'I wanted to change the marathon experience'

Elite Racing's Tim Murphy decided entertainment was the way to go, and a rockin' race was born

By Chris Nixon
Union-Tribune
May 31, 2007

With more than 20,000 runners, rollers and walkers converging on San Diego this weekend, the 10th annual Rock 'n' Roll Marathon continues to draw the conspicuously fit to America's Finest City in droves.

But for local musicians serving as the cheer squad along the 26.2 mile course, the race also serves as a showcase for 44 local bands and artists on 29 stages situated at every mile.

Ten years marks a milestone for the annual San Diego event, which has brought an economic impact of an estimated $400 million to the area over the past decade, according to race promoters.

“I wanted to change the marathon experience,” said Tim Murphy, founder and CEO of the sports marketing and management company that puts on the race, Elite Racing Inc. “The marathons I ran in the past lacked support and spectator participation, but with the addition of live music and entertainment, the experience is positive, inspirational and interactive.

DATEBOOK
2007 Rock 'N' Roll Marathon
Sunday, 6:30 a.m.; 26.2 miles through San Diego from Balboa Park to Marine Corps Recruit Depot; Free to watch; post-race show with Seal at SDSU's Cox Arena free to runners, all others $25; www.rnrmarathon.com or www.eliteracing.com

“Today, most running events have a budget for on-course entertainment. Ten years ago, that did not exist.”

This year's Rock 'n' Roll Marathon kicks off at 6:30 a.m. Sunday. The race follows a course beginning at Sixth Avenue and Robinson Street in Balboa Park, including a stretch on Highway 163 before winding around the edges of San Diego Bay and through beach communities.

The finish line sits at the Marine Corps Recruit Depot. If traveling in the area, be aware that many of the streets are closed along the course.

Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.

SEAL'S POP APPEAL
Through the ups and downs of the music business and high-profile marriages in the glare of the media, Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel has come a long way since first bursting on the scene with the 1991 Trevor Horn-produced single “Crazy.”

Charting both in the United Kingdom and the States, the song exposed the British singer's brand of pop and soul to the world. He followed with the string-soaked Baroque pop song “Kiss From a Rose,” featured on the “Batman Forever” soundtrack.

More than a decade and a half later, the 44-year-old may be known more for his marriage to German supermodel Heidi Klum than his soulful mix of electronica and pop. But with his set of pipes and popular appeal, Seal might still have another pop gem or two left in him.

THE SHOW
Post-race schedule at SDSU's COX Arena
Gates open at 6 p.m.
Shane Alexander plays at 6:30 p.m.
Awards ceremony at 7:20 p.m.
Seal performs at 8 p.m.

Previous headliners: Ozomatli, Pinback, LIVE, Chris Isaak, Sugar Ray, SmashMouth, Chicago, Hootie & The Blowfish, Huey Lewis & The News and Pat Benatar.

– CHRIS NIXON

Four on the road

With 44 bands covering the 26.2 mile marathon route (including two artists at Cox Arena after the race), this year's race offers many hours of live music to navigate. Here are a few favorites from this year's lineup:

The KneeHighs (6:45 a.m., Park Boulevard and Presidents Way): With San Diego-centric lyrics by Talls, Dalton and DaDa and funky beats laid down by DJ GarGar, this crew's 2005 release “Global Warming” sports homages to our city like “America's Finest.” With a new album, “Rise and Shine,” on the way, the KneeHighs (myspace.com/kneehighs) continues to make a name for itself in the hip-hop starved local music scene.

Mighty Mo Rodgers (7:40 a.m., Mission Bay Park Visitors Center): This Culver City-based soulful singer has earned his right to sing the blues, which he's been doing since the 1960s with the likes of T-Bone Walker, Albert Collins, Bobby “Blue” Bland and Jimmy Reed. Working with Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee (along with John Mayall, Arlo Guthrie, John Hammond, Michael Franks), Rodgers produced the 1973 release “Sonny and Terry” on A&M Records. The Mighty Mo Rodgers (mightymorodgers.com) is set to release a new set of tunes titled “Blues Is My Wailing Wall.”

