakthrough
Oh let it breakthrough, oh yeah
Let it breakthrough, oh let it breakthrough
Oh let it breakthrough, oh yeah

Let it breakthrough, oh let it breakthrough
Oh let it breakthrough, oh yeah

Open the curtain and let in some sky
It's almost half past two and you can tell by the light
Oh yeah, open your window
And let in the atmosphere, oh yeah

Let it breakthrough, oh let it breakthrough
Oh let it breakthrough
Let it breakthrough, oh let it breakthrough
Oh let it breakthrough, oh yeah

Open the curtain and let in some sky
It's almost half past two and you can tell by the light
Open your window
And let in the atmosphere, oh yeah

Let it breakthrough, oh let it breakthrough
Oh let it breakthrough, oh yeah

I was inverted, I mean converted
I mean, I don't understand
I was inverted, I mean converted
I mean, I don't understand

Here's another track with a definite Pixies influence. Brock even sings like Black Francis at times. What I like most about Breakthrough is the venom in the vocals and the urgency of the guitars. I once thought that This Is a Long Drive was a hard listen because it was so raw, but now I love it for the same reason. It has grown on me more than any other Modest Mouse album.

The structure is also blatant Pixies, with the quiet-loud-quiet thing going on. Modest Mouse has so many original-sounding songs that I don't mind hearing a few that sound like other bands that I love. Custom Concern follows this track on the album and offers a great contrast with its laid back vibe.

Here's the video:

24. Edit the Sad Parts (This Is a Long Drive for Someone With Nothing to Think About - Bonus Vinyl Track)

Sometimes all I really want to feel is love
Sometimes I'm angry that I feel so angry

Sometimes my feelings get in the way
Of what I really feel I needed to say

If you stand in a circle
Then you'll all have a back to bite
Back logged voices on the seven wonders

We're all so funny but he's lost his joke now
A communication from the one lined joke
A stand up comic and a rock musician
Making so much noise you don't know when to listen

Why are you judging people so damn hard?
You're taking your point of views a bit too far

I made my shoes shine with my coal
But the polish didn't shine the hole

If you stand in a circle
Then you'll all have a back to bite
Back logged voices on the seven wonders

We're all so funny but he's lost his joke now
A communication from the one lined joke
A stand up comic and a rock musician
Making so much noise you don't know when to listen

Think it over
There's the air of the hype of the high rollers

Edit the Sad Parts appeared twice on Interstate 8, with one of the versions being live. The song also appeared as a bonus track on the vinyl edition of This Is a Long Drive for Someone With Nothing to Think About. There are so many things I like about this song. Brock's vocals are excellent and fit the various phases of the song well. It opens with a line that I love:

"Sometimes I'm angry that I feel so angry"

That always makes me grin for some reason. The drum sound is particularly great throughout, and the guitar varies from something that adds depth to something that drives the song with chunky riffs. There's a lot going on in some parts of the song, but some sequences are laid back and reflective. It almost makes me feel nostalgic for something that I have never experienced.

Some of the songs that I like best seemed like a sprawling mess on the first few listens. Eventually, everything feels like it is where it supposed to be and it all makes sense. This is one of those songs.

23. Broke (Building Nothing Out of Something)

Broke account so I broke a sweat
I've bought some things that I sort of regret about now
Broke your glasses, but it broke the ice
You said that I was an asshole and I paid the price

Broken hearts want broken necks
I've done some things that I want to forget but I can't
Broke my pace and ran out of time
Sometimes I'm so full of shit that it should be a crime

Broke a promise 'cause my car broke down
Such a classic excuse it should be bronze by now
Broke up, and I'm relieved somehow
It's the end of the discussions that just go round and round

And round, and round, and round, and round
And round, and round it shouldn't have been anyway
No way, no way, that's right, that's right
Uh oh, uh oh, uh oh, uh no
Uh oh, uh oh, uh oh, uh no
Uh oh, uh oh, uh oh, uh no
It was like everything was evidence of broken

You're living on fancy wine
You'll drink that turpentine
You're starting conversations
You don't even know the topic

Here's another song that appears on Interstate 8 as a live track, but there's a studio version on Building Nothing Out of Something. It's a beautiful break up song full of clever lyrics that play on the broke theme. The line that I think of the most because it happens around me most days is:

"Sometimes I'm so full of shit that it should be a crime"

The opening to the song is just superb. The guitar is delicate and tranquil with Brock's vocals matching the mood. As the song progresses, everything slowly builds. By the end, Brock is ranting and the band is really going for it. It ends as well as it began.

