Modest Mouse working on EP, touring more

photo by Wendy Lynch

At an all-night diner, one might find a sign that says "XXX" (but they were talking about root beer, dontcha know) or the pancake option known as the "short stack"—instead of four hot, delicious flapjacks, you get a just-as-tasty, but cheaper, two.

The men of Modest Mouse, no strangers to the 3 a.m. eatery, will serve up their own short stack of songs later this year, according to a recent Rolling Stone interview with frontman Isaac Brock.

Brock disclosed a wealth of information, telling RS that the EP will contain cuts like "The Whale Song," "Satellite Skin" and a collaboration with the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, culled from recording sessions for the band's last two albums, 2004's Good News For People Who Love Bad News and last year's We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank.

Other arcana revealed in the interview: Brock's been fishing with James Mercer, getting in touch with his inner carpenter, plans to join Frank Black and the Catholics on a Lee Hazlewood tribute CD, and anticipates that he and former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr will start work on new Modest Mouse material sometime in March.

While there's no release date set for the EP just yet, Modest Mouse has a few headlining gigs coming up in Japan. In May and June, look for them and their multitude of drummers—along with tourmates R.E.M. and The National—at a 24-hour establishment near you.

Modest Mouse:

April
8 - Osaka, Japan @ Club Quattro
9 - Tokyo, Japan @ Duo Music Exchange
10 - Tokyo, Japan @ Duo Music Exchange

Modest Mouse w/R.E.M. and The National:

May
23 - Vancouver, B.C. @ Deer Lake Park
29 - Los Angeles, Calif. @ Hollywood Bowl
31 - Berkeley, Calif. @ The Greek

June
3 - Morrison, Colo. @ Red Rocks
6 - Chicago, Ill. @ United Center
8 - Toronto, Ontario @ Molsen Amphitheater
10 - Raleigh, N.C. @ Walnut Creek Amphitheater
11 - Columbia, Md. @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
13 - Mansfield, Mass. @ Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts
14 - Wantagh, N.Y. @ Jones Beach Theater
18 - Philadelphia, Pa. @ The Mann Center for the Performing Arts
19 - New York, N.Y. @ TBA
21 - Atlanta, Ga. @ Lakewood Amphitheater