Stone Senses (8 a.m. Perry's Cafe on Pacific Highway): Hailing from the sunny shores of Carlsbad, Stones Senses worships at the altar of reggae and ska with a Southern California jam band mentality. Eric Castaneda (vocals), Mike O'Gara (guitar-vocals), Funkdoobius (bass), Dirty Dan (drums), Garrett Grabowsky (guitar), Carl Mannino (percussion) and Mike Flanagan (alto sax-melodica) released “Harder Than the Rest” April 20, 2006.

The Pitch Michael Band (7:55 a.m. along Friars Road): Rising from the ashes of PitchLaRooche, this Escondido-based trio revolves around the talents of brothers Jonathan (vocals, guitar) and Levi (bass, vocals) Pitcher with help from Mike Lynch (percussion, guitar and vocals). Mixing ambient electronic and guitar rock, these kids from North County have chops.

– CHRIS NIXON

Morrissey: Ringleader of the Tormented

Morrissey's career has been an emotional ride – what did you expect from Mr. Emo?

By Chris Nixon
Union-Tribune
May 31, 2007

In the hierarchy of British musical royalty, Morrissey has earned the titles of the first prince of emo darkness and the original king of pain. Long before Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst delved into his dark side or Dashboard Confessional's Chris Carrabba wore his heart on his sleeve, Morrissey took music fans on a lyrical tour of his anxieties and emotional dysfunction through the colorful characters he painted in his songs.

As a member of the seminal Brit-rock band The Smiths, Morrissey took the UK by storm while gaining a foothold on college radio in the United States. Backed by Johnny Marr (key in shaping the 1990s alternative guitar riffs), Morrissey unleashed a potent mix: literate poetic lyrics delivered with the heart of an Irish balladeer and an emotional crooning vocal style. Marr balanced Morrissey's emotional delivery with crisp, clean guitar lines. Along with bassist Andy Rourke and drummer Mike Joyce, the quartet provided a template for alternative and indie rock.

During a short career of only five years, The Smiths released four studio albums (1984's “The Smiths,” 1985's “Meat Is Murder,” 1986's “The Queen Is Dead” and “Strangeways, Here We Come” in 1987) before calling it quits in 1987. Marr and Morrissey cited the overused “musical differences.” On the subject of The Smiths' breakup, Morrissey told CNN: “It was a fantastic journey. And then it ended. I didn't feel we should have ended. I wanted to continue. (Marr) wanted to end it. And that was that.”

DATEBOOK
Morrissey, with Kristeen Young
7 p.m. Sunday;
Embarcadero Marina Park South, Marina Park Way, downtown;
$45; (619) 220-TIXS

When the Pixies broke up, some folks were surprised by the critical and popular success of Kim Deal (in The Breeders) while Frank Black's solo career seemed to tread water in semi-obscurity. Like The Pixies, many pundits weren't certain of Morrissey's ability to write catchy tunes without the guitar lines of Marr after The Smiths split ways. But Morrissey's best songs as a solo artist rival The Smiths' finest work.

“I now feel more inclined to stand up and look the world in the face (since The Smiths' split),” Morrissey said during a Q&A on the fanzine truetoyou.net. “I find it shocking to look back at the period of The Smiths and to reflect upon the magnitude of doom that surrounded me every single day. When Johnny ended The Smiths, I was forced to go solo, and I found myself going further with all my experiences of life, and, although Johnny didn't intend it to, it helped me.”

Since 1987, Morrissey has released eight solo studio discs, including the solid 2006 release “Ringleader of the Tormentors.” Each album holds a few gems. But aside from 1994's “Vauxhall and I,” the artist has had trouble creating consistently great albums from front to back. The vocalist has never really solved America from a radio or pop chart perspective in his solo career. But his fans are truly fanatical, and his records continue to be well-received by critics.