Here's a live version:

22. Truckers Atlas (The Lonesome Crowded West)

I'm going to Colorado to unload my head
I'm going to New York City and that's in New York, friends
I'm going to Arizona
Sex on the rocks all warm and red
And we bled

And the writing in the stall said
We write our maps in the stalls
I'm going up to Alaska
I'm going to get off Scot-fucking-free
And we all did

This truckers atlas roads the ways
The freeways and highways don't know
The buzz from the bird on my dash
Road locomotive phone

This truckers atlas roads the ways
The freeways and highways don't know
The buzz from the bird on my dash
Road locomotive phone

I don't feel and I feel great
I sold my atlas by the freight stairs
I do lines and I crossed roads
I crossed the lines of all the great state roads

I'm going up, going over to Montana
You got yourself a truckers atlas
You knew you were all hot
Maybe you'll go and blow a gasket

You start at the northwest corner
Go down through California
Beeline you might drive three days
Three nights to the tip of Florida

Do you speak the lingo?
Oh oh no
Do you speak the lingo?
No no
How far does your road go?
Oh no, you don't know

I'm going to Colorado to unload my head
I'm going to New York City and that's in New York, friends
I'm going up to Alaska
I'm going to get off Scot-fucking-free
And we all did

And the writing in the salt says
We ride out to the stars
I'm going to Arizona
Sex on the rocks all warm and red
And we all did

This truckers atlas roads the ways
The freeways and highways don't know
The buzz from the bird on my dash
Road locomotive phone

This truckers atlas roads the ways
The freeways and highways don't know
The buzz from the bird on my dash
Road locomotive phone

I don't feel and I feel great
I sold my atlas by the freight stairs
I do lines and I crossed roads
I crossed the lines of all the great state roads

I'm going up, going over to Montana
You got yourself a truckers atlas
You knew you were all hot
Maybe you'll go and blow a gasket

You start at the northwest corner
Go down through California
Beeline you might drive three days
Three nights to the tip of Florida

Here's another song from my Driving playlist. It's perfect for that situation. The lyric-heavy first half flows so naturally and has me shouting along. So addictive. The second half of the song just lets the band play and experiment. The Lonesome Crowded West documentary is also highly recommended and explains how some of the songs on the album evolved.

The mood ranges from plodding, to mystical, atmospheric, and searching. It's relentless in a way, just like a truck on a long journey. The percussion is some of the best found on any Modest Mouse song. I like Brock's vocal delivery as well. Overall, it's quite a journey.

21. Tiny Cities Made of Ashes (The Moon & Antarctica)

We're goin' down the road towards tiny cities made of ashes
I'm gonna hit you on the face
I'm gonna punch you in your glasses, oh no

I just got a message that said, "Yeah hell is freezin' over"
I Got a phone call from the Lord sayin'
"Hey boy get a sweater, right now"

So we're drinkin', drinkin', drinkin', drinkin', coca coca cola
I can feel it rollin' right on down, oh right on down my throat
And as we're headed down the road towards tiny cities made of ashes
I'm gonna get dressed up in plastic gonna shake hands
with the masses oh no

Does anybody know a way that a body could get away?
Does anybody know a way?
Does anybody know a way that a body could get away?
Does anybody know a way?

We're goin' down the road towards tiny cities made of ashes
I'm goin' to hit you on the face
I'm goin' to punch you in your glasses

I'm wearin' myself a T-shirt that says "The world is my ashtray"
Our hearts pump dust and our hairs all gray
And I just got a message that says, "Yeah hell has frozen over"
I got a phone call from the Lord sayin'
"Hey boy get a sweater, right now"

Does anybody know a way that a body could get away?
Does anybody know a way?
Does anybody know a way?

We're drinkin', drinkin', drinkin', drinkin', coca coca cola
I can feel it rollin' right on down, oh right on down my throat
And as we're headed down the road
Towards tiny cities made of ashes
I'm gonna lay down in the spa
Where they coat you in molasses, right now

Does anybody know a way that a body could get away?
Does anybody know a way?
Does anybody know a way that a body could get away?
Does anybody know a way?

I was originally choosing between two other songs for this spot, but while playing them to decide, I found that it was too early to cut either of them. So Tiny Cities Made of Ashes was a somewhat surprising casualty.

The song has to rate as one of the most unusual that the band has ever produced. It has a dance beat and numerous takes or breaks. The lyrics start off smoothly and then alternate between ranting and calmer verses. The bass is an important part of the mix and the lyrics play off that beat. Guitars weave in and out over everything, with angular spirals punctuating the sound.

I really don't know what to make of it all. It's weird and wonderful and I love it.

Here's an extra funky extended live version, with Brock morphing into a manic version of David Byrne at the end:

Why did I cut that again? Because I had no other choice. Every installment is harder than the last. The next part will reveal the first five tracks in my Top 20. That's a job for the coming weekend. Thanks for reading.

