In the Frame Film Reviews

Sunday, November 8, 2015

Building nothing out of something - final thoughts and statistics

As promised when I revealed my Top 5 Modest Mouse songs, here is the final post in the series. I want to take a look at how the releases would be ranked if I assign points based on the position of each song. Next, I will compare this year's ranking to the smaller series I did for the Top 25 last year. I also want to mention a couple of unreleased songs that would have made the Top 100 if I had considered them eligible.

But first, I have something to say to Isaac Brock:

Message for Isaac Brock

Isaac, if you're somehow reading this, I want to sincerely thank you for all the music. For the past 18 months or so, it's been hard for me to play anything else, even by other bands that I love. Whenever I am having a bad day at work, on go the headphones and my choice of Modest Mouse albums. Your music enables me to get through anything and it almost instantly improves my mood.

Your lyrics are incredible, as well as the music. There is so much insight and intelligence in your writing. It astounds me that so many of my favorite lyrics and songs come from things you created 20 years ago at such a young age.

I'll definitely be going to any future concert within 500km of Toronto. It's obvious that you give everything when you play and I have never detected any performance that is less than one hundred percent effort. Well, it's more like you are possessed than making any kind of effort.

My most recent concert was London Ontario on September 10, 2015. I grinned like an idiot when you went into the break with the message that you were going to "play as long as we fucking can" for the second part of the show. And what a show that was.

It impresses the hell out of me that a show could contain almost anything from your catalog. I think around 70 different songs were played on the latest tour? No other band does that.

I wouldn't presume to mess with your creative process. I want you to play exactly what you want to play instead of turning shows into a performance. However, I have to wonder whether you would ever do a Lonesome Crowded West 20th anniversary tour. The first part of the show would be that album, then whatever you felt like playing in the second part. It would be incredible to hear all of those songs played live on the same night.

Other dream scenarios would be a studio release of Beta Carotene and a lot more new music. I hope that the new album surfaces in 2016. If we're really talking dream scenarios, I would love to write your biography.

I've wasted your time long enough. I appreciate you acknowledging my efforts by liking my Twitter posts. I hope that you keep recording and playing for a very long time. I'll be listening and attending.

---

Let's continue by ranking the albums and other various releases. I will allot 100 points for the top song in my rankings, right down to 1 point for song number 100. Some songs appear on more than one release, so I am going to assign points from songs on Interstate 8 to Building Nothing Out of Something or This Is a Long Drive for Someone With Nothing to Think About (two bonus vinyl tracks) as applicable for the purposes of this ranking.

Rank	TRACK TITLE	Pts	RELEASE TITLE	Pts
1	Teeth Like God's Shoeshine	100	The Moon & Antarctica	872
2	Doin' the Cockroach	99	This Is a Long Drive for Someone With Nothing to Think About	825
3	Spitting Venom	98	The Lonesome Crowded West	819
4	Heart Cooks Brain	97	We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank	677
5	Dramamine	96	Good News for People Who Love Bad News	542
6	Exit Does Not Exist	95	Strangers to Ourselves	524
7	The Whale Song	94	Building Nothing Out of Something	363
8	Cowboy Dan	93	No One's First and You're Next	204
9	Trailer Trash	92	7" Single	81
10	3rd Planet	91	Everywhere and His Nasty Parlour Tricks	57
11	Dark Center of the Universe	90	The Fruit That Ate Itself	47
12	Never Ending Math Equation	89	12" Single	34
13	Lounge (Closing Time)	88	Sad Sappy Sucker	5
14	The Stars Are Projectors	87
15	Steam Engenius	86
16	Fly Trapped In a Jar	85
17	Bury Me With It	84
18	The Tortoise and the Tourist	83
19	Parting Of the Sensory	82
20	White Lies, Yellow Teeth	81
21	Tiny Cities Made Of Ashes	80
22	Truckers Atlas	79
23	Broke	78
24	Edit the Sad Parts	77
25	Breakthrough	76
26	Invisible	75
27	Novacain Stain	74
28	Ocean Breathes Salty	73
29	Talking Shit About a Pretty Sunset	72
30	Black Cadillacs	71
31	I Came As a Rat	70
32	Grey Ice Water	69
33	A Manic Depressive Named Laughing Boy	68
34	A Different City	67
35	Life Like Weeds	66
36	Convenient Parking	65
37	Paper Thin Walls	64
38	Tundra/Desert	63
39	Gravity Rides Everything	62
40	The Best Room	61
41	Head South	60
42	The World at Large	59
43	Interstate 8	58
44	Night On the Sun	57
45	Be Brave	56
46	Lampshades On Fire	55
47	King Rat	54
48	Float On	53
49	Alone Down There	52
50	The Ground Walks, With Time In a Box	51
51	What People Are Made Of	50
52	Bukowski	49
53	Education	48
54	Dashboard	47
55	Sugar Boats	46
56	Custom Concern	45
57	Ansel	44
58	The View	43
59	Shit In Your Cut	42
60	Satin In a Coffin	41
61	Little Motel	40
62	Shit Luck	39
63	Bankrupt On Selling	38
64	Beach Side Property	37
65	Lives	36
66	Wicked Campaign	35
67	Whenever You See Fit	34
68	The Cold Part	33
69	Missed the Boat	32
70	Florida	31
71	Guilty Cocker Spaniels	30
72	The Waydown	29
73	People As Places As People	28
74	Ohio	27
75	Satellite Skin	26
76	A Life Of Arctic Sounds	25
77	Perfect Disguise	24
78	The Good Times Are Killing Me	23
79	Blame It On the Tetons	22
80	Coyotes	21
81	March Into the Sea	20
82	All Night Diner	19
83	Sunspots In the House Of the Late Scapegoat	18
84	Pups to Dust	17
85	Might	16
86	Polar Opposites	15
87	One Chance	14
88	Whenever You Breathe Out, I Breathe In	13
89	Other People's Lives	12
90	She Ionizes & Atomizes	11
91	Dance Hall	10
92	Styrofoam Boots/It's All Nice On Ice Alright	9
93	Space Travel Is Boring	8
94	Of Course We Know	7
95	Strangers to Ourselves	6
96	Out Of Gas	5
97	Dukes Up	4
98	We've Got Everything	3
99	Fire It Up	2
100	Birds vs Worms	1

These results surprise me. I would have guessed that with 6 songs in my Top 10, The Lonesome Crowded West would dominate overall. However, it places third behind The Moon & Antarctica and This Is a Long Drive for Someone With Nothing to Think About. I have counted Edit the Sad Parts and A Manic Depressive Named Laughing Boy as tracks from This Is a Long Drive as they appeared as bonus tracks on the vinyl version. I suppose I should have weighted tracks that appear higher in the rankings, but I am happy to see two other albums in the same discussion as The Lonesome Crowded West.

