A Modest (Mouse) proposal: Sifting 21 of the band's best songs ahead of Ninth Street show

When a band owns a catalog as deep and wide as Modest Mouse — seven full-length albums dating back 27 years, almost all of which contain around an hour's worth of music — fans are bound to hold their favorite songs close.

And when that band is headed to your town, it provokes a lot of prayers and wishes and fingers crossing regarding their setlist.

Led by delightful misanthrope Isaac Brock, Modest Mouse will be in Columbia this weekend, the occasion sending the Tribune back through the band's discography. Here are our 21 favorite songs — three per record — with a linked playlist that no doubt matches and diverges from other Modest Mouse listeners in key ways.

'This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About' (1996)

"Dramamine": The first track on the first Modest Mouse full-length sounds like the score to a Pacific Northwest noir. Disaffected, growling even, yet spacious and shot through with slant light.

"Beach Side Property": Brock interrupts a downright jaunty opening riff with his spine-tingling howl, underlining Modest Mouse's particular alchemy — their songs manage to hold together, even approach accessibility, all while threatening to come off their hinges.

"Head South": "A surf rock band from the land of plenty / Surf rock bands with no surf, just pine trees," the band sings in opening measures that nod to the Pixies, then only gets progressively weirder.

'The Lonesome Crowded West' (1997)

"Heart Cooks Brain": In what must be one of Brock's best lyrics he first compares his brain to a burger, his heart to coal and then his "brain's the weak heart, and my heart's the long stairs."

"Lounge (Closing Time)": Modest Mouse owns a penchant for writing rock songs as mini-suites, and this one surely offers varied dynamics and vocal styles that pull on listeners. The build about halfway through is sheer, visceral brilliance.

"Trailer Trash": The sort of open yet tension-heavy feel here is classic Modest Mouse. And that guitar solo is woozy greatness.

'The Moon and Antarctica' (2000)

"3rd Party": Maybe the definitive Modest Mouse tune, guided by Brock's twinned wonder and misanthropy: "Well, the universe is shaped exactly like the earth / If you go straight long enough you'll end up where you were."

"Gravity Rides Everything": Bent opening notes, steady acoustic strumming, Brock's gliding vocal and a modal guitar countermelody are but a few elements that make this one of the most complete tracks in the band's early catalog.

"Perfect Disguise": A gorgeous Americana intro (hear those banjos just beneath the surface) and soaring, surrounding background vocals lend life and beauty to this 2 1/2-minute offering.

'Good News for People Who Love Bad News' (2004)

"Float On": No doubt some fans flinched at the very idea of Modest Mouse having a mainstream hit (topping the alternative charts and even making the Billboard Hot 100). But musically speaking, there's nothing to hate — and so very much to love — about "Float On."

"Ocean Breathes Salty": If "3rd Planet" doesn't house the quintessential Brock lyric, then it arrives here, in the ultimate kiss-off: "You wasted life / Why wouldn't you waste death?"

"Satin in a Coffin": Another Modest Mouse record, another warped country gem.

'We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank' (2007)

"Dashboard": If songs have sequels or siblings, this one's kin to "Float On."

"Florida": One of the great Modest Mouse choruses on record — with one of the band's best backing vocal arrangements.

"Spitting Venom": What starts as a strange, sick slice of the blues roars to new life over nearly 8 1/2 minutes, becoming multitudes: an anthem with a "knack for f---ed up history" and Brock doing his best Joe Strummer; a brief, twisted indie mariachi; and a shaman's song set to a march beat.

'Strangers to Ourselves' (2015)

"The Ground Walks, with Time in a Box": As funky as Modest Mouse gets, just a delicious groove.

"Coyotes": "Walking with ghosts in the national parks," Brock and Co. create a wonderfully lilting folk-rock number with thoughtful, breathy vocal punctuation.

"Wicked Campaign": A welcome openness makes listeners feel like they could build a house in the middle of this song, only to bear witness to Brock's baritone chorus.

'The Golden Casket' (2021)

"We're Lucky": Swirling horns add dimension and lend gravity to the second half of this relatively brief song.

"The Sun Hasn't Left": One of the few, true feel-good songs in the band's cache, with its plinky, percussive drive, ascendant chorus and lyrics lining out our connectedness.

"Leave a Light On": Burbling and crackling its way into a killer groove, "Leave a Light On" is pure feel, alternately roomy and busy at just the right times, in just the right measure.

Modest Mouse plays with Cat Power outside The Blue Note at 7 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $42.50. Visit https://thebluenote.com/ for more details.

Aarik Danielsen is the features and culture editor for the Tribune. Contact him at adanielsen@columbiatribune.com or by calling 573-815-1731. He's on Twitter @aarikdanielsen.

This article originally appeared on Columbia Daily Tribune: A Modest (Mouse) proposal: 21 of the band's best songs before Columbia show