As always, here is the story so far:

85. Might

84. Pups to Dust

83. Sunspots in the House of the Late Scapegoat

82. All Night Diner

81. March Into the Sea

80. Coyotes

79. Blame It On the Tetons

78. The Good Times Are Killing Me

77. Perfect Disguise

76. A Life of Arctic Sounds

75. Satellite Skin

74. Ohio

73. People as Places as People

72. The Waydown

Building nothing out of something - songs 100 to 96
Building nothing out of something - songs 95 to 91

Building nothing out of something - songs 90 to 86

Sunday, October 25, 2015

Building nothing out of something - songs 30 to 26

It's time to take a look inside my Top 30. There are still 10 of the band's releases represented in the remaining 30 songs, although I can assure you that my rankings are not deliberately trying to feature something from all of them. This is how I honestly rate the songs. I think that it is impressive to see so much quality, whether it's from 1996 or 2015.

After my initial run through, I am choosing the next five songs from a group of eight. The other 22 are safe for now.

Let's get started:

30. Black Cadillacs (Good News for People Who Love Bad News)

And it's true we named our children after towns
That we've never been to
And it's true that the clouds just hung around
Like black Cadillacs outside a funeral

And we were done, done, done
With all the fuck, fuck, fuckin' around

You were so true to yourself
You were true to no one else
Well I should put you in the ground

I've got the time, I got the hours
I got the days, I got the weeks
I could say to myself
I've got the words but I can't speak

Well, I was done, done, done
With all the circ-circ-circlin' round

I didn't die and I ain't complainin' I ain't blamin' you
I didn't know that the words you said to me
Meant more to me than they ever could you

I didn't lie and I ain't sayin' I told the whole truth
I didn't know that this game we were playin' even had a set of rules

We named our children after towns
That we've never been to
And it's true that the clouds hung around
Like black Cadillacs outside a funeral

We were laughing at the stars
While our feet clung tight to the ground
So pleased with ourselves for using
So many verbs and nouns

But we were all still just dumb, dumb, dumber
Than the dirt, dirt, dirt on the ground

Well wings on flames, kings with no names
Well this place just ain't got right air right now
You were so all over town but still so Crayola brown
Well you should run 'round yourself right now

And we were done, done, done
With all the fuck, fuck, fuckin' around circlin' round

At the start of this project I would have thought that Black Cadillacs would definitely end up in my Top 20, but there are just too many great songs ahead of it. The song has me instantly hooked with its sinister beginning and the superb opening line:

"And it's true we named our children after towns"

What a great observation. Why do we do that?

The song is action-packed and doesn't waste a single note. It's one of the few Modest Mouse songs that's shorter than three minutes.

29. Talking Shit About a Pretty Sunset (This Is a Long Drive for Someone With Nothing to Think About)

Oh, noose tied myself in, tied myself too tight

Looking kind of anxious in your cross armed stance
Like a bad tempered prom queen at a homecoming dance

And I claim I'm not excited with my life any more
So I blame this town, this job, these friends, the truth is it's myself

And I'm trying to understand myself and pinpoint where I am
When I finally get it figured out, I've changed the whole damn plan

Oh, noose tied myself in, tied myself too tight
Oh, noose tied myself in, tied myself too tight

Talking shit about a pretty sunset
Blanketing opinions that I'll probably regret soon

Changed my mind so much I can't even trust it
My mind changed me so much I can't even trust myself

Another perfectly crafted song and perhaps one of the most beautiful the band has ever produced. Imagine yourself at 20 and think about how little you knew about the world. That's part of the reason that this brutally honest line jumps out at me:

"And I claim I'm not excited with my life any more, so I blame this town, this job, these friends, the truth is it's myself"

I often think that most of the things we complain about or recognize as bad in our lives are within our control to improve. The first step is to realize what the problems are.

The other brilliant line in this song is:

"Looking kind of anxious in your cross armed stance, like a bad tempered prom queen at a homecoming dance"

What a picture that paints!

The music is not exciting, as it tends to be with most of my favorites, but what it lacks in excitement, it makes up for in other ways. The lyrics are just part of the appeal. This mellow sound offers a nice contrast to some of Brock's more manic rants. The guitar flows beautifully here, blending well with the rest of the band. It's a reflective song and it has a calming influence on me.

28. Ocean Breathes Salty (Good News for People Who Love Bad News)

Your body may be gone, I'm gonna carry you in
In my head, in my heart, in my soul
And maybe we'll get lucky and we'll both live again
Well I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, don't think so

Well that is that and this is this
You tell me what you want and I'll tell you what you get
You get away from me, you get away from me
Collected my belongings and I left the jail
Well thanks for the time, I needed to think a spell
I had to think awhile, I had to think awhile

The ocean breathes salty, won't you carry it in?
In your head, in your mouth, in your soul
And maybe we'll get lucky and we'll both grow old
Well I don't know, I don't know, I don't know, I hope so

Well that is that and this is this
You tell me what you want and I'll tell you what you get
You get away from me, you get away from me
Collected my belongings and I left the jail
Well thanks for the time, I needed to think a spell
I had to think awhile, I had to think awhile

Well that is that and this is this
Will you tell me what you saw and I'll tell you what you missed
When the ocean met the sky
You missed when time and life shook hands and said goodbye
When the earth folded in on itself
And said "Good luck, for your sake I hope heaven and hell
Are really there, but I wouldn't hold my breath."
You wasted life, why wouldn't you waste death?
You wasted life, why wouldn't you waste death?

