The Lonesome Crowded West
Encyclopedia
The Lonesome Crowded West is the second full-length album recorded by indie rock
band
Modest Mouse
.
The album was released on Up Records
on November 18, 1997, on both compact disc
and vinyl LP.
Many consider the album to be one of the best indie rock albums of the 90s: Pitchfork Media ranked it #29 in their list 100 Greatest Albums of the 1990s, and the song "Trailer Trash" number 63 in their list of the 200 Greatest Songs of the decade. Spin ranked it #59 in their list the 100 Greatest Albums, 1985–2005, and Entertainment Weekly included the album in their list The Indie Rock 25. The A.V. Club has described the album as the band's breakthrough recording.
The two towers that adorn the album's cover are The Westin Seattle
.
includes an extra track, "Baby Blue Sedan", and a slightly re-ordered track listing. Rather than having a gatefold cover to house both records, or putting both records in a single cover, the double-vinyl release was shipped in two different covers. "Baby Blue Sedan" was later included on Building Nothing Out of Something
, a 1999 compilation of non-album tracks originally released from 1996-1998.
Indie rock
Indie rock is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom and the United States in the 1980s. Indie rock is extremely diverse, with sub-genres that include lo-fi, post-rock, math rock, indie pop, dream pop, noise rock, space rock, sadcore, riot grrrl and emo, among others...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
Modest Mouse
Modest Mouse
Modest Mouse is an American indie rock band formed in 1993 in Issaquah, Washington, by singer/lyricist/guitarist Isaac Brock, drummer Jeremiah Green, and bassist Eric Judy. They are based in Portland, Oregon. Since their 1996 debut album, This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think...
.
The album was released on Up Records
Up Records
Up Records is a Seattle based independent record label founded in 1994 by Chris Takino and Rich Jensen.Some of the label's best known artists are 764-Hero, Built to Spill, Modest Mouse, Quasi and Tad.Chris Takino died of leukemia in 2000...
on November 18, 1997, on both compact disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
and vinyl LP.
Many consider the album to be one of the best indie rock albums of the 90s: Pitchfork Media ranked it #29 in their list 100 Greatest Albums of the 1990s, and the song "Trailer Trash" number 63 in their list of the 200 Greatest Songs of the decade. Spin ranked it #59 in their list the 100 Greatest Albums, 1985–2005, and Entertainment Weekly included the album in their list The Indie Rock 25. The A.V. Club has described the album as the band's breakthrough recording.
The two towers that adorn the album's cover are The Westin Seattle
The Westin Seattle
The Westin Seattle is a twin tower highrise hotel in Seattle, Washington. The 47-storey north tower, completed in 1982 is the tallest hotel tower in the city. The south tower, with 40 floors at was completed in 1969...
.
Track listing
Vinyl edition
The double-vinyl edition released on Up RecordsUp Records
Up Records is a Seattle based independent record label founded in 1994 by Chris Takino and Rich Jensen.Some of the label's best known artists are 764-Hero, Built to Spill, Modest Mouse, Quasi and Tad.Chris Takino died of leukemia in 2000...
includes an extra track, "Baby Blue Sedan", and a slightly re-ordered track listing. Rather than having a gatefold cover to house both records, or putting both records in a single cover, the double-vinyl release was shipped in two different covers. "Baby Blue Sedan" was later included on Building Nothing Out of Something
Building Nothing Out of Something
Building Nothing Out of Something is a compilation album released in early 2000 by indie rock band Modest Mouse, comprising non-album tracks from various points in the band's career...
, a 1999 compilation of non-album tracks originally released from 1996-1998.
Modest Mouse
- Isaac BrockIsaac Brock (musician)Isaac Brock is the lead singer, guitarist, banjoist, and songwriter for the American indie rock band Modest Mouse, as well as his side project band, Ugly Casanova...
– guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocals - Jeremiah GreenJeremiah GreenJeremiah Martin Green is a founding member and drummer of the indie rock band Modest Mouse from 1993 to March 2003, and again from July 2004....
– drumDrumThe drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments, which is technically classified as the membranophones. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a shell and struck, either directly with the player's hands, or with a...
s - Eric JudyEric JudyEric Scott Judy is the bass guitarist, background vocalist, and founding member of the indie rock band Modest Mouse. He has a wife and two children, and resides in Seattle, Washington....
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - Dann GallucciDann GallucciDann Gallucci is a musician, audio engineer, and song writer based in Los Angeles, CA. He is probably best known as a former member of indie rock band Modest Mouse....
– guitar on "Trailer Trash" and "Bankrupt on Selling"
Additional musicians
- DJ K.O. – turntable scratchingScratchingScratching is a DJ or turntablist technique used to produce distinctive sounds by moving a vinyl record back and forth on a turntable while optionally manipulating the crossfader on a DJ mixer. While scratching is most commonly associated with hip hop music, since the late 1980s, it has been used...
on "Heart Cooks Brain" - Nicole Johnson – vocals on "Lounge (Closing Time)" and "Long Distance Drunk"
- Scott Swayze – guitar on "Convenient Parking" and "Lounge (Closing Time)"
- Tyler Reilly – violinViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
on "Jesus Christ was an Only Child" - Chris Setton – vocals
Additional personnel
- Brian Weber – bartenderBartenderA bartender is a person who serves beverages behind a counter in a bar, pub, tavern, or similar establishment. A bartender, in short, "tends the bar". The term barkeeper may carry a connotation of being the bar's owner...
- Produced by Calvin Johnson with Isaac Brock and Scott Swayze
- Engineered by Scott Swayze
- Photography by Pat GrahamPat GrahamPat Graham is an American photographer specializing in indie-punk bands, with whom he often tours.Graham began shooting in high school in Milwaukee, WI, but soon relocated to Washington DC where he worked extensively in and around the local and national music scenes for over 10 years.His photos...
and Isaac Brock - Design by Pat Castaldo