The Mountain Goats

I actually like it quite a bit, but I have never heard any of the previous material. I was jarred a bit by what I actually heard, because my expectations were something very different after seeing the "4AD" on the cover. After I recovered, I decided I enjoy it quite a bit: John's voice takes a bit of getting used to, but I love the stories he's telling on this one, and the conflict. Even if the similes get a bit out of hand, some of them are still amazing. And I still contend that "No Children" is one of the best songs of the year. The whole album (Talahassee) is both disturbing and hilarious, all at the same time.

Sweden
Zopolite Machine
Full Force Galesburg

song search:

"Going To Georgia"
"sept 19 triple x love! love!"
"prana ferox"

(Me, I love the three singles/rarities collections to bits.)

**** MODERATOR: REMOVE BELOW WHEN PROMPTED:
(i hope i never have to hear that leonard cohen cover from the last extra glenns record ever again)
****

john i love you and your crazy ass stories.

two releases last year that did it for me are Ghana and All Hail West Texas.

John, I hear you are playing Macrock this year in Virginia? Is that true?

As far as S/D, search the new one & the one before it, All Hail West Texas, & also the cassette "Yam, the King of Crops." Destroy with extreme prejudice the song where I say I never liked Morrissey, maliciously mispronouncing his name, because I have since come to my senses and am a Mozz booster of the first order

S: pretty much everything, but especially Hot Garden Stomp, Beautiful Rat Sunset, Taking The Dative and All Hail West TX (haven't heard Tallahassee yet)

D: nothing comes to mind

I heart John.

If you don't like any of that, it's pretty safe to say that they ain't your bag, etc., as that represents a wide array of styles.

And "Going to Marrakesh" and "Someone Else's Parking Lot in Sebastapol" from The Extra Glenns' MARTIAL ARTS WEEKEND.

Still digesting TALLAHASSEE. That Scrawl CD just finished playing, so I think I'll throw it in now.

John, come play in Portland sometime.

Search: yes

yay! where? also do a reminder HYPE thread the week before if possible...

there's a whole lot of similes that connect romance to terrorism-kinda stuff but I don't recall any account of actual incidents that would explain why the relationship is LIKE terrorism. I'd kinda like to hear "you shot my cat, you bastard" next to "oh, you are like someone making a bomb" cuz it can kinda sound like zeitgeist exploitation. but the uptempo drummer on that one track was great idea! And I really usually listen to an album at least twice before talkin' about it, but it seems an opportune to bring it up (and it would look weird if everybody was ravin' wildly).

jesus, I gotta go die now. sorry. this wasn't easy for me, folks, so go easy on the flamebacks.

(i.e. don't be sorry for heaven's sake we're all friends here)

In re: "a lot of terrorism similes" I must defend myself howevah: that's just one song as far as I know. And now I should stop reading this thread as it is in poor form indeed to participate in a discussion of one's own writing/music/whatevah

(quickly answering questions before scramming: I really want to go back to Dublin but there just won't be time which makes me really sad because I love Dublin a whole lot, no plans for any pre-Zopilote Machine reissues, hoping to come to Portland sometime this year, and the L.A. show is opening for Tortoise which is funny for a whole lotta reasons)

I will give another listen and see if I have the same reaction.

Thanks for being a good sport. Whew!

1. Cubs in Five
2. Family Happiness
3. The Fall of the Star High School Running Back
4. Going to Port Washington
5. Going to Alaska
6. Going to Marrakesh
7. Golden Boy
8. No Children
9. Billy the Kid’s Dream of the Magic Slippers
10. Itzcuintli-Totzli Days
11. Neon Orange Glimmer Song
12. Anti-Music Song
13. Sept. 19 Triple X Love! Love!
14. No, I Can’t
15. Orange Ball of Hate
16. Are You Cleaning Off the Stone?
17. Standard Bitter Love Song #4
18. Standard Bitter Love Song #8
19. Love Cuts the Strings
20. Seed Song
21. Water Song
22. The Window Song
23. Jam Eater Blues
24. Two Thousand Seasons
25. The Best Ever Death Metal Band from Denton
26. The Sign

...and maybe yes. Though keep in mind my extremely non-canonical vision of Mr. Dylan. ;-)

the L.A. show is opening for Tortoise which is funny for a whole lotta reasons

Yes it is. The funniest of which will be me spraying the crowd with whipped cream and silly string before Tor-Twah take the stage to forcibly loosen them up and make them laugh. Then I'll do the same to the band.

http://www.bravenewwaves.ca/bnmedia/archive_i_mgoats.shtml

I have no further contribution to make to this thread.

