Building Nothing Out of Something | ||||
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Compilation album by | ||||
Released | January 18, 2000 | |||
Recorded | 1995–1998 | |||
Genre | Indie rock | |||
Length | 55:24 | |||
Label | Up | |||
Producer | Calvin Johnson | |||
Modest Mouse chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [1] |
The Austin Chronicle | [2] |
Pitchfork | 8.9/10 [3] |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [4] |
The Village Voice | A− [5] |
Building Nothing Out of Something is a compilation album released in January 2000 by American indie rock band Modest Mouse, comprising non-album tracks from various points in the band's career. All songs were originally released from 1996 to 1998. In 2015, Brock's Glacial Pace re-released the album for CD and Vinyl (with some unmarked random copies containing red vinyl rather than black).
The songs on this album were recorded between 1995 and 1998, composing of A and B sides from singles, three tracks from Interstate 8, and one song from the vinyl version of The Lonesome Crowded West.
The track "Sleepwalking (Couples Only Dance Prom Night) contains a melody from Sleep Walk, a 1959 instrumental song by American Rock & Roll duo Santo and Johnny. The song contains lyrics, written by Isaac Brock.
In a review for Pitchfork, Brent Dicrescenzo gives the album an 8.9 out of 10. In the review, he says "Though Building Nothing Out of Something merely compiles old singles and rarities, it might be the best Modest Mouse release for newcomers' initiation, as well as instant gratification for long time fans. This batch of songs is easily their most varied. "Never Ending Math Equation" tick-tocks to a screeching turntable crescendo. "Medication" floats a slow, crystalline guitar line over muted field recordings of traffic, foghorns, and railroad bells before trotting into an acoustic coda with blithe organs. The most beautiful near-seven minutes of Modest Mouse's career rumbles throughout "Workin' on Leavin' the Livin'"-- a psychedelic testimonial to the afterlife. "Sleepwalkin'" mines the 1950s ballad of the same name, but sets the affair in an underwater chamber of whale-call guitars and aching melodies. And a suitable meltdown climaxes in the closer, "Other People's Lives," when Brock treats his guitar like solder. [6]
All tracks are written by Modest Mouse, except where noted
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Never Ending Math Equation" | 3:23 | |
2. | "Interstate 8" | 4:39 | |
3. | "Broke" | 3:19 | |
4. | "Medication" | 5:01 | |
5. | "Workin' on Leavin' the Livin'" | 6:40 | |
6. | "All Night Diner" | 4:44 | |
7. | "Baby Blue Sedan" | 4:04 | |
8. | "A Life of Arctic Sounds" | 2:29 | |
9. | "Sleepwalking (Couples Only Dance Prom Night)" | Santo and Johnny | 3:23 |
10. | "Grey Ice Water" | 5:05 | |
11. | "Whenever You Breathe Out, I Breathe In (Positive Negative)" | 5:18 | |
12. | "Other People's Lives" | 7:10 | |
Total length: | 55:23 |
Modest Mouse is an American rock band formed in 1993 in Issaquah, Washington, and currently based in Portland, Oregon. The founding members were lead singer/guitarist Isaac Brock, drummer Jeremiah Green and bassist Eric Judy. They achieved critical acclaim for their albums The Lonesome Crowded West (1997) and The Moon & Antarctica (2000) and found mainstream success with the release of Good News for People Who Love Bad News (2004) and its singles "Float On" and "Ocean Breathes Salty".
The Lonesome Crowded West is the second studio album by American rock band Modest Mouse, released on November 18, 1997, by Up Records. The two towers pictured on the album's cover are The Westin Seattle.
The Moon & Antarctica is the third studio album by American rock band Modest Mouse, released on June 13, 2000, by Epic Records.
Good News for People Who Love Bad News is the fourth studio album by American rock band Modest Mouse, released on April 6, 2004, by Epic Records. Founding member Jeremiah Green did not perform on this album due to his temporary absence from the band, and it would be the only release during his time with Modest Mouse that he would not appear on.
This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About is the debut studio album by American rock band Modest Mouse. It was released on April 16, 1996, through Up Records.
Isaac Kristofer Brock is an American musician and singer-songwriter. He is the lead vocalist, principal songwriter, guitarist and only constant member of the indie rock band Modest Mouse, as well as his side project band, Ugly Casanova.
Sad Sappy Sucker is a 2001 studio album released by alternative rock band Modest Mouse. Originally slated to be Modest Mouse's debut album in 1994, Sad Sappy Sucker was shelved for several years until its eventual release in 2001, following the popularity of the band's third album The Moon & Antarctica. Several songs were recorded at Olympia, Washington's Dub Narcotic Studios by Beat Happening frontman Calvin Johnson. The record was officially released by Johnson's label K Records on April 24, 2001, available in both Compact Disc and vinyl LP, and containing nine additional tracks added to the original track listing of 15 songs.
Ugly Casanova was an American indie rock band signed to Sub Pop Records. The band has released one album, Sharpen Your Teeth.
There's Nothing Wrong with Love is the second full-length album released by American indie rock band Built to Spill. There's Nothing Wrong with Love was recorded in May and June 1994, and released September 13, 1994, on the Up Records label. It was produced by Phil Ek. The songs "Car" and "Distopian Dream Girl" were released as singles. Sub Pop reissued the album on vinyl in 2015. This is the only album to feature drummer Andy Capps and the first to feature bassist Brett Nelson.
Sharpen Your Teeth is the only studio album by the indie rock band Ugly Casanova. Brainchild of Modest Mouse lead singer Isaac Brock, Ugly Casanova was his attempt to try new methods and genres outside the realms of Modest Mouse. The album sees Brock performing on more instruments and using a more stripped down method of recording. The story given is that an eccentric character named Edgar Graham met with Modest Mouse while on tour. During their time together, Graham and the band recorded a few songs together, and Graham completely disappeared. In an attempt to get Graham to resurface, Brock took the recordings to Sub Pop Records, redid them in the studio, and had them released as Sharpen Your Teeth. It has since been revealed that Brock fabricated the story himself, using Ugly Casanova as a method of writing music whilst not being recognized instantly as Modest Mouse.
Dann Michael Gallucci is an American songwriter, producer, musician and audio engineer best known for his work with Modest Mouse, The Murder City Devils, and Cold War Kids. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, Gallucci met Modest Mouse's Isaac Brock in Seattle, Washington in 1993, playing guitar with the band intermittently before joining full-time to record several singles that would eventually appear on the album Sad Sappy Sucker, released by independent record label K Records in 2001.
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The discography of Modest Mouse, an American indie rock band, consists of seven studio albums, six extended plays, two compilation albums, four low fidelity cassette releases, one live album, 25 singles, and nine reissues. Three of their releases have been certified at least gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipments in excess of 500,000 copies. One release has further been certified double platinum, for shipments in excess of 2,000,000 copies.
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No One's First, and You're Next is an EP by American indie rock band Modest Mouse, released on August 4, 2009. It features unreleased tracks and B-sides from the band's previous two studio albums, Good News for People Who Love Bad News (2004) and We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank (2007). The collection of repolished outtakes was first mentioned in February 2008 when Rolling Stone conducted a short interview with frontman Isaac Brock in their "Smoking Section" column; however, no other news regarding its release surfaced until an entire year later.
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