# I really like Modest Mouse's latest album. What else should I check out? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 18, 2004, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-really-like-modest-mouses-latest-album-what-else-should-i-check-out/269760 "2004-10-18T02:53:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-really-like-modest-mouses-latest-album-what-else-should-i-check-out/269760/1 "2004-10-18T02:53:34Z")
I picked up Modest Mouse’s _Good News For People Who Love Bad News_ the other day, thinking that I might as well check it out cause a lot of people I know really raved about it. My musical tastes are different from theirs, so I was thinking I might not be too impressed, but I was. Now, given that this is completely different from my usual listening material, I’m curious what else is out there that I might like. Any recommendations? ---
**Author:** ![Talon\_Karrde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Talon\_Karrde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Talon_Karrde)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-really-like-modest-mouses-latest-album-what-else-should-i-check-out/269760/2 "2004-10-18T03:19:31Z")
Their album The Moon and Antarctica is considered their masterpiece. You should get that. You might also like The Flaming Lips. The Soft Bulletin is an excellent album. ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-really-like-modest-mouses-latest-album-what-else-should-i-check-out/269760/3 "2004-10-18T04:36:22Z")
#include [Link to KEXP](http://www.kexp.org) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-really-like-modest-mouses-latest-album-what-else-should-i-check-out/269760/4 "2004-10-18T05:25:29Z")
_Franz Ferdinand_ (it’s the name of both the group and the album) is good. ---
**Author:** ![Freejooky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ba8739/32.png) [@Freejooky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freejooky)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-really-like-modest-mouses-latest-album-what-else-should-i-check-out/269760/5 "2004-10-18T05:39:38Z")
I think “good news…” is pretty weak; definitely check out _The Moon and Antarctica_, their finest moment, and even their “this lonesome crowded west” and “this is a long drive…” are excellent. Also check out “building nothing out of something.” As for what next - it depends. What about/why do you like MM? If you like the more introspective moments, I suggest the Microphones. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Universe\_Lashes\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8797f3/32.png) [@The\_Universe\_Lashes\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Universe_Lashes_Out)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-really-like-modest-mouses-latest-album-what-else-should-i-check-out/269760/6 "2004-10-18T06:15:20Z")
You might like Wilco’s new album, _A Ghost Is Born_. Also, Neutral Milk Hotel’s classic _In the Aeroplane over the Sea_ would probably be to your liking. ---
**Author:** ![Nutty\_Bunny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d07c76/32.png) [@Nutty\_Bunny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nutty_Bunny)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2004, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-really-like-modest-mouses-latest-album-what-else-should-i-check-out/269760/7 "2004-10-18T15:54:16Z")
I’m a MM fan, as well as Franz Ferdinand and I my recommendation would be **The Shins** _Chutes Too Narrow_. It’s a little mellow, but it’s somewhat in the same retro-vein as MM and FF. It has a lot of pretty melodies, too. ---
**Author:** ![ultrafilter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/3d9bf3/32.png) [@ultrafilter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ultrafilter)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-really-like-modest-mouses-latest-album-what-else-should-i-check-out/269760/8 "2004-10-19T00:31:18Z")
> [@Freejooky](#): > > As for what next - it depends. What about/why do you like MM? “Why do you like this?” has always been a tough question for me to answer, but I guess I should give it a shot here. What I liked about this album is that it’s accessible and catchy while maintaining a little bit of complexity and the occasional hint of an edge. I also like that the songs represent a wide variety of musical styles but fit together as a coherent whole. By and large, I don’t care much about lyrics, so I don’t even really know what you’d consider the introspective parts. And accessibility isn’t a big deal for me, but I guess it’s nice. I went and listened to Amazon’s samples for all of the non-Modest Mouse albums mentioned in this thread. So far, _Chutes Too Narrow_ is the only one that really stands out to me. But I definitely appreciate the suggestions–keep 'em coming, folks. For what it’s worth, I’m a huge fan of the Talking Heads and I think Radiohead was pretty good up through _OK Computer_ but I have no interest in checking out their later stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Lowry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e95f7d/32.png) [@Sam\_Lowry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Lowry)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-really-like-modest-mouses-latest-album-what-else-should-i-check-out/269760/9 "2004-10-19T03:15:58Z")
**Ugly Casonova** is made up of the lead singer of Modest Mouse and some other indie musicians. Their album \*\*Sharpen Your Teeth \*\* is pretty good and sounds a lot like **Good News** , so you might want to check it out. ---
**Author:** ![Quint](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/76d3ee/32.png) [@Quint](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quint)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-really-like-modest-mouses-latest-album-what-else-should-i-check-out/269760/10 "2004-10-19T04:17:47Z")
I think this one is sure fire for fans of **MM**. Check out **Built to Spill**. Their sounds are quite similar, though **BtS** is far more melodic and less aggressive. Lyrically both are amazing bands, as well as musically. Doug Martsch of **BtS** is the driving force behind the band. Lead vocals, lead guitar and song-writing are all up to him. I saw them at a local club where they had a guest rhythm guitarist (whose name escapes me), and at one moment in the show the audience, _and the band_, were all watching him in complete awe as he rocked out. An amazing show. IMO their best albums are [Keep It Like A Secret](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B00000HZFH/002-3994588-9367217?v=glance), and [There’s Nothing Wrong With Love](http://rateyourmusic.com/view_album_details/album_id_is_2616), which is an earlier, slightly simpler, yet fantastic album. Perfect From Now On is also excellent, but I wouldn’t recommend it as an introduction. Much like **MM** , they require a few listens to really get into, but once you do you’re hooked. I’ve always preferred slightly heavier, more angry music, so I suspect if I had heard **Modest Mouse** first I might have been inclined to dismiss **Built to Spill** as a weaker version. Seriously though, give them a chance and you’ll be hooked! ---
**Author:** ![Talon\_Karrde](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Talon\_Karrde](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Talon_Karrde)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-really-like-modest-mouses-latest-album-what-else-should-i-check-out/269760/11 "2004-10-19T05:21:10Z")
> [@ultrafilter](#): > > What I liked about this album is that it’s accessible and catchy while maintaining a little bit of complexity and the occasional hint of an edge. Again, sounds like a description of the Flaming Lips. I’d say it also applies to The Shins. I don’t see where people are coming up with Franz Ferdinand though, they’re more dancish. Here’s a recommendation I’m sure you don’t want to hear: The Beatles. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![NinjaChick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/71c47a/32.png) [@NinjaChick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NinjaChick)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-really-like-modest-mouses-latest-album-what-else-should-i-check-out/269760/12 "2004-10-19T05:38:33Z")
Possibly a huge stretch, but may I suggest **Tears for Fears**? They’re much more mellow than MM, but I know several people who really like both. I highly recommend the song **Call Me Mellow**. ---
**Author:** ![sleeping](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/839c29/32.png) [@sleeping](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleeping)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2004, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-really-like-modest-mouses-latest-album-what-else-should-i-check-out/269760/13 "2004-10-19T05:46:29Z")
I’ll second Built to Spill and Neutral Milk Hotel and add Guided by Voices, [The Ocean Blue](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000002LOT/ref=m_art_li_2/102-1395568-6098542?v=glance&s=music) and [The Wake](http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000062UT9/qid=1098164522/sr=1-22/ref=sr_1_22/102-1395568-6098542?v=glance&s=music). You might also like The Magnetic Fields, although they’re quite different.