The legend of The Smiths only grows with the passing of time. According to Morrissey, The Smiths were offered $5 million to reunite for the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. With Marr backing Isaac Brock on the new high-profile Modest Mouse album and Morrissey selling out venues on his tour in support of “Tormentors,” the former Smiths frontman is forced to quash reunion rumors on a regular basis.

Morrissey told gigwise.com in 2006: “I feel as if I've worked very hard since the demise of The Smiths and the others haven't, so why hand them attention that they haven't earned? We are not friends, we don't see each other. Why on Earth would we be on a stage together?”

In the year of the reunion (The Police, Genesis, Rage Against the Machine, Crowded House, Jesus and Mary Chain), it's refreshing to witness a band not let bygones by bygones in favor of lucrative tours. Besides, both Marr and Morrissey are doing just fine on their own, thank you.

Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.

MORRISSEY BY THE NUMBERS
Born: Steven Patrick Morrissey on May 22, 1959

Hometown: Manchester, England

Parents: Peter Morrissey (hospital porter) and Elizabeth Dwyer (librarian)

Influences: Oscar Wilde, James Dean, The New York Dolls, Marianne Faithful

CAREER WITH THE SMITHS
Studio albums: “The Smiths” (1984); “Meat Is Murder” (1985); “The Queen Is Dead” (1986); “Strangeways, Here We Come” (1987)

Compilations and live albums: Hatful of Hollow (1984); The World Won't Listen (1987); “Louder Than Bombs” (1987); “Rank” (1988)


A SELECTED SOLO DISCOGRAPHY
“VIVA HATE” (1988, Sire)

On the charts: #1 UK, #48 U.S.

The gist: A not-so-subtle reference to The Smiths' breakup, Morrissey wasted no time to release his first solo disc, an epic 20-song album helped by the guitar and compositions of Vini Reilly (The Durutti Column).

The singles: “Suedehead” and “Everyday Is Like Sunday.”

Favorites: “The Ordinary Boys” is beautiful in its simplicity, and the snappy “Suedehead” asks the question: “Johnny who?”

“YOUR ARSENAL” (1992, Sire)

On the charts: #4 UK, #21 U.S.

The gist: From the opening notes of “You're Gonna Need Someone on Your Side,” thick layers of distorted slide guitar riffage declare “Your Arsenal” as Morrissey's rock album.

The singles: “We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful,” “You're the One for Me, Fatty,” “Certain People I Know” “Glamorous Glue” and “Tomorrow.”

Favorites: “Seasick, Yet Still Docked” welcomes the listener in with its floaty atmospherics, and the down-home honky-tonk of “Certain People I Know” shows another side of Morrissey.

“VAUXHALL AND I” (1994, Sire)

On the charts: #1 UK, #18 U.S.

The gist: A return to the quieter Morrissey, the album's 11 tracks reflect the singer's mood after losing friends Mick Ronson, Tim Broad and Nigel Thomas. “Vauxhall and I” may be Morrissey's most cohesive and complete solo album.

The singles: “The More You Ignore Me, the Closer I Get,” “Now My Heart Is Full” and “Hold on to Your Friends.”

Favorites: Play the album front to back on a Sunday afternoon or save it for a rainy day.

“YOU ARE THE QUARRY” (2004, Sanctuary)

On the charts: #2 UK, #11 U.S.

The gist: After a seven-year hiatus from recording, Morrissey celebrates signing with a new label by releasing his most radio-friendly album to date.

The singles: “Irish Blood, English Heart,” “First of the Gang to Die,” “Let Me Kiss You” and “I Have Forgiven Jesus.”

Favorites: The master lyricist stretches his legs on “The World Is Full of Crashing Bores” and gets misty as only Morrissey can on “Let Me Kiss You.”

“RINGLEADER OF THE TORMENTORS” (2006, Sanctuary)

On the charts: #1 UK, #27 U.S.

The gist: Producer Tony Visconti (T. Rex and David Bowie) and new guitarist Jesse Tobias (Red Hot Chili Peppers, Alanis Morissette) surround Morrissey with lush compositions on his latest disc. Legendary composer Ennio Morricone adds strings on “Dear God Please Help Me.”