Okay, I'm swearing off this thread before I "bring the negativity" to Darnielle LoveFest '03.

Live it's a lot of fun (even when kicked off stage & forced to play on the pavement outside the venue). Can't wait till the forthcoming UK gigs & SxSW show, 'cos it's been a long time.

Enough already.

Loved your cover of "I saw the Sign"

horace, mostly similar, but the newest album "tallahassee" has a much more polished full band and studio production, and there are surely songs on there that you could play on the radio. john peel gets away with it, anyway, but that may not seem any guarantee of radio-friendly production. (i wasn't sure i liked it as much as the other albums i have at first but it's really grown on me.)

i say YES to "cubs in five" and "best ever death metal band out of denton" and i note that "anti-music song" is on that best-of cdr and that i kind of like it myself and never thought it implied any real dislike of morrissey, whom i quite like, on john's part. i only have a few of the albums and i can't really pick a favourite out of them, they're all good.

That really would be the best thing that could ever happen to a Tortoise fan.

I HAVE A VISION. I thank the Holy Prophet Dan for showing the way and Nicole for the encouragement.

[Likely enough I will simply do the honorable thing and leave after the Goats take their bow, thus beating the traffic -- assuming whoever I'm with wants to leave as well.]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cvUN_sY0zM

Had no idea they were on their own label now! When I saw the new album announcement, I instinctively went over to Merge's Bandcamp page to pre-order it and nope!

Stoked for this one!

The new album is indeed quite great, and I recommend at least one listen to it on headphones.

I also recommend this:

https://www.gq.com/story/john-darnielle-lived-to-tell

Listening to the "Full Cassette Playback" right now

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9VPW4lJXIU

https://www.gq.com/story/john-darnielle-lived-to-tell?utm_source=of_note&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=of-note-020-john-darnielle-hallogallo-and-john

When he was a teenager, the Mountain Goats founder never expected to make it to 21. He has since become one of this century’s best songwriters. The lessons of his survival, life, and work feel endless.

By Grayson Haver Currin

Seconding Ned, this new one really is something special. I like it a lot.

The Mountain Goats frontman John Darnielle has a new book out, This Year: 365 Annotated Songs
This Year collects the band's most meaningful songs alongside annotations, references, meditations and illustrations
"It was enjoyable to try and sort of strike this balance I wanted between talking about my stuff, sharing a story here or there, but not doing something that was just talking about me," Darnielle tells PEOPLE.

Picking up my copy this weekend -- and per jon / via, glad to know I'm not alone!

Will def listen, but so far not a fan of Miranda's musical sense (those Hamilton raps, yeesh)

This is a tMG album, not an LMM one.

Yeah, but he's on there right? Not a prob, apparently.

He's really just backing vocals on a few songs and he doesn't do his usual cadence/delivery thing, so you might not even notice him if you aren't looking out for him.

Cool, thanks!

JD's year-end list---he always spots something interesting that I didn't know about---will check this Vernon Reid album, for inst:
https://www.brooklynvegan.com/the-mountain-goats-john-darnielle-lists-his-favorite-albums-of-2025/

Did yall see this last night?
"Cold at Night"---The Mountain Goats ft. Tommy Stinson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv53gRqjvxY

Oh man- that’s some Best Show lore coming full circle

Tommy must've had at least three GPSs going to reach the studio.

i'm going to guess, no facts at my fingertips - that this is the most standup touring act out there.

Did yall see this last night?
"Cold at Night"---The Mountain Goats ft. Tommy Stinson

📹

Stinson is playing bass in Mountain Goats orchestra standing in the back , on Colbert show the other night

That’s Matt Douglas, he’s been in the band for almost a decade, and he also produced the new one. I have met him and worked with him and I love him more than just about anyone

(xp)

Good thing you added that, otherwise I would have thought you were talking about Tommy Stinson.

Actually had no idea before yesterday that Tommy Stinson had any connection to this band.