The ocean breathes salty, won't you carry it in?
In your head, in your mouth, in your soul
The more we move ahead the more we're stuck in rewind
Well I don't mind, I don't mind, how the hell could I mind?

Well that is that and this is this
You tell me what you want and I'll tell you what you get
You get away from me, you get away from me

Well that is that and this is this
Will you tell me what you saw and I'll tell you what you missed
When the ocean met the sky
You wasted life, why wouldn't you waste the afterlife?

I associate the first verse of this song with a friend who lives near the ocean and recently lost someone close to her. I just love this line:

"Your body may be gone, I'm gonna carry you in, in my head, in my heart, in my soul"

The music sounds like something from a Cocteau Twins album at first, before developing into something more like Modest Mouse. The music is layered and soothing, although the lyrics are realistic and don't guarantee that everything will work out when we die. I like that honesty. The last line is particularly thought-provoking for me:

"You wasted life, why wouldn't you waste the afterlife?"

I'm surprised I didn't rank this song about 10 spots higher, but this project is teaching me a lot about what I feel about this brilliant music.

Here's a good live version:

27. Novacain Stain (This Is a Long Drive for Someone With Nothing to Think About)

When I can work out how it was
Then I'll tell you
TV stained my memories, yeah
I don't fit the shoes

Remember through sounds
Remember through smells
Remember through colors
Remember through towns with fear and fascination
On what was here and what's replacing them now

Interchange plazas and malls
And crowded chain restaurants
More housing developments go up
Named after the things they replace

So welcome to Minnow Brook
And welcome to Shady Space
Well it all seems a little abrupt
No I don't like this change of pace

Novacain Stain talks about the theme that dominates The Lonesome Crowded West, but it appeared on the band's debut and as a live song on Interstate 8. Both versions are superb. The album version is more polished, while the live version puts you right in the middle of the action. I love both. It's raw, but everything still works and makes sense. The guitars spiral off at tangents and the drums are particularly important to the sound. The second half of the song is just the band rocking out and I love every second.

Here's the Interstate 8 version:

26. Invisible (We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank)

Well listen dancing shifter, got a strong cell phone arm
Oh you're not invisible inside your car
No matter what consuming sort of mission you're on
Well you're not invisible inside your car

So absolutely mental gonna ramble and charge
No you're not invisible inside your car
No matter you just breathe it like your flies in a jar
No you're not invisible

I like the saline tea
Well it's true that the moon can pull it back and forth away from me
I should just let it be
Well it's true that the moon can pull you back and forth away from me

Well it had to happen sometime
Gonna shake like a charm
Well we weren't invisible not all along
No matter how many eons came and are gone
We were not invisible

I like the saline tea
Well it's true that the moon can pull it back and forth away from me
And there's the orphaned sea
We were never invisible but that I guess we didn't see

Of course this all had been laid down way before
We laid down for it all before we had a course
Of course, of course this all had been laid down
Of course we lay down

I like the saline tea
Well it's true that the moon can pull it back and forth away from me
And like the orphaned sea
We were never invisible but that I guess we could not see

We'll get crushed by the ocean, but it will not get us wet

This last choice had me agonizing over which of three songs to choose. All three are very different in style, so it is hard to compare them. I guess I won't get arrested if I change my mind tomorrow, but I want this ranking to be as accurate as I can make it.

We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank sounded a little too polished for me at first, but it has grown on me enormously over the years. Invisible is one of the few absolute rants on the album, and I like it all the more because of that. Brock is on the edge of madness throughout this song and the action never lets up. There is so much energy and urgency that it's almost impossible to avoid be swept along by it.

I sometimes think of this song while I am singing along to Modest Mouse in my car. I'm not invisible and anyone watching would probably think that I was crazy.

Are there really 25 Modest Mouse songs better than this? Join me for the next installment and make up your own mind.

Here's the story so far:

85. Might

84. Pups to Dust

83. Sunspots in the House of the Late Scapegoat

82. All Night Diner

81. March Into the Sea

80. Coyotes

79. Blame It On the Tetons

78. The Good Times Are Killing Me

77. Perfect Disguise

76. A Life of Arctic Sounds

75. Satellite Skin

74. Ohio

73. People as Places as People

72. The Waydown

Building nothing out of something - songs 100 to 96
Building nothing out of something - songs 95 to 91

Building nothing out of something - songs 90 to 86

Saturday, October 24, 2015

Building nothing out of something - songs 35 to 31

It's the weekend, so I finally have time to reveal the next five songs in this countdown. Can I rank the remaining 35 songs equal first? No, I didn't think so. Every one of them is a favorite and it's painful to even consider choosing five for this round. I just did a quick calculation to see what songs I could ignore for now, thinking that they will be in the final Top 20. There were 25. So you can see that I am having real trouble.