The singles: “You Have Killed Me,” “The Youngest Was the Most Loved,” “In the Future When All's Well” and “I Just Want to See the Boy Happy.”

Favorites: The lusciously orchestrated “I Will See You in Far Off Places” and the compact rocker “I Just Want to See the Boy Happy” (complete with trombone solo) highlight Morrissey's new album.

– CHRIS NIXON

Badu Badu

Erykah Badu remains one-woman soul storm

By Chris Nixon
Union-Tribune
May 24, 2007

After the heyday of Otis Redding's 1960s and James Brown's 1970s, the advent of synthesizers and the commercialization of R&B left the 1980s short of soul music with substance. Boyz II Men, Bell Biv DeVoe, Color Me Badd, Janet Jackson – even singers with real pipes like Whitney Houston were given bland, formulaic songs slathered with thin, shabby production. Salt-N-Pepa was cute and En Vogue had chops, but their songs were wrapped too tightly in pop packaging.

It was a grim time for soul. Funk and soul basically slept in a deep hibernation until the mid-1990s. That's when earnest young singers brought 1970s-centric soul back, filtered it through the beats and rhythms of rap and fed it back into the pop charts. One of those singers was a jazzy lass donning a head wrap named Erykah Badu.

From the opening, rumbling, stand-up bass notes of her 1997 debut “Baduizm,” soulstress Badu sings with the bittersweet melancholy of Billie Holiday, the sass of Ella Fitzgerald, the introspection of Nina Simone and the sexiness of Sade. Heavy company for sure, but Badu's respect for the old-school and funk and hip-hop flavor deserves heady comparisons.

DATEBOOK

Erykah Badu
8 p.m. tomorrow; Humphrey's Concerts by the Bay, 2241 Shelter Island Drive, San Diego; $75; (619) 523-1010

Dallas native Badu (born Erica Abi Wright) attended Grambling State University for a time before leaving to concentrate on her music career. “Baduizm” introduced the vocalist to the world, going triple-platinum worldwide. Badu pressed live instrumentation like piano and bass against hip-hop-inspired beats to create her signature sound: silky, serene and soulful. Lyrically, she exchanged dimestore lust (the R&B parlance of the time) for meaningful love and empty party-time slogans for spirituality. “Baduizm” remains a classic soul album, best heard front to back by candlelight.

Badu laid low for a few years before launching into the explosive “Mama's Gun.” In stark comparison to the hushed tones of her debut, her 2000 sophomore effort opened with the righteously funky “Penitentiary Philosophy.” Amid a tight funk/soul backdrop created by a crack band assembled by The Roots drummer Ahmir “?uestlove” Thompson, Badu proved to the world she could bust some seriously powerful vocals.

In 2003, Badu rediscovered her smooth side with “Worldwide Underground.” Combining the hard funk of “Mama's Gun” and the cool ambience of “Baduizm,” the disc features guest spots by Lenny Kravitz, Dead Prez, Angie Stone, Roy Hargrove, Queen Latifah, Zap Mama and Bahamadia. The album went gold and produced little in the way of pop chart success, but found Badu expanding on the jazzy nu-soul genre she help create (check out the expansive “I Want You,” clocking in at 10 minutes-plus).

The 36-year-old Badu stepped away from the spotlight the past few years, raising two children: son Seven in 1997 with ex-boyfriend André 3000 of OutKast and daughter Puma in 2004 (the father is hip-hop MC The D.O.C.). Badu's Humphrey's show tomorrow is her first appearance in San Diego since 2003.

The word on the Web says she's writing and recording material for a new studio album. On her MySpace blog back in November, Badu says: “I'm so ready to be (through) with this album, I could just scream. But I'll save it for the vocal booth.”

Badu and her flawless band have been performing the new song “Your Mind” for the past four or five months. The tune starts as a slow soul simmer before rolling into a full-on funk boil.

