Modest Mouse: A Pretty Good Read (Paperback)

~ (Author)
Key Phrases: modest mouse, more touring, Isaac Brock, Sub Pop, Crowded West (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Bassist and journalist Goldsher chronicles the unexpected rise of Modest Mouse, the Washington State indie-rock band behind the infectiously upbeat 2004 single, "Float On." Like the previously published interviews from which this unauthorized biography was culled, this work spotlights sailor-mouthed, media-loathing front man Isaac Brock, whose songwriting knew much darker beginnings. A decade ago, the trio first built a healthy subgenre following with catchy, morbid and often nonsensical anthems. Brock later struggled with alcohol abuse, rape allegations that ultimately proved false and an assault that left him broken-jawed in the middle of a recording session. In a true-to-form darkest-before-dawn story, Brock served jail time for a DUI; drummer Jeremiah Green left the band for a mental hospital; and both coproducers walked away before Modest Mouse emerged with their most widely appealing album to date. Evoking the lore of Robert Johnson and Kurt Cobain, Goldsher attributes MM's allure partly to a "mythical" reputation Brock designed for himself as a notorious jerk to his fans as well as a starving-artist martyr. Goldsher cuts to the quick of the indie-rock scenester's antisellout, "hipper-than-thou" ethos in a style that's accessible and downright funny. While his reliance on secondhand sources and long-winded ruminations on individual songs may frustrate fans eager for new insight into the band member, Goldsher's book is an aptly titled jaunt through the MM story. (Dec.)
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Product Description

THE BEST WAY TO BECOME A ROCK STAR IS SOMETIMES THE WORST WAY TO BECOME A ROCK STAR Unruly and antagonistic, the Washington State rock trio Modest Mouse would seem like one of the least likely candidates for mainstream stardom: Their often brilliant live performances sometimes collapsed into utter chaos. Their highly original, highly off-center songs ran as long as eleven minutes. And their leader managed to raise eyebrows among music writers, law officials . . . and sometimes even his fans.
But Modest Mouse persevered. They didn’t compromise their original, compelling musical style, nor did they lighten up on the attitude. They just waited for the world at large to catch up.
In 2004, with the release of their smash single “Float On,” it finally happened. And it was worth the wait. For everybody.
Journalist Alan Goldsher uncovers the strange, little-known details of Modest Mouse’s rise from DIY indie heroes to platinum-selling, Grammy-nominated international superstars. Goldsher also reveals the troubled background and fractured history of frontman Isaac Brock, a charismatic, cantankerous singer/songwriter who has spent as much time avoiding the media as he has attempting to control it.
Thoroughly researched, sharply funny, and filled with more than thirty rare photos, this unauthorized biography shows how Modest Mouse trashed the Behind the Music mold and created their own unique version of the rock ’n’ roll, rags-to-expensive-rags success story.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 208 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (November 14, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312356013
• ISBN-13: 978-0312356019
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #147,646 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A Pretty Good Read? Hardly., January 9, 2007

By	StinkS (Orange County, CA) - See all my reviews

I cannot put in words how disappointed I was with this book. The book is nothing but hearsay and speculation, mixed in with a few quotes from Issac Brock. Which is another thing, the book itself should hardly be called a biography on Modest Mouse considering the only person that is even gone over in depth (and I use the term "depth" reluctantly) is Issac Brock himself, the other band members are only mentioned a few times.

I would describe this book as a time line of their album releases interrupted by very opinionated reviews on almost EVERY SINGLE track on their albums. The author picks apart each song and explains (poorly) in words exactly what you hear... If I wanted to know what it sounded like I would ...listen to it. Also, most of the information gathered is from reviews of their albums, so what you find yourself reading is actually just a review of the reviews. LITERALLY all the information in the book can be found online, nothing new is presented. I really regret how much I anticipated this books release.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Worst Book I've Ever Read for Pleasure, January 8, 2007

By	Phil Eisenberg - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I am a huge fan of band biographies, but as the other review said, it's amazing anything this asanine was put out. Modest Mouse is an amazing band, but Goldsher rehashes all the information you could find on their Wikipedia page along with terrible song interpretations, sometimes skipping tracks because they didn't fit with where he thought the album was going. Nevermind the fact that he didn't have any cooperation from Isaac, the rest of the band, the label, etc. Go read Staring at Sound and Learning How to Die if you want good biographies on "indie" bands that have reached a more mainstream audience

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Wow!!, December 19, 2006

By	John Wraith "Studio Gangsta" (Rural Virginia) - See all my reviews

I'm blown away that something this terrible got published. And I'm even more blown away that the guy who wrote it is not about seventeen years old, because it reads like an incredibly boring eleventh-grade research paper. This is obviously just a cash-in on the "Float On" single (which was what, three years ago, by the way), but it doesn't have to be THIS bad.
If I had actually wasted money on this thing (I read the first few chapters in a bookstore), I'd probably find this guy personally and make him give me my money back.