The Mountain Goats

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I checked out about 8 or so of their songs back in early 2000. I liked them, but never really explored their music. I was just messing around on the internet and found out that since I looked at them they released about 400 songs. I think it's something like 2 cd's a year. litterally. Has anyone else heard these guys? if so, what do you think?

― Nate (Nate), Thursday, 16 January 2003 20:30 (10 years ago) Permalink

I'm actually surprised that there's not been very much talk about the Mountain Goats around these parts, and it looks like John is modest enough not to be blowing his own horn about the new album, which just came out on 4AD.

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.

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Thursday, 16 January 2003 20:37 (10 years ago) Permalink

One of "these guys" is probably reading your post right now.

― Lee G (Lee G), Thursday, 16 January 2003 20:38 (10 years ago) Permalink

album search:

Sweden
Zopolite Machine
Full Force Galesburg

song search:

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

― gygax!, Thursday, 16 January 2003 20:39 (10 years ago) Permalink

I think what we should do here is guess which favorite albums of everyone else's are the ones to make John D. cringe and go, "Ugh, no, that was me at my worst!"

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

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 16 January 2003 20:52 (10 years ago) Permalink

would it be inconsiderate to do a destroy?

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

― gygax!, Thursday, 16 January 2003 20:56 (10 years ago) Permalink

Ned, isn't that exactly the idea behind everyone at Mountain Goats harrassing John into singing about the monkey in the basement?

― nabisco (nabisco), Thursday, 16 January 2003 21:26 (10 years ago) Permalink

Not only is the cover of Memories a great song, it is also a cover of the greatest Leonard Cohen song ever. Doesn't quite do the orginal justice though.

― Jeff-PTTL (Jeff), Thursday, 16 January 2003 21:30 (10 years ago) Permalink

Also search: Zopolite Machine, Nine Black Poppies, All Hail West Texas.

― Jeff-PTTL (Jeff), Thursday, 16 January 2003 21:45 (10 years ago) Permalink

so the john darn13113 or whatever that i've seen posting here is the john darnielle of mountain goats??

― jack, Thursday, 16 January 2003 22:06 (10 years ago) Permalink

One and the same

― James Blount, Thursday, 16 January 2003 22:15 (10 years ago) Permalink

And without getting all mushy, I'll add that Tallahassee is great

― James Blount, Thursday, 16 January 2003 22:18 (10 years ago) Permalink

See Vanessa Carlton VS Michelle Branch VS Chantal Kreviazuk VS Norah Jones VS Alicia Keys ad infinitum for how fast we can put our feet in our mouthes.

― Mr Noodles (Mr Noodles), Thursday, 16 January 2003 22:26 (10 years ago) Permalink

I love the monkey in the basement song

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Thursday, 16 January 2003 22:33 (10 years ago) Permalink

i wasn't so keen on the first verse for a while, but that verse #2 of "the monkey song" is great!

― gygax!, Thursday, 16 January 2003 22:50 (10 years ago) Permalink

search: EVERYTHING!

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?

― Brock K. (Brock K.), Thursday, 16 January 2003 22:56 (10 years ago) Permalink

I try to avoid talking about my own stuff on ilX0r (unless I'm haranguing local ilX0r people to come to my shows so I can meet them) because it doesn't seem right to do so. While we're on the subject though ;-) I will be playing at MacRock and doing some more touring around that time. And there's an L.A. show (finally!) on February 28th.

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

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Thursday, 16 January 2003 23:25 (10 years ago) Permalink

thanks by the way for everybody saying such nice things!

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Thursday, 16 January 2003 23:26 (10 years ago) Permalink

To add to the nice things. I know that one mag. critic, gave Tallahassee his pick for #1 album of the year on the Pazz and Jop. Warm feelings of the world unite!

― Carey, Thursday, 16 January 2003 23:31 (10 years ago) Permalink

Hey John, will there ever be a repressing of Hot Garden Stomp? That remains one of my favorite Mountain Goats works, and I noticed it didn't appear on any of the 3BOS comps.

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

― mike a (mike a), Thursday, 16 January 2003 23:37 (10 years ago) Permalink

I have since come to my senses and am a Mozz booster of the first order

I heart John.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 17 January 2003 00:01 (10 years ago) Permalink

For those who need convincing and prefer file-sharing to going out and buying albums, download these (delib. limiting myself to 2/CD):
"Ontario" and "Going to Stalingrad" from FULL FORCE GALESBURG (probably still my favorite album)
"Cubs in Five" and "Stars Fall on Alabama" from NINE BLACK POPPIES
"Source Decay" and "Fall of the Star High School Running Back" from ALL HAIL WEST TEXAS
"The Alphonse Mambo" and "There Will Be No Divorce" from THE CORONER'S GAMBIT
"1 Corinthians 13: 8-10" and "Going to Scotland" from NOTHING FOR JUICE
"Going to Georgia" and "Alpha Incipiens" from ZOPILOTE MACHINE
"Prana Ferox" and "Going to Queens" from SWEDEN
(it seems like JD has a trend of putting the best song on the album as the next to last one)
"Song For Cleomenes" and "Resonant Bell World" from BEAUTIFUL RAT SUNSET
"Going To Port Washington" and "The Anglo-Saxons" from GHANA
"Going to Cleveland" and "Black Molly" from BITTER MELON FARM
"Love Cuts The Strings" and "Seed Song" from PROTEIN SOURCE OF THE FUTURE ... NOW!
"You're In Maya" and "Shower" from unreleased stuff that file-trading scum have gotten their hands on.

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.

― doug (doug), Friday, 17 January 2003 00:05 (10 years ago) Permalink

The only thing I can say that hasn't been said is "The Anglo-Saxons" is the funniest song I've evah heard. John, play Indiana sometime.

― Adam A. (Keiko), Friday, 17 January 2003 00:15 (10 years ago) Permalink

I was introduced to The Mountain Goats by a hipster kid in Tennessee who told me, "He's better than Bob Dylan!" Well, maybe not... but some really good stuff anyway. I saw him play at a small club in Knoxville and enjoyed the show, but I was really sold when I happened across "Color in Your Cheeks" on a college station and couldn't get it out of my head for days.

― Jesse Fox, Friday, 17 January 2003 00:16 (10 years ago) Permalink

Also, his periodical Last Plane to Jakarta (lastplanetojakarta.com) is a blast. It's one of the rare 'zines that's actually convinced me to buy CDs I've never heard of, just because his reviews are so impassioned.

― Jesse Fox, Friday, 17 January 2003 00:22 (10 years ago) Permalink

I Like "Cubs In Five","Orange Ball of Peace", the cover of "The Sign" and that 7" with Alstair Galbraith.

― brg30 (brg30), Friday, 17 January 2003 00:26 (10 years ago) Permalink

There must be a misprint, John, cause it doesn't say that you're coming back to Dublin, and YOU MUST COME BACK TO DUBLIN.

Search: yes

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Friday, 17 January 2003 01:02 (10 years ago) Permalink

there's an L.A. show (finally!) on February 28th

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

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Friday, 17 January 2003 01:11 (10 years ago) Permalink

John is nice guy and I only heard Talahasse once...but...ugh...ummm...

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.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Friday, 17 January 2003 01:18 (10 years ago) Permalink

Anybody flames you Anthony I got yer back :-)

(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)

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Friday, 17 January 2003 01:29 (10 years ago) Permalink

oh, and that's actually all I've heard. and that extra glenns leonard cohen cover. so don't take this as a "I've heard your work and I say nay! review." I'm damn ign'nt re: body of work but the zeitgeist thing was buggin' me.

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

Thanks for being a good sport. Whew!

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Friday, 17 January 2003 01:32 (10 years ago) Permalink

Like Lou Reed's New York done right but that doesn't mean I find time to listen that often. "Going to Georgia" is heartrending spectacular for sure though.

― Sterling Clover (s_clover), Friday, 17 January 2003 01:38 (10 years ago) Permalink

Nadgers. Road Trip it is, then.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Friday, 17 January 2003 01:38 (10 years ago) Permalink

The best-of-Mountain-Goats CD-R I made for a friend a few months ago goes:

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

― Douglas (Douglas), Friday, 17 January 2003 01:54 (10 years ago) Permalink

I really love All Hail West Texas!, The Coroner's Gambit and Zopilote Machine and like most of the others. I get really into them (him, whatever) and listen to nothing else for weeks, then not listen for quite a while.

― Colin Beckett (Colin Beckett), Friday, 17 January 2003 01:57 (10 years ago) Permalink

"He's better than Bob Dylan!" Well, maybe not...

...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.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 17 January 2003 02:14 (10 years ago) Permalink

You can hear an interview (including, I think, his cover of "The Sign") here:

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

― just this guy you know, Friday, 17 January 2003 02:37 (10 years ago) Permalink

I like the songs on All Hail West Texas a lot, but the sound quality is so shitty (I know, there's an aesthetic at work there) that I can't play any of it on the radio (there's an aesthetic there TOO), and that makes me mad.
How's the sound on the other stuff?

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Friday, 17 January 2003 03:23 (10 years ago) Permalink

Dude, Tortoise doesn't need Darnielle to laugh, that's the reason they had Kevin Drumm open for them on their last tour!

I have no further contribution to make to this thread.

― hstencil, Friday, 17 January 2003 04:07 (10 years ago) Permalink

Tortoise fans can laugh? They must have learned from all the derisive snickering I direct towards 'em.

― JS Williams (js williams), Friday, 17 January 2003 04:23 (10 years ago) Permalink

Naw they hired him so they could laugh. They could care less whether their fans do or not.

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

― hstencil, Friday, 17 January 2003 04:26 (10 years ago) Permalink

At the risk of embarrassing myself in front of the man himself, pretty much every release has great moments, & there's a lot of them. Guess I tend to lean towards the early (_Hot Garden Stomp_, _Hound Dog Chronicles_) & late (_Full Force..._, _Coroners..._) periods.

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.

― Wondering Boy Poet, Friday, 17 January 2003 13:50 (10 years ago) Permalink

Wow, Mountain Goats John here, never knew.

Loved your cover of "I saw the Sign"

― David Allen, Friday, 17 January 2003 14:37 (10 years ago) Permalink

Ned should spray the Tortoise fans with Faygo and scream "CLOWN LUV!!!!" over and over.

― Dan Perry (Dan Perry), Friday, 17 January 2003 14:46 (10 years ago) Permalink

i feel dumb trying to post to this thread when mr d himself is around, but here goes all the same...

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.

― , Friday, 17 January 2003 15:45 (10 years ago) Permalink

Ned should spray the Tortoise fans with Faygo and scream "CLOWN LUV!!!!" over and over.

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

― Nicole (Nicole), Friday, 17 January 2003 16:18 (10 years ago) Permalink

I only have one Moutain Goats song but I like it a lot. "The Last Day of Jimi Hendrix' Life" on a 'zine 7-inch. You keep waiting for some revelation but it turns out on that day all Jimi did was drink some water & hang around. I love that. I need to get some Mountain Goats, anyway.

― Mark (MarkR), Friday, 17 January 2003 16:28 (10 years ago) Permalink

Ned should spray the Tortoise fans with Faygo and scream "CLOWN LUV!!!!" over and over.

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.]

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 17 January 2003 16:41 (10 years ago) Permalink

Aww, I would be happy to ship you the Faygo -- I think it is a worthy project.

― Nicole (Nicole), Friday, 17 January 2003 23:23 (10 years ago) Permalink

raggy 2 dope

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Friday, 17 January 2003 23:35 (10 years ago) Permalink

unless you pronounce it "Ra-jay", Ned.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Friday, 17 January 2003 23:37 (10 years ago) Permalink

Nope. It's Irish not French, so you got it right.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 18 January 2003 04:13 (10 years ago) Permalink

saw them live in london at the ICA. I enjoyed it.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Saturday, 18 January 2003 16:05 (10 years ago) Permalink

i hadn't realized how well known he was until this new album came out and there's reviews everywhere (fairly good write up in todays london times,for example,which suggests that the mountain goats could be this years flaming lips,in terms of crossover appeal)(a lot of people probably wouldn't see that as a compliment,but i was surprised that their profile was that high)
initially i heard of them and thought oh,that guy from ilx with that last plane to jakarta site has a band now?
i'm curious now,i must look into getting some of the stuff recommended upthread...

― robin (robin), Saturday, 18 January 2003 16:25 (10 years ago) Permalink

Today's Times: The Mountain Goats: set to be this year's The Flaming Lips.

― Cozen (Cozen), Saturday, 18 January 2003 22:17 (10 years ago) Permalink

my new fave band, as of two days ago! are any of the live shows floating around on soulseek worth getting?

― toby (tsg20), Monday, 20 January 2003 08:51 (10 years ago) Permalink

i like the flashing lights song a lot

― liz p. (lizjoydiv), Monday, 20 January 2003 08:59 (10 years ago) Permalink

So are the Mountain Goats going to have to retire "Cubs In Five" now that the Tampa Bay Bucs have, indeed, made it all the way to January?

God, I hope not.

― mike a (mike a), Monday, 20 January 2003 14:56 (10 years ago) Permalink

CFBX 92.5 FM, 5 Watts
Kamloops, BC
Charts to January 31, 2003

3) Mountain Goats - Tallahassee (4AD)

― Poppy (poppy), Saturday, 1 February 2003 23:26 (10 years ago) Permalink

from norman records-

4AD are going exactly the same way as original, life affirmingly INDEPENDENT allies Mute by signing pretty hopeless bands. If The Mountain Goats are the new Pixies then that pig really DID just fly past the window. More up Clint's street are these and even he thinks they're a bit pants. The band's new CD, 'Tallahassee' is out this week. Supposedly their 12th album, previous efforts have been on little US indies, this 4AD debut is average alt-country tinged lo-fi strum rock. Some might find some nuggets of gold up in them thar mountains but all I found were some old Yak droppings. Gorgeous packaging like but the words 'polish' and 'turd' spring to mind (again)....

― keith (keithmcl), Sunday, 2 February 2003 00:20 (10 years ago) Permalink

John: Play Portland. Come play Portland. There are a bunch of us planning on driving down for the upcoming SF show but, really, it would be nice to see you without driving 9 hours... So, in summation, come play Portland.

Please.

Thank you.

Also, if you play Portland, please play "Golden Boy", as it would mean a lot to my roommate/bandmate, who sings it to her godson to get him to go to sleep, and is anyway one of your absolute best songs, even better than "Fresh Berries For You".

― Chris P (Chris P), Sunday, 2 February 2003 04:17 (10 years ago) Permalink

Oh, and for the people wondering where to start: I say just go with All Hail West Texas! You'll love the first song and want to put it on a mix tape right away. Also there's a song on it called "Riches and Wonders" which will heart fall into your toes. And when the song is over, and you are a puddle of curious and hauting emotions on the floor, John will look up from the Panasonic and say, "Oh, you liked that one? Wait, let me play you this other song I just whipped off..." and then "The Mess Inside" will start playing and you will hate him for writing such beautiful songs and rubbing them in your face.

There. I am done being such a fanboy. Oh, except to note my friend's observation about how awkward it is to scream out "ABSOLUTE LITHOPS EFFECT!" as a concert request.

― Chris P (Chris P), Sunday, 2 February 2003 04:23 (10 years ago) Permalink

MY favourite song of the ones i´ve heard yet is The Best Ever Death Metal Band from Denton and the cover of The sign have been on a lot of mixtapes.
I hope i don´t miss you when you play Sweden in like two weeks

― Jens (brighter), Sunday, 2 February 2003 19:12 (10 years ago) Permalink

don't worry keith - Phil only seems to like electronica and krautrock..

― electric sound of jim (electricsound), Sunday, 2 February 2003 22:36 (10 years ago) Permalink

actually I love the mountain goats records I have but the one song I heard fromt he new one sounded, worryingly, a bit like Live.

― keith (keithmcl), Monday, 3 February 2003 01:36 (10 years ago) Permalink

What?! Any idea which song it was?

― Chris P (Chris P), Monday, 3 February 2003 08:28 (10 years ago) Permalink

3 months pass...

sssshhhhh, I'm trying to whisper it so J0hn can't hear me...I got Tallahassee about a week ago (my first MG purchase), and I love it. I would ask for more reccommendations, but I'll just follow the advice upthread. I also started reading Last Plane To Jakarta after he linked to that great Comets On Fire piece about PAs in shopping malls. Class.

― Nordicskillz (Nordicskillz), Saturday, 10 May 2003 14:04 (10 years ago) Permalink

I'm trying to whisper it so J0hn can't hear me

IS THIS SOMETHING YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH THE WHOLE CLASS, MR. NORDIC?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 10 May 2003 14:24 (10 years ago) Permalink

I love jOhn, but is it official I'm the only Ilxor who's actively admitted they're not really a big Mountain Goats fan yet?

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Saturday, 10 May 2003 16:17 (10 years ago) Permalink

I really enjoy Last Plane to Jakarta, and I really enjoy Tallahassee. I need more mtn goats. More old stuff with tape hiss. Where can I gat some?

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Saturday, 10 May 2003 16:30 (10 years ago) Permalink

http://www.3bos.com is one place with the three comps of hissy compilation, cassette, etc tracks.

― jack cole (jackcole), Saturday, 10 May 2003 16:51 (10 years ago) Permalink

I love jOhn, but is it official I'm the only Ilxor who's actively admitted they're not really a big Mountain Goats fan yet?

i was a pretty big fan in high school with a couple tapes, an lp and a cd but i haven't had much of an urge to listen to any of it in at least four or five years and haven't heard anything since sweden or nothing for juice.

i still get a little thrill when i see j*hn's name come up on a thread though. feels like hollywood.

― brian badword (badwords), Saturday, 10 May 2003 22:20 (10 years ago) Permalink

psst--don't tell anyone, but I'm going to see TMG for the first time when he opens for Lifter motherfucking Puller June 6 in Minneapolis (am attending all three LP shows thankyouverymuch). I hope he doesn't bash me over his head w/his guitar for calling him a terrorist on MTV2.

― M Matos (M Matos), Saturday, 10 May 2003 22:24 (10 years ago) Permalink

I suppose if I want to see that show I should go get in line right now. Advance tickets are sold out already.

― Dan I., Saturday, 10 May 2003 22:58 (10 years ago) Permalink

And you know people are seriously going to come from all over the country and stuff. damn lifter puller and all their post-mortem press!

― Dan I., Saturday, 10 May 2003 22:59 (10 years ago) Permalink

3 months pass...

i wonder if we'll ever get to hear the "behind the music" story of rachel...

this is all i know: perfect harmony, great bassplaying, takes the lead on "going to queens".

also what reggae song is the snippet from the beginning of "sept 19 triple x love! love!" from?

― gygax! (gygax!), Friday, 15 August 2003 18:54 (9 years ago) Permalink

ha ha TS: TMG vs. TMBG!!!!

(ps J0hn somehow I hadn't heard this stuff for long time but am now the proud owner of All Hail West Texas which is friggin fabulous and really helped me not feel like a reanimated corpse yesterday morning)

― nickalicious (nickalicious), Friday, 15 August 2003 19:06 (9 years ago) Permalink

yes, I am an ass.

― Horace Mann (Horace Mann), Friday, 15 August 2003 19:12 (9 years ago) Permalink

umm, john, if you ever come to new orleans, i promise i'll get as many people as i can get to go, as it's not too hard to convert people into MG fandom. Also, if you'd like, i could get together a few friends to open for you as an MG cover band, perhaps "the hospital bombers." of course, we wouldnt just be acoustic. about 1/3 of the time i spend listening to your music is spent giddily re-arranging the song for a different genre. its very exciting. so get down here already. BTW when's the new album coming out?

― Felcher (Felcher), Friday, 15 August 2003 19:17 (9 years ago) Permalink

(i'm sorry for reviving this)

― gygax! (gygax!), Friday, 15 August 2003 19:22 (9 years ago) Permalink

ps J0hn somehow I hadn't heard this stuff for long time but am now the proud owner of All Hail West Texas which is friggin fabulous and really helped me not feel like a reanimated corpse yesterday morning

Hurrah for Nickalicious! A fine album, is it not? It and Tallahassee are nicely complementary without being specifically paired.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 15 August 2003 21:22 (9 years ago) Permalink

These are the only two I have and I love them; I used to have Nine Black Poppies years ago and remember not being into it, but I think my tastes may have changed. If I like the most recent two what should I buy next?

― anthony kyle monday (akmonday), Friday, 15 August 2003 22:17 (9 years ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

After last night's show, this can't be revived enough. TERROR SONG!

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 2 October 2003 23:56 (9 years ago) Permalink

I'll be at the SF show in but a few hours. There will be fire, and it will be honored. Oh yes.

― Nick Mirov (nick), Friday, 3 October 2003 00:25 (9 years ago) Permalink

Thanks to all L.A. ilx0rfia for representin' to the fullest! Seeing ilx0rs at shows RULES! And Ned's positive energy, to put in in a real hippie way, is completely infectious!

Hurrah!

― J0hn Darn1elle (J0hn Darn1elle), Friday, 3 October 2003 01:37 (9 years ago) Permalink

Aw, thanks! Hey, yer not so bad yerself on that front. :-)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 3 October 2003 02:05 (9 years ago) Permalink

to which i will also attest (for both of you)

― the surface noise (electricsound), Friday, 3 October 2003 02:07 (9 years ago) Permalink

I said something similar on ILE, but I'm a total convert to The Mountain Goats!

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Friday, 3 October 2003 02:52 (9 years ago) Permalink

Aw, I saw the Mountain Goats Monday night in Phoenix. It was a wonderful show. I thank my friend who is a M.G. fan of the first order, for harassing me into leaving the apartment. I love encores at shows, they make me feel all warm and fuzzy... all the lurve in the room.

― Blood and sparkles (bloodandsparkles), Friday, 3 October 2003 03:24 (9 years ago) Permalink

i just made this mix for a newbie. needless to say, i'm a huge fan:

01. Some Swedish Trees
02. Raja Vocative
03. Color In Your Cheeks
04. Going To Port Washington
05. Korean Bird Paintings
06. Alpha Incipiens
07. New Star Song
08. Baboon
09. Alpha Rat's Nest
10. Pure Heat
11. Going To Queens
12. Jenny
13. Cheshire County
14. It Froze Me
15. Raid on Entebbe
16. No Children
17. Neon Orange Glimmer Song
18. There Will Be No Divorce
19. Distant Stations
20. Nine Black Poppies
21. Alpha Omega
22. Going To Georgia
23. The Alphonse Mambo
24. Soft Targets
25. Commandante
26. Going To Chino

and John, for the love of god, give Iowa one more dose of the rock before you jump ship. don't make me go to Omaha, man!

― colin mcelligatt, Friday, 3 October 2003 04:33 (9 years ago) Permalink

Having just returned from the SF show, I will henceforth concur with Mr. Raggett: TERROR SONG!

― Nick Mirov (nick), Friday, 3 October 2003 06:44 (9 years ago) Permalink

OK, I have a question. What is the name of the song about the Easter Bunny (maybe I'm recalling it incorrectly?). Or some kind of bunny or rabbit, going somewhere for Easter. The cool DJ on KDHX St Louis used to play that song alll the damn time, back in 1993 or whenever, but I never managed to catch it on one of my high school-era radio-copied cassettes. My learned Mountain Goats fan friend could not answer this for me. Maybe I should have asked John himself after the show, but I'm not very good at talking to people, and it's kind of a dumb question.