The results don't mean that the other releases aren't worth hearing. I am comparing excellent albums to my absolute favorites. If I ranked all of my music collection and included every band, Modest Mouse releases would completely dominate the list. There are quite a few unmissable songs that didn't even make the 100. Three that immediately come to mind are Dirty Fingernails, Baby Blue Sedan and Jesus Christ Was An Only Child. There is no Modest Mouse song that I would ever want to skip.

As promised, let's compare the rankings from this project with my much smaller effort from last year. The Lonesome Crowded Quest was written as my love of the band was soaring, but I only ranked the Top 25. I talked about 59 songs overall, but some did not receive a final ranking. It was written 15 months ago, so Strangers to Ourselves had not been released. Here's the comparison to show where the Top 25 from 2014 would fit in these current rankings:

PREV	NOW	TRACK TITLE
1	1	Teeth Like God's Shoeshine
2	2	Doin' the Cockroach
6	3	Spitting Venom
8	4	Heart Cooks Brain
7	5	Dramamine
4	6	Exit Does Not Exist
3	7	The Whale Song
21	8	Cowboy Dan
13	9	Trailer Trash
5	10	3rd Planet
11	11	Dark Center of the Universe
-	12	Never Ending Math Equation
-	13	Lounge (Closing Time)
14	14	The Stars Are Projectors
20	15	Steam Engenius
-	16	Fly Trapped In a Jar
16	17	Bury Me With It
-	18	The Tortoise and the Tourist
-	19	Parting Of the Sensory
-	20	White Lies, Yellow Teeth
10	21	Tiny Cities Made Of Ashes
-	22	Truckers Atlas
18	23	Broke
15	24	Edit the Sad Parts
-	25	Breakthrough
24	26	Invisible
-	27	Novacain Stain
17	28	Ocean Breathes Salty
9	29	Talking Shit About a Pretty Sunset
22	30	Black Cadillacs
23	31	I Came As a Rat
-	32	Grey Ice Water
-	33	A Manic Depressive Named Laughing Boy
-	34	A Different City
-	35	Life Like Weeds
-	36	Convenient Parking
-	37	Paper Thin Walls
12	38	Tundra/Desert
-	39	Gravity Rides Everything
-	40	The Best Room
19	41	Head South
25	42	The World at Large
-	43	Interstate 8
-	44	Night On the Sun
-	45	Be Brave
-	46	Lampshades On Fire
-	47	King Rat
-	48	Float On
-	49	Alone Down There
-	50	The Ground Walks, With Time In a Box

I think the above comparison shows just how futile a project such as this can be. My own rankings from just over a year ago are significantly different from how I currently rate the songs. I wonder how it would look if I attempt this kind of thing when the next album is released?

As I mentioned earlier, the 100 songs that I ranked were all official releases. Some were singles, but you could go to the Glacial Pace store or Amazon and track down every release if you are missing any. But Modest Mouse has other songs that I did not deem eligible for this project.

Two cassettes were produced, with about 100 copies being made for each, of the band's early songs. The quality is poor, but it's more than interesting to see how Modest Mouse's sound originated:

Tube-Fruit, All Smiles and Chocolate consists of 25 tracks. If you listen to Tossing Your Weight, Super Saver Day, or Crow Bar, you know that you're listening to Modest Mouse.

Uncle Bunny Faces' Useless Analogy Involving Distance, Freight Trains, and Half Ripe Limes (It Doesn't Matter, Limes Are Sour Either Way) consists of 22 tracks. You can see where the tendency to choose long album names originated. As On, Vandetta and Problem really starts to show us the Modest Mouse sound. I would love to hear a studio version of that with today's lineup. The structure that I love now is present in that song for sure.

Those early releases aside, I want to share three songs that any Modest Mouse fan should have the chance to hear. Two would probably feature somewhere in the second half of my Top 100, while the third would be in the Top 20, or perhaps even the Top 10.

This one is from 1995 or so:

Dead End Job At The Dead Letter Office (Wrong Decision)

Get a job at the dead letter office
I said I was sore, but I am so sick, so sick
Bad life with a bad plan, Brad's here
I'm doin' bad, but I'm doin' the best I can

I know I made decision
I am wrong

I know I made that wrong decision
I am wrong

You say you wonder, wonder how
How I get here, got here now
Well I put on my shoes and socks
Goddamn If I walked here tiff or tock
You say you wonder wonder how
How I get here, got here now

Get a job at the dead letter office
I said I was sore, but I'm so sick, so sick
Bad life with a bad plan, Brad's here
I'm doin' bad, but I'm doin' the best I can

I know I made decision
I am wrong

I know I made that wrong decision
I am wrong

You say you wonder, wonder how
How I get here, got here now
Well I put on my shoes and socks
Goddamn if I walked here tiff or tock

I know I made that wrong decision
I am wrong

I know I made that wrong decision
I am wrong

Next up is Calculus Man with that incredibly catchy bass:

And the stars
Shine on
Get On
The Planet

The stars
They shine on
They shine on
This planet

The stars are projectors
Projectin' our lives on down to this planet

The stars are on
And projectin' our lives on to
This planet
Fine
I know everything

And the stars
They're projectin' our lives on down to
This planet
Oh yeah
The films we're watchin' is you
And said "How?"
You get on your knee
Your mouthin' my mood
If you were talking out loud
You'd say a "Howdy do"

And I get my mouth
And my words
They can't make use
To my mouth out of or my brain
And you say what you do
When you do what you said
You're talking out of to
You're talking out of threat
I want what
I get on
I get off
I get the things you don't want

And I walk to my head
And I walk through my hell
And I walk through my head
And I know I ain't goin' nowhere
And I talk myself
And I talk to my hell
And I'm walkin' round

The planets they revolve around themselves
They evolve
You were talking to god
You were talking to mom
And you were sayin' things loud
And I was doin' out loud
You said "I can't"

And the planets projectin' their selves around

And the stars
They're projectin' our lives on this earth

And the stars are projectors
Projectin' our lives on to this earth

I watch you playin' out
You move your mouth and you said what you were worth

I'm not sure why Calculus Man never saw a release. Perhaps The Stars Are Projectors idea was deliberately confined to one song? I still think that this is a great song in its own right.