Despite her most recent retreat from the public eye, her importance to modern soul and R&B still rings true. Badu – and artists such as Maxwell, D'Angelo and Lauryn Hill – led the way for the soul renaissance of the late 1990s, opening the door for Angie Stone, Jill Scott, India.Arie and, more recently, Joss Stone. With a new set of tunes on the way, Badu's sphere of influence is sure to spread to the next generation of soul singers.

Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.

And a child (or two) shall lead them

Doheny Blues Festival looks to youth for 'inspiration'

By Chris Nixon
For the Union-Tribune
May 17, 2007

From the Delta to Chicago, from a beat-up old acoustic to a shiny Fender Strat, the blues historically has adapted and found a home at each stop in its long, storied past. But among the media din and pop culture obsessions of the 21st century, the blues faces a crisis: The number of young people listening to the blues dwindles while the masters of the art form (and the people listening to them) grow older.

“Honestly, the SoCal blues scene is pretty much nonexistent at this point, except for festivals or multi-act shows,” said North County blues musician Nathan James, who teams with Carlsbad resident Ben Hernandez to play the blues circuit. “A lot of the world's best players live here and can't find work in the clubs. There are not many young fans coming to blues shows these days. I guess the lure of the discos are too hard to resist.”

Whether it's Robert Randolph singing I need more love every day of my life and whaling on his pedal steel or The Reverend Al Green crooning I can't get next to you, the blues comes to listeners in many forms. Festival organizer Rich Sherman knows the key to the blues' future lies in expanding the boundaries of the genre while keeping true to its roots. As president of Omega Events, a festival production company based in Orange County, he's been booking the talents for the Doheny Blues Festival in Dana Point for the past decade.

DATEBOOK
10th annual Doheny Blues Festival, with The Reverend Al Green, John Fogerty, Robert Randolph & the Family Band, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Nathan James & Ben Hernandez, and many others
11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; Doheny State Park, 25300 Dana Point Harbor Drive, Dana Point; $45-$165; (949) 360-7800

“The last several years, we have looked forward,” said the 40-year-old Sherman on the Doheny State Beach blues festival, which spans Saturday and Sunday with 26 performances on three stages. “We have to try and find artists that are still musically appropriate for the show but also bring something new to the table and bring a younger crowd. Eventually, your crowd gets older, so you have to look elsewhere for inspiration.”

Case in point: Last year, Sherman brought in young guns like James Hunter and G. Love and Special Sauce. This year, Omega continues the trend with artists like Robert Randolph and Susan Tedeschi. While Doheny is still largely a traditional blues festival, the door is opening slightly for younger artists with a new take on American roots music.

“There's a mission in trying to do younger artists, and it's a challenge to put them in front of people in their 30s, 40s, 50s,” said Sherman, who brings headliners John Fogerty and Green to Doheny this year. “Robert Randolph is almost a perfect artist to bridge all of those demographics. It's always fun to shake the show up a little bit.

Part of Doheny's successful formula and Sherman's imperfect science lies in the intimate vibe of the Backporch, the small third stage tucked behind one of the main stages hosting acoustic blues acts like Nathan James and Ben Hernandez.

“People just dig it,” Sherman said. “Some people buy the ticket just for the Backporch. It gives you the opportunity to sit a few feet away from people, like Robert Lockwood a few years ago. And you just don't get opportunities like that. And people like Rory Block this year, these are world-class acoustic blues performers that if you wanted to, you could sit in the front row and call out a request.”

James added: “We've performed at Doheny several times. It is a very nice, laid-back vibe in the audience.”

By combining Randolph's emotional bluesy gospel rock sound with such traditionalists as James Cotton and Kim Wilson, Sherman is striving to ensure the longtime health of his festival and the blues.

“Our goal every year is just to improve the festival,” Sherman said. “We felt like last year was a tremendous year. We felt like last year was almost the perfect show. The response from fans was great. Ticket sales are up from last year, so it's going to be fun.”

Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.