I guess the only way to do it is to pick the least brilliant from those that are left, because saying worst or weakest just doesn't apply to these songs.

35. Life Like Weeds (The Moon & Antarctica)

In this life like weeds you're just a rock to me
You're just a rock to me you're just a rock to me
And in this life like weeds you're just a rock to me
And in this life like weeds and in this life like weeds

I could have told you all that I love you
And in the places you go you'll see the place where you're from
I could have told you all that I love you
And in the faces you meet you'll see the place where you'll die

I could have told you all that I love you
And on the day that you die you'll see the people you met
I could have told you all that I love you
And in the faces you see, you'll see just who you've been
I wish I could have told you all

In this life like weeds, in this life like weeds
Eyes need us to see, hearts need us to bleed
In this life like weeds you're a rock to me
I know where you're from but where do you belong?
In this life like weeds you're the dirt I breathe
In this life like weeds you're a rock to me

In this life like weeds, in this life like weeds
I know where you're from but where do you belong?
In this life like weeds, eyes need us to see
Hearts need us to bleed, in this life like weeds
In this life like weeds you're the dirt I breathe

All this talkin' all the time and the air fills up, up, up
Until there's nothin' left to breathe
And you think you feel almost everything
And we know in there that our hearts
Are just made out of strings
To be pulled, strings to be pulled

So you think you've figured out everything?
But we know in there that our minds
Are just made out of strings
To be pulled, strings to be pulled

All this talkin' all the time and the air fills up, up, up
Until there's nothing left to breathe
Up until there's nothin' left to speak
Up until the better parts of space

The first verse reminds me of my closest friend. In this chaotic existence, where things are constantly shifting and changing, there's not much we can count on. That applies to people, places, where we work, our own well being and all kinds of other things. So few things are reliable or permanent.

How many loyal friends do you have? Does the company you work for value its staff, or will it destroy lives to supposedly improve? Look at yourself and think about where your own loyalties lie. Would you throw away friendships easily, or stick with people when they need you the most? Then think about your health and all of the things you take for granted every day. One day you might wake up and find some of those things gone.

I suppose what I am trying to say is value what you have and stay true to yourself. The most important thing for most people is that they are alive and healthy. After that, what is the most important thing to you? For me it is other people.

That's just the first verse and I am already off on various tangents rambling about the meaning of life.

The lyrics are just one facet of this song. The music works perfectly as well, with the tempo changes and different vocal styles. It has a lot of layers, like life itself. Looking deeper, it is yet another layer of the album as a whole.

Are you a rock or a weed?

34. A Different City (The Moon & Antarctica)

I wanna live in the city
With no friends or family
I'm gonna look out the window
Of my color TV
I wanna remember to remember
To forget you forgot me
I'm gonna look out the window
Of my color TV

Through the cracks in the wall
Slow motion for all
Dripped out of the bars
Someone smart said nothin' at all
I'm watching TV
I guess that's a solution
They gave me a receipt
That said "I didn't buy nothin'"

So rust is a fire
And our blood oxidizes
My eyes rolled around
All around on the carpet
Oh, hit the deck
It's the decal man
Standin' upside down
And talkin' out of his pants

I wanna live in a city
With no friends or family
I'm gonna look out the window
Of my color TV
I wanna remember to remember
To forget you forgot me
I'm gonna look out the window
Of my color TV

Through the cracks in the wall
Slow motion for all
Dripped out of the bars
Someone smart said nothin' at all
I'm watchin' TV
I guess that's a solution
They gave me a receipt
That said, "I didn't buy nothin'"

So rust is a fire
And our blood oxidizes
My eyes rolled around
All around on the carpet
Oh, hit the deck
It's the decal man
Standin' upside down
And talkin' out of his pants

Through the cracks in the wall
Slow motion for all
Dripped out of the bars
Someone smart said nothin' at all

The guitar sound makes this song what it is. It's a bit of a rant when compared to the rest of The Moon & Antarctica. In a way, my life matches the first verse. I left behind my brother, sister and closest friends when I moved from England to Canada. I guess that was my mid-life crisis?

I often feel like I am wasting my life and burying myself in things that don't matter very much. Maybe to some of you this series proves that theory? To me, it's something that I need to do. Music has always been incredibly important to me and I doubt that I have ever been this obsessed with another band. I feel that it's my responsibility to put that into words so that other people have a chance to experience what I do when I listen to this music.

Those of you who know The Moon & Antarctica well will want to hear The Cold Part as soon as this next video ends. The two belong together.

33. A Manic Depressive Named Laughing Boy (This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About - Bonus Vinyl Track)

So you let your hair down
And you let your makeup dry
Stupid
And you let the ball drop
Why'd you do it?
Why'd you do it?
Going to let your bridge burn
With your secretive pining
And he was
A manic depressive
Named Laughing Boy
Named Laughing Boy

It took me a while to become familiar with this song because I gave up my vinyl collection and turntable when I moved countries. One of the rules I decided on for this project was that the song has to have been officially released. A couple of my choices, including this one, are vinyl-only releases.