― Blood and sparkles (bloodandsparkles), Friday, 3 October 2003 17:36 (9 years ago) Permalink

"it's going to be so nice when the easter bunny comes" is the refrain of "fresh berries for you" off of chile de arbol (it's on one of the ajax/3BOS comps).

― gygax! (gygax!), Friday, 3 October 2003 18:28 (9 years ago) Permalink

I hate doing this kind of thing because I'm a shallow arsehole and like to pretend I've got a thickskin, but I've just broken up with my girlfriend of the last two+ years for reasons I wont go into, and the two records that have got me through this emotionally (and spiritually - uergh) are The Violet Hour and Tallahasse, both of which I've only got downloaded copies of, and both of which I intend to buy real copies of very very fucking soon indeed. John, I'm in the middle of a whole heap of complicated emotional crapulence, and you've helped me cry about it and sort things out a touch in my own mind/heart/whatever (as have The Clientele if they're reading this by any chance). Thank you, thank you, and thank you again.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Friday, 3 October 2003 20:29 (9 years ago) Permalink

That's a complete arsehole post above, but it's true. It really is.

Alexander Kowalski's on now, so I'm gonna have a dance.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Friday, 3 October 2003 20:31 (9 years ago) Permalink

oh, why not--something I wrote this week: http://www.seattleweekly.com/features/0340/music-goats.php

― M Matos (M Matos), Friday, 3 October 2003 20:52 (9 years ago) Permalink

Nice, M Matos. I'm so glad more people are appreciating the Mountain Goats and I can't wait to see him/them again in a week or so.

― Charlie Rose (Charlie Rose), Friday, 3 October 2003 21:07 (9 years ago) Permalink

Thank you gygax. All these years of mystery are over!

(I almost cried when he played "it froze")

― Blood and sparkles (bloodandsparkles), Saturday, 4 October 2003 00:31 (9 years ago) Permalink

It crosses over from John the musical figure to John the ILX poster and good egg here, to be sure, but it is VERY comforting to see someone demonstrate that one can be a truly distinct performer and musician as well as being an extremely fine feller. If anything, it makes the relative rarity of that combination in general all the more clear.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 4 October 2003 00:40 (9 years ago) Permalink

i'll hide in the back when he plays denver. last time i saw him was in zoots in detroit with alastair galbraith.

― keith (keithmcl), Saturday, 4 October 2003 00:47 (9 years ago) Permalink

Alexander Kowalski's on now, so I'm gonna have a dance.

Yay, does this mean I'm not the only one on ILM that loves that album???

― Siegbran (eofor), Saturday, 4 October 2003 17:23 (9 years ago) Permalink

'Fall of the Star High School Running Back' and 'Raid on Entebbe' are really good. I'm getting that sinking feeling again.

― youn, Saturday, 4 October 2003 23:37 (9 years ago) Permalink

I was at that Zoot's show!!

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Saturday, 4 October 2003 23:54 (9 years ago) Permalink

So then, Cubs in Five?

― Tom E., Sunday, 5 October 2003 01:05 (9 years ago) Permalink

Indeed it does Siegbran - although it was your mention of it somewhere that inspired me to download it.

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Sunday, 5 October 2003 08:46 (9 years ago) Permalink

i miss zoots. i remember seeing this godawful band Comet there and they had enough gear to play the silverdome. ugh. i forget where the mountain goats show is here, he should play at lost lake too sort of a zoots in the making here in denver.

― keith (keithmcl), Sunday, 5 October 2003 22:20 (9 years ago) Permalink

You mean Comet from Denton, TX? They had one amazing album, at least!

― donut bitch (donut), Sunday, 5 October 2003 22:22 (9 years ago) Permalink

They did indeed! Produced by David Baker o' Mercury Rev no less, who for a second there looked like he would do a lot more than he did.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 5 October 2003 22:23 (9 years ago) Permalink

standing four feet away from 6 foot amplifiers in the room the size of my living room might have colored my opinion.

― keith (keithmcl), Sunday, 5 October 2003 22:30 (9 years ago) Permalink

..speaking of Denton, and songs thereof, i had to repost this pic that was taken last night at the seattle show... the two on the left were hardcore fans that came down from Vancouver. the other guy shall remain nameless.

― donut bitch (donut), Sunday, 5 October 2003 22:35 (9 years ago) Permalink

(ur, that is "two on the right")

― donut bitch (donut), Sunday, 5 October 2003 22:38 (9 years ago) Permalink

Dude, I didn't know Fred Durst was into the Mountain Goats!

― Nicolars (Nicole), Sunday, 5 October 2003 23:47 (9 years ago) Permalink

Hey, there was also a a.m.a. semi-regular from Denton, too, I think.

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Sunday, 5 October 2003 23:58 (9 years ago) Permalink

CONSPIRACY?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 6 October 2003 00:38 (9 years ago) Permalink

3 months pass...

wh3r3 15 j0hn?

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 7 January 2004 03:36 (9 years ago) Permalink

PLOTTING WORLD DOMINATION.

Also, wasn't he finally moving?

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 7 January 2004 03:42 (9 years ago) Permalink

Oh yeah.

But how I wish he were here to dance, sing, and make funny for all of us.

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 7 January 2004 03:46 (9 years ago) Permalink

Don't we all. *sniff* Don't we all.

Where's he moving to?

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Wednesday, 7 January 2004 03:46 (9 years ago) Permalink

North Carolina, I gathered.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 7 January 2004 03:48 (9 years ago) Permalink

A lot of people seem to be moving to North Carolina recently, have you noticed that?

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 7 January 2004 04:17 (9 years ago) Permalink

It must be where to avoid the apocalypse. Uh, yeah.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 7 January 2004 04:18 (9 years ago) Permalink

Oddly, I have noticed. My best friend from high school just moved there. I hear it's lovely.

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Wednesday, 7 January 2004 04:18 (9 years ago) Permalink

msp moved there too.

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Wednesday, 7 January 2004 04:19 (9 years ago) Permalink

I have learnt that someone my brother knows heads a "Bring J0hn M0untain G0ats to Indiana" club. I promised him I would use my ILM connections to help out. J0hn, if you're reading this come to Indiana!! it's the finest state in the union, and i don't know one hoosier who doesn't love the mountain goats!

― sonny d., Wednesday, 7 January 2004 07:27 (9 years ago) Permalink

john has already moved. he is refraining from posting to ilx for the time being.

― fiddo centington (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 7 January 2004 07:29 (9 years ago) Permalink

Nothing wrong with that. I hope he's doing very well. :-)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 7 January 2004 07:33 (9 years ago) Permalink

i don't think it's anything personal, just the usual gripes about time and productivity.

― fiddo centington (dubplatestyle), Wednesday, 7 January 2004 07:35 (9 years ago) Permalink

Check out this gem John wrote for me in Phoenix right before he moved to Durham. On Diamanda Galas:

http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/issues/2003-12-25/music3.html/1/index.html

― Chris O., Wednesday, 7 January 2004 08:37 (9 years ago) Permalink

WELCOME TO NORTH CAROLINA.

Hopefully this will translate to more GSO shows. One a week? Is that asking too much?

― Jeff-PTTL (Jeff), Wednesday, 7 January 2004 15:27 (9 years ago) Permalink

I have been lucky enough to hear some of them new songs now (I hope Mr. D minds not) and the combination of "The Young Thousands" and "Your Belgian Things" makes me an extremely happy man. :-)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 12 January 2004 05:09 (9 years ago) Permalink

North Carolina?

Raise Up, j0hn! Take your shirt off/twist it 'round yo hand/Spin it like a helicopter!

― @d@ml (nordicskilla), Monday, 12 January 2004 05:31 (9 years ago) Permalink

Heh, just noticed that the staff of Norway's leading record store chain has voted Tallahassee their number 1 album of 2003 (which is apparently when it was released here). Congrats j0hn! ;)

― OleM (OleM), Monday, 12 January 2004 16:38 (9 years ago) Permalink

2 months pass...

I hear more than a passing resemblance to Robert Johnson's "Traveling Riverside Blues" in "Some Swedish Trees"... and considering there's a true RJ cover that comes a little later on Sweden, I'm not sure how intentional it is!

― gygax! (gygax!), Thursday, 25 March 2004 16:51 (9 years ago) Permalink

4 months pass...

confession: i bought tallahassee a few months ago, gave it one listen, and then put it aside because it just wasnt doing it for me at the time.

well. its doing it now. This is one GREAT cd. i know you dont post anymore, but if you're reading, thanks j0hn.

― AaronK (AaronK), Monday, 16 August 2004 11:41 (8 years ago) Permalink

I have "We Shall Not Fall" (or whatever) and I think it's ace.

― dog latin (dog latin), Monday, 16 August 2004 11:45 (8 years ago) Permalink

Tallahasse was played at my house yesterday. Fucking extraordinary record. I miss J0hn.

― Jimmybommy JimmyK'KANG (Nick Southall), Monday, 16 August 2004 11:54 (8 years ago) Permalink

why don't j0hn--or, for that matter, mat0s--post anymore? is ilm the new friendster?

― akiva, Monday, 16 August 2004 14:37 (8 years ago) Permalink

J0hn was prompted to leave following an unfortunate problem with a semi-formal 'publishing' of a few threads via Cafepress -- MarkH, I recall, wanted to test the publishing service said firm provides, but did so without telling those who had posted on the threads until after the fact. There was no maliciousness intended but many people felt understandably upset; J0hn was one of them.

Mr. Mat0s did in fact post briefly on the Stranger/Seattle Weekly thread over the weekend.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Monday, 16 August 2004 14:53 (8 years ago) Permalink

it was mark grout, btw.

j0hn has set a board at LPTJ, and some ilxers are posting there. I'm sure he's lurking tho'. Ditto everybody who has 'left'.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Monday, 16 August 2004 15:03 (8 years ago) Permalink

2 months pass...

absolute classic beyond beliefs.

― cºzen (Cozen), Monday, 18 October 2004 18:29 (8 years ago) Permalink

3 months pass...

"blue jays and cardinals" is a good song. thanks, J0hn.

― youn, Friday, 11 February 2005 11:02 (8 years ago) Permalink

Indeed. Spiffy show. :-)

i wonder if we'll ever get to hear the "behind the music" story of rachel...

ITEM! Rachel was at the show last night and sang backup on "Going to Georgia!"

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 11 February 2005 13:49 (8 years ago) Permalink

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1995 all over again, visions of young people in the pomona arts colony, a blissful state, fair youth. Sweden is the greatest record.

― gygax! (gygax!), Friday, 11 February 2005 18:40 (8 years ago) Permalink

god, 10 years ago...

― gygax! (gygax!), Friday, 11 February 2005 18:41 (8 years ago) Permalink

A while indeed.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 12 February 2005 06:21 (8 years ago) Permalink

2 months pass...

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/guides/guide-display/-/1LHDZ571GEJUR/ref=amb_right-4_206509_1/103-8285579-1078238

― Samuel Glickstein (nordicskilla), Monday, 18 April 2005 22:23 (8 years ago) Permalink

Got my Goato tix. Woohoo!

― Sean Carruthers (SeanC), Tuesday, 19 April 2005 01:23 (8 years ago) Permalink

YOU GOATY MAN

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 19 April 2005 01:33 (8 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

mediocre. also john darnielle is annoying.

― _Bad_Command_or_File_Name_ (bcofn1), Monday, 24 April 2006 21:50 (7 years ago) Permalink

the mountain goats are wonderful...but i don't understand the tortoise jibes(or am i missing something)?tnt is great.

― dggdhfgd, Monday, 24 April 2006 21:59 (7 years ago) Permalink

2 months pass...

the new song, "woke up new" that they posted on pitchfork is really great.

it's almost hard to listen to for me, i wonder what would happen to me if i got divorced or my wife died. i wouldn't know what to do.

― M@tt He1geson, Rendolent Ding-Dong (Matt Helgeson), Monday, 26 June 2006 22:56 (6 years ago) Permalink

2 months pass...

Could anyone possibly ysi or gmail the track "Ezekiel" from Coroner's Gambit to me? Desperate, and couldnt find YSI thread, if it exists.

― RoxyMuzak© (roxymuzak), Friday, 22 September 2006 05:14 (6 years ago) Permalink

lolz

it is called "elijah"

― RoxyMuzak© (roxymuzak), Friday, 22 September 2006 05:48 (6 years ago) Permalink

confession: i bought tallahassee a few months ago, gave it one listen, and then put it aside because it just wasnt doing it for me at the time.
well. its doing it now. This is one GREAT cd. i know you dont post anymore, but if you're reading, thanks j0hn.

Yeah, same here. I went back to it because any record with No Children on it can't be all bad, but I can't believe I didn't pay more attention the first time - the run from Game Shows Touch Our Lives (! ! Jesus, what a song! Fuck! Christ!) down to See America Right is fantastic, and Oceanographer's Choice is an amazing closer to the album.

― Andrew Farrell (afarrell), Friday, 22 September 2006 07:50 (6 years ago) Permalink

1 year passes...

Classic new old song: Counting Song for Bitter Children.

YSI & explanation in the tMG forum (scroll down, 4th last message on this page: http://www.mountain-goats.com/forums/read.php?2,10338,page=4 )

― StanM, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 09:39 (5 years ago) Permalink

I've been in a really big Mountain Goats phase lately. this week I resolved to stop smoking, drinking caffeine, and buying Mountain Goats albums. guess which one I relapsed on first?

but on the plus side, I've converted several people in the past week, including my mom, who "Could see how (she) would've been a huge fan of these guys when (she) was (my) age".

― bernard snowy, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 17:18 (5 years ago) Permalink

I find it nearly impossible to read Mt. Johnny's Marooned piece without imagining King Goat himself singing it; like something off of We Shall All be Healed, say.

― JN$OT, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 17:43 (5 years ago) Permalink

They're like Bright Eyes, right?

― wanko ergo sum, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 18:14 (5 years ago) Permalink

In a perverse alternate universe, perhaps.

― roxymuzak, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 18:16 (5 years ago) Permalink

WHOAAAAAA my living room is a perverse alternate universe

― wanko ergo sum, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 18:19 (5 years ago) Permalink

I thought it might be.

― roxymuzak, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 18:20 (5 years ago) Permalink

What a crap name, though. "Mounting Goats" would have been slightly better in a sub-Throwing Muses sort of way.

Honestly can't be bothered to check out a band with such a lame aesthetic as regards naming themselves. I suspect they only chose "Mountain Goats" because they didn't think of "Toilet Seats" or "Supermarket Trolleys" until it was far too late.

Only possible up-side is that in France they may be known as "Les Chamoises" which is waaaaaay better. If such monickered records exist, I suggest they begin importing them into the anglophone world asap.

― PhilK, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 20:23 (5 years ago) Permalink

ok waht

― HI DERE, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 20:27 (5 years ago) Permalink

PhilK is a fake.

― Steve Shasta, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 20:31 (5 years ago) Permalink

He's brothers with JeffK

― Mackro Mackro, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 20:34 (5 years ago) Permalink

J'adore Les Chamoises

― PhilK, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 20:39 (5 years ago) Permalink

"Mounting Goats", tho...?

― HI DERE, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 20:42 (5 years ago) Permalink

Reserved for tribute band.

obv.

― PhilK, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 20:43 (5 years ago) Permalink

"Mounting Goats" is a retarded name.

― roxymuzak, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 20:45 (5 years ago) Permalink

they were originally named The Goats but then they had to change it. They were located in Denver at the time so the Mountain thing is a reference to the time zone, sort of a joke on The London Suede.

― da croupier, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 20:48 (5 years ago) Permalink

I wonder if J0hn would be up for a beer this weekend, looks like he'll be around these parts.

― mh, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 20:48 (5 years ago) Permalink

That yell of "It's 2:20, smoke up!" at the end of the first album is a cryptic ref to the roots of the name change.

― da croupier, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 20:50 (5 years ago) Permalink

The tribute band should be The Musk Oxen.

― HI DERE, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 20:51 (5 years ago) Permalink

The Denver Boots!!!!!!

There you go, that should have been it.

― PhilK, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 20:51 (5 years ago) Permalink

The clamped-down sound of the The Denver Boots. Stopping traffic in a town neat you.......

― PhilK, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 20:52 (5 years ago) Permalink

near

― PhilK, Tuesday, 30 October 2007 20:52 (5 years ago) Permalink

Mountain Goats playing in Milwaukee tonight. Why not Madison? We like you here.

― Guayaquil (eephus!), Wednesday, 31 October 2007 00:49 (5 years ago) Permalink

I do wish he would return to Knoxville.

― roxymuzak, Wednesday, 31 October 2007 01:10 (5 years ago) Permalink

never once have mountain goats played here in oak bluffs. what's up with that?

― scott seward, Wednesday, 31 October 2007 01:48 (5 years ago) Permalink

people would turn out for a madison show. in the past two weeks we've hosted

-mono
-high on fire
-dianogah
-drive-by truckers
-architecture in helsinki
-melt banana
-devin the dude
and
-del tha funkee homosapien

why no badger show for you, j0hn D?

― kamerad, Wednesday, 31 October 2007 02:04 (5 years ago) Permalink

i like the mountain goats.

― dylannn, Wednesday, 31 October 2007 02:29 (5 years ago) Permalink

He played here two nights in a row once. It was great.

― roxymuzak, Wednesday, 31 October 2007 03:31 (5 years ago) Permalink

If you got the loot and a place with a dressing room, I'm sure he will rock you eventually. But the dressing room is key. Why he wasn't in Philly for like three years.

― da croupier, Wednesday, 31 October 2007 03:35 (5 years ago) Permalink

But...he played at the Tomato Head here (pizza restaurant)!

― roxymuzak, Wednesday, 31 October 2007 03:36 (5 years ago) Permalink

I guess that is just because Knoxville is awesome, though.

― roxymuzak, Wednesday, 31 October 2007 03:37 (5 years ago) Permalink

dear j0hn d, the high noon saloon has a dressing room and sells pizza. greater metro madison has the #1 rated brewery in america, too
http://www.capital-brewery.com/

― kamerad, Wednesday, 31 October 2007 03:40 (5 years ago) Permalink

CD-R I made for my young son a couple years ago:

1. Going To Georgia
2. The Mess Inside
3. Palmcorder Yajna
4. See America Right
5. Grendel's Mother
6. Going To Scotland
7. Sinaloon Milk Snake Song
8. No Children
9. Linda Blair Was Born Innocent
10. Love Love Love
11. Your Belgian Things
12. Pale Green Things
13. Peacocks
14. Orange Ball Of Love
15. Orange Ball Of Hate
16. Alpha In Tauris
17. Song For Tura Satana
18. Heights
19. Color in Your Cheeks
20. Source Decay
21. Moon And Sand
22. Mole
23. Tallahassee
24. Million
25. Dilaudid
26. Cotton

He loves this mix, plays it a lot, ad even played some of it to his guitar teacher who had never heard of the MGs, so we be spreading the word, etc.

Seriously, though, bless Darnielle for both his music and his passionate musings on music.

― Lostandfound, Wednesday, 31 October 2007 06:32 (5 years ago) Permalink

"Hold on. Did this actually happen? Did someone just mention one of their favourite band's songs that they liked but couldn't find, and the artist actually remembered ALL the lyrics and chords and recorded a new version for everyone to hear? "

Something like that. Song from 94.

― MRZBW, Wednesday, 31 October 2007 11:46 (5 years ago) Permalink

If you are a person who got to that YSI in time, would you mind re-YSIing it?

― Madchen, Wednesday, 31 October 2007 12:17 (5 years ago) Permalink

yep, here it is - m4a though, that was the format it was in originally:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/8ltgvy

― StanM, Wednesday, 31 October 2007 12:25 (5 years ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

Bad news for Mr. D. : the album leaked :-(

― StanM, Saturday, 29 December 2007 20:58 (5 years ago) Permalink

That is bad. Is that the fault of the label?

― Daniel, Esq., Saturday, 29 December 2007 21:00 (5 years ago) Permalink

I don't know how it happened

― StanM, Saturday, 29 December 2007 21:03 (5 years ago) Permalink

Great, great album - a little more produced than I expected, but typically great songwriting (probably even better than Get Lonely)

― StanM, Saturday, 29 December 2007 21:09 (5 years ago) Permalink

haha way to help j0hn out by keeping the leak a secret.

― Lingbert, Saturday, 29 December 2007 21:25 (5 years ago) Permalink

i am already selling chopped and screwed versions on the corner along with I Am Legend DVDs.

― scott seward, Saturday, 29 December 2007 21:26 (5 years ago) Permalink

people are talking on the official site's forum too, but ok

xpost

― StanM, Saturday, 29 December 2007 21:29 (5 years ago) Permalink

stan why do you want to bankrupt j0hn

― Lingbert, Saturday, 29 December 2007 21:38 (5 years ago) Permalink

Looking forward to (legally!) downloading Heretic Pride. I loved The Sunset Tree, especially Lion's Teeth. Such a powerful, sad song (e.g., "There's no good way to end this/Anyone can see/There's this great big you/And little old me."). eMusic just got a truckload of older MG discs, so I nabbed All Hail West Texas, which is v. good, too.

― Daniel, Esq., Saturday, 29 December 2007 21:46 (5 years ago) Permalink

(I totally missed Get Lonely, tho.)

― Daniel, Esq., Saturday, 29 December 2007 21:47 (5 years ago) Permalink

I don't know! Maybe I'm just evil :-(

xxpost

― StanM, Saturday, 29 December 2007 21:52 (5 years ago) Permalink

Agreed with Daniel about The Sunset Tree--one of my favorite albums of 2005! Get Lonely seemed a bit too stark (depressive?) for me at the time, though--so much so that I couldn't actually listen to it all that much. Can't wait to buy a copy of the new one! Go Johnny Go!!

― Ioannis, Saturday, 29 December 2007 21:58 (5 years ago) Permalink

It sounds really awesome, nice to hear some prominent drumming in the mix.

I will totally pimp this on my radio show.

― Simon H., Saturday, 29 December 2007 21:59 (5 years ago) Permalink

as I said upthread, four or five years ago:

I try to avoid talking about my own stuff on ilX0r

but regarding the leak 'n' all: I don't think talking about a leak really does me or anybody any harm. Leaks are part of the life of a release now; they're expected and anticipated. (A lot of people like to tell each other that "the labels" [always plural, very mysterious conglomerate known as The Labels] leak whole albums on purpose for buzz, but none of the indie labels I know do that; could be true in other genres/strata, I don't know.)

― J0hn D., Sunday, 30 December 2007 00:14 (5 years ago) Permalink

however yes people who download & enjoy it but don't then follow through with a purchase = not "evil" (that's self-congratulatory), just kinda bein' dicks imo

― J0hn D., Sunday, 30 December 2007 00:15 (5 years ago) Permalink

j0hn you have pretty far ranging tastes, e.g. metal + most everything else; have you, or have you considered, making music in a different idiom? (not that there's anything wrong with your current one--just wondering.)

if you say no due to instrumental dexterity i will not believe you.

― mookieproof, Sunday, 30 December 2007 00:23 (5 years ago) Permalink

yeah it's crossed my mind, world enough and time you know. just doing what I'm already doing takes up most of my time. I don't have any desire to make metal though - people ask me that a lot, but I prefer to be a fan. once you leave the fan role and become a participant it changes your relationship to the genre you're working in, and forever as far as I know. I would rather remain a metalhead in the pit or at least at the bar and leave the shredding to the people who are really good at it.

