Modest Mouse - The Golden Casket

The Golden Casket isn't as uninspired as its predecessor; it's more like ill-inspired.

Modest Mouse - Strangers To Ourselves

Indie rock vets Modest Mouse release their first album in 8 years.

Modest Mouse - "Lampshades on Fire"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztdoHfbTRsk Modest Mouse's new album, Strangers to Ourselves, its first in eight years, is well on the way. Recently they released this joint, a happy-go-lucky and uninhibited song that puts the indie rock group back in the music spotlight for the upcoming new year. "Lampshades on Fire" is powerful and hectic, but also thoroughly danceable. Front man Isaak Brock uses the occasion to be as wild and unhindered as he can be in the delivery of his lyrics. The intertwining of hand claps, up-tempo keys, a silky smooth bass line and clever drumming transform this track into a standard but respectable study in indie pop-rock. Curiously enough, this is a song that has been part of Modest Mouse's live set since 2011, but now serves as a glimpse into the next direction that they will be taking with Strangers to Ourselves. With this strong single, fans are sure to welcome the indie rock vets back with open arms.

Strangers to Ourselves is due out 3 March via Glacial Pace.

- Ron Grant

Fat History Month - "Bad History Month"

New music from Boston based alt-folk duo Fat History Month.

These guys have earned a pretty dedicated group of followers after their first release and with good reason, they make deliciously tense and compelling music. It pines back to, on this track specifically, to old The Lonesome Crowded West-style Modest Mouse. In that they use untuned guitars and lots of noise to create what are some of the most satisfying build ups I can think of. This song feels very dense because of it, and it's really hard to believe just two people are making such switch sweet, moody sounds.

Stream the New Mister Heavenly Album

A full stream of the album provided on YouTube via Sub Pop Recs. Mister Heavenly is somewhat of an indie rock supergroup, and I don't care how many times that word has been used thus far to describe this project.

Mr. Heavenly features Nick Diamonds of Islands and the Unicorns, Honus Honus of Man Man, and Joe Plummer of Modest Mouse and the Shins. They've all got backgrounds I assumed would clash pretty hard on this new album, Out of Love, but surprisingly, these three dudes blend their influences pretty nicely. Look for Out of Love on Sub Pop now.