Modest Mouse "Sad Sappy Sucker (Chokin' on a Mouthful of Lost Thoughts)"

Although parts of Sucker are experimental compared to the band's current polish, this isn't some rarity to be enjoyed only by collectors. Breezy melodies build into jagged choruses as singer Isaac Brock shows he can be both tender and playfully aggressive. Most of the songs clock in between two and three minutes, leaving room for numerous gems in the course of the 24-track album. While 12 of the songs come from a recording session with K Records' Calvin Johnson, a chunk of Sucker material comes from Brock's "Dial-a-Song" phase, during which callers heard new songs by dialing into his answering machine. These experiments range from lo-fi combos of distorted instruments and whiny vocals to complete songs, like the bluesy rock jam on "Secret Agent X-9." The Dial-a-Songs—and a message left by Murder City Devils front man Spencer Moody ("Call to Dial-a-Song")—are both comic relief and proof that Modest Mouse didn't gain their indie-rock cult status by accident. The talent's been there from the beginning.

Sad Sappy Sucker (Chokin' on a Mouthful of Lost Thoughts) is the name of a 2001 album release by alternative rock band Modest Mouse. Originally slated to be Modest Mouse's debut album, Sad Sappy Sucker was shelved for several years until it's eventual release in 2001, on the heels of the popularity of The Moon & Antarctica. Several songs were recorded at Olympia, Washington's Dub Narcotic Studios. The record was officially released by K Records on April 24, 2001, available in both Compact Disc and vinyl LP, and containing nine additional tracks added to the original track listing of 15 songs.