Ice on the Sheets - Ugly Casanova (2002)
In the summer of 1998, a man named Edgar Graham approached Modest Mouse backstage at a show in Denver and introduced himself as Ugly Casanova, still bleeding from the window he’d broken through. The band was endeared to his mental fragility, and for the rest of the tour Graham would occasionally open their shows.
After the tour, Graham disappeared. Years later, if the story is to be believed, a tape was sent in an envelope to sub pop records wrapped in rodent pelts and confusing messages. Sub Pop saw promise in the music, and the songs were re-recorded by Isaac Brock, Brian Deck, and several other collaborators.
In the years since its release, the story behind Ugly Casanova has mostly faded, as the obvious real songwriter was revealed to be Brock himself.
It’s interesting to note here, though, that Ugly Casanova featured many unfiltered, single-track recordings of Brock’s voice, a rarity for Modest Mouse’s work at that point (Brock was/is reportedly embarrassed by his lisp).
Ice on the Sheets is illustrative of the sprawling, mumbling and vicious nature of most of the tracks on the only Ugly Casanova full-length, Sharpen Your Teeth.