DOHENY BLUES FESTIVAL
Home: Doheny State Park

Past performers: John Lee Hooker, Robert Cray Band, Fabulous Thunderbirds, Etta James & the Roots Band, Wilson Pickett, Keb' Mo', Bo Diddley, Little Feat, Johnny and Edgar Winter, Bobby “Blue” Bland, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown, B.B. King, Jonny Lang, Little Richard, Los Lobos, Chuck Berry, Ike Turner, Dr. John, Solomon Burke, Taj Mahal, John Mayall, Blues Traveler, Koko Taylor, Mavis Staples, Neville Brothers and Buddy Guy.

FESTIVAL LINEUP
SATURDAY
The Reverend Al Green
Susan Tedeschi
The Fabulous Thunderbirds
John Németh Band with special guests The Rockets, Junior Watson and the Texas Horns
Roy Rogers and the Delta Rhythm Kings
Roy Gaines and the West Coast Blues Band
The Oreo Divas
Tricia Freeman Band
Shawn Jones at the Breakfast Set

ON THE BACKPORCH
Rory Block
Jo' Buddy and Down Home King III
Rhythm Council
Nathan James and Ben Hernandez

SUNDAY
John Fogerty
Robert Randolph and the Family Band
The Blind Boys of Alabama
Rod Piazza & the Mighty Flyers with guest James Cotton
The Lowrider Band
Steve Copeland & Raging Sun
Missiles of October
Gino Matteo at the Breakfast Set

ON THE BACKPORCH
Cephas & Wiggins
Kim Wilson Band with James Cotton
Harry Manx and Kevin Breit

All artists are subject to change without notice.

Short, Sharp, Brock: Modest Mouse's leader talks about Marr and more

Modest Mouse expands the 'dialogue'

By Chris Nixon
San Diego Union-Tribune
May 10, 2007

So, how's it going Isaac Brock?

“It's going OK,” said the 31-year-old lead singer of Modest Mouse in his best deadpan voice, giving a little chuckle before settling into a mini-rant about his current state of affairs. “It's going as good as any day that you wake up next to an oil refinery in a parking lot next to some sort of basketball stadium can be and it's raining and cold and you're sleeping on a bus. Yeah, it's great.”

Brock has often been portrayed as moody and mercurial in the media, but he's in a pretty good mood on this particular day: “We're having some really good shows. I'm still adjusting to playing to people sitting down. We've played a lot of seated venues on this tour, which kind of isn't what we do: places that you would go to see 'My Fair Lady' or 'Wicked.' So, that's been an interesting challenge. You end up working extra hard to really try to change the energy of a seated room.”

The rigors of touring aside, life is actually quite good for Brock and his bandmates in Modest Mouse. Since the release of their 1996 debut disc, “This Is a Long Drive for Someone With Nothing to Think About,” Brock's band has gradually risen through the ranks of the indie rock world.

DATEBOOK
Modest Mouse, with Man Man, Love as Laughter
6:30 p.m. Monday; Cox Arena, San Diego State University, College Area; $33.75-$35.75; (619) 594-0429

“The Moon & Antarctica” – the major label debut on Epic Records – preserved Modest Mouse's indie cred while gaining critical acclaim, setting the stage for the band's successful fourth studio album, 2004's “Good News for People Who Love Bad News.”

Coming on the heels of the No. 1 singles, “Float On” and “Good News” (which sold 1.5 millions copies and garnered two Grammy nominations), the Portland-based group added two new members in preparation for the fifth album: percussionist Joe Plummer (formerly of San Diego's Black Heart Procession) and legendary Smiths' guitarist Johnny Marr.

“It's six people. We all work on every song together,” Brock said of Marr's addition to the group. “It's a dialogue. So no one is pushing it forward any more than any one else. It's an interaction. (Marr) wasn't getting brought on board to push us ahead in any way other than being an interesting addition to the band. He writes in a different style than I do, so he brought another perspective on writing songs for the band.”

The songwriting collaboration between the six people in Modest Mouse (Brock, Marr, Plummer, bassist Eric Judy, drummer Jeremiah Green and multi-instrumentalist Tom Peloso) is “We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank,” released on March 20 by Epic. Marr calls it “Guitarzilla,” referencing Modest Mouse's most guitar-heavy album. Brock describes it as a “nautical balalaika carnival romp.”