I have to wonder why the song didn't get a wider release. The more I hear it, the more I like it. It's not typical Modest Mouse by any means. The deliberate plodding nature reminds me of something Neil Young and Crazy Horse might have recorded, but the guitar helps it feel more like a few other Modest Mouse songs.

This is more of a jam than a song packed with lyrics and meaning. The few lyrics probably refer to the way Isaac Brock thinks, or once thought about himself. The meaning of the name Isaac ranges from 'laughing' to 'he laughs' or 'he who laughs'. Brock's stage persona is certainly that of a man having a good time, but is he another tortured artist struggling to find happiness? I hope not. The band's music certainly makes me happy.

If you don't own the vinyl version of This Is a Long Drive, this song deserves to be listened to repeatedly.

32. Grey Ice Water (Building Nothing Out of Something)

You're standin' by the grey ice water
Out in the wind above the ground, out in the weather
You had yourself a crazy lover
Becomin' frozen, trying hard to forget her

You got a job up in Alaska
It's easy to save what the cannery pays
'Cause there ain't no way to spend it

You're standin' by the grey ice water
Out in the wind above the ground, out in the weather
You had yourself a crazy lover
Becomin' frozen, trying hard to forget her

You took the path of least resistance
On the phone, cutting out talking
Short to long distance

At home on a boat, at home it's a fish trap
At home on a boat, it's a fish trap
At home on a boat, it's a fish trap

On the Arctic glass
On the Arctic glass
On the Arctic glass

The first 45 seconds of the song set the scene and create a mood with the off-kilter guitar somehow making sense. I'm already transported to another place. I love the tempo change in the second half of the song when the full band kicks in.

Why are some of the best songs about failed relationships? Maybe because there's real feeling in those songs? David Gedge's Wedding Present made a career out of such stories.

I may have mentioned that some songs suddenly click with me and I can't get enough of them? Or perhaps I have just sat here thinking it while I have been writing this series. Grey Ice Water falls into that category. At some point, everything fell into place for me. I was particularly happy to hear it played at the last concert I managed to attend. Building Nothing Out of Something is so underrated.

This video contains a few sounds that are not part of the song, so you'll have to find a clean version if that annoys you. I think it's a great video so that's why I am choosing to include it:

31. I Came As a Rat (The Moon & Antarctica)

Well, I ain't sure, but I've been told
He's baking cakes inside our souls
Stayed awake, took a nap
Got myself my bottles back

I'm breakin' them out on the street
Walkin' around in my own bare feet
I do not need you to tell me that I am not a cat

I caught a ride, we caught some air
He's never gonna cut his hair
It takes more time to make a fake
We night swam down in the lake

And washed the dirt off our intentions
Prattled on 'bout bad inventions

I came as ice, I came as a whore
I came as advice that came too short
I came as gold, I came as crap
I came clean and I came as a rat

It takes a long time, but God dies too
But not before he'll stick it to you

Well, I don't know, but I been told
You'll never die and you'll never grow old

I came as a call, I came as flat
I came too soon so I came back
I came as flowers, I came as nice
I came as dirt and I came as its price

It takes a long time, but God dies too
But not before he'll stick it to you
I don't know, but I've been told
You never die and you'll never grow old

I Came As a Rat assaults you with information at the start of the song. There are two lines that I absolutely love:

"It takes more time to make a fake" - Just a brilliant observation that gets me thinking.

"It takes a long time, but God dies too, but not before he'll stick it to you" - Yep, that fits sometimes.

The song is very atmospheric, with its swirling, loopy nature and layers of intricate guitar blending with the whole mix. The bass and drums also play their part and help hold everything together. Maybe Pixar should have used it on Ratatouille?

If you just pick Modest Mouse songs at random and take note of the lyrics, you'll notice that they are not the usual mindless cliches that are present in the songs from most bands. Brock is one of the best writers out there. You can't help but notice the insight and intelligence in these songs.

Can they play it live? You bet.

Another installment with five impossible decisions will be up in the next day or two. Thanks for reading.

Here's the story so far:

85. Might

84. Pups to Dust

83. Sunspots in the House of the Late Scapegoat

82. All Night Diner

81. March Into the Sea

80. Coyotes

79. Blame It On the Tetons

78. The Good Times Are Killing Me

77. Perfect Disguise

76. A Life of Arctic Sounds

75. Satellite Skin

74. Ohio

73. People as Places as People

72. The Waydown

Building nothing out of something - songs 100 to 96
Building nothing out of something - songs 95 to 91

Building nothing out of something - songs 90 to 86

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Building nothing out of something - songs 40 to 36

One of the things that made today's workday more bearable was deciding on the next five songs I would write about for this series. There were 13 on my shortlist this time and I managed to whittle those down to five after a couple of listens. Then I listened one more time to decide on the order.