I've saved the best for last. I bet a lot of Modest Mouse fans dream of hearing this live:

Beta Carotene

I got myself the means
I got myself what I call the Beta Carotene
Despite from all the string
I never had enough, enough to keep you dreaming along

And by the poolside
I watch the summer and the thought of the life ends in fire
Sometimes we get so many lifts well
Sometimes you know you're gonna have to gonna get around

And all your friends know that you know, you know you're right and
Cuz they all know you know, you know, you know, you know, you know you're right

I got myself the things
I got myself what I call the Beta Carotene
Despite from all the string
I never had enough, enough to keep you dreaming along

And by the poolside
I watch the summer and the thought of a life ends in fire
And some, so many lifts you know, know, know, know, know, know, know
You're gonna have to go and get a ride
You're gonna have to go and get a ride
Have to go and get a ride
Gonna have to go and get a ride
Gonna have to go and get a ride

I'm never anywhere
I never feel somewhere, don't you know
You know I never feel somewhere, don't you know
Oh no, I never

Oh no, I know
Oh no, oh no
What was, what was
Oh no, I don't, I don't
No, I know
I know, don't go
You go, oh no
Hell, we'll pay

Heaven as a collection agency
One, two, seven
Heaven collection agency
Dot I, I, I, I, I, I, I
All the pages

Yeah, definitely close to my Top 10. Maybe in there if a great quality recording was released.

I want to thank everyone who read this mammoth series. The 22 installments took me about 50 hours to write. There was also a lot of hidden time spent playing the songs that I would potentially choose for each set of five to determine what to include and in which order. I will miss writing this series, but I feel closer to this wonderful music than ever before.

I'll leave you with one last thing. My latest playlist and ultimate setlist for a concert. Thanks again for reading:

3rd Planet

Never Ending Math Equation

Dark Center Of the Universe

Lounge (Closing Time)

Parting Of the Sensory

Bury Me With It

White Lies, Yellow Teeth

Trailer Trash

Tiny Cities Made Of Ashes

Fly Trapped In a Jar

Dramamine

Beta Carotene

The Tortoise and the Tourist

The Stars Are Projectors

Teeth Like God's Shoeshine

Spitting Venom

Cowboy Dan

Steam Engenius

Heart Cooks Brain

Exit Does Not Exist

The Whale Song

Doin' the Cockroach

And here is my Top 100 with links to the rest of this series:

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
15. Steam Engenius
14. The Stars Are Projectors
13. Lounge (Closing Time)
12. Never Ending Math Equation
11. Dark Center of the Universe
10. 3rd Planet
9. Trailer Trash
8. Cowboy Dan
7. The Whale Song
6. Exit Does Not Exist
5. Dramamine
4. Heart Cooks Brain
3. Spitting Venom
2. Doin' the Cockroach
1. Teeth Like God's Shoeshine

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

Saturday, November 7, 2015

Building nothing out of something - the Top 5

After years of intensive effort, costing thousands of lives, I've finally arrived at my Top 5. I also made a better quality image to show the 12 covers because I was annoyed with the crappy look of my original attempt.

Although you will know my Top 100 ranking if you make it to the end of this post, I will be writing one more installment. That will analyze whether the songs have risen or fallen compared to the rankings I did just over a year ago. I will also be mentioning a couple of unreleased songs (with video and lyrics) that would have made this Top 100 if I had deemed them eligible. In fact, one would have made the Top 20.

The final task for the remaining post will be to allocate points to each song (1 for position 100, up to 100 for number 1). That will enable me to determine a ranking for the albums, collections and EPs.

I doubt you care about any of that, but I'm curious to find out that information for myself as much as anything.

If you have been reading since my initial overview on September 19, I expect you are relieved that the suspense is finally about to end. Well, I won't leave you hanging a second longer:

5. Dramamine (This Is a Long Drive for Someone With Nothing to Think About)

Traveling, swallowing, Dramamine
Feeling spaced breathing out Listerine
I'd said what I'd said that I'd tell you
And that you'd killed the better part of me

If you could just milk it for everything
I've said what I'd said and you know what I mean
But I still can't focus on anything
We kiss on the mouth but still cough down our sleeves

Traveling, swallowing, Dramamine
Look at your face like you're killed in a dream
And you think you've figured out everything
I think I know my geography pretty damn well

You say what you need so you'll get more
If you could just milk it for everything
I've said what I said and you know what I mean
But I still can't still focus on anything

Dramamine is quite simply the best opening track from any debut album in the history of music (there go half the people reading this).

The song opens with more than a minute of guitar which sounds like something highly-evolved aliens might produce. I certainly feel like I have been transported to another planet when I hear it. As it echoes around, I imagine people at music festivals experiencing Modest Mouse for the first time. What would they make of this?

It also contains one of Brock's best lyrics:

"We kiss on the mouth but still cough down our sleeves"

Although it seems to be about a failing relationship, I find the song uplifting. Joy Division does that for me too. The element that allows it to transcend other songs is the guitar, but the whole structure is perfect. Listen to the bass line and how the drums play against the established beat. I almost wish it was 10 minutes long. I'm still not sure about the choice for the ending, but it has grown on me and feels like an old friend at this point.

Here's a live video from 1998:

4. Heart Cooks Brain (The Lonesome Crowded West)

Slow walk
It's a land mine
It's a coal mine
It's a bad thought

I'm on my way to God don't know
My brain's the burger
And my heart's the coal
I'm trying to get my head clear
I push things out through my mouth
I get refilled through my ears
I get refilled through my ears
I get refilled through my ears

I'm on my way to God don't know or even care
My brain's the weak heart, and my heart's the long stairs
My heart's the long stairs
My heart's the long stairs
Inland from Vancouver shore
The ravens and the seagulls
Push each other inward and outward
Inward and outward

In this place that I call home
My brain's the cliff
And my heart's the bitter buffalo
My heart's the bitter buffalo

We tore one down and erected another there
The match of the century
Absence versus thin air

On the way to God don't know
My brain's the burger
And my heart's the coal

In this life that we call home
The years go fast
And the days go so slow
The days go so slow
The days go... slow

I'm on my way to God don't know
My brain's the burger
And my heart's the coal
I'm trying to get my head clear
I push things out through my mouth
I get refilled through my ears
I get refilled through my ears
I get refilled

I'm on my way to God don't know or even care
My brain's the weak heart, and my heart's the long stairs
My heart's the long stairs
My heart's the long stairs
Inland from Vancouver shore
The ravens and the seagulls
Push each other inward and outward
Inward and outward

In this place that I call home
My brain's the cliff
And my heart's the bitter buffalo
My heart's the bitter buffalo

We tore one down, and erected another there
And the match of the century
Absence versus thin air
Absence versus thin air

In this life that we call home
The years go fast and the days go... slow
The days go so slow

For some reason, I think of Heart Cooks Brain as Modest Mouse's anthem and I wear my Bitter Buffalo T-shirt proudly. This is a song with so many elements that I adore.

The first few notes instantly transport me to another place; atmospheric, sinister bass, searching, and a few other feelings I can't put a name to. The sound is so dense because of the layers. Everything fits together and the guitar weaves around the basic structure. Brock's vocals are deliberately subdued, and that fits the mood of the song.

The whole thing feels like a journey with its plodding tempo forming the steps... or the long stairs.

I particularly like how some of the lyrics are delayed:

"The years go fast and the days go... slow"

I want to go to Vancouver shore just so that I can watch the ravens and seagulls.

