Modest Mouse

Capable of punkish rawness, simmering atmosphere, and light-hearted pop, Modest Mouse shaped the sound of late-'90s indie rock and enjoyed mainstream success in the years that followed. On their early singles and albums, like 1997's The Lonesome Crowded West, they proved there was more to the Pacific Northwest underground than grunge. Coupled with Isaac Brock's wild-eyed yelp and sketches of small-town life, their mix of emo, folk, post-rock, and prog won critical acclaim. Their major-label debut, 2000's moody, sprawling The Moon and Antarctica, showed just how grandly ambitio...