Let's break into the Top 40 and see what gems it has to offer:

40. The Best Room (Strangers to Ourselves)

Let loose with your charms
Go reckless, unharmed
We all signed the card
"Get well, but don't you try too hard"
The lessons unlearned
Oh, this meeting is adjourned
Oh, these Western concerns
Hold my place in line while I get your turn

To the empty balconies we serenade
All the playgrounds where them kids don't get to play
Dirty parkies went and chased them all away
To the game consoles to fatten

The best room they have
Is the last room you want
The bathroom's outside
Police tape is tied
To the doorknobs of rooms
Nine through thirty-two
These Western concerns
We beg while we chew

These Western concerns are all I ever really learned to be concerned with
But don't you, don't you know it's hard
Feeling tired every time that you try?
Ain't it hard feeling tired all the time?

The family living upstairs must have a fleet of rider lawn mowers
While the novelist to my right's convinced that every woman's a whore
But he bothers me time and again
To set him up with my very best friends and I say, "What?"
Says he doesn't restate but he will not shut up!

Well don't you, don't you know it's hard
Feeling tired every time that you try?
Ain't it hard feeling tired all the time?
Don't you, don't you know

I ain't goin' to bed
Ring my head in the woods right now
Scan for some mycelium
And bring a little back to town

Well don't you, don't you know it's hard (I ain't goin' to bed)
Feeling tired every time that you try? (ring my head in the woods right now)
Ain't it hard feeling tired all the time? (scan for some mycelium and bring a little back to town)

Go reckless, unharmed
Yep, the shut-ins, they're well armed
Well, we all led the charge
'Til we ran aground in our party barge
Every little gift was just one more part of their grift
Oh, yeah, we know it
Oh, yeah, we know it

The best news that we got
Was some dumb hokum we'd all bought
Oh, though reckless, feeling great
We're the sexiest of all primates
Let's let loose with our charms
Shake our ass and wave our arms
All going apeshit

As the tracks and videos were gradually unveiled while I was waiting for the release of Strangers to Ourselves, the song that excited me the most was The Best Room. When I finally heard the full album, only one song surpassed it.

I like a lot of things about the song. It jumps straight to the action from the first note and contains great lyrics. Here are my favorite lines:

"We all signed the card 'Get well, but don't you try too hard'"

"To the game consoles to fatten"

"The family living upstairs must have a fleet of rider lawn mowers"

I especially identify with that last one, living in an apartment.

The music, harmonies and Brock's vocals sound smooth and accomplished. That said, there's still plenty of venom and it feels like Modest Mouse. I'm also reminded of the evil fairground that I mentioned in Sugar Boats. It ends as abruptly as it started.

39. Gravity Rides Everything (The Moon & Antarctica)

Oh gotta see, gotta know right now
What's that riding on your everything?
It isn't anything at all

Oh gotta see, gotta know right now
What's that writing on your shelf
In the bathrooms and the bad motels?

No one really cared for it at all
Not the gravity plan
Early, early in the morning
It pulls all on down my sore feet

I wanna go back to sleep
In the motions and the things that you say
It all will fall, fall right into place
As fruit drops, flesh it sags
Everything will fall right into place

When we die, some sink and some lay
But at least, I don't see you float away
And all the spilt milk, sex and weight
It all will fall, fall right into place

As with almost every track on The Moon & Antarctica, this song sets a mood and transports me to a different place. Brock's on his best behavior, delivering vocals that are easy to listen to. I actually find myself singing along as I'm driving. The guitars blend well and form a texture that defines the whole song.

Here's a good live rendition from a few years ago:

38. Tundra/Desert (This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About)

Every sick, fickle fucker
Childhood's what makes ya
'Til they treat ya like tundra
Weigh those opinions, more like air than lead

Every planned occupation
Surefire disappointment up ahead
'Til they treat ya like desert
See mirages of friendship, face turns read

Here's the soon to be anchor
Build bridges to nothing, you'll get nowhere

Every governor's mother knows
That their bread is buttered by Sam

And what about science?
They find their proof and let you make your own decisions

Every child star wonders
If they have a future up ahead

Every kindhearted banker
I don't think there is one

Every winning opinion
I wish I had one

Every winning opinion
I wish I had one

Stand on platforms in water
Filling jars full of silence you'll get nowhere

Tundra/Desert is a song that helped me embrace all of Modest Mouse's music instead of just a few select albums. Yeah, I'm obsessed now, but that wasn't always the case. There was a moment when everything clicked for me, and I'm pretty sure it was during this song after hearing it dozens of times. I just suddenly realized that the music was brilliant. It's raw and unfettered to the point of being jarring at first, but when the guitars start going crazy a couple of minutes into the song, everything falls into place.

It did for me at any rate.

If you listen to the first two songs in this installment and compare them to Tundra/Desert, you could be forgiven for thinking they were recorded by a different band. I suppose the personnel was different to some extent, but you know what I mean. There's so much going on that it's easy to stay on the surface and miss something. This sounds as pretentious as hell, but Tundra/Desert may be the key to understanding the brilliance of Modest Mouse.