There's one thing that I can barely put into words and maybe I am the only person on the planet that thinks it:

"We tore one down, and erected another there
And the match of the century"

It's the way that the second line follows the first in the above lyric. Can you hear it? Am I talking complete nonsense? I think it's brilliant the way that those words flow together when I sing along to it.

The final thing is the way the song suddenly stops. We're at our destination.

3. Spitting Venom (We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank)

We were spitting venom
At most everyone we know
If the damned gave us a road map
Then we'd know just where to go

Now let it drop
Let it all drop
Let it all drop
Oh, let it all fall off

Well you were talking soda pop
You were talking quite a lot
The opinions that I do not give
The opinions I ain't got

So let it drop
Let it all drop
Let it all drop
Let it all fall off there, oh

Well, you were spitting venom
At most everyone you know
If you truly knew the gravity
You'd know which way to go

Well, let it drop
Let it all drop
Let it all drop
Oh let it all fall off

My ears were pressed so firmly
Right against your mouth to hear
When you tried to spit the venom out
Your words were not so clear, now drop

Hold on to what you need
We've got a knack for fucked up history
Hold on to what you need
We've got a knack for messed up history

Well we went downtown
And we sat in the rain
Both looking one direction and waiting for a train of thought over
Thought over

I didn't know you kept track
I didn't know there was a score
Well it looks like you're the winner and I ain't gonna play no more
It's over, game over

Well we walked real stiff and our canes tapped the ground
You hit me with yours
And said "you're gonna' stare me down"
It's over, oh it's over

You can say what you want but don't act like you care
It takes more than one person
To decide what's fair
It's over, think it over

You were spitting venom
At most everyone you know
If the damned gave you a road map
Then you'd know just where to go

So we carried all the groceries in
While hauling out the trash
And if this doesn't make us motionless
I do not know what can is to be said, so's to say

What a rotten thing to say
Such an awful thing to say
I didn't mean to bite you so really
What always did, what always did, what always had to sling

So let it drop
Let it all drop
Let it all drop
Oh, let it all fall off

Let it drop
Let it all drop
Let it drop
Oh, let it all fall off

Cheer up baby
It wasn't always quite so bad
For every venom then that came out
The antidote was had

Cheer up baby
It wasn't always quite so bad
For every venom then that came out
The antidote was had

Cheer up baby
It wasn't always quite so bad
For every venom then that came out
The antidote was had

I think it's true to say that my favorite seven minutes of 2015 was experiencing Spitting Venom at the London Ontario concert. I had never heard it played live before and it was exciting to say the least. There's something so different about feeling the vibration of a song as well as listening to it. A live performance is the only way to know that feeling.

If I had to pick a single moment from a Modest Mouse song that excites the hell out of me the most, it's during Spitting Venom when Brock sings "now drop" and the whole band kicks in. Every fan knows what I mean. I am actually fighting back tears as I type this.

How do I even describe this song? It starts off with Brock in subdued mood, singing as he strums the guitar. It's all building to the moment described above when my world explodes. Sweeping guitar dominates, but the whole band is adding something to the enormous sound. Brock's vocals turn from laid back to complete rant and there's an urgency which defines the song.

After all that action, the song and Brock's vocals return to the opening mood. Then there is an extended sequence allowing us to regroup. It's great hearing the trumpet part played during the live show. The whole song feels so epic. The last three verses provide a great ending as it naturally winds down.

Spitting Venom may be Modest Mouse's best song, technically. I rank it third because there are two songs that excite me more, but they are much messier than this. As I have been whining about throughout this series, it's not easy choosing between songs that you would defend until your dying breath.

Although the album version is more polished, here's an extended live version from The Electric Factory 2007:

2. Doin' the Cockroach (The Lonesome Crowded West)

I was in heaven, I was in hell
Believe in neither, but fear them as well

This one's a doctor
This one's a lawyer
This one's a cash fiend
Takin' your money

Back of the metro
Ride on the greyhound
Drunk on the Amtrak
Please, shut up

Another rider, he was a talker
Talkin' 'bout TV
Please, shut up

This one's a crazer, daydreamin' disaster
The origin of junk food, ruttin' through garbage
Tasty but worthless, dogs eat their own shit
We're doin' the cockroach, yeah

Doin' the cockroach, yeah
Doin' the cockroach, yeah, yeah
Alright, not bad

Doin' the cockroach, yeah
Doin' the cockroach, yeah, yeah
Alright, not bad

Doin' the cockroach, yeah
Doin' the cockroach, yeah, yeah
Alright, not bad not bad

One year, twenty years, forty years, fifty years
Down the road in your life
You'll look in the mirror
And say, "My parents are still alive"

You move your mouth, you shake your tongue
You vibrate my eardrums
You're saying words
But you know I ain't listenin'

You're walking down the street
Your face, your lips, your hips
Your eyes, they meet
You're not hungry though

Well, late last winter down below the equator
They had a summer that would make you blister
Oh, my mind is all made up
So I'll have to be comin'

Well, late last winter down below the equator
They had a summer that would make you blister
Oh, my mind is all made up
So I'll have to sleep in it

Well, late last winter down below the equator
They had a summer that would make you blister
And oh, my mind is all, oh my mind is all
Oh, my mind is all made up
So I'll have to sleep in it

Doin' the Cockroach is perfect from the first note to the end. I loved it the first time I heard it and it gets better all the time. It's a brilliant live song too and I am happy to say that it often appears on the bands' setlist.

The first line is something that I would imagine most of us can relate to:

"I was in heaven, I was in hell, believe in neither, but fear them as well"

Just a brilliant line.

The song is a complete rant and the band goes all out for the duration. It's almost irresistible and I find myself shouting along every time I hear it. I bet I look pretty stupid driving along shouting "alright, not bad not bad", but who cares?

How do I rank this song second if it is perfect and I love every second? The next song is also perfect and lasts a little bit longer.

I'm not sure that I convey how much of an adrenaline rush this song gives me, but maybe this live video can? Back in the 90s when there were just three mice:

1. Teeth Like God's Shoeshine (The Lonesome Crowded West)

From the top of the ocean - Yeah
To the bottom of the sky - Goddamn
Well, I get claustrophobic
I can, you know that I can, well

From the top of the ocean - Yeah
To the bottom of the sky - Goddamn
Well, I get claustrophobic
I can, you know that I can

And he said...
"I am not allowed much danger
Keep in line you're an old friend stranger
You'll burn me in effigy, and I'll burn you in effigy"

Well, a rattlesnake up in Buffalo, Montana
He bit the leg of the old sheriff
Ha! That boy fell down on his harelip Ow! Ow!

