Music
Grammy nomination is more good news for Modest Mouse

By Patrick MacDonald
Seattle Times music critic

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When the Grammy nominations list came out Tuesday morning, Northwest rock band Modest Mouse got two nods, best rock song for "Float On" and alternative album, for "Good News for People Who Love Bad News."

We caught up with Modest Mouse member Dann Gallucci (nominated as songwriter, with rest of the band, for "Float On") in Austin, where the band is recording an "Austin City Limits" episode due to air in January.

Modest Mouse headlines the Deck the Hall Ball Thursday at KeyArena.

Q. When did you hear about (the nomination)?

A. Just a couple of hours ago. We're backstage — we're taping "Austin City Limits" — so we were sittin' back there, and Eric (Judy) was talking to Ben (Weikel; both also bandmembers, and also nominated) on the phone and then he told me. That's it, really. Nothing too exciting. But it was exciting news.

Q. This caps an incredible year.

A. Yes, it does. It's been a bizarre year for us. Everything that happened, including stuff like that, including specifically that. It's been pretty ... like, really cool in some ways and also just really, like, bizarre. Stuff I never really thought would happen, y'know?

Q. Will you go to the ceremony?

A. We hope to be able to. I think it would be fun. But it's right around the time we're playing at least one show in Mexico City. So we're not sure. We might fly in the same day to L.A., go to that, and head straight back out on tour.

This couple of weeks that we're in the middle of right now has been pretty hectic in the sense that it's a lot of one-offs and a lot of just flying back and forth every day to different cities to do more random ... it's not like being on tour, there's a lot of travel. It's been kind of tiring. But then we have a month and a half off and I think we start touring for maybe four or five months, something like that.
 
Q. Will this make the Seattle show even more special?

A. Yeah, that show's just going to be really interesting, really, just in terms of playing kind of a big place, y'know. Yeah, for sure.

Q. What other cool things are coming up for the band?

A. Well, I think the coolest thing is that we're going to have a break around the holidays.