― J0hn D., Sunday, 30 December 2007 00:27 (5 years ago) Permalink

I still have a load of stuff to catch up with from 2007 so I can wait (probably) til February to pick this up with real life £££ (or possibly $$$).

We Shall All Be Healed I have probably listened to more than anything else I have ever owned and Linda Blair Was Born Innocent is quite possibly my favouritest song ever; The Sunset Tree I also gave a good outing to but not perhaps as much as I should have; I left my copy of Get Lonely in the US and haven't gotten round to buying another (gave it an aewsoem review tho) but fully intend to along with all the other bits that are missing.

I'm incredibly annoyed at myself for missing the show in London earlier this month - any possibility of another one this year or maybe a festival appearance or two?

'Surrounded' is great btw.

― Upt0eleven, Sunday, 30 December 2007 01:26 (5 years ago) Permalink

A friend just asked which MG album to start with; I recommend ...Healed. It's my favorite, the first one I bought, thus very speical. Reminds me a bit of Joan Didion: an attempt to pin down a nameless dread that the narrator's seen but is still too spooked to delineate.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Sunday, 30 December 2007 01:28 (5 years ago) Permalink

"an attempt to pin down a nameless dread that the narrator's seen but is still too spooked to delineate."

wow, john has seen my dad naked? i should get that one.

― scott seward, Sunday, 30 December 2007 02:14 (5 years ago) Permalink

So a mountain goat goes up to another mountain goat and says "Who was that lady I saw you with last night?" And the other goat goes "That was no lady! That was my kid!"

― kingkongvsgodzilla, Sunday, 30 December 2007 02:33 (5 years ago) Permalink

So J0hn once said that he wasn't "that J0hn D," and now I realize he must have meant he wasn't the rap journo.

― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Sunday, 30 December 2007 04:26 (5 years ago) Permalink

May a disappointed fan inquire ofa certain someone as to whether the cancelled Northampton show will be rescheduled in the foreseeable future? Please?

― Usual Channels, Sunday, 30 December 2007 04:28 (5 years ago) Permalink

From the forum:

Quick request from yrs truly, who again is actually kinda relieved about the leak - I'm very proud of this record and I think people who dig my stuff are gonna be pretty into it - if you're gonna d/l it as soon as you find it, would you kindly preorder it? like, at the same time as you're downloading it, instead of "maybe I'll buy it at a show or something"? it would be very rad if y'all who're gonna grab it and intend to buy it would do this. You would be doing me a real favor. Those of you who aren't gonna buy it anyway no matter what, nothing I can say is gonna make any difference anyhow, so this isn't about that. But the rest of you, may I remind you that them there pre-orders are right here?:

www.beggarsgroupusa.com

I just preordered the digital album for what seems like a very reasonable $8.

― toby, Monday, 31 December 2007 00:42 (5 years ago) Permalink

The "Coming Soon" box says it will appear on eMusic on 02.19.08.

― Daniel, Esq., Monday, 31 December 2007 00:47 (5 years ago) Permalink

J0hn D., why is your book not about Chocolate Factory? I find this immensely disappointing.

― The Reverend, Monday, 31 December 2007 00:47 (5 years ago) Permalink

Played this earlier for first time, sounded good.

Is the sleeve supposed to have a black metal vibe to it or what?

― DJ Mencap, Thursday, 3 January 2008 17:03 (5 years ago) Permalink

Where do non-Americans register for that preorder?

― StanM, Thursday, 3 January 2008 17:15 (5 years ago) Permalink

I'll be buying this the day it comes out, on CD; really looking forward to it, as I've enjoyed all the 4AD stuff and am dipping my toes into the earlier material as i come across it in the used shops.

& if John wanted to branch out into a different realm, he could always go Dashboard-style emo, and do pretty well imo. But I'd prefer that he didnt.

― stephen, Friday, 4 January 2008 05:26 (5 years ago) Permalink

I think he should but perhaps under a different name. doodz are easily confused.

― Upt0eleven, Friday, 4 January 2008 09:41 (5 years ago) Permalink

2 months pass...

Does anyone have an extra ticket to the Philly show?

― St3ve Go1db3rg, Monday, 10 March 2008 01:32 (5 years ago) Permalink

Digging the new record more with every listen.

And I now know what an Autoclave is.

― Upt0eleven, Wednesday, 12 March 2008 15:14 (5 years ago) Permalink

Still need to pick up Heretic Price, damnit...

― stephen, Wednesday, 12 March 2008 15:38 (5 years ago) Permalink

(Heretic Pride, even)

― stephen, Wednesday, 12 March 2008 15:38 (5 years ago) Permalink

going to catch the mountain goats on 12 april

'the sunset tree' has been tiding me over very nicely just recently. i should give the new one a close listen too.

― Charlie Howard, Thursday, 13 March 2008 03:48 (5 years ago) Permalink

Get well soon, Mr. D.

( http://www.mountain-goats.com/archives/2008/03/australian-tour.html )

― StanM, Thursday, 20 March 2008 10:19 (5 years ago) Permalink

get well soon J0hn, you are rad.

― t_g, Thursday, 20 March 2008 10:22 (5 years ago) Permalink

Get well soon.

― toby, Thursday, 20 March 2008 13:13 (5 years ago) Permalink

What they said.

― Oilyrags, Thursday, 20 March 2008 13:37 (5 years ago) Permalink

yikes j0hn hope u are ok

― M@tt He1ges0n, Thursday, 20 March 2008 15:16 (5 years ago) Permalink

bump for more good vibes & because J0hn is one of the awesomest dudes on ILX

― StanM, Thursday, 20 March 2008 20:34 (5 years ago) Permalink

Too bad about that. NY Times gave a very good review today of Tuesday night's show.

― Bill Magill, Thursday, 20 March 2008 20:39 (5 years ago) Permalink

i heard the show last night (wed) in williamsburg was really awesome. my good friend laura went who is a huge fan. said the electric guitar and drums worked well.

― Surmounter, Thursday, 20 March 2008 20:41 (5 years ago) Permalink

i really like heretic pride a lot.

― M@tt He1ges0n, Thursday, 20 March 2008 20:53 (5 years ago) Permalink

Wishing John well, he's a real inspiration.

― myndbloom, Thursday, 20 March 2008 21:24 (5 years ago) Permalink

yeah get lonely & heretic pride have been spinning in my car for like 2 months now. get well soon dude.

― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Thursday, 20 March 2008 21:28 (5 years ago) Permalink

Thank you everybody. Kind of in a really dark tunnel right now which keeps getting darker. It is kind of not my style to air this sort of thing out publicly online both for antiquated reasons of decor & because it's weird when I say something somewhere and it ends up as part of the generally-received bio or something. Sort of have to be prudent about saying "here's what's going on with me" too much.

Really can't tell you how much I appreciate your kind words. More than I can say!

Because I have had to cancel one tour and stop booking another in order to be home, you will all have the chance to get way tired of me & my strident ways over the next couple of months tho LOL awesome hit me back yo

― J0hn D., Friday, 21 March 2008 01:21 (5 years ago) Permalink

j0hn!! i started spinning heretic pride again like literally 5 minutes ago lol. it is great. get better.

― deeznuts, Friday, 21 March 2008 01:26 (5 years ago) Permalink

Very sorry to hear about your hard times. I hope you come through more or less intact. Though I don't really know most folks here too well, I'm pretty sure I speak for more than just me when I say, let us know if there's anything we do.

― dad a, Friday, 21 March 2008 01:28 (5 years ago) Permalink

get better u are loved

― jergïns, Friday, 21 March 2008 01:33 (5 years ago) Permalink

:( get better J0hn. Haven't listened to the new album yet but I am going to!!!

― Curt1s Stephens, Friday, 21 March 2008 01:42 (5 years ago) Permalink

yer a good dude, hope all turns upwards and well

― John Justen, Friday, 21 March 2008 01:51 (5 years ago) Permalink

Best wishes for you, J0hn, and whatever yr situation happens to be.

― libcrypt, Friday, 21 March 2008 01:59 (5 years ago) Permalink

Earlier today, iTunes shuffled "This Year" into "Self-Destructive Zones" by the Drive-By Truckers. They have the same chord progression - an admittedly common one, but it was a cool reprise anyway.

Hope everything starts looking up for you.

― kingkongvsgodzilla, Friday, 21 March 2008 02:22 (5 years ago) Permalink

Gah, I really wanted to see you in Philly tonight. Get well soon, JD.

― St3ve Go1db3rg, Friday, 21 March 2008 02:47 (5 years ago) Permalink

was looking forward to catching one of your shows finally, but understand the circumstances for sure. as compensation, i'll keep spinning the discs.

― Charlie Howard, Friday, 21 March 2008 03:03 (5 years ago) Permalink

John, saw you on Tuesday at Webster Hall, you played a great show. Get better soon. You're one of my favorites.

― jonathan - stl, Friday, 21 March 2008 04:15 (5 years ago) Permalink

Get well and stay strong.

― leavethecapital, Friday, 21 March 2008 23:42 (5 years ago) Permalink

'Sax Rohmer #1' is perhaps my very favourite thing ever just now. Great video, too. I already liked the concept in the first few seconds, and then it KEPT GOING!!

Every time I listen to Heretic Pride I give myself another little kick in the ass for not shelling out to see TMG in Glasgow in December. Any future shouts I make for "J0hn Darn1elle shreds!" will be so much less topical than they would have been then. :'(

Get well soon, John.

― Merdeyeux, Saturday, 22 March 2008 03:22 (5 years ago) Permalink

get well soon, J0hn

― Herman G. Neuname, Saturday, 22 March 2008 03:29 (5 years ago) Permalink

All the best, John. Looking forward to sparring amicably real soon.

― Alfred, Lord Sotosyn, Saturday, 22 March 2008 03:31 (5 years ago) Permalink

Best wishes, J0hn.

― Daniel, Esq., Saturday, 22 March 2008 03:45 (5 years ago) Permalink

so that line in marduk t-shirt men's room incident about 'i let myself imagine she was you' is totally fucking devastating and awesome fyi.

― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Sunday, 23 March 2008 01:36 (5 years ago) Permalink

get well john

― J0rdan S., Sunday, 23 March 2008 01:53 (5 years ago) Permalink

Ugh, keep getting bad news lately. Good thoughts sent in your direction, J0hn.

― Lostandfound, Sunday, 23 March 2008 01:55 (5 years ago) Permalink

Nice show in DC tonight. Loved the emo intro with the reference to Rites of Spring, and the Mr. Rogers story. Sorry about your health. Best wishes.

― curmudgeon, Sunday, 23 March 2008 06:00 (5 years ago) Permalink

wishing u good stuff

― gabbneb, Sunday, 23 March 2008 06:15 (5 years ago) Permalink

Good luck, John, yr the bestest.

― maciej recognizing trill, Sunday, 23 March 2008 06:20 (5 years ago) Permalink

all health, j0hn - hope you get to make it down here soon enough.

― energy flash gordon, Sunday, 23 March 2008 06:23 (5 years ago) Permalink

thanks for the great show last night! you looked the picture of health, fwiw. all best wishes.

― W i l l, Sunday, 23 March 2008 13:29 (5 years ago) Permalink

6 months pass...

just got the PR about the resched - glad to hear you're still playing Manning, was really looking forward to seeing youse (and Wurster!) there

― john della boscaoila (sic), Tuesday, 23 September 2008 03:57 (4 years ago) Permalink

I am hearing them now, on last fm, a song called 'Source Decay'. It sounds like one fellow singing over one rough acoustic guitar. The recording sounds prety rough too, I don't know why that is.

― the pinefox, Wednesday, 24 September 2008 10:16 (4 years ago) Permalink

maybe cuz it wasnt recorded v well

― t_g, Wednesday, 24 September 2008 11:34 (4 years ago) Permalink

i think the early stuff is pretty much on the rough side.

― alex in mainhattan, Wednesday, 24 September 2008 12:47 (4 years ago) Permalink

yeah, man, start with Tallahassee and explore from there if yer at all interested.

― Perry-Como-Zombie-Memorial-Radio-Now! (Ioannis), Wednesday, 24 September 2008 12:50 (4 years ago) Permalink

"tallahassee" is the one about that couple breaking up, isn't it? that album is amazing. going into very dark regions of the soul.

― alex in mainhattan, Wednesday, 24 September 2008 12:57 (4 years ago) Permalink

yep. that one and the following two are my all-time faves by J0hn.

― Perry-Como-Zombie-Memorial-Radio-Now! (Ioannis), Wednesday, 24 September 2008 12:59 (4 years ago) Permalink

In true fickle form, my favorite MG album is the last one I played.

― i am the small cat (HI DERE), Wednesday, 24 September 2008 13:21 (4 years ago) Permalink

i just discovered "the black ice cream song" from zopilote machine on shuffle. i have a bunch of albums, but except for sunset tree, which i know front to back, i pay attention to one or two tracks for a long time and then keep finding what seem like new tracks.

― mte, Wednesday, 24 September 2008 14:09 (4 years ago) Permalink

I always recommend All Hail West Texas as a starting point for some reason, I've never really thought about why, just seemed reasonable. Maybe because the first thing they hear is the Best Ever Death Metal Band Out of Denton and that track seems to appeal pretty bluntly to most people? Er...

― RabiesAngentleman, Wednesday, 24 September 2008 15:05 (4 years ago) Permalink

Oh, and they sound rough because he recorded that early stuff on a boombox (multi-xpost)

― RabiesAngentleman, Wednesday, 24 September 2008 15:06 (4 years ago) Permalink

yeah, but that album sounds pretty one-note.

― Perry-Como-Zombie-Memorial-Radio-Now! (Ioannis), Wednesday, 24 September 2008 15:08 (4 years ago) Permalink

in terms of...?

― RabiesAngentleman, Wednesday, 24 September 2008 15:17 (4 years ago) Permalink

style, sound, 'production', song-writing, you name it.

― Perry-Como-Zombie-Memorial-Radio-Now! (Ioannis), Wednesday, 24 September 2008 15:22 (4 years ago) Permalink

I've never got much beyond Tallahassee (although I own about half-a-dozen), but by golly, Tallahassee is a fucking extraordinarily good record.

― Sick Mouthy (Scik Mouthy), Wednesday, 24 September 2008 15:34 (4 years ago) Permalink

huh, my thoughts on it all were more along the lines of "cohesive" or "consistent", but I suppose I can see what you're saying (xpost)

― RabiesAngentleman, Wednesday, 24 September 2008 15:42 (4 years ago) Permalink

well, yeah, that's exactly what i meant; it's all consistently one-note. th real problem for me, actually, is that it gets kinda hard to pay attention after the awesome opener. for me, it just ends up sinking into the background pretty much from that point on. i actually kinda wish J0hn would remake some of the stronger songs, or at least release live versions maybe.

― Perry-Como-Zombie-Memorial-Radio-Now! (Ioannis), Wednesday, 24 September 2008 15:51 (4 years ago) Permalink

In hindsight you might be right...if my memory is accurate (though it's been a few years, and it isn't), all my favorite tracks are in the first half of the disc.

― RabiesAngentleman, Wednesday, 24 September 2008 16:02 (4 years ago) Permalink

it's a pretty great one-two punch to open all hail west texas. those just-slightly-poetic codas —"if you punish a person," etc., and "your grandfather rode the boat over from ireland"—really punctuate the suburban drama.

― mte, Wednesday, 24 September 2008 16:50 (4 years ago) Permalink

at least release live versions maybe

there are a lot of live versions of j0hn's stuff out there

― t_g, Wednesday, 24 September 2008 17:18 (4 years ago) Permalink

Been falling in love all over again with 'Tallahassee' and 'The Sunset Tree' lately. "I'm gonna make it through this year, if it kills me." *heart*

― Le Bateau Ivre, Wednesday, 24 September 2008 17:41 (4 years ago) Permalink

so this Last Night of Your Life tour with Kaki King, what's it like? taking turns, playing together, her material, his material, the collaborative songs? excited...

― W i l l, Thursday, 2 October 2008 17:18 (4 years ago) Permalink

there're lots of links to great live stuff on the Mountain Goats' site.

oh, and, uh, best band ever, etc.

― BigLurks, Thursday, 2 October 2008 17:22 (4 years ago) Permalink

2 months pass...

glad to hear you're still playing Manning

Rescinding this – it’s $52 at the uni and $20 in a depressed coal-mining port, so driving up the coast to see them. But mainly posting to alert J0hn that although Jester’s Pies have gone bust, while he's in the area today, the franchisee in Newtown bought out the location and it’s running as Janet’s Pies with similar, but not quite as exciting, pastry-encased vegetable matter.

― venkman boners are totally canon (sic), Thursday, 4 December 2008 23:38 (4 years ago) Permalink

went to the morrissey fan site to check out some new album stuff and saw a story that linked to the goats doing "suedehead"! : )

― you can't stop the shinin' (M@tt He1ges0n), Thursday, 4 December 2008 23:40 (4 years ago) Permalink

3 months pass...

http://gawker.com/5169038/writing-about-good-music-is-hard

food 4 thought

― FREE DOM AND ETHAN (special guest stars mark bronson), Monday, 16 March 2009 14:09 (4 years ago) Permalink

kind of an annoying article. those pieces happen, what's the big deal? sure they're kind of obvious, but i don't believe they're completely lost on the artists in question. w/r/t to the goats piece, an avid fan (friend of mine) was really excited to see it.

― Surmounter, Monday, 16 March 2009 14:17 (4 years ago) Permalink

not feelin that gawker thing at all

― just sayin, Monday, 16 March 2009 14:22 (4 years ago) Permalink

"In fact, profiles of super-cool independent musicians in mass-market consumer magazines almost inevitably turn out to be cringe-inducing, forced exercises in justifying the relevance of an artist that often doesn't really care about being relevant to begin with."

so non-mainstream musicians don't care about being relevant? hmmm

― Surmounter, Monday, 16 March 2009 14:23 (4 years ago) Permalink

it's weird to throw the new yorker profile in there also, they have profiles of lots of pretty obscure ppl right? also that article was dope

― just sayin, Monday, 16 March 2009 14:28 (4 years ago) Permalink

(the nyer one i mean)

― just sayin, Monday, 16 March 2009 14:28 (4 years ago) Permalink

they have profiles all the time, obscure or not. it's like he's annoyed that these artists are getting mainstream attention -- "i liked them before you did!!"

― Surmounter, Monday, 16 March 2009 14:37 (4 years ago) Permalink

yeah that's really the only reason i can think he would have bothered writing this

anyway like someone said in the comments, the reason why he can do this list is bcz profiles generally follow a formula (no matter who's getting profiled)

― just sayin, Monday, 16 March 2009 14:40 (4 years ago) Permalink

I really didn't like that New York magazine article. One of the reasons I like The Mountain Goats so much is that for the most part, John's songwriting doesn't fall into the "sensitive acoustic troubador" category. That's why I got into them so much, it was so weird to hear a lone-wolf-with-acoustic guitar guy who wasn't just all "I'm so sad," but instead wrote these wry, literary songs about fictional people's sadness. I mean that's sort of changed these days, since The Sunset Tree and all, but I feel like the NY mag article is trying to pigeonhole John, trying to fit him into a category to which he never belonged.

I could be dead wrong, of course.

― telepathy_rock!, Monday, 16 March 2009 14:41 (4 years ago) Permalink

No, actually you're dead right and I'm with you.

― ilxor, Monday, 16 March 2009 14:52 (4 years ago) Permalink

I didn't really like the New York mag article because, well...

Wesley, of course, read from the Book of Darnielle, while the next girl read the lyrics of Conor Oberst, a.k.a. the folksinger Bright Eyes. Wesley was disgusted. “Bright Eyes is not a man, he’s just a boy,” Wesley told me. “Bright Eyes is just this over the top ‘I am wussy man, hear me roar.’ Did you know the word virtue comes from the Latin word for man? You get too sensitive, you lose your strength. And his stuff is so vague. John once wrote a song that has a line ‘I love you because you gave me sausage and cheese when I was hungry’—it’s earned because it’s a concrete thought: You fed me, that’s why I love you.”

― if you like it then you shoulda put a donk on it (bernard snowy), Monday, 16 March 2009 14:55 (4 years ago) Permalink

lol at the comments on the new yorker piece:

Ew.
By ping on 03/04/2009 at 6:35pm

Sappy and pathetic and please no more.
By ELECTRAfied26 on 03/08/2009 at 10:45pm

What did I just read?
By whygodwhy on 03/09/2009 at 7:03pm

I mean explain it to me, in a way a stoned person could understand.
By whygodwhy on 03/09/2009 at 7:04pm

― joe, Monday, 16 March 2009 15:02 (4 years ago) Permalink

lol

but it seems the problem is more with the publications overall, than with how they tackle INDIE music, no?

― Surmounter, Monday, 16 March 2009 15:03 (4 years ago) Permalink

i mean sometimes i have a problem reading anything in the new yorker

― Surmounter, Monday, 16 March 2009 15:07 (4 years ago) Permalink

that was retarded

― moonship journey to 51 (k3vin k.), Monday, 16 March 2009 15:10 (4 years ago) Permalink

i think the authors point isnt "oh how passe and lame and uncool of you to write about neko case"--i think the point he wants to make is "writing, as a journalist, about bands for which you have a deep & abiding affection doesnt make for very good journalism."

there are all sorts of sub-issues he has with that--like, deciding to write a piece abt your favorite band will often lead to paper-thin justifications for writing about that band so as to avoid the appearance that youre just writing about the band because you like them--and also that writing a piece about a band you love is a lot more likely to lead to the kind of cliched darkness-success-redemption story arc than writing about a band for a different reason (say, they have a new & compelling arc to their career, or you can make a successful argument for their uniqueness as a band).

obviously this is all subjective--to wide-eyed fans of neko case, john darnielle, etc., these artists are so compelling just on the face of it that you shouldnt need a justification to write about them! but to the other portion of the population (say, me) who dont really care too much for andrew bird, i need more of a reason than "hes really good" to read about him (in a journalistic setting, of course; criticism is a different animal, at least in the eyes of the blog post)

i guess i kind of agree with him.

― rip dom passantino 3/5/09 never forget (max), Monday, 16 March 2009 15:13 (4 years ago) Permalink

when i say kind of, i mean, the darnielle piece wasnt poorly written, just poorly conceived, and i basically disagree about the bonnie prince billy piece for a couple reasons, incl. the new yorkers tendency towards hook-less articles that stand on the strength of their writing, and oldhams comparative stature vs. case, bird, darnielle (no offense john)

― rip dom passantino 3/5/09 never forget (max), Monday, 16 March 2009 15:15 (4 years ago) Permalink

let he who is without sin cast the first stone.

or something.

― ian, Monday, 16 March 2009 15:17 (4 years ago) Permalink

on a more positive note, my sixteen year old cousin is coming to visit me in a few weeks so she can go see the mountain goats thing with slice-of-key-lime-pie. her father is dying of cancer (soon) and she really needs to get outta the house for a while.

i guess that wasn't positive.

― ian, Monday, 16 March 2009 15:18 (4 years ago) Permalink

The justification for writing about anything is always "I find this interesting/informative/entertaining" (delete where applicable). There isn't really anything else to it as far as I can tell, regardless of the subject or the setting, so I don't get where you're coming from, max (the disconnect appears to be between what you find intersting/informative/entertaining and what NYer editorial finds i/i/e).

