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Song premiere: Modest Mouse, 'Lampshades on Fire' off forthcoming album Strangers to Ourselves

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by Leah Garaas

March 03, 2015

Modest Mouse, Lampshades on Fire
Modest Mouse "Lampshades on Fire" single art
Epic

On Monday, Dec. 15 The Current will host an online premiere of Modest Mouse's new single "Lampshades on Fire" off their forthcoming album Strangers to Ourselves, out March 3, 2015 via Epic Records.

Strangers to Ourselves is Modest Mouse's first release since 2009's B-side collection No One's First and You're Next EP and their first full-length album since 2007's We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank.

The new album follows a recent reissue campaign of Modest Mouse's first two full-length records, This Is a Long Drive for Someone with Nothing to Think About and The Lonesome Crowded West.

"Lampshades on Fire" will be available for purchase via iTunes. Strangers to Ourselves is available for pre-order via Modest Mouse's website. No tour dates in support of Strangers to Ourselves have been announced at this time.

Update (Jan. 22, 2015):

Modest Mouse fansite Interstate-8 premiered video of "Coyotes," the second single off Strangers to Ourselves, available for purchase via iTunes on Tuesday, Jan. 22. Watch here.

Pre-orders of Strangers to Ourselves via Modest Mouse's website before Jan. 20, 2015 will include a complimentary limited edition "Lampshades on Fire"/"Coyotes" 7".

Update (Feb. 2, 2015):

Modest Mouse have shared "The Best Room," the third single off their forthcoming album Strangers to Ourselves (listen below). The album is now set to release on Tuesday, March 17, coinciding with their Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon performance.

In a press release it is revealed that Isaac Brock, frontman of Modest Mouse, produced Strangers to Ourselves with additional production from Andrew Weiss, Tucker Martine, Clay Jones and Brian Deck. Last week drummer Jeremiah Green confirmed their 2011 collaboration with Big Boi and 2013 collaboration with Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic are not on the record. And if the tracklist is any indication, up to two unreleased songs that Modest Mouse have performed live over the past three years are not on the record either. Perhaps another compilation will be released in the future, as Modest Mouse are no strangers to B-side collections.

Along with founding members Isaac Brock and drummer Jeremiah Green, Strangers to Ourselves features longtime member Tom Peloso, returning collaborators James Mercer (the Shins, Broken Bells), Dann Gallucci (Cold War Kids) and Ben Massaralla (Red Red Meat), as well as Jim Fairchild (Grandaddy), Russell Higbee (formerly of Man Man), Lisa Molinaro (Talkdemonic) and Davey Brozowski (The Catheters).

Strangers to Ourselves Tracklist

1. "Strangers to Ourselves"
2. "Lampshades on Fire"
3. "Shit in Your Cut"
4. "Pistol (A. Cunanan, Miami, FL. 1996)"
5. "Ansel"
6. "The Ground Walks, with Time in a Box"
7. "Coyotes"
8. "Pups to Dust"
9. "Sugar Boat"
10. "Wicked Campaign"
11. "Be Brave"
12. "God Is an Indian and You're an Asshole"
13. "The Tortoise and the Tourist"
14. "The Best Room"
15. "Of Course We Know"

Update (Feb. 16, 2015):

Modest Mouse have debuted the fourth single off Strangers to Ourselves titled "The Ground Walks, With Time in a Box." It's the longest song they've shared so far, clocking in just over six minutes.

Update (March 3, 2015):

Modest Mouse have shared "Of Course We Know," the fifth single off Strangers to Ourselves. The track follows "The Best Room" (listen above) and closes the album. The band has also announced a handful of tour dates in addition to their summer festival appearances, which you can see below.

3/7 Tampa, FL – Gasparilla Music Festival
3/9 Athens, GA – Georgia Theatre
3/10 Chattanooga, TN – Track 29
3/12 Charleston, SC – North Charleston PAC
3/13 Raleigh, NC – The Ritz
3/18 New York, NY – Webster Hall
3/19 New York, NY – Webster Hall
4/17 Buffalo, NY – Asbury Hall at Babeville
4/19 Ithaca, NY – Barton Hall at Cornell University
4/20 Pittsburgh, PA – Stage AE
4/22 Memphis, TN – Minglewood Hall
4/24 Oklahoma City, OK – Diamond Ballroom
4/25 Frisco, TX – Edge Fest
5/23 Chelan, WA – Sasquatch Music Festival
6/19 Dover, DE – Firefly Festival
6/22 Minneapolis, MN – Rock the Garden
6/26 Odense, Denmark – Tinderbox Festival
7/1 Gdynia, Poland – Open'er Festival
7/5 Birmingham, England – The Institute
7/7 Manchester, England – The Ritz
7/8 Leeds, England – O2 Academy Leeds
7/9 Newcastle, England – 02 Academy Newcastle
7/12 Perth, Scotland – T in the Park
7/19 Louisville, KY – Forecastle Festival
7/22 Brooklyn, NY – Prospect Park Bandshell
7/23 Boston, MA – Blue Hills Bank Pavilion
7/25 Oro-Medonte, Ontario – HomeAway Music and Arts Festival

Update (March 10, 2015):

In an interview with HMV, Isaac Brock reveals that the follow-up to Strangers to Ourselves will "be released as quickly as it's legally allowed to be. It's a partner to this one." Further, "I'm pretty far along with the next one as it is," says Brock. "I went in to making this one with two records in mind."