Combining the influences of new wave, post-punk, and lo-fi, Washington's Modest Mouse spent the second half of the 1990s becoming one of the most renowned indie-rock bands in America. Though often tagged an emo group, Modest Mouse transcends sub-genre categorization. Their moody arrangements, inventive lyrics, and distinctly modern variation on the power-trio format set them apart even as the band's sound proved influential to subsequent hordes of emo bands and indie rockers. They're one of the few indie groups to have successfully weathered the jump to a major label with both their sound and audience intact.

Modest Mouse is an American indie rock band. The band was formed in 1993 in Issaquah, Washington by guitarist Isaac Brock, drummer Jeremiah Green and bassist Eric Judy. Brock came up with the name "Modest Mouse" when he read a Virginia Woolf novel in which the author described the working middle class as "modest, mouse-like people."

In 1994 the band recorded their self-titled debut EP at Calvin Johnson's Dub Narcotic Studios, which was then released on Calvin's record label K Records. After moving to Up Records Modest Mouse put out two releases, 1996's This Is A Long Drive For Someone With Nothing To Think About and The Lonesome Crowded West, which turned out to be the band's breakthrough album. In 2000 Up released a singles and rarities collection entitled Building Nothing Out of Something.

Also in 2000, Modest Mouse released The Moon And Antarctica, their first album on a major label (Epic Records). The band enjoyed some success on alternative radio with the singles "3rd Planet" and "Gravity Rides Everything." Lead singer Isaac Brock has since put out an album with his side project Ugly Casanova.

Since 2000, Modest Mouse has put out several releases, including the EP Everywhere & His Nasty Parlour Tricks and Sad Sappy Sucker, a collection of songs Modest Mouse recorded in 1994, originally intended to be their debut album, but shelved in favor of This Is A Long Drive For Someone With Nothing To Think About.

In 2003, drummer Jeremiah Green quit the band to pursue his side project, The Vells. He was replaced with two new members, drummer Benjamin Weikel (who also drummed for The Helio Sequence) and guitarist Dann Gallucci. On April 6, 2004, Modest Mouse released their most recent album, Good News For People Who Love Bad News, which scored two hits with "Float On" and "Ocean Breathes Salty". In 2004 Jeremiah Green returned to the band, and Benjamin Weikel now drums exclusively for The Helio Sequence.

External linksOfficial Modest Mouse Website (http://www.modestmouse.com)