The band's current configuration is Isaac Brock (vocals, guitar), Tom Peloso (strings, horns, bass, keyboards), Jim Fairchild (guitar), and Eric Judy (bass)). Plummer has recently become the new drummer for The Shins.
Brock came up with the name "Modest Mouse" when he read the Virginia Woolf stream of consciousness essay The Mark On the Wall in which the author described the working middle class as "modest mouse-coloured people"
Brock frequently moved around with his mother when he was a child. Around this time, his mother left his father for his father's brother (Brock's uncle). Brock's mother's house flooded and forced them to move into his mother's new husband's trailer, but there was no room for Brock. Brock stayed behind, living in the second story of the flooded house, until he was eventually evicted by police. He then moved into a shed next to his mother's house and it is said this is where Brock, drummer Jeremiah Green and bassist Eric Judy first began playing music.
In 1994, the band recorded their debut EP, Blue Cadet-3, Do You Connect?, at Calvin Johnson's Dub Narcotic Studios, which was then released on Calvin's record label K Records. Then followed a single with Sub Pop that was recorded by producer Steve Wold at Moon Studios. Wold, who in the mid-2000's would begin to perform under the name Seasick Steve, would also perform on the band's albums, but was never an official member of the band. After moving to Up Records Modest Mouse put out several releases recorded at Moon Studios, including 1996's This Is A Long Drive For Someone With Nothing To Think About. This double LP was produced and recorded by Steve Wold. The next offering on UP was Interstate 8; also produced by Steve Wold. 1997's The Lonesome Crowded West, (also recorded at Moon Studios, by Scott Swayze) turned out to be the band's breakthrough album. The Lonesome Crowded West gained the band a cult following and is now widely considered by many critics to be one of the defining albums of mid-90s indie rock.
In 2000, Modest Mouse released The Moon And Antarctica, their first album on a major label (Epic Records). The band enjoyed some success on alternative radio with the singles "3rd Planet" and "Gravity Rides Everything." Lead singer Isaac Brock has since put out an album with his side project Ugly Casanova on Sub Pop Records.
In 2003, drummer Jeremiah Green quit the band; the official word was that he was quitting to work with his side project, Vells. He was replaced with two members, drummer Benjamin Weikel (who also drummed for The Helio Sequence) and guitarist Dann Gallucci (Murder City Devils). Weikel being new to the band and Gallucci returning to the band for the first time since This is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About. On April 6, 2004, Modest Mouse released the platinum-selling Good News For People Who Love Bad News, which scored two hits with "Float On" and "Ocean Breathes Salty". In 2004 Jeremiah Green returned to the band, and Benjamin Weikel now drums exclusively for The Helio Sequence. Dann Gallucci left the band in August, and they toured with Hutch Harris of The Thermals during the fall of 2004.
Modest Mouse was mentioned by name in the 2005 Supreme Court decision in the case of MGM v. Grokster. Justice Souter wrote that on the Grokster P2P network, "Users seeking Top 40 songs, for example, or the latest release by Modest Mouse, are certain to be far more numerous than those seeking a free Decameron, and Grokster and StreamCast translated that demand into dollars."
In 2005, multi-instrumentalist Tom Peloso, who already played various instruments on Good News For People Who Love Bad News, officially joined the band. In 2006, Johnny Marr, former guitarist for The Smiths, became an official member of the band.
On March 20, 2007, the band released their fifth album, We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank. Four singles were released from the album: "Dashboard", "Missed the Boat", "We've Got Everything" and "Little Motel". The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 album chart. James Mercer of The Shins provides backing vocals on three songs.
In 2009, they released No One's First And You're Next, an EP of unreleased songs from around the time Good News and We Were Dead were recorded, and two songs that had already been released, "I've Got It All (Most)" and "King Rat". The video for King Rat was directed by late actor Heath Ledger.
In 2009, Johnny Marr left the band and was replaced by Jim Fairchild, formerly of Grandaddy. The band performed at several festivals throughout 2009 and 2010, including the main stage of the Reading and Leeds Festivals in 2010.
After an 8 year wait, the band's latest full-length is "Strangers To Ourselves", released March 17th, 2015- two weeks after the original release date, March 3rd, 2015. The album art is an aerial photo of an RV resort located in Mesa, Arizona. Five singles were released before the album, "Lampshades on Fire", "Coyotes", "The Ground Walks, with Time in a Box", "The Best Room", and "Of Course we Know".
Drummer Jeremiah Green passed away from cancer on December 31, 2022 at the age of 45.