The Mountain Goats released their theatrical concept album Through This Fire Across From Peter Balkan last year, and they followed it with the one-off single "Going To Fennario" in January. Today, they join Mary Chapin Carpenter for a couple of covers that band member Matt Douglas recorded at his studio. Carpenter sings lead on a version of "Put The Message In The Box," a college-rock classic that the late Karl Wallinger wrote for his band World Party in 1990. John Darnielle takes center stage for the other song, a version of Canadian folk-pop artist Christine Fellows' 1995 song "Migrations." Here's what Carpenter says about the collaboration:

Nice. "Put the Message in the Box" is a quasi-forgotten gem.

Yes! Love that song!

Christine Fellowes is one of the great unsung, always love a shout at her

Will check those out---was thinking yesterday of Karl Wallinger---did not know, 'til just now checking his wiki, that he worked on he Lion and the Cobra---also that there was a sixth World Party album unreleased at the time of his death, maybe completed or close--

Sinead’s on Goodbye Jumbo too.

These are great. I loved MCC's 90s records, back when it wasn't exactly cool for a teenage boy to do so. Don't know if I ever heard the World Party song, but like fgti (and JD), I'm a huge Christine Fellows fan. Full album please!

Playing Auckland tonight! Just saw a photo of J0hn with Chris Knox <3 <3 <3

Was a really, really lovely show; got to hang with a very former NZ ILXor who attended the Wellington and Sydney shows as well. They played "Dutch Orchestra Blues", which made me realise I somehow never got around to hearing the New Asian Cinema/Isopanisad Radio Hour/Devil in the Shortwave EPs - that's been fun.

Ned, how's This Year: 365 Annotated Songs? In my imagination it was a coffeetable book a la Sondheim's Finishing The Hat, but spotted someone at the show with a copy and it looked more like a regular book.

It is a regular book! A large one but very readable and enjoyable, unsurprisingly.

New album announced:

https://themountaingoats.bandcamp.com/album/days

...and an incredible detail, from Bluesky:

because I don't prepare my remarks & get excited I forgot to mention the most surprising surprise guest on the new record: Janis Siegal from Manhattan Transfer. as people who've been here a while know, "Manhattan Transfer Stan Account" used to be my bio. That was not in jest, and I am SO STOKED

Also, amazing titles here:

1. Song for Layne Staley
2. Charlie Sheen Reaches Out to the Feds
3. Shallow Grave
4. Candlebox
5. Annie Haslam Imperial Phase
6. Crying on Eddie Nash's Grave
7. Days
8. Best Hard Rock Albums 2013
9. Going to Fennario
10. Woodstock '99
11. Hidden Majesty of Later Venom Albums
12. Last Day

First single, “Charlie Sheen Reaches Out to the Feds” is about the time Charlie Sheen mistook a Japanese horror film for a genuine snuff film.

As mentioned on this Wiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guinea_Pig_(film_series)"> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guinea_Pig_(film_series)

Guessed as much from the title! Perfect fit for a Mountain Goats song.

"Best Hard Rock Albums 2013" aside, the song titles suggest a '90s fixation this time 'round.

New Sunn record also has song that name checks Venom, "Does Anyone Hear Like Venom?" seems like the time is ripe for someone to re-press the Venom "Live" 7"

xp - social media sez, "these songs are loosely about the 70s, 80s, and 90s, which is to say they're about the accumulation of days..."

Is "Best Hard Rock Albums 2013" an old ILM thread

honestly I was skimming the titles too quickly at first and thought it was "Crying on Kevin Nash's Grave" which, y'know, would also fit thematically and make an awesome Mountain Goats song.

lol was very confused by "Annie Haslam Imperial Phase," because Annie Haslam is a local notable here, daughter of former Gov. Bill Haslam. But then I realized Annie Haslam was also the lead singer of Renaissance and that makes more sense.

Amazing from Steve Lieber:

Had to draw fan art for the new single from @themountaingoats.bsky.social

https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:lmypktsvan46wejxmz5xwd6l/bafkreiboxbhyukjekn7rf35ytjbwoqtdnf2gbdle4hx677d7i2zz4xueiq

wonderful tracklist

Catching up with songs from the book, it is lovely to see people in the youtube comments sections refer to each other as a book club, as they discover songs, say what the songs mean to them, memories etc.

Looking forward to the new album of course, but did we talk enough about how good last year’s record was? I played it again this morning.

To cryptosicko: we did not, but yes, it rules.

Meantime, this rules too.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7PEJmPTIzqk

Yup!

the older i get, the more i'm convinced "You or Your Memory" -> "Broom People" -> "This Year" is the greatest 1-2-3 opener off any album.