new modest mouse video- king rat

king rat comes to us from modest mouse’s latest release, no one’s first and you’re next, which consists of b-sides/unreleased tracks from the albums good news for people who love bad news and we were dead before the ship even sank.

the video for king rat was fully conceived and developed by none other than heath ledger. the members of modest mouse became friends with ledger through their tour manager and while touring his native australia. ledger outlined the video idea to the band members for the then unfinished song, in opposition of “the illegal commercial whale hunts taking place of [sic] the coast of australia each year.” he intended the video–which shows whales poaching humans to make pet food– “to raise awareness on modern whaling practices.” the video was unfinished at the time of heath’s tragic and untimely death, so it was finished by the los angeles art collective/production company, and ledger was later given director’s credit.

even though no one’s first and you’re next is only an eight track ep of previously unreleased songs, don’t let that discourage you. it’s a great compilation of songs that play just like a new album with the same great sounds of good news for people who love bad news and we were dead before the ship even sank.

no one’s first and you’re next was released on august 4th, if you don’t have it yet, get it.