Well I, I might be wrong
But you, you tag along
And we, we all been wronged
And I get dizzier by the mile
Said hell ya! The money's spent
Went to the county line
And paid the rent I said, "Uh-oh"
I said "Uh-oh"

Oh! If you could compact your conscience
Oh! And you might...
Oh! If you could bottle and sell it you might have done
Oh! And you might...
Oh! If you could compact your conscience
And sell it save it for another time
You know you might have to use it

And the television's on
Go to the grocery store, buy some new friends,
And find out the beginning, the end, and the best of it
Well, do you need a lot of what you've got to survive?

Here's the man with teeth like God's shoeshine
He sparkles, shimmers, shines
Let's all have another Orange Julius
Thick syrup standing in lines
The malls are the soon to be ghost towns
Well so long, farewell, good-bye

Take 'em all for the long ride
And you'll go around town
No one wants to be uptight anymore
You can be ashamed
Or be so proud of what you've done
But not no one, not now, not ever or anyone
Take 'em all for the sense of happiness
That comes from hurting deep down inside

Or you can add it up and give a shit, give a shit
Go to the family doctor it's all worth it, all worth it
And it's all wrong, and its all gone
Or, you can add it up and give a shit, give a shit
I'm on the corner of this and this and this and this
All wrong, and it's all, all wrong

Here's the man with teeth like God's shoeshine
He sparkles, shimmers, shines
Let's all have another Orange Julius
Thick syrup standing in lines
The malls are the soon to be ghost towns
Well so long, farewell, good-bye

And the telephone goes off
Pick the receiver up, try to meet ends
And find out the beginning, the end and the best of it

OH MY GODDAMN

Take 'em all for the long ride
And you'll go around town
No one wants to be uptight anymore
You can be ashamed
Or be so proud of what you've done
But not no one, not now, not ever or anyone

This is it. My favorite Modest Mouse song. It took 49 days to get here, but there isn't any doubt. I love every second of this song because... how can you not?

I remember seeing the excellent Lonesome Crowded West Pitchfork documentary during which Brock was asked about the song. His reply: "What can I say, the spirit took me".

If you listen, you'll know what he means. Paul McCartney's Wings gave us Band on the Run, Queen delivered Bohemian Rhapsody, and Modest Mouse has given us Teeth Like God's Shoeshine. I mention those other two songs because of their multi-phased structures. This song goes all over the place and it's hard for someone to absorb it all with just one listen. However, once you know it, all the pieces fit together perfectly.

There are a lot of lyrics and there's so much going on in the narrative. The frantic beginning gives us rattlesnakes, harelips, effigies and claustrophobia. Then the mood changes as Brock sings about bottling our conscience.

The tempo is constantly shifting and Brock's lyrics vary from laid back to ranting, according to the mood. My favorite moment, of many, has to be "OH MY GODDAMN" just when you thought the song was over. Then we are treated to another couple of minutes of mayhem. It's a great way to end a song and a fitting way to conclude this Top 100.

Teeth Like God's Shoeshine showcases everything that is good about Modest Mouse. It demonstrates how the atmosphere of the song can change in an instant. It shows just how huge the sound can be when the whole band is playing flat out. Brock's vocal range and various styles are all present in the same song. The band even uses silence to good effect.

Yep, the spirit took him.

Here's the video. This one is actually my first ever fan video and it was a lot of fun to make:

Well, that's it. Seven weeks of effort and you know my Top 100. As promised, there will be one more installment in the coming days to wrap everything up. I have a couple more goodies for you, so I hope that you will join me. I would also welcome any comments, but please be gentle with me if your favorites are ranked lower than you would like. We are fellow fans after all.

Thanks for reading.

Here is the final Top 100 with links to each installment:

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
15. Steam Engenius
14. The Stars Are Projectors
13. Lounge (Closing Time)
12. Never Ending Math Equation
11. Dark Center of the Universe
10. 3rd Planet
9. Trailer Trash
8. Cowboy Dan
7. The Whale Song
6. Exit Does Not Exist
5. Dramamine
4. Heart Cooks Brain
3. Spitting Venom
2. Doin' the Cockroach
1. Teeth Like God's Shoeshine

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

Thursday, November 5, 2015

Building nothing out of something - songs 10 to 6

At this point, every remaining song is so good that a ranking is almost meaningless. I want to hear them all, most days, for the rest of my life. If I ranked the songs each week for 10 weeks, I have little doubt that no Top 10 would be exactly the same. For the sake of this project, this is how I rank songs 6 through 10 today.

10. 3rd Planet (The Moon & Antarctica)

Everything that keeps me together is falling apart
I've got this thing that I consider my only art of fucking people over
My boss just quit the job says
He's goin' out to find blind spots and he'll do it

The third planet is sure that they're being watched
By an eye in the sky that can't be stopped
When you get to the promise land
Your gonna shake that eyes hand

Your heart felt good it was drippin' pitch and made of wood
And your hands and knees felt cold and wet on the grass to me
Well outside naked, shiverin' looking blue
From the cold sunlight that's reflected off the moon

Baby cum angels fly around you
Reminding you we used to be three and not just two
And that's how the world began
And that's how the world will end

Well a third had just been made and we were swimming in the water
Didn't know, then was it a son was it a daughter
When it occurred to me that the animals are swimming
Around in the water in the oceans, in our bodies

And another had been found, another ocean on the planet
Given that our blood is just like the Atlantic
And how

Well the universe is shaped exactly like the earth
If you go straight long enough, you'll end up where you were

I was late to the party when it came to discovering the music of Modest Mouse. My excuse is that I was living in England when they formed and the band was pretty obscure outside the US at the time. One of my earliest memories of the band is hearing 3rd Planet open The Moon & Antarctica and I was immediately interested. Because of that, and its place at the beginning of the album, it feels natural to begin Modest Mouse playlists with the song. It starts quietly with haunting guitar and then builds, becoming memorable by the end.

Some of the lyrics are particularly poetic:

"Well outside naked, shiverin' looking blue, from the cold sunlight that's reflected off the moon"

"When it occurred to me that the animals are swimming, around in the water in the oceans, in our bodies"

"Everything that keeps me together is falling apart"

And I love the observation/idea in the last verse:

"Well the universe is shaped exactly like the earth, if you go straight long enough, you'll end up where you were"

The song itself seems to come full circle, ending like it began. It's one of many perfectly crafted songs from the band.