Nothing New
Modest Mouse Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
i never even flipped right through it
so what'cha gonna do with
all this stuff thats scribbled to it
you say "theres nothin new"
and oh my god that might be true
but what'cha think youre gonna do
thats worthwhile when theres nothin new
but it takes half as much as it used to for me
oh my god, i cant see
but it means half as much as it used to to me
you read a lot into it
oh my god that might be true
and what'cha think youre gonna do
with yourself when theres nothin for you
oh my god, i can see
that it takes half as much as it used to for me
you say "theres nothin new"
and oh my god that might be true
but what'cha think youre gonna do
thats worthwhile when theres nothin new
you read a lot into it
i never even flipped right through it
so what'cha gonna do with
all this stuff thats scribbled to you
oh my god, i can see
that it means half as much as it used to for me
you read a lot into
whats spoken word and spoke anew
cause thats what'cha think your gonna do
when second-hand's got second-hand dues
oh my god, i cant eat
and it means half as much as it used to to me
you say "theres nothin new"
and oh my god that might be true
so what'cha think youre gonna do
with yourself when theres nothin new for you
oh my god, i can see
that it takes half as much as it used to for me
The lyrics of "Nothing New" by Modest Mouse are a commentary on the struggle of finding purpose and meaning in a world where everything seems to have already been said and done before. The singer contemplates the value of knowledge and insight, noting that while there may be nothing new to discover, it is still important to find ways to make a difference and leave a mark. The lines "what'cha think you're gonna do that's worthwhile when there's nothing new" suggest a sense of existential angst and a desire for purpose beyond mere consumption and reproduction. The song ends with the repeated refrain that it takes half as much to mean something to the singer, implying a sense of growing disillusionment or perhaps a newfound appreciation for the simple things in life.
Line by Line Meaning
you read a lot into it
You interpret and analyze things thoroughly and deeply.
i never even flipped right through it
I didn't bother to give it a proper look.
so what'cha gonna do with
all this stuff thats scribbled to it
What are you going to do with all the things that have been written or recorded?
you say "theres nothin new"
and oh my god that might be true
You claim that nothing is new, and it might be accurate.
but what'cha think youre gonna do
thats worthwhile when theres nothin new
What do you plan to do that is valuable when there is nothing new?
oh my god, i cant see
but it takes half as much as it used to for me
I cannot see clearly, but it doesn't take as much effort as it previously did.
oh my god, i can see
that it takes half as much as it used to for me
Now I can see that it requires half the amount of effort that it used to from me.
you say "theres nothin new"
and oh my god that might be true
but what'cha think youre gonna do
with yourself when theres nothin for you
You again state that there is nothing new, and it might be accurate. What do you plan to do with yourself when there is nothing more to be done?
you read a lot into it
oh my god that might be true
and what'cha think youre gonna do
with yourself when theres nothin for you
You read and analyze things profoundly, and it's probably correct. What is your plan when there is no longer anything to do?
oh my god, i can see
that it means half as much as it used to for me
I can now see that it's only half as important to me as it used to be.
you read a lot into it
i never even flipped right through it
so what'cha gonna do with
all this stuff thats scribbled to you
You analyze things thoroughly, while I didn't even give it a proper look. What will you do with all the written or recorded material?
you read a lot into
whats spoken word and spoke anew
cause thats what'cha think your gonna do
when second-hand's got second-hand dues
You interpret what is said and repeat it in a new way because that is what you believe you want to do when you get the leftovers of the leftovers.
oh my god, i cant eat
and it means half as much as it used to to me
I cannot even eat or consume, and it only matters to me half as much as before.
so what'cha think youre gonna do
with yourself when theres nothin new for you
oh my god, i can see
that it takes half as much as it used to for me
What are you going to do with yourself when there is nothing new for you? It now only takes half as much effort as before.
Contributed by Gabriel M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
modestlyneutral
I've been listening to Modest Mouse for fucking years. I have trawled over their entire discography, and I have never come across this song before. This is amazing. There is still some mystery left in the world.
Spitting Venom
It’s by far the most important band in my life, still going strong well over ten years now. Blame yourself is one of my fav lil peals most haven’t seen or heard.
steeler43013
Oh my god if they remastered these I'd cry tears of joy
Logtarthemighty
They just announced that the first single of the new album is a song they've been playing on tour so there's hope! THERE'S HOPE!
Manny Cartagena
+steeler43013 I've actually heard a song or two from around this time, remastered. I like the older versions. I don't know why. I'm not like that with everything. I don't know, maybe, Modest Mouse sounds better a little rawer, a little edgier. Although, I like some of the new stuff too. So who knows?
zee /
+steeler43013 Can't master something that's already perfect
Deanna Duffie
steeler43013 same tbh
genericusername
i love the production quality on this
zbaker330
this song is the definition of a masterpiece.
special craig
WHY HAVENT THIS BEEN USED ON A CD? EVEN AN EP? THIS A FUCKING GREAT SONG.