Search - Modest Mouse :: Interstate 8

"... sometimes I'm angry that I feel so angry..."

J. COSBY | SF, CA | 06/20/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"What can you say? "Edit The Sad Parts" may be the best thing this band ever wrote.



"Interstate 8" is all the tracks that The Mouse could not fit onto "This Is A Long Drive For Someone With Nothing To Think About." They even reprise the album version of "Tundra/Desert": a deserved fan favorite: grimy, wailing disco rock as infectious as The Black Plague...



Oh, and to all those who jumped on the bandwagon with "Moon & Antarctica" or "Good News For People..." don't ever cap this band's lo-fi sound. It's what gave them their backing in the first place. "Man, the production's terrible." No, it's just cost effective. And all of us REAL FANS of this group realize that "This Is A Long Drive..." "The Lonesome Crowded West" and this EP are what really makes up this band. This band's SOUL is in these specific choices.



Not that their later stuff is bad, in fact I enjoy it. It's just that Epic made the Mouse shave his five o' clock shadow. All that beard stubble and imperfect perfection can be found on "Interstate 8." The title track is one of THE QUINTESSENTIAL summer songs, so now's a good time to start spinning it: lounging on the beach, driving that long two-lane, or trying to calm down and catch your breath with your lover just minutes before dawn's early light...



Watch out for the 5 demos that conclude the disc. "Buttons To Push The Buttons" (track 7) is a personal favorite of mine, Isaac bending his damn whammy-bar to the point of snapping, and Eric Judy's walking bass line that makes you wanna look sideways at someone and say, "I'm cool just for listening to this."



I had no idea this thing was so scarce and worth so much. I might contemplate auctioning it once the demand rises a little bit more. Ah, who am I kidding, this EP is a big piece of my college past. You can put a price on Polaroids, but you can't assign monetary worth to your memories. For me, this disc is better than a time-machine.



Oh, and if you're wondering if buying this rarity is worth the $80 price tag...? *nod head very slowly*"

Interstate 8

R. Sundquist | Madison, Wisconsin | 10/20/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This was the disc that got me into Modest Mouse. I didn't know at all what to expect, and after hearing this, their other albums disappointed me a little (just a little; the band is one of my favorites).
The songs on here are some of MM's laziest and most atmospheric, with intense, but not overdone, emotions. If you've ever lived in the Pacific Northwest you will identify with this music. The title track is the perfect song for staring out your window into a rain-soaked afternoon; "Sleepwalking" is probably the happiest Isaac's ever sounded (though, as the title suggests, he may just be sleepy). "Edit the Sad Parts" is an anthem for every gloomy, depressed teenager. The other songs are jumpy and funny, and all excellent.
Of course, the real prize here is that you don't just get the five songs listed on the CD case - after about two minutes of silence, you get another string of half a dozen tracks, most of which are live recordings of songs from "This is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About", MM's first full-length album.
If you manage to find this, buy it; this is the best way to get into a really amazing band."

You HAVE to get this.

R. Sundquist | 05/09/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"You HAVE to have this. The great thing about this CD that isn't mentioned anywhere ON the CD is that as well as having the interstate 8 ep, it also has an additional 6 or 7LIVE songs following the EP (they put 1 minute of silence inbetween them..clever), so you end up with a full length album for the price of the EP for one thing. Secondly AND most importantly..it's ALL good."