― Wes HI DEREson (HI DERE), Monday, 16 March 2009 15:23 (4 years ago) Permalink

the gawker deal is pretty much ridiculous because a) it means the author has bothered to read all the articles he claims to despise and b) it's barely readable sub-undergrad compare-and-contrast bullllllllshit. you think he'd have found better, more informative pull quotes if he'd dug 'em out of the Wire, the Believer and Rolling Stone? Doubtful.

― ian, Monday, 16 March 2009 15:25 (4 years ago) Permalink

i guess what i'm trying to say is: the problem is not with the publications particularly, but with a tendency towards laziness and easy questions in rock n roll journalism as a whole.

― ian, Monday, 16 March 2009 15:27 (4 years ago) Permalink

the canonization of the subversive musician

― Surmounter, Monday, 16 March 2009 15:28 (4 years ago) Permalink

there is nothing particularly subversive about neko case though, amirite? and why do people attach such importance to these musicians being profiled in mainstream, middle-brow publications? the mtn goats, oldham etc haven't been obscurities for many, many years now.

― ian, Monday, 16 March 2009 15:30 (4 years ago) Permalink

apparently the neko case album debuted at #3? pretty weird to say 'only the write cares abt her' or whatever

― just sayin, Monday, 16 March 2009 15:32 (4 years ago) Permalink

*writer

― just sayin, Monday, 16 March 2009 15:32 (4 years ago) Permalink

and why do people attach such importance to these musicians being profiled in mainstream, middle-brow publications? the mtn goats, oldham etc haven't been obscurities for many, many years now.

― ian, Monday, March 16, 2009 11:30 AM (5 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

i think that's exactly why -- cuz they have already established their own sort of relevance, and people get annoyed that these publications approach them like a sort of discovery. but the thing is, for a lot of people, they still are! it's kind of an audience issue.

― Surmounter, Monday, 16 March 2009 15:44 (4 years ago) Permalink

The justification for writing about anything is always "I find this interesting/informative/entertaining" (delete where applicable). There isn't really anything else to it as far as I can tell, regardless of the subject or the setting, so I don't get where you're coming from, max (the disconnect appears to be between what you find intersting/informative/entertaining and what NYer editorial finds i/i/e).

― Wes HI DEREson (HI DERE), Monday, March 16, 2009 11:23 AM (13 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

well, yeah, this is absolutely true, and i acknowledge the subjectiveness of the argument being made in my post.

but there are very, very few publications out there where you can successfully pitch an editor on a story with just "hey, i love neko case, can i write an article about her?" (the ability to pitch like that probably has more to do with the writer him or herself--john mcphee, for example--than the publication). at the very least youre going to need "she has an album coming out"--and even then the editor is going to want more, since god knows how many people have albums out in a given month. arguably, case is big enough (#3 album etc) to warrant that kind of coverage--in fact, this is absolutely the case, since the writer was able to pitch the story to the editor successfully.

but then the article comes out and its structure is almost exactly the same as the structure of 3 other articles about musicians working in roughly the same melieu! and its like, what exactly is the threshold of 'interesting/informative/entertaining' here? if the pieces match so completely, is there really something interesting enough about the subjects to be worth writing about?

― rip dom passantino 3/5/09 never forget (max), Monday, 16 March 2009 15:47 (4 years ago) Permalink

The Gawker piece was awful, and this is the only defense for publishing Neko Case, Darnielle, and Bird articles in mass-market publications.

― The Screaming Lobster of Challops (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 16 March 2009 15:51 (4 years ago) Permalink

I do wish articles like the one in Gawker would stop impugning the motives of these writers, the quality of their essays notwithstanding. I like Neko Case, so if I worked for The New Yorker and knew she had an album coming out soon, I'd pitch an article. What's so hard to understand?

― The Screaming Lobster of Challops (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 16 March 2009 15:54 (4 years ago) Permalink

btw am i supposed to like know neko case? cuz apart from the name, i don't :/

― Surmounter, Monday, 16 March 2009 15:56 (4 years ago) Permalink

Next time you run over to Starbucks for a toffee bar, you'll know.

― The Screaming Lobster of Challops (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 16 March 2009 15:56 (4 years ago) Permalink

Neko is gonna be heartbroken, sur

― Wes HI DEREson (HI DERE), Monday, 16 March 2009 15:57 (4 years ago) Permalink

smoky alt-country chanteuse, you might like her. in that new pornographesr band IIRC. xpxp

― ian, Monday, 16 March 2009 15:57 (4 years ago) Permalink

I do wish articles like the one in Gawker would stop impugning the motives of these writers, the quality of their essays notwithstanding. I like Neko Case, so if I worked for The New Yorker and knew she had an album coming out soon, I'd pitch an article. What's so hard to understand?

― The Screaming Lobster of Challops (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, March 16, 2009 8:54 AM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

huh? it's pretty easy to understand that writing about an artist just because you like him/her and then reaching for other flimsy reasons/justifications in the article makes for bad/self-indulgent/puffy writing, no matter how ok of a stylist you are.

― Matt P, Monday, 16 March 2009 16:01 (4 years ago) Permalink

pls. notify me when someone does one of these pieces on xasthur or the ying yang twins or any artist that does not slot somewhere in comfortable singer-songwriter modes of expression.

― He grew in Pussyville. Population: him. (call all destroyer), Monday, 16 March 2009 16:01 (4 years ago) Permalink

i mean how is that not writing about "culture" 101

x-post

― Matt P, Monday, 16 March 2009 16:02 (4 years ago) Permalink

it's pretty easy to understand that writing about an artist just because you like him/her and then reaching for other flimsy reasons/justifications in the article makes for bad/self-indulgent/puffy writing, no matter how ok of a stylist you are.

You must not read much rock journalism then, eh?

― The Screaming Lobster of Challops (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 16 March 2009 16:03 (4 years ago) Permalink

lololololol @ the idea of someone writing a piece like this on xasthur

― POLLonius (country matters), Monday, 16 March 2009 16:03 (4 years ago) Permalink

Better an emotive ode than a rehashed press release.

― Eazy, Monday, 16 March 2009 16:04 (4 years ago) Permalink

i rarely post here, but i was thinking about the mg and bpb pieces a lot recently, so i felt compelled to jump in --

the nyer/nymag profiles bugged me because all they did was corroborate the same reputations of these guys that exists on the underground level, i.e. oldham: the "enigmatic," rootsy, shapeshifter and darnielle: the balance of hyperintimacy and cerebral detachment.

i don't mind major-mag profiles of these guys -- they totally deserve it. i just wish that the writers had done *some* kind of work to depart from what has already been written about the artists. the MGs one felt like a huge missed opportunity to actually do a little critical thinking about *why* darnielle's fans might love him so much (the superfan is a devout christian -- is it some kind of coincidence that darnielle actually writes about religious material and regularly lays down spiritual subtext in his songs about Normal Folks? duh.). also, for articles about "iconoclasts," they didn't really situate these guys within a landscape -- i.e. to say why they're different or unique. the nyer one was better, in this respect, but i still put the mag down wishing it had somehow been more "definitive" (this might be because i think kelefa s. really does write some good, concise criticism sometimes, and this piece, being a "profile," didn't seem to think that some criticism was within its jurisdiction or something).

― mike powell, Monday, 16 March 2009 16:05 (4 years ago) Permalink

pls. notify me when someone does one of these pieces on xasthur or the ying yang twins or any artist that does not slot somewhere in comfortable singer-songwriter modes of expression.

Remember the "Wait" controversy a few years ago?

― The Screaming Lobster of Challops (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 16 March 2009 16:05 (4 years ago) Permalink

that new york times article on DEATH (70's proto-punk hard rock african-american power trio) this weekend was excellent!

sorry, just didn't know where to post that. maybe on the black acid rock thread...

― scott seward, Monday, 16 March 2009 16:06 (4 years ago) Permalink

WHAT IS FURDEST FROM CDS I HAVE, HEAVY METAL AND HIPPITY HOP

many x-posts to alfred well yeah because by those standards a lot of it sucks! but some of it doesn't (i.e. does something else besides 'here is a person, they did some things, they play nice music'), and i like that.

― Matt P, Monday, 16 March 2009 16:07 (4 years ago) Permalink

this i actually agree with heartily

― Surmounter, Monday, 16 March 2009 16:09 (4 years ago) Permalink

this speaks to a larger trend of pigeonholing artists like this, with cliched terminology

― Surmounter, Monday, 16 March 2009 16:10 (4 years ago) Permalink

A lot of these disappointing profiles are shaped by the attitude of editors too. A piece on Darnielle in New York would produce exactly the kind of collision of sensibilities we'd expect.

― The Screaming Lobster of Challops (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 16 March 2009 16:10 (4 years ago) Permalink

not all music journalism can be good music journalism, guys.

― ian, Monday, 16 March 2009 16:11 (4 years ago) Permalink

the MGs one felt like a huge missed opportunity to actually do a little critical thinking about *why* darnielle's fans might love him so much (the superfan is a devout christian -- is it some kind of coincidence that darnielle actually writes about religious material and regularly lays down spiritual subtext in his songs about Normal Folks? duh.).

From the article:

If Wesley’s explanation of Darnielle’s appeal isn’t especially complex, it’s certainly heartfelt: “His songs are all full of literary allusions and Bible references. Everything that I’m into, he writes about. A lot of them are about people feeling isolated, and I knew what that felt like.”

[...]

Wesley loved that while Darnielle wasn’t a practicing Christian, he still had an encyclopedic knowledge of the Bible. One day, Wesley played for me the song “Pigs That Ran Straightaway Into the Water, Triumph Of.” “That’s a reference to Matthew 22:6,” Wesley told me. “That’s where Jesus casts the demon into a herd of swine. That he can work that into a song is so cool.”

― Wes HI DEREson (HI DERE), Monday, 16 March 2009 16:34 (4 years ago) Permalink

critic on critic jackoff sesh

― bnw, Monday, 16 March 2009 16:45 (4 years ago) Permalink

Remember the "Wait" controversy a few years ago?

not specifically...was it about more than the content of the song? is there a new yorker profile of the YYT i need to track down?

― He grew in Pussyville. Population: him. (call all destroyer), Monday, 16 March 2009 16:59 (4 years ago) Permalink

xpost, but did you just equate a fan's testimony with "critical thinking"? i mean, fan testimony is important, especially in an article about fandom, but i don't think that it should stand in for the writer's commentary.

― mike powell, Monday, 16 March 2009 17:02 (4 years ago) Permalink

the obv. explanation for why people wanna write profiles about me is because I am so impossibly attractive that once they've laid eyes on me they just can't help themselves

― Just one thing I was thinking about as I was getting on the copter (J0hn D.), Monday, 16 March 2009 17:04 (4 years ago) Permalink

i mean i'm kind of joking w/r/t xasthur or yyt but if these publications actually wanted to do something constructive they would indeed profile interesting musicians from outside the npr set or explain why metal is probably the most vital and interesting genre going these days or something. treating this "trend" as anything other than a back-pat affirmation to the 20- and 30-something readership that mags think they need to survive (lol not that it's going to make a difference) is kind of silly.

― He grew in Pussyville. Population: him. (call all destroyer), Monday, 16 March 2009 17:05 (4 years ago) Permalink

dude described you as being "stocky"
xpost

― velko, Monday, 16 March 2009 17:08 (4 years ago) Permalink

If I am reading a profile about ANY artist, the last thing I want to read is the writer's commentary.

― Wes HI DEREson (HI DERE), Monday, 16 March 2009 17:08 (4 years ago) Permalink

<3 john

treating this "trend" as anything other than a back-pat affirmation to the 20- and 30-something readership that mags think they need to survive (lol not that it's going to make a difference) is kind of silly.

― He grew in Pussyville. Population

i kind of agree with this, but again, maybe they're not targeting these articles toward the 20/30 readership set?

i dunno

― Surmounter, Monday, 16 March 2009 17:09 (4 years ago) Permalink

If I am reading a profile about ANY artist, the last thing I want to read is the writer's commentary.

― Wes HI DEREson (HI DERE), Monday, March 16, 2009 1:08 PM (31 seconds ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

why not just read the wikipedia article?

― rip dom passantino 3/5/09 never forget (max), Monday, 16 March 2009 17:09 (4 years ago) Permalink

i'm writing post replying to posts about an article about several articles about some musicians who wrote songs.

― (*ﾟーﾟ)θ L(。･＿･)　　　°~ヾ(･ε･ *) (Steve Shasta), Monday, 16 March 2009 17:10 (4 years ago) Permalink

anyone who argues stocky ain't sexy has to take it up with me personally

― She Is Beyond Food In Weevil (Mackro Mackro), Monday, 16 March 2009 17:10 (4 years ago) Permalink

"stout" is the new sexy

― velko, Monday, 16 March 2009 17:11 (4 years ago) Permalink

If you are doing an essay analyzing the themes of a musician's lyrical output and how that relates to their fandom, then go right ahead, but that falls outside of what I would call an artist profile; sticking it into an artist profile tells me that you are more interested in showing people how smart you are than you are in writing about your subject.

why not just read the wikipedia article?

xp: I often do. I've stated before that I think most music writing is useless.

― Wes HI DEREson (HI DERE), Monday, 16 March 2009 17:11 (4 years ago) Permalink

surm i try not to be much of a cynic but it's real hard not to see these as anything but a grab for younger readership. i would welcome ideas to the contrary.

― He grew in Pussyville. Population: him. (call all destroyer), Monday, 16 March 2009 17:12 (4 years ago) Permalink

the obv. explanation for why people wanna write profiles about me is because I am so impossibly attractive that once they've laid eyes on me they just can't help themselves

― Just one thing I was thinking about as I was getting on the copter (J0hn D.), Monday, March 16, 2009 12:04 PM (2 minutes ago) Bookmark S

i'm not sure this is true!

― i like to fart and i am crazy (gbx), Monday, 16 March 2009 17:12 (4 years ago) Permalink

;)

― i like to fart and i am crazy (gbx), Monday, 16 March 2009 17:12 (4 years ago) Permalink

lol why are you even bothering then dan

― rip dom passantino 3/5/09 never forget (max), Monday, 16 March 2009 17:12 (4 years ago) Permalink

I'm bored

― Wes HI DEREson (HI DERE), Monday, 16 March 2009 17:13 (4 years ago) Permalink

and avoiding work

― Wes HI DEREson (HI DERE), Monday, 16 March 2009 17:13 (4 years ago) Permalink

i admire ur conviction that writing is about showing off how smart u are

― rip dom passantino 3/5/09 never forget (max), Monday, 16 March 2009 17:14 (4 years ago) Permalink

It's true, though.

― Wes HI DEREson (HI DERE), Monday, 16 March 2009 17:15 (4 years ago) Permalink

nah

― rip dom passantino 3/5/09 never forget (max), Monday, 16 March 2009 17:16 (4 years ago) Permalink

Or rather, it's true of 90% of what I've seen in the past 10 years.

― Wes HI DEREson (HI DERE), Monday, 16 March 2009 17:16 (4 years ago) Permalink

that's why i have trouble reading the new yorker

― Surmounter, Monday, 16 March 2009 17:16 (4 years ago) Permalink

I thought people wrote because they got paid because to write about stuff they sometimes liked to talk about on their own, woops

― She Is Beyond Food In Weevil (Mackro Mackro), Monday, 16 March 2009 17:17 (4 years ago) Permalink

it would help if i used grammar

― She Is Beyond Food In Weevil (Mackro Mackro), Monday, 16 March 2009 17:18 (4 years ago) Permalink

talking was invented so people could impress potential mates by showing off how smart they are

― if you like it then you shoulda put a donk on it (bernard snowy), Monday, 16 March 2009 17:18 (4 years ago) Permalink

i thought that's what showing yer junk was for

― She Is Beyond Food In Weevil (Mackro Mackro), Monday, 16 March 2009 17:19 (4 years ago) Permalink

i buy that a lot of internet music (and other) writing tends to come across as... show-offy, in some way. and maybe even a fair amount of music writing in print.

but surm it baffles me that you could think of the new yorker as show-offy in that same way! the magazines tone is so, um, even, or level--i dont understand how you could read it and think that its writers come off as trying to show off how smart they are!

― rip dom passantino 3/5/09 never forget (max), Monday, 16 March 2009 17:19 (4 years ago) Permalink

It wouldn't be as annoying if the people doing it were all amazing writers, but since they aren't (and particularly since the nu-media revolution heavily promotes quantity of pieces over quality of pieces), well... you basically have The Legacy Of Pitchfork laid out for you, where people think it's valid to criticize a piece that is intentionally written as a moment-of-time meeting between an artist and one of his fans with biographical information about both that shows pretty clearly why the fan latched onto the artist because the author didn't spend enough time deconstructing the entirety of the artist's fanbase.

― Wes HI DEREson (HI DERE), Monday, 16 March 2009 17:20 (4 years ago) Permalink

although that isn't even fair, this has been going on way longer than Pitchfork has been around (see: Simon Reynolds)

― Wes HI DEREson (HI DERE), Monday, 16 March 2009 17:21 (4 years ago) Permalink

j0hn needs to hook up with winona and be like IN YOUR FACE GAWKER LOSER

― bnw, Monday, 16 March 2009 17:21 (4 years ago) Permalink

otm

max i think i need to delve into it again now that ryan got us a subscription. haven't read it in a while, so i'm probably way off.

― Surmounter, Monday, 16 March 2009 17:22 (4 years ago) Permalink

you might be thinking of people who read the new yorker and feel the need to show off how smart they are? see also: the economist.

― rip dom passantino 3/5/09 never forget (max), Monday, 16 March 2009 17:23 (4 years ago) Permalink

If you keep a New Yorker on your coffee table, Surm, visitors to your home will assume you're Cultured.

― The Screaming Lobster of Challops (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 16 March 2009 17:24 (4 years ago) Permalink

I keep mine there because it saves money on coasters.

― The Screaming Lobster of Challops (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 16 March 2009 17:24 (4 years ago) Permalink

i generally don't have a huge problem with the new yorker (though i think the cartooning sucks, have virtually no use for the event listings etc, i can still usually find one or two things to read & enjoy per issue) i DO have a problem with people who read/carry/use the new yorker as a way of showing off how smart they are. xpxpxpxp otm

― ian, Monday, 16 March 2009 17:25 (4 years ago) Permalink

HI DERE: I think you would have a good point except that it's not really "a piece that is intentionally written as a moment-of-time meeting between an artist and one of his fans"; or rather, it is, but it dresses itself up as some kind of broader 'hey check out this crazy youth cultural phenomenon!' thing, and kind of rings hollow in that sense.

or in other words: given the choice between a good piece that would only be interesting to people who had heard of/cared about/were fans of the Mountain Goats, or a kinda-crappy piece that would have (slightly) broader appeal, this leans towards the second.

― if you like it then you shoulda put a donk on it (bernard snowy), Monday, 16 March 2009 17:25 (4 years ago) Permalink

btw while i DO think there are probably a lot of people who read the new yorker in a large part because it is a STATUS SYMBOL of some kind i think the number of people for whom that is the ONLY reason they read the magazine is VASTLY OVERESTIMATED--maybe this is because i am something of a nyer stan, but it is, for real, a REALLY GOOD MAGAZINE, and id like to believe that people read it because of its quality more than any other consideration

― rip dom passantino 3/5/09 never forget (max), Monday, 16 March 2009 17:27 (4 years ago) Permalink

i DO have a problem with people who read/carry/use the new yorker as a way of showing off how smart they are

how can you tell these people apart from those that "actually" like reading/carrying/using it

― mookieproof, Monday, 16 March 2009 17:28 (4 years ago) Permalink

yea, point taken re: the new yorkers' audience base (and the economist). ryan was reading it on the subway yesterday and i was afraid people would get the wrong idea! ;)

― Surmounter, Monday, 16 March 2009 17:28 (4 years ago) Permalink

in fact it strikes me that oftentimes people read the new yorker both because it is a really good mag and also because it confers a certain kind of status on them--that maybe in fact these reasons are not as separate as we might like to think

― rip dom passantino 3/5/09 never forget (max), Monday, 16 March 2009 17:29 (4 years ago) Permalink

i smell a junior lit paper

― Surmounter, Monday, 16 March 2009 17:31 (4 years ago) Permalink

I think you would have a good point except that it's not really "a piece that is intentionally written as a moment-of-time meeting between an artist and one of his fans"; or rather, it is, but it dresses itself up as some kind of broader 'hey check out this crazy youth cultural phenomenon!' thing, and kind of rings hollow in that sense.

I don't think it does that at all. I think, if it has a broader point, it is saying, "fandom still exists and it hasn't changed".

I think it is a well-written, banal piece. I enjoyed reading it because I like the way the author wrote it but it didn't tell me anything I didn't already know about J0hn, the way some of his fans act, or the way fandom in general works. More to the point, I don't think it was trying to say anything new; it was trying to pull a human center out of a story that is simultaneously unremarkable and touching.

― Wes HI DEREson (HI DERE), Monday, 16 March 2009 17:31 (4 years ago) Permalink

this is my favorite part of the article... hey indie musician who built your fanbase through years of gigging and releasing albums, your persona is not appealing! plz leave this stuff to the pros who know how to blow it up, like katy perry.

John Darnielle is a wonderful songwriter and deserves many happy turns, but the cruel fact remains: On the scale at which New York usually operates, he is a commercially marginal musician. He is not about to blow up, nor will he soon appear in the pages of Us Weekly on the arm of Winona Ryder. He makes very, very good records that not very many people, relatively speaking, will ever hear. The same is true of Case, Oldham, and Bird. None of them feel compelled to do the things that actually famous musicians did in order to get famous, like create an appealing persona and deliver it to a fascinated reporter.

― 鬼の手 (Edward III), Monday, 16 March 2009 17:32 (4 years ago) Permalink

i know, weird right?

― Surmounter, Monday, 16 March 2009 17:34 (4 years ago) Permalink

so, indie musicians don't care about their persona, or their cultural relevance.

― Surmounter, Monday, 16 March 2009 17:35 (4 years ago) Permalink

He is not about to blow up, nor will he soon appear in the pages of Us Weekly on the arm of Winona Ryder.

we all know how this worked out for dave pirner. wtf john?

― She Is Beyond Food In Weevil (Mackro Mackro), Monday, 16 March 2009 17:36 (4 years ago) Permalink

i was gonna say "he'd have a point if he replaced 'create an appealing persona' with 'take your shirt off' and 'fascinated reporter' with 'lad mag'" but neko case has done that.

― da croupier, Monday, 16 March 2009 17:37 (4 years ago) Permalink

xp yeah but wasn't it presented as "The complex bond between the Mountain Goats’ John Darnielle and his sensitive fans," and didn't it make plenty of generalizations about people who listen to him? i have no huge problem with sociological inferences or broad statements (if it seems like the writer was thinkin'), but i wasn't sure if i was supposed to be reading about all MG fans, this one MG fan, or this one MG fan as a representation of all MG fans.

― mike powell, Monday, 16 March 2009 17:37 (4 years ago) Permalink

what should musicians do in order to get famous?

a) create an appealing persona and deliver it to a fascinated reporter
b) make good music

sigh... I expected so much more from a site named gawker

― 鬼の手 (Edward III), Monday, 16 March 2009 17:40 (4 years ago) Permalink

i can't bring myself to read gawker, in general.

