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The Moon & Antarctica

by Modest Mouse

Released: June 13, 2000

Indie rock, art rock, neo-psychedelia, alternative rock, space rock, slacker rock, emo, indie pop

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Why This Album Matters

This album matters because its strongest editorial story is: Genre Shift.

The Album

"The Moon & Antarctica" stands as the third studio album by the American rock band Modest Mouse, hitting the shelves on June 13, 2000, courtesy of Epic Records. Furthermore, the album was praised for its expansion of the band's sonic landscape, attributed in part to their new major label budget and the production work of Brian Deck.

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Modest Mouse - The Moon & Antarctica

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Then

Reception

The album draws its title from a memorable scene in the 1982 film "Blade Runner," where the main character, Rick Deckard, reads a newspaper with the headline "Farming the Oceans, the Moon and Antarctica." While "The Moon & Antarctica" peaked at number 120 on the US Billboard 200, its impact transcended chart positions. Critics lauded the album for its thematic depth, marked change in sound from earlier releases, and frontman Isaac Brock's introspective lyrics.

Now

Legacy

In 2021, NME hailed "The Moon & Antarctica" as "one of the greatest records ever made," cementing its legacy as a seminal work in the realm of alternative rock.

Full background

The Complete Album Story

"The Moon & Antarctica" stands as the third studio album by the American rock band Modest Mouse, hitting the shelves on June 13, 2000, courtesy of Epic Records. The album draws its title from a memorable scene in the 1982 film "Blade Runner," where the main character, Rick Deckard, reads a newspaper with the headline "Farming the Oceans, the Moon and Antarctica."

While "The Moon & Antarctica" peaked at number 120 on the US Billboard 200, its impact transcended chart positions. Critics lauded the album for its thematic depth, marked change in sound from earlier releases, and frontman Isaac Brock's introspective lyrics. Furthermore, the album was praised for its expansion of the band's sonic landscape, attributed in part to their new major label budget and the production work of Brian Deck.

In 2021, NME hailed "The Moon & Antarctica" as "one of the greatest records ever made," cementing its legacy as a seminal work in the realm of alternative rock.