Modest Mouse started making music around 25 years ago and their sound has evolved in all kinds of ways since that beginning. I remember how my own introduction to the band found me loving The Moon & Antarctica and The Lonesome Crowded West, but I needed more time to fall in love with debut album This Is A Long Drive For Someone With Nothing To Think About. The reason was that the production was so raw and I found it jarring compared to some of the things I listened to on a regular basis. I now wonder how I would attempt to introduce someone with no previous exposure to the band to this wonderful music.
Some will love the new sound because the band often performs with eight or nine members on stage and the layers of sound are dense and rewarding; others will scream that the old stuff is the best. Yet another type of fan will have discovered the band through Float On and insist that Good News For People Who Love Bad News was the highlight. In my case, I love it all. If you picked the least great Modest Mouse album, I would still choose it over any album by any other band.
In order to reach the level of appreciation that I feel for Isaac Brock's music, you'll need to do a couple of things:
The first thing is to embrace all the rough edges. If you need your vocals to sound like Jeff Buckley, look elsewhere. Isaac can sing calmly and in tune, but he's just as likely to scream something at you with the slight lisp that still remains. He delivers his lyrics like he means them and sometimes SHOUTS for no apparent reason. This is all part of the charm if you have managed to embrace the sound of his vocal delivery. The guitar sound is also a bit unusual because of all the harmonic bending. That may be the most definitive thing in the band's sound and I love it.
The other thing is repeat listens. Most music is full of simple structures with a chorus and hooks that are easy to recognize. You can hear those songs and feel like you know them on the first listen, but Modest Mouse has layers. There's a lot going on underneath. Jeremiah Green's drumming and the multitude of supporting musicians are all part of the magic. You can't fully love the music until you know it well enough to know what is coming next. That takes a bit of work, but the reward can be enormous. It was for me and I will never be the same.
For this particular project, I decided to make a playlist to showcase Isaac's music. I say it in those terms because I have included two Ugly Casanova tracks. I set myself the following rules:
- An unreleased song to demonstrate the quality of music that doesn't even guarantee a release
- Two tracks from each Modest Mouse album (including compilations)
- One track from each Modest Mouse EP
- Two songs from Ugly Casanova
- The latest single
The songs are mostly in the order in which they were written. I did it that way so that you can hear the evolution of the sound.
Another thing to note is that I didn't simply choose my outright favorite songs. Some songs were chosen to illustrate a particular style or sound, or perhaps because of the lyrical insight. Float On was a breakthrough for the band and gave them a new level of exposure and popularity, so it is in for that reason. I wanted some banjo songs and that's why they are in.
Anyway, I hope that you like what I have done and that you get something from it. That's especially true if you are new to the band. For those who are already fans, what songs would you have chosen for the purpose of showcasing the band for new listeners?
Click for a playlist of the 25 songs.
The videos were chosen because of their sound quality. If you want live versions or other versions, there are plenty on YouTube or in my other playlists.
For the record, here are the 25 songs I chose to introduce newcomers to Isaac Brock's music. Let me know yours or what you think about my choices.
Needle Point
Birds vs. Worms
From Point A To Point B
Dramamine
Talking Shit About A Pretty Sunset
Edit The Sad Parts
The Waydown
Heart Cooks Brain
Cowboy Dan
Never Ending Math Equation
Broke
You're The Good Things
The Stars Are Projectors
Lives
Diggin' Holes
Night On The Sun
Float On
Bukowski
Parting Of The Sensory
Spitting Venom
Here's To Now
King Rat
Lampshades On Fire
The Ground Walks With Time In A Box
Ice Cream Party
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