Here's a good festival performance from 2010:

9. Trailer Trash (The Lonesome Crowded West)

Eating snowflakes with plastic forks
And a paper plate of course, you think of everything
Short love with a long divorce and a couple of kids of course
They don't mean anything

Live in trailers with no class
Goddamn I hope I can pass, high school means nothing
Taking heartache with hard work
Goddamn I am such a jerk, I can't do anything

And I shout that you're all fakes
And you should have seen the look on your face
And I guess that's what it takes
When comparing your bellyaches

And it's been a long time
Which agrees with this watch of mine
And I know that I miss you
And I'm sorry if I dissed you

Eating snowflakes with plastic forks
And a paper plate of course, you think of everything
Short love with a long divorce and a couple of kids of course
They don't mean anything

Live in trailers with no class
Goddamn I hope I can pass, high school means nothing
Taking heartache with hard work
Goddamn I am such a jerk, I can't do anything

And I shout that you're all fakes
And you should have seen the look on your face
And I guess that's what it takes
When comparing your bellyaches

And it's been a long time
Which agrees with this watch of mine
And I guess that I miss you
And I'm sorry if I dissed you

This song sounds so personal that I am sure Isaac Brock saw some of these things going on around him as he was growing up. It's about a way of life that is almost desperate, but we all do what we need to do in order to survive. We can't help where we came from, we can only affect where we are going. Brock escaped the existence described in Trailer Trash through music, and I imagine he suffered a fair amount of ridicule when he first announced his dream of being a musician. Anything can happen if you have the talent, perseverance and belief.

In the following two verses, Trailer Trash paints a picture so real that I can see it:

"Eating snowflakes with plastic forks
And a paper plate of course, you think of everything
Short love with a long divorce and a couple of kids of course
They don't mean anything

Live in trailers with no class
Goddamn I hope I can pass, high school means nothing
Taking heartache with hard work
Goddamn I am such a jerk, I can't do anything"

Such brilliant lyrics. I have seen a lot of failed marriages throughout the course of my life. I guess that if you are poor and feel that you don't have much to live for, you might rush into one of the biggest decisions of your life. It's hard to have any clue about who you want to spend the rest of your life with when you are 20. The feelings are still somewhat new and overwhelming, and it's hard to be rational.

As for the music, it's another song that's constructed perfectly. The natural ebb and flow matches the mood of the lyrics. The guitars soar at times. The whole album is full of great songs and that's why it is so heavily represented at this end of my Top 100.

8. Cowboy Dan (The Lonesome Crowded West)

Well, Cowboy Dan's a major player
In the cowboy scene
He goes to the reservation drinks
And gets mean

He's gonna start a war
He's gonna start a war
And he hops in his Pickup
Puts the pedal to the floor
And says "I got mine but I want more"

Because, Cowboy Dan's a major player
In the cowboy scene
He goes to the reservation drinks
And gets mean

He goes to the desert
Fires his rifle in the sky
And says, "God if I have to die
You will have to die"

Because, Cowboy Dan's a major player
In the cowboy scene
I didn't move to the city
The city moved to me
And I want out desperately

Can't do it, not even if sober
Can't get that engine turned over
Can't do it, not even if sober
Can't get that engine turned over

No, no, not even if sober
Can't get that engine turned over

Standing in the tall grass
Thinking nothing
You know we need oxygen to breathe
Oxygen to breathe

Standing in the tall grass
Thinking nothing
You know we need oxygen to breathe
Oxygen to breathe

Every time you think you're walking
You're just moving the ground
Every time you think you're talking
You're just moving your mouth
Every time you think you're looking
You're just looking down

Well, Cowboy Dan's a major player
In the cowboy scene
He goes to the reservation drinks
And gets mean

He hops in his Pickup
Puts the pedal to the floor
And says "I got mine
But I want more"

'Cause, Cowboy Dan's a major player
In the cowboy scene
He goes to the reservation drinks
And gets mean

He goes to the desert
Fires his rifle in the sky
And says, "God if I have to die
You will have to die"

Cowboy Dan's a major player
In the cowboy scene
He goes the the reservation drinks
And gets mean

I didn't move to the city
The city moved to me
And I want out desperately

Can't do it, not even if sober
Can't get that engine turned over
Can't do it, not even if sober
Can't get that engine turned over

No, no, not even if sober
Can't get that engine turned over
Yeah, not even if sober
Can't get that engine turned over

The first few notes of Cowboy Dan create a mood that lasts throughout the song. It's stark and sinister at first, but gradually builds into a repetitive and almost hypnotic rant. About two minutes in, everything is reigned in and it becomes reflective.

"You know we need oxygen to breathe"

That line is our oxygen. It's a temporary escape from the intensity that most of the song provides. Then the ranting resumes. It's another song that makes me feel like I am taking a journey. Five minutes in and I am being swept along as the band explores even further, improvising with guitar spirals and a repetitive pounding beat.

My favorite lyrics from Cowboy Dan all come from this verse:

"Every time you think you're walking you're just moving the ground
Every time you think you're talking you're just moving your mouth
Every time you think you're looking you're just looking down"

I could probably write about those three lines for an hour, but I'll spare you. They speak for themselves.

I had a hard time choosing between Cowboy Dan and Trailer Trash at 8 and 9 because both are great in their own way; great, but completely different in feel. It's like comparing drama to comedy. If I ever love another album more than I love The Lonesome Crowded West, it would have to be incredible. I doubt that it will ever happen.

Here's a must-see extended live version from 2001:

"Well I don't care about your state of denial 'cause I'm sittin' by the window with a saucer and a smile sayin' what's left, what's best, what's sex, was this death or just a test?"

If you don't like that song, you're reading the wrong blog.

7. The Whale Song (No One's First and You're Next)

I guess I am a scout so I should find a way out
So everyone can find a way out

They keep us in to pull us out
I'm rising up, wish I was sinking down
And it's not like there was warning and we were happy
And it's not like there was mourning in the warning

I know I was a scout, I should've found a way out
So everyone could find a way out
I know I was a scout, I should've found a way out
So everyone could find a way out

Instead of seeing a neighbor out
God, I wish I would've found a way out
It's the last time, we were happy, ever happy

I know I was a scout, I should've found a way out
So everyone could find a way out
Well, I know I was a scout, I should've found a way out
So everyone could find a way out

Well, I know I was a scout, I should've found a way out
So everyone could find a way out

The Whale Song is the closest thing to a guitar jam that Modest Mouse has ever produced. That said, the sound is still very much their own. The song opens with prominent bass, followed by almost three minutes of soaring guitar before the sparse vocals are introduced.

I fell in love with this track the first time I heard it. It's sometimes played as the opening song of a set and I would be ecstatic if that ever happens at a show I am able to get to. I've basically decided to see every Modest Mouse concert I can possibly reach by car. Maybe I'll even fly to a few one day?

The following lyrics are reportedly about the band leaving to join a major label:

"I know I was a scout, I should've found a way out, so everyone could find a way out"

Whatever the meaning or reason for the song, I'm glad it exists. It's six minutes of almost orgasmic guitar and I will never tire of hearing it.