Following in the footsteps of “Good News for People Who Love Bad News,” Brock tapped producer Dennis Herring (Counting Crows, Camper Van Beethoven, Jars of Clay) to help polish MM's sound. Again, Herring and company hit the mark in melding Brock's lyrical fleets of fancy and guttural vocals with an accessible pop sheen, especially on the single “Dashboard” and the hummable “Fire It Up.” Marr adds bulk to the guitar lines, taking MM's musical quotient up a notch or two.

Brock further explained the relationship of Marr to his new band: “No matter how long you've been making records, you're still learning. Especially someone like Johnny, who was willing to do something as odd as sign up with this weird band from the Northwest he never met before. It's about learning more. We're all interested in learning from each other.”

Though most of the reviews are positive, some critics have been lukewarm to “We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank” compared to the gushing praise that followed releases of “The Lonesome Crowded West” and “The Moon & Antarctica.” Pitchfork.com gave “We Were Dead” a 7.8 out of 10. Rolling Stone gave it a 3.5 out of 5. British music mag NME gave it a 7 out of 10. But what do critics know?

“As far as worrying about whether people like what we do, at one point I decided that I really couldn't make good music if I was going to be concerned about that,” admitted Brock. “That whole thing would complicate everything too much for me. All I can do is make sure the people I write music with are happy with it and I'm happy with it.”

Chris Nixon is a San Diego music writer.

Hear sound clips from Modest Mouse's “We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank” by logging on to entertainment.signonsandiego.com/profiles/events/modestmouse.


MODEST MOUSE
Birthplace: Issaquah, Wash.

Current home: Portland, Ore.

Formed: 1993

Label: Epic

Lineup: Isaac Brock – vocals, guitar; Eric Judy – bass; Jeremiah Green – drums; Johnny Marr – guitar; Tom Peloso – multi-instrumentalist; Joe Plummer – percussion


SAN DIEGO ON HIS RADAR
Isaac Brock says he has been following San Diego indie rock bands closely for quite some time: “I'm totally a fan (of Black Heart Procession's music). I'm totally a fan of Pinback's music. I love the Hot Snakes. I love (Drive Like) Jehu. Jehu is one of my favorite all-time bands actually.”

Brock's respect for the San Diego music scene led to concrete connections with musicians with local ties. Joe Plummer – formerly of Black Heart Procession – is Modest Mouse's current percussionist. Black Heart singer-guitarist Pall Jenkins collaborated with Brock on his side project Ugly Casanova.

With a new Modest Mouse album out and the subsequent tour under way, Jenkins and Brock will probably be working together again soon.

“He and I are already talking about it,” said Brock about a possible future collaboration. “So, when things simmer down, we'll do something again. Only time will tell. To be honest, this is when you start thinking about other projects. I love touring, but the record's out. I don't have a new record to work on right now. I don't have a new project. So my mind is definitely wandering and I'm trying to think about other things I'd like to try to do.”

– CHRIS NIXON


A MODEST MOUSE PRIMER
“This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About” (Up Records, 1996):

The skinny: Brock and company are finding their voice on this, their first shot over the bow.

Favorite song: “Dramamine,” beautiful guitar lines intersect with Brock's growl.

“The Lonesome Crowded West” (Up Records, 1997):

The skinny: The indie crowd takes notice.

Favorite song: “Jesus Christ Was an Only Child,” fiddle-infused sea chantey with reflections on JC and “Teeth Like God's Shoeshine,” some of Brock's best lyrics.

“The Moon & Antarctica” (Epic Records, 2000):

The skinny: The major-label debut, setting the stage for commercial blockbusterdom.

Favorite song: “Gravity Rides Everything,” a quiet moment with Isaac complete with acoustic strumming and ambient keyboards.

“Good News for People Who Love Bad News” (Epic Records, 2004):

The skinny: The blockbuster, propelling MM into stardom and making the single “Float On” an ubiquitous presence on TV and radio in 2004.

