Isaac Brock's jagged guitar, yelping vocals, and existential lyrics made Modest Mouse the Pacific Northwest's great post-grunge voice. The Lonesome Crowded West captured the anxiety of American sprawl with a manic energy that felt like a panic attack set to music.
Good News for People Who Love Bad News broke them into the mainstream with 'Float On,' a song so uncharacteristically optimistic that longtime fans weren't sure what to make of it.
Key Albums
Sprawling, anxious, and brilliant. The definitive Pacific Northwest indie record of the nineties.
More atmospheric and expansive. Their most sonically adventurous album.
'Float On' broke them wide open. The album is darker than the hit suggests.
Why They Matter
Modest Mouse proved that abrasive, lyrically complex indie rock could cross over to mainstream audiences without being smoothed out.