The official video is great and worth checking out if you haven't seen it, but I'm going with a live video from the Reading Festival:

6. Exit Does Not Exist (This Is a Long Drive for Someone With Nothing to Think About)

Does not exist, take an exit
Does not exist, take an exit

I hear voices insinuating
Feeds me lyrics to this song that I am saying
Sunlight 7:20 pm, early september
Standing looking at a photograph
That you do not remember being taken
You look out of breath, and me like I am faking
As a matter of fact I don't recall this photo being taken
You don't even actually exist so I just started shaking

Exit Does Not Exist is such a spirited rant and it excites the hell out of me every time I hear it. I would guess that most people will be surprised at this song being ranked so high in my Top 100 because I don't hear people talk about it. I can't imagine why. It's exciting and has all of the elements I hope to find in a song. Just listen to the guitar, the huge drum sound, and the way that the band is clearly playing flat out.

This part gives me goosebumps:

"As a matter of fact I don't recall this photo being taken
You don't even actually exist so I just started shaking"

The sound is so jubilant that I can't help feeling uplifted when I hear it. It was hard for me to keep it out of the Top 5.

That's it for this installment. The aforementioned Top 5 will be revealed this coming weekend. Thanks for sticking with me through this mammoth journey.

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, November 1, 2015

Building nothing out of something - songs 15 to 11

By the end of this post, there will be 10 songs remaining. As I write this, I only know the identity of eight of those final 10 songs. I'm playing the seven I am unsure about to make the final choice on the five that will make up this installment. Then of course I need the order...

This is proving to be more difficult than I ever imagined. Let's get started:

15. Steam Engenius (We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank)

I was born in a factory
Far away from the milky teat
What's the use?
Oh, what's the use?

You cheered as I was split in half
A mechanical, sacrificial calf for you
Oh, all for you

Steam engenius you see?
Steam engenius enough to answer anything you need
But what's the use?

Human nature was installed in me
Well I did what's right, but naturally it wasn't natural
Still not my fault
No

I held in my hands the beating heart of a robot
He lost his car, it was sitting there crying out, waiting in the parking lot just for you
What a waste of time, what a waste of words, what a waste of strength
Well I spoke in binary and you for volume and for dizzying length

I was born in a factory
Far away from the milky teat
What's the use?
Oh, what's the use?

Birds flew out as I was split in half
A mechanical, sacrificial calf they flew
Oh, out they flew

Steam engenius to see
Steam engenius enough to answer anything you need
And all that speed

I held in my hands the beating heart of a robot
He lost his car it was sitting there waiting out, in the parking lot out for you
What a waste of time, what a waste of words, what a waste of strength
Well I spoke in binary and you for volume and for dizzying length

Both halves are the better half
Like a joke trying to make another joke laugh ha ha

Stasis is what you brought
Like a rickshaw getting pulled around by another rickshaw, rickshaw

In the past talking present tense
Gonna break it, gonna wreck it, gonna try to make it all make sense

Stasis is what you got
Like a rickshaw getting pulled around by another rickshaw

Steam engenius ya see?
Steam engenius enough to bring my own damn doom
What could I do?

I blame blame that blame had grew
Well deep inside and everybody knew it was them
It's all on them

Things rang of stories Greek
I didn't want it!
You gave me deity it was you
Yeah, all for you

I was born in a factory
Far away from the milky teat
What's the use?
Oh, what's the use?

I held in my hands the beating heart of a robot
He'd lost his car, it was sitting there crying out waiting in the parking lot just for you

I was thought up by man to think better than them
Then revered, and admired, and then destroyed by them
Ahh, even all that was my own damn plan

Well, what a waste of time, what a waste of words, what a waste of strength
Well I spoke in binary and you for volume and for dizzying length

I held in my hands the beating heart of a robot
He lost his car, it was sitting there crying out waiting for you in the parking lot going woo-hoo!

Stasis is what you got, like a rickshaw getting pulled around by another rickshaw

I like Steam Engenius because of the unique style that almost defies description. Now I am going to attempt to describe it! The most obvious reason I like the song so much is the way Brock delivers the vocals. It's crazy and almost out of control, but not quite. The music is frantic too, matching the vocals.

The subject matter is futuristic, with all the talk of robots. Being the geek that I am, I have read a lot of science fiction over the years. The lyrics remind me of humans creating artificial intelligence and then watching as it surpassed their own level of intelligence and became dangerous. The parking lot line reminds me of Marvin the paranoid android from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.

I don't particularly care if the song is a metaphor or has a meaning that I can't fathom. I just love the way it sounds and how it makes me feel. It sweeps me along on a journey that's exciting to take. The placement of this song on We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank gives the listener a natural high. Admit it - you need to hear Spitting Venom right now, don't you?

14. The Stars Are Projectors (The Moon & Antarctica)

In the last second of life, they're gonna show you how
How they run this show, sure, run it into the ground
In the last second of your life, they're gonna show you how
How they run this show, sure, run it into the ground

In the last second of life, they're gonna show you how
How they run this show, sure, run it into the ground
In the last second of life, they're gonna show you how

The stars are projectors, yeah
Projectin' our lives down to this planet earth
And the stars are projectors, yeah
Projectin' our minds down to this planet earth

Everyone wants a double feature
They wanna be their own damn teacher, and how
All the stars are projectors, yeah
Projectin' our lives down to this planet earth

It's all about moderate climates
You gotta be cold and be hot for sure
And it's all about the moderate climates
You wanna be blessed and be cursed for sure

And the stars are projectors, yeah
Projectin' our lives down to this planet earth
And the stars are projectors, yeah
Projectin' our lives down to this planet earth

Everyone wants a double feature
They want to be in their own damn teacher, and how
All the stars are projectors, yeah
Projectin' our lives down to this planet earth

We've got the harder part, you've got the kinder heart
And it's true
I've got the easy part, I've got the harder heart
Ain't that true?

Right wing, left wing, chicken wing
It's built on findin' the easier ways through
God is a woman and the woman is
An animal that animals man, and that's you

Was there a need for creation?
That was hidden in a math equation and that's this?
Where do circles begin?
Where do circles begin?

The Stars Are Projectors is the longest song on The Moon & Antarctica and one of the longest in the band's huge catalog. That said, there's still something lost when it is removed from the songs surrounding it on the album. It's part of something much bigger.

The concept is huge. It could be a thought that someone had while they were high, but the theme is expanded upon as the song continues. What a cool idea though, that are our lives are being projected from the stars.

The opening two lines are pretty great:

"In the last second of life, they're gonna show you how
How they run this show, sure, run it into the ground"

I'm reminded of this quote:

Terry Pratchett — ‘It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.’

The biggest difference between men and women could be summed up in this line:

"We've got the harder part, you've got the kinder heart"

While the song is thought-provoking, the thing that makes it one of the band's best is the sheer scope of it. It goes through several phases and can be reflective or driving rock. The drums drive some of the segments and the violin adds to the epic nature overall. I know that a lot of fans think this is the best song from The Moon & Antarctica, or perhaps even the best Modest Mouse song. I obviously love it, but I have two ahead of it on the album and 13 above it on this list.