Favorite song: “The Devil's Work Song,” Brock gets all Tom Waits with the help of the Dirty Dozen Brass Band.

“We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank” (Epic Records, 2007):

The skinny: New and improved Modest Mouse complete with guitar legend.

Favorite song: “We've Got Everything” ranks among MM's most infectious tunes (complete with Marrs' guitar lines and James Mercer's backing vocals) though “Fire It Up” is set to become the summer anthem of 2007.

– CHRIS NIXON

Bright Eyes sidebar for the U-T

Sometimes I get the call from the editors at the Union-Tribune to write a last-minute sidebar to a wire story: obscure facts, local perspective or a selected discography of a band. The wire story in this case was a story by the Orange County Register's Ben Wener on Bright Eyes. Here's the sidebar I wrote for today's U-T.

Bright Eyes on a Dark Page: a selected discography
For the Union-Tribune
May 3, 2007

Omaha, Neb., is a speck on the vast horizons and empty plains of the Midwest. Hot in the summer, cold in the winter. Always desperately isolating, like the big sky and prairie could smother you like a blanket.

Oberst and his friends on his label Saddle Creek (Cursive, The Faint) came out of nowhere in the late 1990s. Literally. Bright Eyes is the story of small-town work ethic winning out over big-town money and talent winning out over major label distribution.

Here are four studio albums from Bright Eyes and Conor Oberst that cover the arc of their career:

“Letting Off the Happiness” (Saddle Creek, 1998): Singer-songwriter Oberst enlists the typical tools of the trade: Three chords, an acoustic guitar and lyrics. But it's his words that set him apart. He's drawn this generation to the craft of songwriting much the way Dylan did in the 1960s or Woody Guthrie did in the 1940s and 1950s. With stark-and-sweet Dust Bowl lyrics swept across the page like wind across the prairie, Oberst bares his soul through his words. While some naysayed his style as self-involved and annoying in its quivering self-consciousness and warbling vocal style (and put the tag “emo” on it), “Letting Off the Happiness” gave teenagers all over a voice to connect with, and the connection would grow deeper with each subsequent record.

“Lifted or The Story Is in the Soil, Keep Your Ear to the Ground” (Saddle Creek, 2002): Lauded as his breakthrough album, Oberst's fourth studio release yielded “Lover I Don't Have to Love,” Bright Eyes' first underground hit. The record's 13 songs wrap more orchestration, complete choir vocals and strings around Oberst's introspective lyrics. Arty and everyman in the same breath, the song “Waste of Paint” is epic and heartbreaking in its simplicity, establishing him as one of the premier tunesmiths of our time.

“I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning” and “Digital Ash in a Digital Urn” (Saddle Creek, 2005): Releasing two albums on the same day might seem like a big middle finger to the record industry and the way albums are marketed. But Bright Eyes seemed to be going in two different directions at once in 2004. The acoustic songs were sorted to the mellow “I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning,” while the electronic experimentations ended up on “Digital Ash in a Digital Urn.” Lyrically, Oberst is still at the top of his game. But the musical spark of “Digital Ash” provides Bright Eyes with an escape from the tired format of three chords on an acoustic guitar.

“Cassadaga” (Saddle Creek, 2007): Cassadaga is a town in central Florida, a permanent community (officially titled Southern Cassadaga Spiritualist Camp Meeting Association) of mediums, mystics, masseurs and New Age types. It's also the latest release from Bright Eyes, a collection of 13 beautifully crafted songs in which Oberst explores spirituality with a keen eye for the emptiness of self-proclaimed prophets (The Bible is blind / The Torah is deaf / The Qur'an is mute / If you burned them all together / You'd get close to the truth).

M. Ward, Gillian Welch and Rachel Yamagata help Oberst create the down-home, folky feel of “Cassadaga.” And Oberst seems more comfortable with his voice and his place at the head of his generation's class of songwriters. He's recorded 10 albums with Bright Eyes, and this 27-year-old musician is only getting started on upgrading the lyrical content of modern music.

– CHRIS NIXON