Saturday, August 26, 2006

Modest Mouse Marr

[subtitle: Von Trapper Keeper is old and slow.]



Am I the last person to hear about this? Johnny Marr, guitar genius of the Smiths, wrote and recorded with Modest Mouse on their forthcoming album and has signed on to tour with them as well? Smiths + Modest Mouse? Holy crap. That's huge. And I'm like 6.5 months late hearing about it and 3 weeks past the mainstream music media. The VTK is officially past its musical appreciation prime (as if that wasn't clear to me at the TV On The Radio + Yeah Yeah Yeah's free show at Government Center a few weeks back - I looked more like the average pedophile prowling the premises than the average music fan). Anyways, it's very exciting news to the VTK since the Smiths and Modest Mouse are two of my favorite bands of all time. Yet you have to wonder what Marr and Modest Mouse will sound like together. Both pioneered pretty unique guitar sounds (Marr for sure, MM, in my non-guitar-playing opinion anyways). On paper it's an indie guitar rock dream, but how will they mesh in reality? More importantly, are they both over the hill in terms of musical relevance? MM last album was a far cry from their late 90's stuff and Marr is 89 years old. We'll see. They've certainly earned the benefit of the doubt.

This Isaac Brock (MM) quote from a lame publication which I refuse to credit since they said that this was Modest Mouse's second album:

"He made a cautious commitment to write and record with us, and then the tighter we got, he was like, 'okay, let's tour too,'. Then he was pretty much a member of the band - not pretty much. He's a full blown member of the band. It's really fuckin' nice."

9 comments:

Dearest Cupcake said...

Yeah. Old. This is the first week of classes, and my students are little babies. Except they're in their early 20's. And I'm not. Can you take solace that I look to you for current pop culture info?

Dan Nolan said...

there's nothing sadder than an old guy trying to stay pop culturally relevant...

well, I guess there are some things that are sadder. I think "pathetic" is the word.

Dan Nolan said...

then again, we do kick ass at trivia!

Anonymous said...

HOLY CRAP - Do I have a story about being old.

Picture this: Yesterday. 3pm. San Juan Airport. I was there with 12 of my co-workers (ages 23 - 30) and who should walk by but none other than CeCe Deville from Poison.

ME: hey guys...I think that was the guy from Poison

Young Co-workers: What's Poison ... Poison? you got Poisoned?

ME: No - like "Poison" the band.

YC's: Blank stares

I forget about it and think it's probably not the real CeCe Deville. It's probably just some shriveled Puerto Rican 90's rock enthusiast...because, honestly would the real CeCe Deville dress like it was 1993 and he was still the toast of the town?

So later on, I see him again...only closer this time and it's definitely him AND this time, he's with Brett Michaels, who is also dressed like he just left the video shoot for "Unskinny Bop"...So, sadly I have no ability to control the volume of my voice...especially after a 3 day alcohol soaked bender in the Dominican Republic and I scream "Oh my God Brett Micheals!!" - More in shock over my own ability to identify these people than the actual thrill of seeing them in person ...and he turns around and you can just see the sheer thrill on his face that someone actually recognized him and he didn't wake up this morning and squeeze himself into his tight white jeans for nothing.

Brett Micheals: "hey!"

Me: HEY BRETT MICHAELS!! (again only even more over excited)

ME and Brett Michaels stare at each other in the airport - not really knowing what to say. I don't really want to have the STAR/FAN moment with him because he looks like such a tool - so as he's walking away, I blurt out..."Remember when I fucked you in 95?"....and he turns around a again and I yell "just kidding"

Young CO-Workers: Staring blankly in confusion and disbelief.

One of YC's: Did you really fuck that guy?

Other than Allan, who is 30, not one of them knew who Poison was...but they knew "Every Rose Has it's Thorn" probably as a Karoke song. I'm so old.

Dan Nolan said...

oh my god that is funny. I'm having trouble breathing. can I post this as its own entry?

Anonymous said...

Oh - I'm so flattered. Are you going to say it happened to you or are you going to give me a byline as a VTK Contributor?

Dan Nolan said...

I didn't fuck Brett Michaels until 97, so it couldn't have been me. You get all the credit on this one.

Anonymous said...

I'm not convinced that it's a match made in heaven. Marr was only o.k. when he joined up with Matt Johnson and The The. Part of the problem was that The The hadn't been a live band before that (it was all Matt Johnson) so maybe joining up with an established band will be different...
--AK

Dan Nolan said...

true. intriguing nonetheless. probably enough to make me buy the album rather than waiting to hear on consensus on it. (i know. lame. old. and unemployed.)