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:
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
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 Spaniels70. 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
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 85 to 81Building nothing out of something - songs 95 to 91
Building nothing out of something - songs 80 to 76
Building nothing out of something - songs 75 to 71
Building nothing out of something - songs 70 to 66
Building nothing out of something - songs 65 to 61
Building nothing out of something - songs 60 to 56
Building nothing out of something - songs 55 to 51
Building nothing out of something - songs 50 to 46
Building nothing out of something - songs 45 to 41
Building nothing out of something - songs 40 to 36
Building nothing out of something - songs 35 to 31
Building nothing out of something - songs 30 to 26
Building nothing out of something - songs 25 to 21
Building nothing out of something - songs 20 to 16
Building nothing out of something - songs 15 to 11
Building nothing out of something - songs 10 to 6
Building nothing out of something - the Top 5
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