― Surmounter, Monday, 16 March 2009 17:43 (4 years ago) Permalink

i like gawker for the most part

― rip dom passantino 3/5/09 never forget (max), Monday, 16 March 2009 17:45 (4 years ago) Permalink

gawker has become a whole hell of a lot less fun since new york media started getting bulldozed.

― He grew in Pussyville. Population: him. (call all destroyer), Monday, 16 March 2009 17:46 (4 years ago) Permalink

look max, you're not gonna turn me into a new yorker readin, gawking 25yr old OK?

― Surmounter, Monday, 16 March 2009 17:48 (4 years ago) Permalink

― Surmounter, Monday, 16 March 2009 17:49 (4 years ago) Permalink

last time I saw Neko was at this tiny sold out club called Irving Plaza.

― bnw, Monday, 16 March 2009 17:55 (4 years ago) Permalink

look, if she gets famous it's because she finally figured out how to make her persona more appealing to fascinated reporters, while oldham, bird, and darnielle remain sitting in their tearstained undies puzzling over the rubik's cube that is worldwide renown in the 2009.

― 鬼の手 (Edward III), Monday, 16 March 2009 18:07 (4 years ago) Permalink

i actually really liked the oldham article.

i mean i get what the gawker thing was saying about the sort of cliched "oh we hung out thing" but oldham has been so evasive for so long it WAS actually kind of a big deal for his long time fans....plus, the whole thing with the weird concert down by the lake was super rad i thought....him havign a "work house" and a "sleep house", stuff like that was fascinating...his mom seemed cool.

― brother marquis (M@tt He1ges0n), Monday, 16 March 2009 18:36 (4 years ago) Permalink

and just to one-up y'all in the "writing about neko case apparently makes writers turn retarded"...here is one from the new newsweek....manages to one up that racial miscengeny one with the weirdo claim that in 2009 Neko Case has returned melody in "alternative rock"...wresting it from the hands of noiseniks like....nirvana....and...green day? hed asspllode

― brother marquis (M@tt He1ges0n), Monday, 16 March 2009 18:38 (4 years ago) Permalink

http://www.newsweek.com/id/187782

― brother marquis (M@tt He1ges0n), Monday, 16 March 2009 18:38 (4 years ago) Permalink

Acts such as Bon Iver, Iron & Wine and Antony and the Johnsons have been bringing pretty back, to paraphrase Justin Timberlake.

i hate this so much.

― Wes HI DEREson (HI DERE), Monday, 16 March 2009 18:41 (4 years ago) Permalink

...right now.

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 16 March 2009 18:42 (4 years ago) Permalink

But whereas Kurt Cobain once felt the need to hide affection for R.E.M. from his underground peers lest he be booted from their secret society, today's alternative acts no longer look at melody as the love that dare not speak its name.

Cobain was so terrified of this secret society that he confessed this affection in the noted indie zine Rolling Stone.

― The Screaming Lobster of Challops (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 16 March 2009 18:44 (4 years ago) Permalink

I'm trying to figure out whether j0hn will be mortified or honored that we are using this thread to mock a) mainstream coverage of corny indie fuxx0rs and b) those who mock mainstream coverage of corny indie fuxx0rs

― 鬼の手 (Edward III), Monday, 16 March 2009 18:53 (4 years ago) Permalink

I enjoyed the attention of the New York piece, but really, I demand my Newsweek piece immediately, and it has to be super-long with sidebars and plenty of pictures

and the cover, I want the cover

― Just one thing I was thinking about as I was getting on the copter (J0hn D.), Monday, 16 March 2009 18:55 (4 years ago) Permalink

i want a party with roomfuls of laughter
ten thousand tons of ice creaaaaam

― Mr. Que, Monday, 16 March 2009 18:57 (4 years ago) Permalink

this makes me so happy today

― fuck bein hard, BIG HOOS is complicated (BIG HOOS aka the steendriver), Monday, 16 March 2009 18:57 (4 years ago) Permalink

J0hn, trust me. You REALLY don't want to be drawing attention to Veruca Salt here.

― meta pro lols (libcrypt), Monday, 16 March 2009 18:58 (4 years ago) Permalink

ok how about freddie then

― Just one thing I was thinking about as I was getting on the copter (J0hn D.), Monday, 16 March 2009 19:03 (4 years ago) Permalink

disappointed that "He looks more or less like the rest of the assembled Mountain Goats faithful, a cross section of earnest young poet boys, geeky music-philes, and self-styled off-the-grid types carrying messenger bags—nearly a thousand of whom have gathered here tonight to bathe in Darnielle’s light" wasn't followed with a "if I can't piss on my fans, I don't want to be famous" quote.

― da croupier, Monday, 16 March 2009 19:22 (4 years ago) Permalink

we need to create an uber-ma+m0s fan as article bait

― mookieproof, Monday, 16 March 2009 20:00 (4 years ago) Permalink

i saw a fan go up to oldham with the "you're such a genius" shtick, it was really awkward until the guy asked if he knew where the bathroom was and oldham said "so you really like my music and you gotta take a piss?"

― bnw, Monday, 16 March 2009 20:05 (4 years ago) Permalink

I'm trying to think of any examples of music profiles, other than Bill Buford's dirty-fighting takedown of Lucinda Williams, that don't just perpetuate the image the musician has already created a la written equivalent of an Annie Liebovitz photo.

― Eazy, Monday, 16 March 2009 20:09 (4 years ago) Permalink

That's why they're called "profiles" and not "exposes".

― Wes HI DEREson (HI DERE), Monday, 16 March 2009 20:11 (4 years ago) Permalink

point taken

― Surmounter, Monday, 16 March 2009 20:12 (4 years ago) Permalink

i remember some rolling stone article in the 90s where they sort of went into detail abt what a fraud they thought eddie vedder was

― just sayin, Monday, 16 March 2009 20:20 (4 years ago) Permalink

fuckin guy doesn't even WEAR flannel.

― ian, Monday, 16 March 2009 20:22 (4 years ago) Permalink

― eman, Monday, 16 March 2009 20:27 (4 years ago) Permalink

In fact, profiles of super-cool independent musicians in mass-market consumer magazines almost inevitably turn out to be cringe-inducing, forced exercises in justifying the relevance of an artist that often doesn't really care about being relevant to begin with.

My usual problem with them, actually -- and this applies to some but not all of the pieces in question -- is that they're so often written by people who don't cover music.

That's not inherently a bad thing, depending on who you are. Most of these articles aren't really aimed at people who'd know or care a ton about the artist to begin with -- they're taking well-known figures from the music world and (often) hiring the feature and profile writers already in their address books to introduce those figures to a broader audience. (I have faith that there are plenty of music writers who could produce great magazine-style profiles; I assume they're just not always in the loop of the general-interest publications that run such things.)

But like someone said above, it does often turn into a case of a culture writer sort of parroting received wisdom about the artist in between gushing about how moved they are by the music, and how fascinated they are by the musician. They explain the mythology of the artist in ways that those in the artist's field have already started complicating. They make the artist's "cult-like" status sound like something particularly magical, whereas people who follow such things tend to be aware that the same article could be written about any number of the artist's peers. And in a lot of cases, it can lead to odd bits of misinformation, or semi-misleading emphasis of information, or the taking for granted of claims about music that a music writer would (hopefully) be more curious or critical about.

The one that most got me on this front was the Andrew Bird article, which contained claims like this:

He had lost interest in classical concertos, but he couldn’t relate to the stark, self-consciously simplistic sound of the post-punk scene that flourished in Chicago in the 1990s.

I'm not even sure what this is referring to: Chicago's popular alt-rock bands? the Chicago no-wave hardly anyone listened to? a 90s Chicago that contained no post-rock? This might seem like a nit-pick -- it is, really -- but it's the sort of thing I come across and don't understand why I couldn't be reading the same piece as written by someone who has enough connection with the material to unpack these things ... as opposed to what seems like a magazine guy who just happens to like Andrew Bird a lot:

Jonathan Mahler is a contributing writer. His most recent book is “The Challenge: Hamdan v. Rumsfeld and the Fight Over Presidential Power.”

I don't mean this to sound elitist, though I suppose it might technically qualify. It's just that ... I get the sense it's a lot harder for music critics to pitch stories about Hamdan v. Rumsfeld than it is for people to go in the opposite direction, and I'm not sure editors know some of the things that go wrong with the pieces that result.

― nabisco, Monday, 16 March 2009 20:28 (4 years ago) Permalink

^^those kind of "exposes" are bullshit imo because yeah it's usually at the level of just that xxp

― The Prices are .......... VERY AFFORDABLE!!! (omar little), Monday, 16 March 2009 20:29 (4 years ago) Permalink

that goat is stocky

― velko, Monday, 16 March 2009 20:29 (4 years ago) Permalink

I think he's referring to the post-punk Lounge Ax/Touch & Go scene circa 1999.

― Eazy, Monday, 16 March 2009 20:31 (4 years ago) Permalink

Wait, Eazy, you're being sarcastic, right?

― nabisco, Monday, 16 March 2009 20:34 (4 years ago) Permalink

um, that's what i assume the writer is referring to

― Mr. Que, Monday, 16 March 2009 20:34 (4 years ago) Permalink

I mean that as early as 2000 he was getting booked by Billions, and the particular music scene he was around at the time was making music that played against the strengths of what he was doing.

― Eazy, Monday, 16 March 2009 20:35 (4 years ago) Permalink

(But he was also pretty much part of the Hideout/alt-country world here in Chicago, played at a Doug Sahm tribute at Lounge Ax, and toured with Neko and others around that time, so he wasn't an ostracized guy at all; just didn't fit into what Billions and T&G were championing at the time.)

― Eazy, Monday, 16 March 2009 20:38 (4 years ago) Permalink

andrew bird, comfortably splitting the difference between concertos and simplistic chicago post-punk.

― He grew in Pussyville. Population: him. (call all destroyer), Monday, 16 March 2009 20:39 (4 years ago) Permalink

I don't understand how it would make sense to posit it as some formative thing that Bird wasn't attracted to the "flourishing" of a small group of Chicago post-punk bands.

xpost - by the way, we're talking about the mid-90s here

Honestly, I'm pretty sure that sentence is the writer's (non-music-jargony) way of referring to the alt-rock at the Metro, which it might make sense for Bird to react to. And I suspect the writer isn't otherwise aware that there was plenty of flourishing of complicated music on non-rock instruments happening in Chicago at exactly that moment. I suspect Andrew Bird told the writer he felt alienated from the rock/punk stuff going on in the city at the time, and the writer then assembled a sentence that made Bird sound, somewhat romantically, like a lone dissenter or misfit in a rock scene. Which makes for nice copy, but doesn't seem like a complete claim at all.

― nabisco, Monday, 16 March 2009 20:41 (4 years ago) Permalink

I don't understand how it would make sense to posit it as some formative thing that Bird wasn't attracted to the "flourishing" of a small group of Chicago post-punk bands.

that's not what the writer is saying. the writer is saying (as I read it) Bird wasn't interested in concertos, and he wasn't interested in Tar/Shellac whatever etc etc

― Mr. Que, Monday, 16 March 2009 20:46 (4 years ago) Permalink

Well, a lot of Chicago bands around him were fitting in with the sound of the labels here at the time: so there were Bloodshot bands, Touch & Go bands, and Thrill Jockey bands. What he was doing didn't fit in with those, and he was never on a local label, unlike a lot of his peers at the time.

― Eazy, Monday, 16 March 2009 20:47 (4 years ago) Permalink

I dunno, guys: keep in mind that this is a general-interest article written by someone who doesn't appear to write about music.

Que, the sentence is organized to suggest, pretty strongly, that the stark/simplistic "post-punk" that Bird couldn't relate to was somehow the dominant Chicago scene -- that it was the sound that "flourished" in 90s Chicago, leaving Bird somewhat romantically trapped between his concertos and the rock kids.

Now, no matter what we think he's referring to, or what elements of felt truth there might have been in that, we're talking about an era in Chicago where one major thing that was "flourishing" involved like Jim O'Rourke making pop and the Sea and Cake and such, so the suggestion that Andrew Bird was somehow an outcast from the mainstream of the scene seems really odd to me (even before the Bloodshot/Hideout stuff comes into view).

I'd reiterate that this is a non-music journalist in the NYT Magazine -- I really don't know that he himself exactly has Shellac in mind. Like I said, my guess is that a general expression on Bird's part of not being able to relate to some rock scene has just slipped onto the page, making for nice copy, without the writer's thinking: wait, was that the main scene happening at the time? Is anything else missing from this picture?

― nabisco, Monday, 16 March 2009 20:56 (4 years ago) Permalink

i think you're totally overthinking it. i think Shellac and the Sea and Cake and Jim O can all fall under post-punk/simplistic label (esp. if you're, as you say, a NY Times writer who doesn't write about music all that much) without too much trouble.

― Mr. Que, Monday, 16 March 2009 20:59 (4 years ago) Permalink

ay yi yi, this thread. Happy Birthday, John! Hahahahahaha!

― scott seward, Monday, 16 March 2009 21:00 (4 years ago) Permalink

O'Rourke records are too "stark" for Andrew Bird to relate to???

― nabisco, Monday, 16 March 2009 21:03 (4 years ago) Permalink

<3 this pic haha

― tylerw, Monday, 16 March 2009 21:04 (4 years ago) Permalink

who is this andrew bird character anyway? someone i should have heard of? (not gonna read the nyt piece.)

― ian, Monday, 16 March 2009 21:05 (4 years ago) Permalink

hes a squirrel nut zipper

― rip dom passantino 3/5/09 never forget (max), Monday, 16 March 2009 21:06 (4 years ago) Permalink

more like andrew turd

― velko, Monday, 16 March 2009 21:06 (4 years ago) Permalink

is he related to larry bird

― ian, Monday, 16 March 2009 21:07 (4 years ago) Permalink

he's good, you might like him. violin, loops and experimental vox. i hear the new one is good.

― Surmounter, Monday, 16 March 2009 21:07 (4 years ago) Permalink

but does he poo clouds?

― scott seward, Monday, 16 March 2009 21:09 (4 years ago) Permalink

a quick gis reveals him to be DASHING, even when disheveled.

― ian, Monday, 16 March 2009 21:09 (4 years ago) Permalink

he does poo clouds, yes. pretty sick.

― tylerw, Monday, 16 March 2009 21:10 (4 years ago) Permalink

that goat is stocky

― velko, Monday, March 16, 2009 4:29 PM

like his fanbase ;)

― eman, Monday, 16 March 2009 21:10 (4 years ago) Permalink

Anyway, though, I'll try not to belabor the one sentence -- I just get this sense, when general-interest writers do these musician profiles, that certain impressions go wrong somewhere in the translation; probably the same way science buffs feel about science articles. (There are other details in the Bird piece that seemed odd to me: some fretting about playing large venues when I'm pretty sure he's played larger; some of the obligatory wrap-up conclusions; little profile details about songwriting process that seem like they'd be true for half of the musicians you talked to, etc.)

― nabisco, Monday, 16 March 2009 21:10 (4 years ago) Permalink

― bnw, Monday, March 16, 2009 4:05 PM (59 minutes ago) Bookmark

I like to think that this fan views oldham as some all-powerful all-knowing oracle who can answer any query at hand

"will, what's the population of guam?"
"will, where will I go when I die?"
"will, where did I park my car?"

― 鬼の手 (Edward III), Monday, 16 March 2009 21:11 (4 years ago) Permalink

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=53098479

Jeremy
Mar 3, 2009 4:05 PM

More like Andrew Turd.

― eman, Monday, 16 March 2009 21:13 (4 years ago) Permalink

lol

― velko, Monday, 16 March 2009 21:13 (4 years ago) Permalink

― 鬼の手 (Edward III), Monday, 16 March 2009 21:14 (4 years ago) Permalink

nabisco's totally right, btw -- general-interest profiles of musicians often get things slightly or totally wrong. it has been thus forever. right?

― tylerw, Monday, 16 March 2009 21:14 (4 years ago) Permalink

mountain goats are pretty amazing looking! wow.

― tylerw, Monday, 16 March 2009 21:15 (4 years ago) Permalink

― ian, Monday, 16 March 2009 21:16 (4 years ago) Permalink

― ian, Monday, 16 March 2009 21:17 (4 years ago) Permalink

nabisco's totally right, btw -- general-interest profiles of musicians often get things slightly or totally wrong. it has been thus forever. right?

how about: journalists get things slightly or totally wrong all the time etc etc etc

― Mr. Que, Monday, 16 March 2009 21:17 (4 years ago) Permalink

― Mr. Que, Monday, 16 March 2009 21:18 (4 years ago) Permalink

srsly i don't think anyone is disputing the idea that journalists often write inaccurate or biased pieces. for a wide variety of reasons! ignorance or self-indulgence are only two of many possibilities.

― ian, Monday, 16 March 2009 21:19 (4 years ago) Permalink

i am def gonna get some curry goat for dinner btw.

― ian, Monday, 16 March 2009 21:19 (4 years ago) Permalink

how about: journalists get things slightly or totally wrong all the time etc etc etc
nah, don't think that's true ... (kidding: yes.)

― tylerw, Monday, 16 March 2009 21:19 (4 years ago) Permalink

― velko, Monday, 16 March 2009 21:20 (4 years ago) Permalink

http://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/archives/2009/03/the_mountain_go.php

How funny, I happen to be an 30yr old obsessed Mountain Goats fan and former Juggalo, the two are not that far apart

Posted by: hanuman at March 3, 2009 2:41 PM

― ian, Monday, 16 March 2009 21:40 (4 years ago) Permalink

I think what's odd to me about it in these cases is that I'm pretty sure there are plenty of people who could write excellent general-audience profiles of Bird, from a perspective that's maybe more in the music field, most of them probably cheaper than regular NYT Mag contributors -- but that gap doesn't get filled often, does it? Beyond like SFJ and Kelefa and a few newspaper people. It's not that I think music can only be written about my music writers, but it always feels like there's an unnecessary disconnect on this front, a weird lack of bridging between the music realm and the general-audience stuff.

― nabisco, Monday, 16 March 2009 21:45 (4 years ago) Permalink

can we all at least agree that without getting into the validity of not of the gawker article that it reads like it was written by a child?

― a thread for clams that you are free to disregard (jjjusten), Monday, 16 March 2009 21:51 (4 years ago) Permalink

it = the gawker article

― a thread for clams that you are free to disregard (jjjusten), Monday, 16 March 2009 21:51 (4 years ago) Permalink

How funny, I happen to be an 30yr old obsessed Mountain Goats fan and former Juggalo, the two are not that far apart

dan's lying about his age, now?

― da croupier, Monday, 16 March 2009 21:53 (4 years ago) Permalink

the only similarity i see between mtn goats and insane clown posses is that they are both jesus lovers.

― ian, Monday, 16 March 2009 21:54 (4 years ago) Permalink

also both claim to have eaten dead bodies

― Wes HI DEREson (HI DERE), Monday, 16 March 2009 21:56 (4 years ago) Permalink

TS: The Sunset Tree Vs. The Riddle Box

― da croupier, Monday, 16 March 2009 21:56 (4 years ago) Permalink

by virtue of being churchgoers, or something more sinister? xp

― ian, Monday, 16 March 2009 21:57 (4 years ago) Permalink

What is a mountain goat?
Lemme think for a second. (well? )
Oh, he gets butt naked.
And then he walks through the street winkin at freaks,
Wit a two-liter stuck in his butt-cheeks!
What is a mountain goat?
He just dont care.
He might try to put a weave in his nut hair.
Cuz he could give a fuck less what a bitch thinks,
He tell her that her butt stinks, and all that,
What is a mountain goat?
He drinks like a fish,
And then he starts huggin people like a drunk bitch,
Next thing hes pickin fights with his best friends,
Then he starts with the huggin again, fuck,
What is a mountain goat?
A fuckin lunatic.
Somebody with a rope tied to his dick,
Then he jumps out a ten-story windowéééoh!
(chorus:)
What is a mountain goat?
A mountain goat? if thats what it is, well fuck if I know.
What is a mountain goat?
I dont know, but Im down with the clown, and Im down for life, yo.
(end chorus)
(chorus)
(vocal breakdown)
What is a mountain goat?
A dead body.
Well he aint really dead, but he aint like anybody
That youve ever met before.
Hell eat monopoly and shit out connect four.
What is a moun-
What the fuck? connec-man, that shits wack.
Dont worry bout my shit, just rap, mutha fucker.
What is a mountain goat?
He aint a bitch boy.
Hell walk through to the hills and beat down a rich boy.
Walks right in the house where ya havin supper,
And dip his nuts in ya soupéébloop!
What is a mountain goat?
Well he aint a phoney.
Hell walk up and bust a nut in your macaroni.
And watch you sit there and finish up the last bit,
Cuz youre a stupid-ass dumb fuckin idiot.
What is a mountain goat?
Hes a graduate.
He graduated from......well,
At least hes got a job, hes not a dumb putz,
He works for himself scratchin his nuts, ha!
What is a mountain goat?
A hulkamaniac.
He powerbombs mutha fuckas into thumbtacks. (bwa!)
People like him till they find out hes unstable.
He sabued ya mama through a coffee table. (oh my god!)
(chorus)
(vocal breakdown)
(chorus)
(chorus)
(vocal breakdown)
What is a mountain goat?

― a thread for clams that you are free to disregard (jjjusten), Monday, 16 March 2009 22:02 (4 years ago) Permalink

both stab people

― She Is Beyond Food In Weevil (Mackro Mackro), Monday, 16 March 2009 22:03 (4 years ago) Permalink

pretty certain i just ensured that i will never be on the J0hn D christmas card list

― a thread for clams that you are free to disregard (jjjusten), Monday, 16 March 2009 22:17 (4 years ago) Permalink

what are you even talking about, you just bought yourself lifetime guest list

― Just one thing I was thinking about as I was getting on the copter (J0hn D.), Monday, 16 March 2009 23:28 (4 years ago) Permalink

What is a mountain goat?
He just dont care.

HELLO FALL 2009 TOUR SHIRT

― Just one thing I was thinking about as I was getting on the copter (J0hn D.), Monday, 16 March 2009 23:29 (4 years ago) Permalink

J0hn, I posted a birthday song/lyric on your Facebook, do I get lifetime +1 guest list also?

― ilxor, Monday, 16 March 2009 23:31 (4 years ago) Permalink

referring to the Mountain Goats on my facebook gets you barred from the door forever, actually

― Just one thing I was thinking about as I was getting on the copter (J0hn D.), Monday, 16 March 2009 23:37 (4 years ago) Permalink

it's been a ban-ner week for our man ilxor

― moonship journey to 51 (k3vin k.), Monday, 16 March 2009 23:38 (4 years ago) Permalink

Dang it.

― ilxor, Monday, 16 March 2009 23:38 (4 years ago) Permalink

How funny, I happen to be an 30yr old obsessed Mountain Goats fan and former Juggalo, the two are not that far apart

Posted by: hanuman at March 3, 2009 2:41 PM

After reading this article, I had a brief, worrying flash of "Oh god, do I just enjoy the Mountain Goats because they're some weird cult that has sprung up to replace Phish?"

It also didn't help that I downloaded a live show from archive.org and there was some background audience chatter. You can hear a guy saying "Oh yeah, they played that last night in Philly" or something

I 've never been to one of their concerts, but if it turns out that j)hn has a bitchin' light show, I'm really going to have to stop listening to his music.