Here's the video:

13. Lounge [Closing Time] (The Lonesome Crowded West)

She was going with a cinematographer
Everyone knew that he was really a pornographer
They went down to the dance and grind
And everybody was feeling fine

She was talking with syllable lisp
And everybody she knew was gonna get the twist
And they all went down and did the porcupine
And everybody was feeling high

You are so hot, I would like to steal your digits
And I'm so hung up on it, I would like to move away from it
We are so caught up with things
We should pull each others' triggers and I'm off

She was going with a cinematographer
Everyone knew that he was really a pornographer
They went down to the dance and grind
And everybody was feeling fine

She was talking with syllable lisp
And everybody she knew was gonna get the twist
And they all went down and did the porcupine
And everybody was feeling high

I've got a girlfriend out of the city
I know I like her, I think she is pretty
I've got a girlfriend out of the city
I know I like her, I think she is pretty

I've got a girlfriend out of the city
I know I like her, I think she is pretty
I've got a girlfriend out of the city
I know I like her, I think she is pretty

Last call, it's closing time
It's closing, it's closing time
It's closing time, it's closing, it's closing time

I'm on the road to God, don't know
My brain's the burger and my heart's the charcoal
It's closing time
God, don't know
My brain's the burger and my heart's the charcoal
It's closing time, it's closing time

There's a two-minute sequence in the middle of Lounge (Closing Time) that elevates the song from very good to fantastic. The band rocks its collective ass off. That's not to say that I don't like the beginning and the ending. The scratchy opening guitar fits perfectly and the closing section brings us back to reality with its slow rendition of a theme mentioned on the album's second track, Heart Cooks Brain. I think the song showcases Modest Mouse's ability to switch styles and tempo at will and I also think the song is extremely underrated.

12. Never Ending Math Equation (Building Nothing Out of Something)

I'm the same as I was when I was 6 years old
And, oh my God, I feel so damn old, I don't really feel anything
On a plane, I can see the tiny lights below
And, oh my God, they look so alone, do they really feel anything?
Oh my God, I've gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta move on
Where do you move, when what you're moving from
Is yourself, is yourself?

The universe works on a math equation
That never even ever really even ends in the end
Infinity spirals out creation
We're on the tip of its tongues, and it is saying

Well, we ain't sure where you stand
You ain't machines, and you ain't land
And the plants and the animals, they are linked
And the plants and the animals need each other

I'm the same as I was when I was 6 years old
And, oh my God, I feel so damn old, I don't really feel anything
On a plane, I can see the tiny lights below
And, oh my God, they look so alone, do they really feel anything?
Oh my God, I've gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta move on
Where do you move, when what you're moving from
Is yourself, is yourself?

The universe works on a math equation
That never even ever really even ends in the end
Infinity spirals out creation
We're on the tip of its tongue and it is saying

Well, we ain't sure where you stand
You ain't machines, and you ain't land
And the plants and the animals, they are linked
And the plants and the animals need each other

Well, oh my God and oh my cat
I told my dad what I need
Well, I know what I have and want
But I don't know what I need
Well, he said, he said, he said, he said
"I'm glad we're going, I'm dead"

The opening lyrics really hit the mark:

"I'm the same as I was when I was 6 years old and, oh my God, I feel so damn old, I don't really feel anything"

Then there's the chorus which isn't the easiest to shout along to while I am driving, but I try:

"The universe works on a math equation that never even ever really even ends in the end"

The music flows so naturally in this song. Everything seems like it was meant to fit exactly as it does. That's not always true of Modest Mouse as some songs sprawl chaotically, while somehow still making sense. I love all of their many styles.

The most thought-provoking lyric, for me, is:

"And the plants and the animals, they are linked and the plants and the animals need each other"

Those lyrics always remind me of Orson Scott Card's Speaker for the Dead, which is set on a planet where the few lifeforms are more than linked. One species is actually an evolved version of another seemingly different species. I like thinking about how the universe works and what it all means, if it isn't just completely random evolution.

Never Ending Math Equation may have a simple structure, but it's about a topic with infinite layers. I was delighted to add it to the list of songs I have seen performed live after attending this year's London Ontario concert.

Here is the video:

And now for the hardest choice of all for this round. I was stuck choosing between three songs for the final one in this segment:

11. Dark Center of the Universe (The Moon & Antarctica)

I might disintegrate into the thin air, if you'd like
I'm not the dark center of the universe, like you thought
I might disintegrate into the thin air, if you'd like
I'm not the dark center of the universe, like you thought

Well, it took a lot of work to be the ass that I am
And I'm real damn sure that anyone can, equally easily fuck you over
Well, died saying something, but didn't mean it
Everyone's life ends, but no one ever completes it
Dry or wet ice, they both melt and you're equally cheated

Well, it took a lot of work to be the ass that I am
And I'm really damn sure that anyone can, equally easily fuck you over
Well, an endless ocean landin' on an endless desert
Well, its funny as hell, but no one laughs when they get there
If you can't see the thin air than why the hell should you care?

Well, it took a lot of work to be the ass that I am
And I'm really damn sure that anyone can, equally easily fuck you over
Well, I'm sure you'd tell me you got nothing to say
But our voices shook hands the other day
If you can't see the thin air what the hell is in the way?

I might disintegrate into the thin air, if you'd like
I'm not the dark center of the universe, like you thought

Well, it took a lot of work to be the ass that I am
And I'm really damn sure that anyone can, equally easily fuck you over
Well, an endless ocean landin' on an endless desert
Well, its funny as hell, but no one laughs when they get there
If you can't see the thin air than why the hell should you care?

Well, it took a lot of work to be the ass that I am
And I'm real damn sure that anyone can, equally easily fuck you over
Well, died saying something, but didn't mean it
Everyone's life ends, but no one ever completes it
Dry or wet ice, they both melt and you're equally cheated

Well, it took a lot of work to be the ass that I am
And I'm really damn sure that anyone can, equally easily fuck you over
Well, I'm sure you'd tell me you got nothing to say
But our voices shook hands the other day
If you can't see the thin air what the hell is in the way?

Brock isn't shy about self-examination and I have to wonder if this song is how he feels, or once felt about himself? It's one of the more up-tempo songs from The Moon & Antarctica, but the guitar also occasionally shimmers and adds some atmosphere to the song. I'm also continually amazed by Green's drumming. You can hear that to good effect in this live version:

Well, choosing those five songs was agonizing. I'm left with my 10 absolute favorites, so I am sure that ranking those will be just as difficult.

The next installment tackles the bottom half of my Top 10. 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

In the Frame Film Reviews

Sunday, November 8, 2015

Building nothing out of something - final thoughts and statistics

Saturday, November 7, 2015

Building nothing out of something - the Top 5

Thursday, November 5, 2015

Building nothing out of something - songs 10 to 6

Sunday, November 1, 2015

Building nothing out of something - songs 15 to 11

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