Sharpen Your Teeth

Ugly Casanova | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (May 21, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sub Pop
• ASIN: B0000666WE
• Also Available in: Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (50 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #12,477 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Sadly, this will be the only Ugly Cassanova album, August 8, 2002

By 

"dresneer" (Basking Ridge, NJ United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sharpen Your Teeth (Audio CD)

The story behind Sharpen Your Teeth is quite interesting. I've heard several different versions from various reviews and fanzines, so I'm going to do my best to be accurate. Ugly Cassanova was a roadie for Modest Mouse that wrote constantly. (In fact, you would notice his name in the writing credits of the "Whenever You See Fit" single.) Little was known about his background. Occasionally, he would record demos of his songs. Eventually, he just disappeared, so MM frontman Isaac Brock got together with members of Califone and Red Red Meat to record their interpretation of Ugly's songs as a way to hopefully find out what ever happened to him.

The songs are simply gorgeous, and are best described as a cleaned up, more accessable Modest Mouse. The catchy riffs of Hotcha Girls, the twisted folk of Smoke Like Ribbons, and the sheer catchiness of Things I Don't Remember are arguably the best contributions to this stellar album.

Any Modest Mouse fan, especially those who loved Moon and Antarctica, should take special notice of this album. Also, anyone who loved Modest Mouse and Califones' take on Slayer's "South of Heaven" on the I Love Metal comp may also want to give this album a listen. (In fact, MM should look into more projects with Califone, because this album and that cover prove they make a wonderfail team.)

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This album tends to sink it's teeth into the unsuspecting., May 28, 2002

By 

Josh Breese "cephalopoid" (Sacramento, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sharpen Your Teeth (Audio CD)

When I heard "Barnacles" on the radio, I have to admit that it sounded like a track that was left off of Modest Mouse's The Moon and Antartica. I bought the album, expecting more of the same, which was a mistake and a blessing. After listening to the album the first time with exulted expectations, I was disheartened and dissappointed that it did not sound much like Modest Mouse at all, save "Barnacles," the first track. But of course it doesn't, it's Ugly Cassanova, not Modest Mouse. Actually, to me, the album sounded like a perfect blend of Modest Mouse and Black Heart Percession that makes some passing allusions to Tom Waits and maybe Beatles psychodellica. What results is a deep, moody album - a whole album - that is somber but not afraid to be absurd and make you smile and sing along, melodic and almost folky until it rocks. The album tends to sound deceptively simple, but after listening to it many times, there is a lot of complexity to it (sorry that is vauge sounding, it's hard to describe). Much the same as Radiohead's Kid A was a beautiful album in it's entirety, you won't be able to destinguish just a few tracks that are better than the others - the whole album is beautiful. I strongly recomend this to anyone who is looking for something different than the main stream. It hasn't left my car cd player since I bought it 6 days ago.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars brock dont make no junk....., May 30, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Sharpen Your Teeth (Audio CD)

if your a modest mouse fan, you probably own this album. if you dont own it, buy it. as we know, isaac brock has got a way of painting images in your brain. great melodies and greater lyrics make it hard to just listen to this album without having an experience. something about playing this album makes me feel that im right where i need to be, and makes the beer taste just a little bit better. a brilliant artist creating beautiful, creative, honest music.