Here's a video that you absolutely must watch if you haven't seen it. This is a young band really going for it. It's possible I ranked this song too low. I very nearly soiled myself watching this:

37. Paper Thin Walls (The Moon & Antarctica)

These walls are paper thin
And everyone hears every little sound

Everyone's a voyeurist, their watching me
Watch them, watch me right now

They're shakin' hands, they're shakin' in their shoes
Oh Lord, don't shake me down

Everyone wants two of them
And half of everyone else who's around

Its been agreed, the whole world stinks
So no ones taking showers anymore

Laugh hard it's a long way to the bank
I can't be blamed for nothin' anymore
It's been a long time since you've been around
Laugh hard it's a long ways to the bank

Tow the line to tax the time, you know
That you don't owe
I can't be a fool for everyone that I don't know

The irresistible riff at the beginning sets the tone and it's hard not to be swept along by the music. It flows so easily. It's another song that reminds me of living in my apartment. I imagine that a lot of people can identify with the lyrics. The second half of the song is virtually a repeat of the first half, but I never tire of hearing it.

According to Setlist.fm, Paper Thin Walls has been played more than any other song on the band's tours.

Here's a video from Coachella 2013:

36. Convenient Parking (The Lonesome Crowded West)

Soon the chain reaction started in the parking lot
Waiting to bleed on to the big streets
That bleed out on to the highways and
Off to other cities built to store and
Sell these rocks
Well, aren't you feeling real dirty
Sitting in the parking lot

Waiting to bleed on to the big streets
That bleed out on to the highways and
Off to other cities built to store and
Sell these rocks

Well, aren't you feeling real dirty
Sitting in the parking lot

Waiting to bleed on to the big streets
That bleed out on to the highways and
Off to other cities built to make and
Store these rocks

Well, aren't you feeling real dirty
Sitting in your car with nothing

Waiting to bleed on to the big streets
That bleed out on to the highways and
Off to other cities built to store and sell
There's nothing

Convenient parking, is way back, way back
Convenient parking, is way back, way back
Convenient parking, is way back, way back

Soon the chain reaction started in the parking lot
Waiting to bleed on to the big streets
That bleed out on to the highways and
Off to other cities built to store and
Sell these rocks
Well, aren't you feeling real dirty
Sitting in the parking lot

Waiting to bleed on to the big streets
That bleed out on to the highways and
Off to other cities built to store
These plastic rocks

Well, aren't you feeling real dirty
Sitting in your car with nothing

Waiting to bleed on to the big streets
That bleed out on to the highways and
Off to other cities built to store and sell
These rocks

Well, aren't you feeling real dirty
Sitting in your car with nothing

Waiting to bleed on to the big streets
That bleed out on to the highways and
Off to other cities built to store and sell
There's nothing around you

Convenient parking, is way back, way back
Convenient parking, is way back, way back
Convenient parking, is way back, way back.

Soon the chain reaction started in the parking lot
Waiting to bleed on to the big streets
That bleed out on to the highways and
Off to other cities built to store and
Sell these rocks

Well, aren't you feeling real dirty
Sitting in the parking lot

Waiting to bleed on to the big streets
That bleed out on to the highways and
Off to other cities built to store and
Sell these rocks
Well, aren't you feeling real dirty
Sitting in the parking lot

Waiting to bleed on to the big streets
That bleed out on to the highways and
Off to other cities

It may be repetitive, but there's something strangely compelling about Convenient Parking. I remember hearing it on the way to work one day and it stayed in my head all day. The lyrics fit the theme of Lonesome Crowded West well, highlighting some of the flaws with malls and consumerism. The guitars spiral and add to the general weirdness, and that's how I prefer my Modest Mouse. This song has a home on my Drive playlist, but it works even better as part of what I believe to be the band's strongest album. That's saying a lot if you're me.

That's all for this round. Thanks for sticking with me. I'll try to get the next five sorted out by the weekend.

As always, here's the story so far:

85. Might

84. Pups to Dust

83. Sunspots in the House of the Late Scapegoat

82. All Night Diner

81. March Into the Sea

80. Coyotes

79. Blame It On the Tetons

78. The Good Times Are Killing Me

77. Perfect Disguise

76. A Life of Arctic Sounds

75. Satellite Skin

74. Ohio

73. People as Places as People

72. The Waydown

Building nothing out of something - songs 100 to 96
Building nothing out of something - songs 95 to 91

Building nothing out of something - songs 90 to 86

In the Frame Film Reviews

Saturday, October 31, 2015

Building nothing out of something - songs 20 to 16

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Building nothing out of something - songs 25 to 21

Sunday, October 25, 2015

Building nothing out of something - songs 30 to 26

Saturday, October 24, 2015

Building nothing out of something - songs 35 to 31

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Building nothing out of something - songs 40 to 36

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