― kingkongvsgodzilla, Tuesday, 17 March 2009 12:35 (4 years ago) Permalink

None of them feel compelled to do the things that actually famous musicians did in order to get famous, like create an appealing persona and deliver it to a fascinated reporter.

Like, oh, Amy Winehouse?

― meta pro lols (libcrypt), Tuesday, 17 March 2009 15:51 (4 years ago) Permalink

laura says the NYC show this past Friday night was amazingly acoustic and intimate.

― Surmounter, Monday, 30 March 2009 14:12 (4 years ago) Permalink

No one commented on the use of "stannery" in that Voice response article?

― legendary North American forest ape (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Monday, 30 March 2009 16:22 (4 years ago) Permalink

Hey J0hn you should book a show in MN on this tour.

― no one is ever ready for the STAKK ATTAKK (jjjusten), Monday, 30 March 2009 16:28 (4 years ago) Permalink

stannery o'connor

― I'm the head soul brother in the US. Where to now? (bernard snowy), Monday, 30 March 2009 16:57 (4 years ago) Permalink

holy shit how did I miss that epic MG/ICP interpolation

― BADGES DON'T GIVE YOU THE RIGHT TO WALTZ OFF WITH A BABY (HI DERE), Monday, 30 March 2009 16:58 (4 years ago) Permalink

Hey J0hn you should book a show in MN on this tour.

Hay no worries, jjjusten, I fixed that typo for you.

― ilxor, Monday, 30 March 2009 19:36 (4 years ago) Permalink

Actually...

Hey J0hn you should book a show in MN TX on this tour.

Better.

*ducks*

― ilxor, Monday, 30 March 2009 19:36 (4 years ago) Permalink

5 months pass...

This new one really is amazing. Right up there with the best of them for me.

― toby, Thursday, 10 September 2009 18:28 (3 years ago) Permalink

Having trouble remembering the song titles, of course, but the Ezekiel one is particularly remarkable.

― toby, Thursday, 10 September 2009 18:29 (3 years ago) Permalink

will be interesting to see how they translate to a live beatdown experience

― kevision questler (country matters), Thursday, 10 September 2009 18:30 (3 years ago) Permalink

― Mr. Que, Thursday, 10 September 2009 18:30 (3 years ago) Permalink

i love "genesis 3:23"

― k3vin k., Thursday, 10 September 2009 18:46 (3 years ago) Permalink

v. excited for first Mountain Goats show in Madison since I don't know when

― Guayaquil (eephus!), Thursday, 10 September 2009 18:57 (3 years ago) Permalink

v excited for the Boston show as I've never been in the Wilbur Theatre before

― "So messy!" (HI DERE), Thursday, 10 September 2009 18:58 (3 years ago) Permalink

excited to be beaten within an inch of my life at the cedar cultural center

― A DOG, A BARREL... RIDICULOUS! (jjjusten), Thursday, 10 September 2009 18:59 (3 years ago) Permalink

FINALLY

― A DOG, A BARREL... RIDICULOUS! (jjjusten), Thursday, 10 September 2009 18:59 (3 years ago) Permalink

yeah, i've missed the MGs in madison like three times before. but now my gf is a huge fan, so i've got tickets.

― Ømår Littel (Jordan), Thursday, 10 September 2009 19:00 (3 years ago) Permalink

xp: your beatings bingo card will at last be full

― "So messy!" (HI DERE), Thursday, 10 September 2009 19:00 (3 years ago) Permalink

I am annoyed that I am missing a Boston show for the second time this year (I get back from a week away about an hour after the show will end, and I missed Somerville for similar reasons).

― toby, Thursday, 10 September 2009 19:08 (3 years ago) Permalink

And I missed Zoop in exactly the same fashion. A year of failing to see the Mountain Goats, basically.

― toby, Thursday, 10 September 2009 19:08 (3 years ago) Permalink

perhaps you can arrange for a mail order beatdown

― Mr. Que, Thursday, 10 September 2009 19:10 (3 years ago) Permalink

Looking forward to the ATX show. Is this already out??

― both HOOSlarious and truthful (BIG HOOS aka the steendriver), Thursday, 10 September 2009 19:14 (3 years ago) Permalink

early October I think?

― A DOG, A BARREL... RIDICULOUS! (jjjusten), Thursday, 10 September 2009 19:15 (3 years ago) Permalink

10.06.09.

― Daniel, Esq., Thursday, 10 September 2009 19:18 (3 years ago) Permalink

Pitchfork: How's it going?

John Darnielle: I'm doing pretty good. Actually, I don't know if you're aware of this-- the album leaked today.

Pitchfork: I was not aware of that.

JD: Yeah. A few years ago that would have been, (gruff voice) "Oh no." But I live in the real world. It kind of takes a little pressure off when the album leaks.

Pitchfork: So are they going to start selling it online early or anything?

JD: No, no. Any thoughts I have about that stuff are just clod-talk. My stance on that stuff is that I have all sorts of weird ideas, and if I say something and somebody wants to run with it, that's cool. But I pretty much just focus on making the records-- unless I'm self-releasing them, then I do my own thing. But at some point, you have to stop worrying about chains of distribution or it takes out of your time to write.

Pitchfork: Have you been getting a lot of texts about the album today?

JD: Yeah. (laughs) There's a person in my chat list-- I don't know who they are, they only appear by screen name, but the chorus to the second song of the album suddenly popped up as their status. (laughs) "Oh, well, I'll be damned. It must be out there."

Pitchfork: That's one way to find out.

― thomp, Thursday, 10 September 2009 21:04 (3 years ago) Permalink

― both HOOSlarious and truthful (BIG HOOS aka the steendriver), Thursday, 10 September 2009 22:57 (3 years ago) Permalink

This is awesome, btw. I had "1 Samuel 15:23" on repeat for like an hour last night

― both HOOSlarious and truthful (BIG HOOS aka the steendriver), Friday, 18 September 2009 17:18 (3 years ago) Permalink

Looking forward to this. It's going to get me to read as least 12 passages from the Bible.

― Daniel, Esq., Friday, 18 September 2009 17:25 (3 years ago) Permalink

This is his best album since The Sunset Tree.

― vulva eyes (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 18 September 2009 17:48 (3 years ago) Permalink

Yahweh was his c0-writer.

― M.V., Friday, 18 September 2009 18:24 (3 years ago) Permalink

yet another mountain goats album that i can't find anything bad to say about

matthew 25:21 is really powerful

― extremely demanding on the hardware (ciderpress), Sunday, 27 September 2009 04:37 (3 years ago) Permalink

the genesis one with just piano is killer

― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Sunday, 27 September 2009 18:43 (3 years ago) Permalink

This is his best album since The Sunset Tree.

Actually, that one was called Get Lonely. It came out in 2006 and it is his best album.

― I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), Wednesday, 30 September 2009 03:14 (3 years ago) Permalink

Haven't heard the new one yet (lol @ waiting for release day), but really looking forward to it and will def. be at the ATX show in November.

― I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), Wednesday, 30 September 2009 03:15 (3 years ago) Permalink

OMG, j0hn you asshole. Thanks for nearly reducing me to tears twice on my drive home last night. Its been a long, long time since I've had such a raw response to recorded music. "Matthew 25:21
" hit me pretty hard, which makes sense given then subject matter, but I was not at all prepared for "Genesis 3:23" which hit me like a punch in the gut and I'm still not quite sure why.

― & other try hard shitfests (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Friday, 9 October 2009 14:57 (3 years ago) Permalink

Actually, that one was called Get Lonely. It came out in 2006 and it is his best album.

No.

― Roman Polanski now sleeps in prison. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, 9 October 2009 14:58 (3 years ago) Permalink

bought the new one for my gf the other day, she's a big MGs fan.

― Ømår Littel (Jordan), Friday, 9 October 2009 14:58 (3 years ago) Permalink

you're always good value on indie rock threads, jordan

― thomp, Friday, 9 October 2009 15:07 (3 years ago) Permalink

lol

― Ømår Littel (Jordan), Friday, 9 October 2009 15:11 (3 years ago) Permalink

Has anybody heard the "Life of the World in Flux?" I.E. should I pay tons extra and wait for this album to come in the mail w/ extra demo CD, or just go to the record store and buy the regular version now?

― Guayaquil (eephus!), Friday, 9 October 2009 16:51 (3 years ago) Permalink

I don't know, I didn't even know that version existed until after I'd already bought the regular album.

― & other try hard shitfests (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Friday, 9 October 2009 16:52 (3 years ago) Permalink

Actually, that one was called Get Lonely. It came out in 2006 and it is his best album.
No.
― Roman Polanski now sleeps in prison. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn)

Listen again -- with ears this time, perhaps.

― I just wish he hadn't adopted the "ilxor" moniker (ilxor), Friday, 9 October 2009 17:30 (3 years ago) Permalink

Flux is good but inessential and not worth the difference in money to the US IMHO. You should run out and get the album now because it is fantastic, right up there with anything else by TMG for me at the moment.

― toby, Friday, 9 October 2009 19:34 (3 years ago) Permalink

Was cool seeing TMGs on Colbert a couple days ago.

― Elvis Telecom, Friday, 9 October 2009 23:32 (3 years ago) Permalink

Get Lonely is a personal favorite, but it doesn't have the variety or the brazen power of Sunset or Tallahassee or the new one imo.

― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Saturday, 10 October 2009 03:35 (3 years ago) Permalink

tMG are pretty close to edging out Wilco as my favorite band.

― kshighway1, Saturday, 10 October 2009 04:05 (3 years ago) Permalink

I mean, fuck: "Ezekiel 7 and the Permanent Efficacy of Grace"? "Ezekiel 7 and the Permanent Efficacy of Grace"!

I can still vaguely remember buying Get Lonely at a local Newbury Comics, either the day it came out or really soon after that. Summer 2006. Summer 2007 I bought The Sunset Tree, thought it was one of the most amazing records I had ever heard with one of the best closing songs I had ever heard. Heretic Pride I got soon after it came out. Then this one, day of.

I seriously just heard the album version of "The Best Ever Death Metal Band In Denton" a few days ago, and I can't stop playing it. Holy shit, what a song.

― kshighway1, Saturday, 10 October 2009 04:08 (3 years ago) Permalink

I mean, dudes, I don't think I've ever heard a band that better captures lived human experience than tMG. It's not just the uncannily accurate, affecting, and unsurpassed lyrics but also the preciseness of the music itself. I'm not being articulate here, but I know what I mean.

― kshighway1, Saturday, 10 October 2009 04:17 (3 years ago) Permalink

"Denton" is a prime example of the MG using hieratic language to turn the mundane into the epic. It's a device they use to terrific effect.

― Cunga, Saturday, 10 October 2009 04:35 (3 years ago) Permalink

Lol at ppl referring John as "they" as though he were some high deity. The Great One Who Is Also The Infinite Many.

― Big King Buggle Sprayer (╓abies), Saturday, 10 October 2009 04:51 (3 years ago) Permalink

I mean I realize TMG is plural etc., it's cute is all.

― Big King Buggle Sprayer (╓abies), Saturday, 10 October 2009 04:52 (3 years ago) Permalink

Well, I count Hughes and Wurster too. :-)

― kshighway1, Saturday, 10 October 2009 04:55 (3 years ago) Permalink

Anyone going to the QEH show tonight?

― surfing on hokusine waves (ledge), Saturday, 10 October 2009 09:35 (3 years ago) Permalink

Awesome.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/l-dogg/3991961280/

― kingkongvsgodzilla, Saturday, 10 October 2009 11:39 (3 years ago) Permalink

haha yes, very awesome

― as strikingly artificial and perfect as a wizard's cap (HI DERE), Saturday, 10 October 2009 14:49 (3 years ago) Permalink

Brilliant!

― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 10 October 2009 15:15 (3 years ago) Permalink

I love that it was pretty much impossible for Colbert to act like he wasn't a huuuuuuge fan.

― & other try hard shitfests (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Saturday, 10 October 2009 15:31 (3 years ago) Permalink

J0hn FYI I will give you a crispy extra $5 bill if you cover "Charlene (I'm Right Behind You)" at the Atlanta show:

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/59061/february-09-2006/charlene--i-m-right-behind-you-

― sunn o))) successor (Curt1s Stephens), Saturday, 10 October 2009 15:33 (3 years ago) Permalink

Polite request, please to upload to youtube for us poor Brits who can't see it, and don't want to risk any dodgy rapidshare sites.

― go in go hard brother (Billy Dods), Saturday, 10 October 2009 15:56 (3 years ago) Permalink

likin the album

― see it sounds really lame if you say it in parentheses: (Curt1s Stephens), Monday, 12 October 2009 23:26 (3 years ago) Permalink

okay, so i haven't heard this yet, but in case you didn't get the memo: WE SHALL ALL BE HEALED is the best fuckin MGs album. i think about songs on that album and start getting teary-eyed.

― my bach penises and their contrapuntal technique (the table is the table), Tuesday, 13 October 2009 02:44 (3 years ago) Permalink

but then again, i've been a recovering drug addict, so this is me speaking.

― my bach penises and their contrapuntal technique (the table is the table), Tuesday, 13 October 2009 02:45 (3 years ago) Permalink

I (relatively) recently discovered, and am really enjoying, the early discs.

The modified lyrics on The Commodores' Sail On are powerful.

― Daniel, Esq., Tuesday, 13 October 2009 02:48 (3 years ago) Permalink

OMG yes yes yes daniel, excellent observation.

― my bach penises and their contrapuntal technique (the table is the table), Tuesday, 13 October 2009 02:48 (3 years ago) Permalink

Front cover of new record looks like U2 record, inner cover looks like They Might Be Giants record.

― Guayaquil (eephus!), Tuesday, 13 October 2009 03:15 (3 years ago) Permalink

3 weeks pass...

Anybody going to the Metro tonight?

― stingy, Thursday, 5 November 2009 18:34 (3 years ago) Permalink

I believe J0hn was going.

― StanM, Thursday, 5 November 2009 19:13 (3 years ago) Permalink

2 weeks pass...

Get well J0hnny D

― 9-1 never forget (a hoy hoy), Monday, 23 November 2009 21:47 (3 years ago) Permalink

^^^^^

― & other try hard shitfests (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Monday, 23 November 2009 21:51 (3 years ago) Permalink

I see the furthest into Florida the Mountain Goats were going to go is Orlando and St. Augustine. South Florida is -- generally -- such a wasteland for good rock shows. It's too far down into the penninsula for a lot of acts to do a show here, then drive to other good venues. Easier for them to do shows up near the panhandle, then drive to other Southern states.

Sorry to gripe. Get well, obv.

― Daniel, Esq., Monday, 23 November 2009 21:53 (3 years ago) Permalink

saw the atx show last week and dude seemed on and fiery as ever, but did say he felt mad sick. was hoping it was a quick bug!

get well soon dude

― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Monday, 23 November 2009 22:00 (3 years ago) Permalink

sad to see mr. darnielle is sick. get well soon

― lukevalentine, Tuesday, 24 November 2009 02:20 (3 years ago) Permalink

:( that sucks! his voice was giving him trouble after the Atlanta show.

― berberbrebreerbbrerberereerb (Curt1s Stephens), Tuesday, 24 November 2009 02:21 (3 years ago) Permalink

well the dude plays like 20-25 songs a night, and performs them ferociously, and he's been on tour for like 2 months now or something...pretty heroic effort tbh

― my fave thing to do on the computer is what im doing right now (acoleuthic), Tuesday, 24 November 2009 13:50 (3 years ago) Permalink

hope it doesn't stop him touring in the future, i really wanna see teh MGs one day.

― 9-1 never forget (a hoy hoy), Tuesday, 24 November 2009 13:58 (3 years ago) Permalink

aw man there were totally about 5 or 6 spare seats bookable the day before his QEH gig - almost an entire row obviously pulled out

― my fave thing to do on the computer is what im doing right now (acoleuthic), Tuesday, 24 November 2009 14:00 (3 years ago) Permalink

well the dude plays like 20-25 songs a night, and bleats them wildly

― kingkongvsgodzilla, Tuesday, 24 November 2009 14:02 (3 years ago) Permalink

and he's been fleeing an ever-rising tree-line for 2 months now

― my fave thing to do on the computer is what im doing right now (acoleuthic), Tuesday, 24 November 2009 14:03 (3 years ago) Permalink

― berberbrebreerbbrerberereerb (Curt1s Stephens), Tuesday, 24 November 2009 15:18 (3 years ago) Permalink

― max, Tuesday, 24 November 2009 17:43 (3 years ago) Permalink

TMG playg one $5 gig in NY if you know where to look

― Feingold/Kaptur 2012 (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 25 November 2009 00:25 (3 years ago) Permalink

Woot posting from the mezzanine, show in t-5

― lift this towel, its just a nipple (HI DERE), Monday, 30 November 2009 00:26 (3 years ago) Permalink

Just FYI, holy shit @ Final Fantasy

― lift this towel, its just a nipple (HI DERE), Monday, 30 November 2009 01:31 (3 years ago) Permalink

aw man wish i was there!

― omaha deserved 311 (call all destroyer), Monday, 30 November 2009 01:34 (3 years ago) Permalink

You should have been there, it was fucking CHOICE

― lift this towel, its just a nipple (HI DERE), Monday, 30 November 2009 05:12 (3 years ago) Permalink

I'm glad that these Mtn. Goats shows are turning people on to Final Fantasy!

― Nuyorican oatmeal (jaymc), Monday, 30 November 2009 05:49 (3 years ago) Permalink

dan settin me right in this situation :(

― omaha deserved 311 (call all destroyer), Monday, 30 November 2009 05:51 (3 years ago) Permalink

Just FYI, holy shit @ Final Fantasy

^^^^^

I was surprised how much I liked FF!

― unban everyone tbh (Curt1s Stephens), Monday, 30 November 2009 05:57 (3 years ago) Permalink

lol that sounds bad - I mean I was expecting something decent in the first place, but the performance was seriously killer

― unban everyone tbh (Curt1s Stephens), Monday, 30 November 2009 05:59 (3 years ago) Permalink

i was surprised how much i liked FF, and i went in expecting to hate them

― NAKES HAVE THE STAPLES IN THEM (jjjusten), Monday, 30 November 2009 07:19 (3 years ago) Permalink

had not heard album, all the local paper buzz was talking about dudes involvement in arcade fire to which ick

― NAKES HAVE THE STAPLES IN THEM (jjjusten), Monday, 30 November 2009 07:20 (3 years ago) Permalink

he put on a great show at the kitchen in nyc last year

― max, Monday, 30 November 2009 13:18 (3 years ago) Permalink

posts to ilx from time to time iirc

― max, Monday, 30 November 2009 13:18 (3 years ago) Permalink

2 weeks pass...

Wanted: Mountain Goats All Hail West Texas on Vinly (Palmer)

I am looking to get my girlfriend The Mountain Goats "All Hail West Texas" on vinly. only on vinlt format. please help!! also.. if you have any of the rarer records from bright eyes, modest mouse, neutral milk hotel, xiu xiu, let me know! my email is br#ttr*bert%haw@ya&oo.com

Location: Palmer
it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

― scott seward, Tuesday, 15 December 2009 23:16 (3 years ago) Permalink

brett bert haw

― you are wrong I'm bone thugs in harmon (omar little), Tuesday, 15 December 2009 23:16 (3 years ago) Permalink

mmm...vinly.

― scott seward, Tuesday, 15 December 2009 23:17 (3 years ago) Permalink

ts: vinly vs dobly

― blarinet (electricsound), Tuesday, 15 December 2009 23:19 (3 years ago) Permalink

mmm...vinly.
― scott seward, Tuesday, December 15, 2009 11:17 PM (Yesterday) Bookmark

The vinlt is far tastier, and healthier for you, to boot.

― Sean Carruthers, Wednesday, 16 December 2009 01:30 (3 years ago) Permalink

Keep your garden Chemical free with Vinly Snake

Place this six feet rattle in your garden and save it naturally from birds, rodents and naughty children who eat your fruits or flowers.

You do not have to do anything, just place this scary inflatable vinly snake on soil or on the branches and scare all those birds from it. Keep in mind to change its place after few days just to give it a real touch. With this you can say good bye to pest control and other chemical which are used to save your fruits or flowers. Price: $9.95

When I saw it I was fully convinced of its working but it is striking my mind that will the horror last longer?

Link58931
Tags: Vinly Scare Snake, Garden Product, Lifestyle

― scott seward, Wednesday, 16 December 2009 01:40 (3 years ago) Permalink

Keep your garden Chemical free with Vinly Snake

How is this not a sex spam subject line.

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 16 December 2009 01:42 (3 years ago) Permalink

i can hear john singing this line actually:

"When I saw it I was fully convinced of its working but it is striking my mind that will the horror last longer?"

― scott seward, Wednesday, 16 December 2009 01:46 (3 years ago) Permalink

lollll

― what u think i steen for to push a crawfish? (BIG HOOS aka the steendriver), Wednesday, 16 December 2009 02:16 (3 years ago) Permalink

there are rare neutral milk hotel records? besides that one single?

― ian, Wednesday, 16 December 2009 15:24 (3 years ago) Permalink

yeah--good ones!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

― max, Wednesday, 16 December 2009 15:25 (3 years ago) Permalink

Am I the only one who can't stand John Darnielle's voice or his lyrics?

The music's pretty good, though.

― rennavate, Wednesday, 16 December 2009 23:47 (3 years ago) Permalink

I myself am a fan, but there isn't a single thing around here anyone can agree on so you probably aren't alone.

― retrovaporized nebulizer (╓abies), Thursday, 17 December 2009 02:04 (3 years ago) Permalink

I think it is generally accepted that there aren't enough dinosaurs in the lyrics.

― FC Tom Tomsk Club (Merdeyeux), Thursday, 17 December 2009 09:50 (3 years ago) Permalink

Am I the only one who can't stand John Darnielle's voice or his lyrics?

i guess voices are personal preference, but i think JD's is more than adequate and a great pair with the music. but anyone that can write a "no children" - maybe the most scathing lyrics re: a doomed relationship ever, is bloody brilliant in my book

― controlled noise pollution (outdoor_miner), Thursday, 17 December 2009 19:39 (3 years ago) Permalink

3 weeks pass...

http://pitchfork.com/tv/#/episode/2095-the-mountain-goats/1

hawttt

― living like the Na'vi will never happen (HI DERE), Monday, 11 January 2010 22:24 (3 years ago) Permalink

y'all seen the TV ad for Rhapsody in which a woman is reminded of a Mountain Goats song when bringing her man a cup of coffee in the morning?

― Fox Force Five Punchline (sexyDancer), Monday, 11 January 2010 22:29 (3 years ago) Permalink

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

my wife actually pointed it out to me

― living like the Na'vi will never happen (HI DERE), Monday, 11 January 2010 22:30 (3 years ago) Permalink

yeah i saw that! i was like hellz yeah j0hn get ya money! congrats!

― Na'vi Girls (Need Love Too) (M@tt He1ges0n), Monday, 11 January 2010 22:31 (3 years ago) Permalink

sellout imo -- what's next, shilling for Vinly Scare Snakes?

― tylerw, Monday, 11 January 2010 22:42 (3 years ago) Permalink

i think that song played on p-fork is already one of the most recognisable mg songs going - it sticks in the brain, y'know

― Inspiration for the sex robot sprang from the September 11 attacks (acoleuthic), Monday, 11 January 2010 22:47 (3 years ago) Permalink

Fucking awesome!

― kshighway (ksh), Monday, 11 January 2010 22:50 (3 years ago) Permalink

― Miss Bannister (╓abies), Monday, 11 January 2010 22:57 (3 years ago) Permalink

oh hey guess who's on late night w/ jimmy fallon tonight

― DANGER: DO NOT EAT SHAMELESS DONG (jjjusten), Wednesday, 20 January 2010 05:53 (3 years ago) Permalink

― mage pit laceration (gbx), Wednesday, 20 January 2010 05:56 (3 years ago) Permalink

The Mountain Roots

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 20 January 2010 05:59 (3 years ago) Permalink

Qu3stl0v3

― fuckin never was funny ― miley stylus (Whiney G. Weingarten) (jeff), Wednesday, 20 January 2010 06:05 (3 years ago) Permalink

CONFESSION TIME

that was the first mountain goats song that i've ever heard and it was awesome

― J0rdan S., Wednesday, 20 January 2010 06:33 (3 years ago) Permalink

Haha so i guess it's ilx night on NBC since the xx is on Carson daly

man mtn goat band is so so tight

― DANGER: DO NOT EAT SHAMELESS DONG (jjjusten), Wednesday, 20 January 2010 06:38 (3 years ago) Permalink

Considering the xx just placed 7th on Pazz and Jop, I don't think ILX has any special claim to them.

― Hoisin Murphy (jaymc), Wednesday, 20 January 2010 06:40 (3 years ago) Permalink

*Applause*

― Megadeth Panel (Ówen P.), Wednesday, 20 January 2010 06:41 (3 years ago) Permalink

wow, what a really fantastic performance! they sounded great.

― kshighway (ksh), Wednesday, 20 January 2010 06:44 (3 years ago) Permalink

3 months pass...

wau

― mookieproof, Monday, 3 May 2010 21:43 (3 years ago) Permalink

ha i just came here 2 post that

― J0rdan S., Tuesday, 11 May 2010 18:59 (3 years ago) Permalink

going to

― kelpolaris, Tuesday, 11 May 2010 23:26 (3 years ago) Permalink

2 months pass...

interesting little day over at Dennis Cooper's blog:

http://denniscooper-theweaklings.blogspot.com/2010/07/mark-doten-aka-nmtk-presents-not.html

― The Portrait of a Lady of BJs (the table is the table), Saturday, 17 July 2010 20:38 (2 years ago) Permalink

so THATS what happened to mark doten

way to go dude

― be told and get high on coconut (gbx), Sunday, 18 July 2010 13:40 (2 years ago) Permalink

I don't get it -- I know Mark Doten, but what is NMTK?

― Guayaquil (eephus!), Sunday, 18 July 2010 19:28 (2 years ago) Permalink

pretty sure it's the same mark doten I went to HS with afaik

― be told and get high on coconut (gbx), Sunday, 18 July 2010 20:02 (2 years ago) Permalink

wait, waht

another HHS grad done good!

― HI DERE, Sunday, 18 July 2010 20:41 (2 years ago) Permalink

2 weeks pass...

Mountain Goats coming here on my 21st birthday!

― christopher dullan (Tape Store), Friday, 6 August 2010 06:43 (2 years ago) Permalink

j0rdan, you're coming too!

― christopher dullan (Tape Store), Friday, 6 August 2010 06:45 (2 years ago) Permalink

we sold out of tallahassee, had to re-stock before the weekend.

― not everything is a campfire (ian), Saturday, 7 August 2010 04:42 (2 years ago) Permalink

woah

― Trip Maker, Saturday, 7 August 2010 04:44 (2 years ago) Permalink

tape store is so young ;_;

― not everything is a campfire (ian), Saturday, 7 August 2010 05:00 (2 years ago) Permalink

Tapey are you in Florida?

― Janet Privacy Control (corey), Saturday, 7 August 2010 05:02 (2 years ago) Permalink

We are in Missooourah.

― Trip Maker, Saturday, 7 August 2010 05:04 (2 years ago) Permalink

Ohh

― Janet Privacy Control (corey), Saturday, 7 August 2010 05:09 (2 years ago) Permalink

2 months pass...

Mountain goat 'kills hiker'

― conrad, Sunday, 17 October 2010 23:53 (2 years ago) Permalink

oh darnielle, what hast thou wrought?

― once a remy bean always a (remy bean), Monday, 18 October 2010 00:07 (2 years ago) Permalink

Rangers later killed the goat, which was known for its aggressive behaviour.

― ilxor is awesome what the fuck are you guys on about (ilxor), Monday, 18 October 2010 01:24 (2 years ago) Permalink

mod with no sense of humor imo

― Brick Frog! (forksclovetofu), Monday, 18 October 2010 05:07 (2 years ago) Permalink

underrated aerosmith fans i have gored

― jeezy and the ayy-dog (Whiney G. Weingarten), Monday, 18 October 2010 06:00 (2 years ago) Permalink

this fucking goat

― some droopy HOOS in makeup (BIG HOOS aka the steendriver), Monday, 18 October 2010 06:14 (2 years ago) Permalink

in the past rangers had tried "hazing" the ram - inducing it to be frightened of people - by shooting it with bean bags and throwing rocks.
[. . .]
After goring the hiker the goat stood over him, and had to be pelted with rocks by a ranger before finally moving away.

okay there is definitely a song in here somewhere. (or maybe I'm just imagining "Heretic Pride" with this goat as the narrator)

― Our society and culture has put rock music on the backburner (bernard snowy), Monday, 18 October 2010 11:40 (2 years ago) Permalink

underrated aerosmith fans i have gored

loooooool

― ilxor is awesome what the fuck are you guys on about (ilxor), Monday, 18 October 2010 13:42 (2 years ago) Permalink

― http://tinyurl.com/whitepony (Pleasant Plains), Monday, 18 October 2010 21:36 (2 years ago) Permalink

2 weeks pass...

Sarah Silverman: Dear The Mountain Goats, Someday can I come onstage and sing the harms to No Children that I sing in my car?

O_o

― String Yr BLOBs (bnw), Wednesday, 3 November 2010 02:12 (2 years ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

Erik Rutan!? Dude!

― scott seward, Thursday, 9 December 2010 16:52 (2 years ago) Permalink

o shit

― just sayin, Thursday, 9 December 2010 16:54 (2 years ago) Permalink

Seriously, wow. Just saw that. Amazing.

― one pretty obvious guy in the obvious (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, 9 December 2010 16:55 (2 years ago) Permalink

O___O AWESOME

― O_o-O_0-o_O (jjjusten), Thursday, 9 December 2010 16:57 (2 years ago) Permalink

hahaha a life's dream realized

― youtubular bells (Edward III), Thursday, 9 December 2010 17:01 (2 years ago) Permalink

take a bow, Preston Bernstein

― Princess BigSam (DJ Mencap), Thursday, 9 December 2010 17:05 (2 years ago) Permalink

i take it all the guys from enslaved were busy?

j/k

― i genuinely thought when i first joined that he was the admin (ilxor), Thursday, 9 December 2010 17:05 (2 years ago) Permalink

What a great holiday present!

― one pretty obvious guy in the obvious (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, 9 December 2010 17:07 (2 years ago) Permalink

wow!

― (⊙_⊙?) (Alan N), Thursday, 9 December 2010 17:15 (2 years ago) Permalink

so wait

preston bernstein notwithstanding, this is p.obviously not gonna be 'a death metal album', right?

― unemployed aerosmith fans I have shoved (bernard snowy), Thursday, 9 December 2010 17:22 (2 years ago) Permalink

Describing the album, Darnielle writes, "If you have ever watched say a 70s occult-scare movie where one of the scenes involves a few people visiting a storefront fortune teller, getting their cards read, and then trying to feel super-hopeful about their predicted outcome when what they're visibly actually feeling is dread, then you have a pretty decent idea of what the album is all about." He elaborates, "Other possible points of reference include 'Burnt Offerings,' 'Go Ask Alice,' and that one scene in 'The Warriors' where they're on the train and the sun's coming up and they're safe but you know the scars are permanent now."

― scott seward, Thursday, 9 December 2010 17:24 (2 years ago) Permalink

that's not how death metal 'feels' to me but admittedly I'm not an aficionado

― unemployed aerosmith fans I have shoved (bernard snowy), Thursday, 9 December 2010 17:27 (2 years ago) Permalink

i got all geeked out thx to the burnt offerings ref because im a loser like that

― O_o-O_0-o_O (jjjusten), Thursday, 9 December 2010 17:27 (2 years ago) Permalink

ha me too and I'm wondering if he means alice sweet alice instead of go ask alice

― youtubular bells (Edward III), Thursday, 9 December 2010 17:37 (2 years ago) Permalink

Yea, John Darnielle twittered it wasn't going to have any death metal on it.

― Ryan, Thursday, 9 December 2010 17:48 (2 years ago) Permalink

underrated tweets I have read

― buzza, Thursday, 9 December 2010 19:36 (2 years ago) Permalink

underrated morbid angel guitarists i have collaborated with

― i genuinely thought when i first joined that he was the admin (ilxor), Thursday, 9 December 2010 19:52 (2 years ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

You all have a goal.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cast-The-Mountain-Goats-on-Law-and-Order-SVU/179404355425761

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 12 January 2011 22:56 (2 years ago) Permalink

misread as "what can i say, i am high"

― enfuque (Matt P), Wednesday, 12 January 2011 22:58 (2 years ago) Permalink

i support this.

― mekka lekka hi mega-hiney hoes (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 12 January 2011 23:01 (2 years ago) Permalink

Matt so did I the other day haha.

― 1981 Nothing happened. (Trayce), Wednesday, 12 January 2011 23:15 (2 years ago) Permalink

I listened to Zopilote Machine today at work.

― not everything is a campfire (ian), Thursday, 13 January 2011 02:52 (2 years ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

so, on Letterman tonight

― kind of shrill and very self-righteous (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 23 February 2011 21:25 (2 years ago) Permalink

oh cool!

― Damn this thread seems so....different without ilxor (ilxor), Wednesday, 23 February 2011 21:26 (2 years ago) Permalink

hope it is a black metal jam with paul shaffer

― tylerw, Wednesday, 23 February 2011 21:28 (2 years ago) Permalink

or batting practice w/ Hank Aaron

― kind of shrill and very self-righteous (Dr Morbius), Wednesday, 23 February 2011 21:32 (2 years ago) Permalink

I love that I can record this from my phone

― DJP, Wednesday, 23 February 2011 21:47 (2 years ago) Permalink

Well this is exciting!

― Odult Ariented Rock (Ówen P.), Thursday, 24 February 2011 00:37 (2 years ago) Permalink

hoping that franklin bruno will yell "SWAG" into the camera

― "Gunplay" (ft. Gunplay) (Andre Gunder Frank 3000), Thursday, 24 February 2011 00:49 (2 years ago) Permalink

Coming up shortly on the East Coast broadcast, yes?

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 24 February 2011 05:05 (2 years ago) Permalink

yes, imminently after Hank Aaron.

Man, Dave has Rand Paul on tomorrow, imagine if the MGs had been on that one instead... fun green room.

― kind of shrill and very self-righteous (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 24 February 2011 05:23 (2 years ago) Permalink

For a second I'd forgotten that Congress was on break and was wondering what the hell Rand Paul was doing on Letterman instead of eating dead babies to bring down the budget or whatever the guy does.

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 24 February 2011 05:30 (2 years ago) Permalink

Obv ned has not seen the smoking gun Rand Paul rider expose

― O_o-O_0-o_O (jjjusten), Thursday, 24 February 2011 05:31 (2 years ago) Permalink

coming on in 1 min......!

hoping he'll bust out "song for tura satana" or a darkthrone cover or something

― Damn this thread seems so....different without ilxor (ilxor), Thursday, 24 February 2011 05:33 (2 years ago) Permalink

Spent whole song thinking that song was awesome and coveting electric guitar dudes amazing rising sun strat!

Also uh bel biv devoe is on Jimmy Fallon wtf

― O_o-O_0-o_O (jjjusten), Thursday, 24 February 2011 05:44 (2 years ago) Permalink

^ haa, the rest of New Edition were touring here last month but cancelled. bbd must have seen a gap in the market!

― yesterday's twat (sic), Thursday, 24 February 2011 05:58 (2 years ago) Permalink

I never expected to type these words but this bel biv devoe live performance is fucking great

― O_o-O_0-o_O (jjjusten), Thursday, 24 February 2011 06:34 (2 years ago) Permalink

never expected to read those words on a mountain goats thread

― ledge, Thursday, 24 February 2011 11:25 (2 years ago) Permalink

really enjoyed the new song! altho i was also pretty overwhelmed by the meta- ness of the moment ("let the camera / pull back" as I'm staring into the screen with laser focus; from california to iowa to letterman...)

― on some outer space shit (bernard snowy), Thursday, 24 February 2011 12:05 (2 years ago) Permalink

yeah this new song was v nice

― Damn this thread seems so....different without ilxor (ilxor), Thursday, 24 February 2011 15:10 (2 years ago) Permalink

new song on letterman was really really great, jd spit some lyrical darts as per usual.

hooking up with wurster was one of the best things to happen to the goats musically.

― he do the waka lyfe (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 24 February 2011 15:48 (2 years ago) Permalink

my primary assoc w/ Wurster these days is 'a Tom Scharpling comedy partner'

― kind of shrill and very self-righteous (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 24 February 2011 16:02 (2 years ago) Permalink

for those who missed:

http://pitchfork.com/news/41677-watch-the-mountain-goats-hit-letterman

― kind of shrill and very self-righteous (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 24 February 2011 18:27 (2 years ago) Permalink

awesome!

― the tune is space, Thursday, 24 February 2011 18:40 (2 years ago) Permalink

these guys are playing this i think?, btw

Breaking news! The lineup for Saturday's Rally for Women's Health has been announced, and you won't want to miss this fantastic program full of women's health advocates!

JOIN US AND HEAR FROM:

CELEBRITIES, ELECTED OFFICIALS, MUSICIANS AND WOMEN'S HEALTH LEADERS!

Elected Officials: Senator Charles Schumer, Congressmembers Yvette Clark, Carolyn Maloney, Jerry Nadler, Anthony Weiner, NYC Council Speaker Christine Quinn!

Celebrities and Musical Guests: Kathleen Turner, Gloria Steinem, Kathleen Hanna, the Mountain Goats, Nellie McKay, Toshi Reagon, Maddy Wyatt, and More!

And women's health leaders from across New York, Connecticut and New Jersey!

In the next week, Congress will hold the fate of Planned Parenthood and family planning in their hands. We must let them know that New Yorkers will not stand for this current assault on women's access to health care.

Stand with thousands of New Yorkers and voice a common message:

WOMEN'S HEALTH MUST BE PROTECTED!

Saturday, February 26th

Foley Square, Across from the Court House in Lower Manhattan

1-3pm

RSVP TODAY!!

Congress is home and listening. Let's make some noise!!

See you in the square!

― your LiveJournal experience (schlump), Thursday, 24 February 2011 21:02 (2 years ago) Permalink

Forgot to DVR, thx for the link, Morbs! New song is aces. I've turned one of the dudes in my office onto MGs lately, he'll be glad to hear this.

― Du Musst Calamari Werden (Phil D.), Thursday, 24 February 2011 21:12 (2 years ago) Permalink

There are 2 different commercials running on TV that I swear steal the chord progression from Sax Rohmer #2

― rip van wanko, Thursday, 24 February 2011 22:07 (2 years ago) Permalink

these guys are playing this i think?, btw
Breaking news! The lineup for Saturday's Rally for Women's Health has been announced, and you won't want to miss this fantastic program full of women's health advocates!

i love the mountain goats a lot

― HOOStory is back. Fasten your steenbelts. (BIG HOOS aka the steendriver), Thursday, 24 February 2011 22:09 (2 years ago) Permalink

i hope Kathleen Turner & Gloria Steinem sing a duet

― buzza, Thursday, 24 February 2011 22:10 (2 years ago) Permalink

acc to MoveOn there is also an NYC "solidarity with Wisconsin" rally on Saturday, I wonder who's playing that?

― kind of shrill and very self-righteous (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 24 February 2011 22:17 (2 years ago) Permalink

"really enjoyed the new song! altho i was also pretty overwhelmed by the meta- ness of the moment ("let the camera / pull back" as I'm staring into the screen with laser focus; from california to iowa to letterman...)"

this is genius. what a great song choice.

― i love it when a suggest ban comes together (cajunsunday), Thursday, 24 February 2011 22:21 (2 years ago) Permalink

i love the mountain goats a lot

― HOOStory is back. Fasten your steenbelts. (BIG HOOS aka the steendriver), Thursday, February 24, 2011 4:09 PM (15 minutes ago) Bookmark

― ullr saves (gbx), Thursday, 24 February 2011 22:25 (2 years ago) Permalink

http://www.npr.org/2011/02/27/134056034/first-listen-the-mountain-goats-all-eternals-deck#playlist

All Eternals Deck streaming on NPR

― DJP, Monday, 28 February 2011 14:35 (2 years ago) Permalink

my workday just got 1000x more bearable.

― sofatruck, Monday, 28 February 2011 14:38 (2 years ago) Permalink

i really need to start bringing headphones to work

― ciderpress, Monday, 28 February 2011 14:41 (2 years ago) Permalink

atm I really adore "Estate Sale Sign"

― DJP, Monday, 28 February 2011 14:43 (2 years ago) Permalink

so excited y'all

btw, i don't think i said this yet in this thread, but another thing i enjoyed about the letterman appearance is that it gave me a chance to stretch music-fan muscles which have long been atrophying — internet/mp3/album leak era etc etc — it was super-fun to tune in and be like "oh boy, something from the new album!!"

― odd future wolves GM trade them all (bernard snowy), Monday, 28 February 2011 15:01 (2 years ago) Permalink

((I guess this is something ppl have flapped their gums abt quite a bit already w/r/t the last 2 radiohead albums — the return of the 'event': album-event, fandom-event, etc. Letterman seems as good a place as any for such events!))

― odd future wolves GM trade them all (bernard snowy), Monday, 28 February 2011 15:02 (2 years ago) Permalink

gonna listen to this today! & also want to say i am NOT anticipating the first negative review of the album that decides to make the obvious but super zzzzz-worthy pun: "All Eternals Dreck"

― Damn this thread seems so....different without ilxor (ilxor), Monday, 28 February 2011 15:34 (2 years ago) Permalink

it sounds like you sorta are anticipating it tho

― odd future wolves GM trade them all (bernard snowy), Monday, 28 February 2011 15:36 (2 years ago) Permalink

actually it no longer needs to be anticipated b/c i just preempted it outside the context of a negative review

do you see what i did there

― Damn this thread seems so....different without ilxor (ilxor), Monday, 28 February 2011 15:40 (2 years ago) Permalink

((was gonna make another joke about the title but then I realized I had mixed up "decking" and "docking"))

― odd future wolves GM trade them all (bernard snowy), Monday, 28 February 2011 15:46 (2 years ago) Permalink

i like the olympics-do-hildegard-von-bingen number

― your LiveJournal experience (schlump), Monday, 28 February 2011 17:16 (2 years ago) Permalink

"sapphire trans am
high beams in vain
drive wild broncos
down the plain"

^damn

― he do the waka lyfe (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 28 February 2011 17:22 (2 years ago) Permalink

"high beams in rain" innit?

and yeah DJP, "estate sale sign" is the fuckin' jam (that part of me secretly hoped the whole album would sound like). the lyrics! the delivery! the drums! the strums! "EVERY MARTYR IN THIS JUNGLE / IS GONNA GET HIS WISH!!!"

― odd future wolves GM trade them all (bernard snowy), Monday, 28 February 2011 19:18 (2 years ago) Permalink

"Age of Kings" is fucking incredible, I am dying over the strings

― DJP, Monday, 28 February 2011 19:25 (2 years ago) Permalink

whole record

so great

― HOOStory is back. Fasten your steenbelts. (BIG HOOS aka the steendriver), Monday, 28 February 2011 22:05 (2 years ago) Permalink

so there's pretty much no graceful way of revealing this, but I did the vocal arrangement on "High Hawk Season" and am singing the middle part along with two of my college buddies (which is why I have refrained from commenting on that particular song, which on its surface should be total "DJP comments on this immediately" catnip)

― DJP, Monday, 28 February 2011 22:12 (2 years ago) Permalink

― gnarly gnarlingtons in my life (Trayce), Monday, 28 February 2011 22:17 (2 years ago) Permalink

woah! rad!

― just sayin, Monday, 28 February 2011 22:20 (2 years ago) Permalink

If you play the part backwards you hear Dan invoking Satan by saying "HI DERE WAHT IS IT MAED"

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 28 February 2011 22:21 (2 years ago) Permalink

Nice!

― EZ Snappin, Monday, 28 February 2011 22:21 (2 years ago) Permalink

― DJP, Monday, February 28, 2011 5:12 PM (48 minutes ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

― call all destroyer, Monday, 28 February 2011 23:01 (2 years ago) Permalink

yay DJP, and yay ILM :)

― odd future wolves GM trade them all (bernard snowy), Monday, 28 February 2011 23:02 (2 years ago) Permalink

PS it is still early but I think I am going to enjoy this album a lot.

― odd future wolves GM trade them all (bernard snowy), Monday, 28 February 2011 23:05 (2 years ago) Permalink

hey dan congrats! that is awesome! i was thinking it was kinda goth barbershop quartet in a way. great song.

― gr8080 sings the blues (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 28 February 2011 23:05 (2 years ago) Permalink

omg you have no idea how happy I am right now

― goth barbershop quartet (DJP), Monday, 28 February 2011 23:06 (2 years ago) Permalink

congrats, dan! The anticipation is too much.

― Rich Lolwry (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 28 February 2011 23:14 (2 years ago) Permalink

i like the olympics-do-hildegard-von-bingen number

would rescind this if it was not mad complimentary

― your LiveJournal experience (schlump), Monday, 28 February 2011 23:19 (2 years ago) Permalink

I was sleeping hardcore and missed that the first time around, ha

― goth barbershop quartet (DJP), Monday, 28 February 2011 23:24 (2 years ago) Permalink

album cover is great

― pop the s1ock (J0rdan S.), Monday, 28 February 2011 23:34 (2 years ago) Permalink

his black album?

yeah <3 the typography.

― Samuel (a hoy hoy), Monday, 28 February 2011 23:39 (2 years ago) Permalink

i know jd doesn't like to answer work related ?s but i have always been curious as to what 4AD's policies are w/r/t album art, because every time a band that didn't start on 4AD -- like for example the goats, blonde redhead, or TV on the Radio -- sign to 4AD all of a sudden their album covers totally start to look like 4AD albums

― gr8080 sings the blues (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 28 February 2011 23:41 (2 years ago) Permalink

wau @ dan

― HOOStory is back. Fasten your steenbelts. (BIG HOOS aka the steendriver), Monday, 28 February 2011 23:47 (2 years ago) Permalink

xpost -- this one's on Merge, Matt!

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 28 February 2011 23:50 (2 years ago) Permalink

yeah that's what i mean, this one looks sorta not-4AD in a way i can't quite describe...

maybe i'm nuts tho, but i feel like i can eyeball a 4AD record at 50 paces

― gr8080 sings the blues (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 28 February 2011 23:57 (2 years ago) Permalink

DJP awesome work
Bright Mountain Choir Men's Division

― Odult Ariented Rock (Ówen P.), Tuesday, 1 March 2011 00:42 (2 years ago) Permalink

high five DJP

― ullr saves (gbx), Tuesday, 1 March 2011 01:04 (2 years ago) Permalink

the raddest of collabs

― fuck wit my dinner with andre day (m bison), Tuesday, 1 March 2011 01:12 (2 years ago) Permalink

"outer scorpion squadron" is really really beautiful

― odd future wolves GM trade them all (bernard snowy), Tuesday, 1 March 2011 01:20 (2 years ago) Permalink

it sounds like nothing else in the back catalog

― odd future wolves GM trade them all (bernard snowy), Tuesday, 1 March 2011 01:21 (2 years ago) Permalink

this is awesome so far (4 tracks in)

― acoleuthic, Tuesday, 1 March 2011 01:50 (2 years ago) Permalink

i was gonna wait to listen to the full album on release (still am, probably, because i like to hear things in hi-fi, not NPR webstream quality) but there's no way i couldn't listen to "high hawk season" and holy shit this is incredible

― Damn this thread seems so....different without ilxor (ilxor), Tuesday, 1 March 2011 02:12 (2 years ago) Permalink

yeah this is really nice on first listen. the production is bugging me a bit, i feel like it's a bit underarranged and empty on some tracks, but that's probably because i'm mentally comparing it to Heretic Pride which to me is definitely the best-sounding mountain goats album in terms of production and use of space.

but yeah the songs are good as always!

― ciderpress, Tuesday, 1 March 2011 02:13 (2 years ago) Permalink

i really like "spare" mountain goats—not so much the early lo-fi stuff, but like, get lonely + the life of blah blah... both totally great. excellent restrained arrangements, flat-out gorgeous production. i haven't listened to heretic pride too much (compared to the other 4ad albums) for some reason, need to pull it out again.

― Damn this thread seems so....different without ilxor (ilxor), Tuesday, 1 March 2011 02:19 (2 years ago) Permalink

omg 'for charles bronson' FEATURING BOARDS OF CANADA :D

― acoleuthic, Tuesday, 1 March 2011 02:21 (2 years ago) Permalink

haha 'this song is called 'for charles bronson'' made me lol at my desk today

― HOOStory is back. Fasten your steenbelts. (BIG HOOS aka the steendriver), Tuesday, 1 March 2011 02:45 (2 years ago) Permalink

i am super excited about this (omg dan!) but i'm gonna wait until release day and buy it i think.

― Samuel (a hoy hoy), Tuesday, 1 March 2011 02:54 (2 years ago) Permalink

Loving this on first listen, kudos JD (and DP!)

― gnarly gnarlingtons in my life (Trayce), Tuesday, 1 March 2011 03:00 (2 years ago) Permalink

prowl great cain is pretty oustanding; i especially love the ending

― kaygee, Tuesday, 1 March 2011 05:32 (2 years ago) Permalink

i don't listen to the mountain goats but it was hilarious when john self-banned cause he had to finish writing this album. kind of makes me want to hear it. tho i guess an album written in between intermittent bursts of ilx would be even better

― flopson, Tuesday, 1 March 2011 05:38 (2 years ago) Permalink

^^^ don't like to post on this thread but the person you cite wrapped the album in August, December thing was diff

― five gone cats from Boston (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Tuesday, 1 March 2011 11:34 (2 years ago) Permalink

Elsewhere on the tMG front:

Hi, friends. If you're not familiar with The Best Show on WFMU, the show that has provided three hours of Mirth, Music and Mayhem every Tuesday for over a decade on WFMU thanks to geniuses Tom Scharpling (brilliant host, writer, producer and director--most recently for the New Pornographers' "Moves" video and Ted Leo's "Bottled in Cork" video) and Jon Wurster (brilliant comedian, writer and drummer for Superchunk, The Mountain Goats, Bob Mould, A.C. Newman and others), I'd love for you to become that way (here--you're welcome: http://wfmu.org/playlists/BD). If you are already amongst the throngs of TBS devotees, you won't balk at what I'm asking, which is for you to help spread the word about the Best Show pledge drive happening tonight (March 1st) and next Tuesday, March 8th. PLEASE repost this, tweet it, call people about it--and call in yourself and pledge. Don't worry--aside from the inherent joys of giving, there's a lot in it for you. Tom explains below:
"WFMU is a listener-sponsored station that doesn't take corporate sponsorships or sleazy grants that would compromise our ability to be 100% freeform. I am doing two fundraising shows for the station during our two-week marathon - Tuesday March 1st and Tuesday March 8th, from 9-midnight EST. I'm offering a premium called the DONT STOP ME NOW FANTASY PACK. Any pledge for 75 dollars or more automatically secures it. The pack consists of:
RATED G.G. - a vinyl single comprised of songs by notorious scum rocker GG Allin cleaned up and recorded by people exclusively for this single! The single will feature tracks by BEN GIBBARD, THE MOUNTAIN GOATS, TY SEGALL, FUCKED UP and TED LEO! There will also be a bonus DIGITAL DOWNLOAD of the single that will feature additional content by HOME BLITZ, SCHARPLING AND WURSTER and MORE!
The single will not be for sale in stores and will only be available by pledging DURING MY MARATHON SHOW!

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 1 March 2011 15:22 (2 years ago) Permalink

(There's also other stuff in the pack besides the single obv.)

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 1 March 2011 15:22 (2 years ago) Permalink

listened this morning; super, even w/ a head cold (mine)

― kind of shrill and very self-righteous (Dr Morbius), Tuesday, 1 March 2011 22:49 (2 years ago) Permalink

Yah, was listening to this in the car via NPR iphone app on the way home from my mom's chemo. A+++ work on the vocals stuff, Dan. Some of these songs remind me of late-period Walk-Ins, which is a VERY GOOD THING.

― Du Musst Calamari Werden (Phil D.), Tuesday, 1 March 2011 23:04 (2 years ago) Permalink

Hi, I'm new here, and I love tMGs

― jacobfiala, Sunday, 6 March 2011 16:59 (2 years ago) Permalink

hi jacob

listened to the new album yet? any thoughts?

― save a bike, ride a hipster (bernard snowy), Sunday, 6 March 2011 17:41 (2 years ago) Permalink

Heck yeah, I love it! It's different and all but I'm really loving it. Can't wait to hear the real thing instead of the crappy NPR stream though. (not that I don't appreciate your amazingness NPR)
I was trolling through here and read something about one of you guys being one of the backup singers in high hawk season, were you serious?

― jacobfiala, Monday, 7 March 2011 00:38 (2 years ago) Permalink

Nah he wasn't serious. No-one on ilx knows J0hn Darn3ll3. Nope, not here.

― Samuel (a hoy hoy), Monday, 7 March 2011 01:06 (2 years ago) Permalink

lol :)

― gnarly gnarlingtons in my life (Trayce), Monday, 7 March 2011 01:41 (2 years ago) Permalink

For the record I think Jacob was asking about DJP? Who apparently did do some arranging & voc'ing on the record, which is fuckin rad. Wherever this goth barbershop quartet sings I'm getting my next haircut there for sure.

― HOOStory is back. Fasten your steenbelts. (BIG HOOS aka the steendriver), Monday, 7 March 2011 01:46 (2 years ago) Permalink

jacob since you're new here I'll let you in on the secret: the lead singer of the tmgs occasionally posts on this site under the alias 'acoleuthic'

― iatee, Monday, 7 March 2011 01:59 (2 years ago) Permalink

Okay that is hilarious but maybe we should stop injoking the new guy

― goth barbershop quartet (DJP), Monday, 7 March 2011 02:00 (2 years ago) Permalink

― flopson, Tuesday, March 1, 2011 1:38 PM (6 days ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

^^^ don't like to post on this thread but the person you cite wrapped the album in August, December thing was diff

― five gone cats from Boston (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Tuesday, March 1, 2011 7:34 PM (6 days ago) Bookmark

damn, flopson got flopsonned

― Neu! romancer (dayo), Monday, 7 March 2011 02:17 (2 years ago) Permalink

lol

― HOOStory is back. Fasten your steenbelts. (BIG HOOS aka the steendriver), Monday, 7 March 2011 02:26 (2 years ago) Permalink

*flop*

― puff puff post (uh oh I'm having a fantasy), Monday, 7 March 2011 03:06 (2 years ago) Permalink

^^ winning

― HOOStory is back. Fasten your steenbelts. (BIG HOOS aka the steendriver), Monday, 7 March 2011 03:08 (2 years ago) Permalink

sonned by a cat from boston after a quitting-the-internet beef

― save a bike, ride a hipster (bernard snowy), Monday, 7 March 2011 03:20 (2 years ago) Permalink

SO MANY [potential] JOKES, SO LITTLE TIME

― save a bike, ride a hipster (bernard snowy), Monday, 7 March 2011 03:21 (2 years ago) Permalink

jacob i like the album too i think the charles bronson song is my favorite one

charles bronsong

― save a bike, ride a hipster (bernard snowy), Monday, 7 March 2011 03:22 (2 years ago) Permalink

i kind of wish it was 'this song is called a song for charles bronsong' tbh

― HOOStory is back. Fasten your steenbelts. (BIG HOOS aka the steendriver), Monday, 7 March 2011 04:00 (2 years ago) Permalink

Lol. I like it. And I had heard that JD posted hear occasionally but due to the lols I assume that's no his real username.

― jacobfiala, Monday, 7 March 2011 21:35 (2 years ago) Permalink

*sitcom saxophone*

― kind of shrill and very self-righteous (Dr Morbius), Monday, 7 March 2011 21:39 (2 years ago) Permalink

he used to post here but then got SB'd, guy was a real dick

― I love priest but I've chosen maiden (Edward III), Monday, 7 March 2011 21:41 (2 years ago) Permalink

what? i don't know what sb'd is and JD is a king!

― jacobfiala, Friday, 11 March 2011 01:35 (2 years ago) Permalink

the 'power in a union' vid made me tear up in my cube @ work

― HOOStory is back. Fasten your steenbelts. (BIG HOOS aka the steendriver), Friday, 11 March 2011 02:28 (2 years ago) Permalink

yeah that was real nice. posi. powerful.

― gr8080 sings the blues (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, 11 March 2011 02:44 (2 years ago) Permalink

yeah loved that

― kl0p's son (k3vin k.), Friday, 11 March 2011 02:56 (2 years ago) Permalink

big hoos at work

― J0rdan S., Friday, 11 March 2011 02:58 (2 years ago) Permalink

hoos be cryin in the cube

― HOOStory is back. Fasten your steenbelts. (BIG HOOS aka the steendriver), Friday, 11 March 2011 02:58 (2 years ago) Permalink

As learned via Twitter, a response!

http://www.fivetools.com/blog/2011/03/10/and-all-the-men-who-learned-to-hate-them/

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 11 March 2011 09:41 (2 years ago) Permalink

fivetools is for tools

― jacobfiala, Friday, 11 March 2011 22:09 (2 years ago) Permalink

Uh. Did you actually click the link?

― Ned Raggett, Friday, 11 March 2011 22:29 (2 years ago) Permalink

circles inside circles

― I love victorias but I've chosen maidenform (Edward III), Friday, 11 March 2011 23:45 (2 years ago) Permalink

yeah, it was good.
but understand, that does make me a tool

― jacobfiala, Sunday, 13 March 2011 04:53 (2 years ago) Permalink

Did every body see this already?
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220755552059&category=1600&_trksid=p5197.c0.m619

here's a better explanation than the description
http://pitchfork.com/news/41900-the-mountain-goats-auction-song-for-charity/

― jacobfiala, Thursday, 17 March 2011 18:35 (2 years ago) Permalink

I hope to hell that JD is on the phone right now to Kung Fu to correct them on the spelling of "cassette".

― kkvgz, Thursday, 17 March 2011 18:38 (2 years ago) Permalink

lol, i didn't even notice

― jacobfiala, Thursday, 17 March 2011 19:06 (2 years ago) Permalink

What are the odds that the cassette contains the "Fun Fun Fun Fun" loop repeated for 120 minutes?

― taco al pastorius (Steve Shasta), Thursday, 17 March 2011 19:07 (2 years ago) Permalink

i'd say around 73%

― jacobfiala, Thursday, 17 March 2011 21:04 (2 years ago) Permalink

I LIKE THOSE ODDS

― O_o-O_0-o_O (jjjusten), Thursday, 17 March 2011 21:18 (2 years ago) Permalink

I just got outbid at 2,350.
...shit just got real!

― jacobfiala, Friday, 18 March 2011 21:51 (2 years ago) Permalink

I'm saving the money to make a music video for my kid.

― Wacky Way Lounge (Evan), Friday, 18 March 2011 21:58 (2 years ago) Permalink

like rebecca black?

― jacobfiala, Friday, 18 March 2011 22:13 (2 years ago) Permalink

Yes!

― Wacky Way Lounge (Evan), Friday, 18 March 2011 23:33 (2 years ago) Permalink

Purrfect!

― jacobfiala, Saturday, 19 March 2011 00:20 (2 years ago) Permalink

people are getting their preordered vinyls in the mail already. from what i hear, all survivors pack is downright amazing.

― jacobfiala, Friday, 25 March 2011 16:13 (2 years ago) Permalink

Jacob, the bidding didn't go up much in the last week. You should scrape together another $50 and take the lead.

― i have a hot bagel waiting for me in my bed so ill say this: (kkvgz), Friday, 25 March 2011 16:39 (2 years ago) Permalink

Good Mother Jones interview. I didn't know John's parents were part of the Peace and Freedom Party. you can't get more late 60s left than that.

http://motherjones.com/media/2011/03/john-darnielle-mountain-goats-all-eternals-deck

― Pop is superior to all other genres (DL), Friday, 25 March 2011 17:30 (2 years ago) Permalink

If they do West Coast dates in summer, hope they're announced soon if I can get to one when I travel, eh?

― Fuck bein' hard, Dr Morbz is complicated (Dr Morbius), Friday, 25 March 2011 17:33 (2 years ago) Permalink

lol, was just listening to a radio program from the '70s where they were debating the meanings of "feminist socialist" vs. "socialist feminist"

― Lady Miss K-Lo (donna rouge), Friday, 25 March 2011 17:58 (2 years ago) Permalink

i'm scared I might win it. i just wanted to be able to say i bid on it, i don't actually have any money.

― jacobfiala, Friday, 25 March 2011 18:28 (2 years ago) Permalink

don't bid on it if you can't pay for it!

― ciderpress, Friday, 25 March 2011 18:29 (2 years ago) Permalink

yes, mother

― jacobfiala, Friday, 25 March 2011 23:24 (2 years ago) Permalink

I missed 'em tonight at the 930 in Dc. I think Hoos went

― curmudgeon, Saturday, 26 March 2011 05:12 (2 years ago) Permalink

i did not, and i kinda feel bad about it :/

i think govern yourself accordingly went though??

report imo

― Godspeed HOOS! Black Steendriver (BIG HOOS aka the steendriver), Saturday, 26 March 2011 05:29 (2 years ago) Permalink

aw i did not know john was a vegetarian. thumbs up.

― difficult listening hour, Saturday, 26 March 2011 06:31 (2 years ago) Permalink

just got the new album in the mail, why are all the track names threee words long? i haven't slept in a while and my brane says it's probably the devil?

― major fashion inspiration (reddening), Saturday, 26 March 2011 08:31 (2 years ago) Permalink

omg yr right! spooky

― bernard snowy, Saturday, 26 March 2011 09:00 (2 years ago) Permalink

aw i did not know john was a vegetarian. thumbs up.

― difficult listening hour, Saturday, March 26, 2011 1:31 AM (6 hours ago)

this is one of the few things I know abt dude, but it is rad

― i'm on the reichstag, baby, I was bahn this way (m bison), Saturday, 26 March 2011 12:36 (2 years ago) Permalink

can't believe he called out LJ in that interview

by name and everything!

― I only use this style of type when I choose it (DJ Mencap), Saturday, 26 March 2011 13:27 (2 years ago) Permalink

report imo

they were just great - thought the keyboard player added a ton (not that i'm familiar at all with the new record)

set closed with a cover of silkworm's "plain," which was totally jaw-dropping/neatly coincided with one of my semi-annual trips down the silkworm rabbit hole

― Suicide Demo for Kemba Walker (govern yourself accordingly), Saturday, 26 March 2011 14:05 (2 years ago) Permalink

omg TMG covering Silkworm? I think my head would explode.

― 'what are you, the Hymen Protection League of America?' (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Saturday, 26 March 2011 18:14 (2 years ago) Permalink

yeah thats awesome

― just sayin, Saturday, 26 March 2011 18:19 (2 years ago) Permalink

i can totally imagine john singing that song too

― just sayin, Saturday, 26 March 2011 18:27 (2 years ago) Permalink

can't believe he called out LJ in that interview

by name and everything!

― I only use this style of type when I choose it (DJ Mencap), Saturday, 26 March 2011 13:27 (Yesterday) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

wait WHAT?

― Nult AGL (a hoy hoy), Sunday, 27 March 2011 17:10 (2 years ago) Permalink

there's a keyboard player? who he?

― thomp, Sunday, 27 March 2011 17:44 (2 years ago) Permalink

has anyone gotten their preorders yet?

― jacobfiala, Sunday, 27 March 2011 18:37 (2 years ago) Permalink

can't believe he called out LJ in that interview

by name and everything!

― I only use this style of type when I choose it (DJ Mencap), Saturday, 26 March 2011 13:27 (Yesterday) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

wait WHAT?

― Nult AGL (a hoy hoy), Sunday, 27 March 2011 18:10 (1 hour ago) Bookmark

Was that the Mother Jones interview as I couldn't see any LJ ref?

― Cluster the boots (Billy Dods), Sunday, 27 March 2011 19:08 (2 years ago) Permalink

has anyone gotten their preorders yet?

Yup, with the tape. Both rule.

― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 27 March 2011 19:10 (2 years ago) Permalink

Nice! i heard that tapes will get released in select record stores as well

― jacobfiala, Sunday, 27 March 2011 19:16 (2 years ago) Permalink

hoy and billy, shush

― kris menace isn't even french (sic), Sunday, 27 March 2011 22:58 (2 years ago) Permalink

I was delighted by the rendition of "Chain Fight Tonight" last evening in York, PA.

― spastic heritage, Sunday, 27 March 2011 23:49 (2 years ago) Permalink

^sweet

iirc Ted Leo has done that too?

― 1000 Vults Of Nult (DJ Mencap), Monday, 28 March 2011 11:29 (2 years ago) Permalink

so is there any rhyme or reason to which stores are getting the cassette tapes? or do i just have to go around to various stores and hope i've happened across a shop that happened to snag a copy? \o_O/

― ilxor you've listened to one odd future album once (ilxor), Monday, 28 March 2011 16:24 (2 years ago) Permalink

i don't know where you live but bull city records always seem to have the latest tMG exclusives. dunno though, trying to think of other record shops that JD seems especially affilated with.

― i love it when a suggest ban comes together (cajunsunday), Monday, 28 March 2011 16:39 (2 years ago) Permalink

Austin TX

― ilxor you've listened to one odd future album once (ilxor), Monday, 28 March 2011 16:46 (2 years ago) Permalink

ah well not a big deal, but i think it'd be fun to hear the cassette if i come across one

― ilxor you've listened to one odd future album once (ilxor), Monday, 28 March 2011 16:47 (2 years ago) Permalink

it could be fun searching for it! like a treasure hunt!

― i love it when a suggest ban comes together (cajunsunday), Monday, 28 March 2011 17:36 (2 years ago) Permalink

i live in the middle of st. louis and called the closest three record stores and no luck. but i heard that 500 more (besides the original 500) will be in select record stores. that's all i know.

― jacobfiala, Monday, 28 March 2011 21:51 (2 years ago) Permalink

So my gal had a shit ton of shrimper cassettes in boxes (along with a zillion other cassettes) and we collectively determined that neither of us were ever gonna listen to cassettes ever again and we have most of this stuff on mp3 anyway, so she opted to ebay.
she just sold five cassettes for over 500 dollars (150 for transmissions to horace!) and the first last plane to jakarta zine for about sixty.
Thanks John! Who knew that people would pay big cash for CASSETTES?

― slight even by tweet standards (forksclovetofu), Tuesday, 29 March 2011 05:32 (2 years ago) Permalink

leftovers here: http://shop.ebay.com/spoh/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p3686

― slight even by tweet standards (forksclovetofu), Tuesday, 29 March 2011 05:33 (2 years ago) Permalink

lol, read up on the thread a bit and saw that people will indeed pay big cash for CASSETTES

― slight even by tweet standards (forksclovetofu), Tuesday, 29 March 2011 05:37 (2 years ago) Permalink

Listened to this twice on the way into the office today. It's really enjoyable, although I have to admit that my attention drifted for a few songs after High Hawk Season, which is fucking phenomenal. Great work, DJP.

― kkvgz, Tuesday, 29 March 2011 11:56 (2 years ago) Permalink

^_^ thx!

― 'lol u stuck with me now watch this ass expand, joeks on u' (DJP), Tuesday, 29 March 2011 16:06 (2 years ago) Permalink

btw everyone go buy like 6 copies of this

― 'lol u stuck with me now watch this ass expand, joeks on u' (DJP), Tuesday, 29 March 2011 16:06 (2 years ago) Permalink

record's great, the Capitol Hill Sonic Boom here in Seattle had like ten copies of the bonus cassette when I went by a little while ago.

― rope (lloydwabbitt), Tuesday, 29 March 2011 18:28 (2 years ago) Permalink

picked this up, given it about three spins.

gotta say, i think it's solid, but not likely to be among my favorite TMG albums of the past decade or so. a few songs have really hit me hard ("estate sale sign," "beautiful gas mask," "high hawk season") then there are a few that are pleasantly straightforward in a good way ("damn these vampires") and a couple that for some reason, maybe the way the melodies are phrased, who knows?, that kinda grate on me in a bad way ("birth of serpents," "never quite free")

anyway -- those three songs mentioned above that are really hitting home i'd place on a TMG best-of -- i guess that's what counts at the end of the day, is that i've got at least three indispensable, A+++ tunes from this album

who knows... the rest may grow on me more, probably will in fact...

btw, even tho i'm not his favorite ilxor, would like to extend a big congrats to DJP for not only being ON this album (really cool in itself), but spearheading the arrangement behind one of its standout tracks. soooo great, good job dude

― hey ilxor, thanks for contributing, glad you stopped by (ilxor), Thursday, 31 March 2011 19:24 (2 years ago) Permalink

btw noticed when i referenced the track-listing on Amazon that it's on sale for $5, if any of you are inclined to purchase mp3s from Amz...

http://www.amazon.com/All-Eternals-Deck/dp/B004S85HRQ/ref=pd_sim_dmusic_a_1

― hey ilxor, thanks for contributing, glad you stopped by (ilxor), Thursday, 31 March 2011 19:25 (2 years ago) Permalink

dude, thanks

btw "Age of Kings" and "For Charles Bronson" will start to rule your world pretty soon

― whelping at his sandpapery best (DJP), Thursday, 31 March 2011 19:26 (2 years ago) Permalink

ive heard that this album is great other than some terrible arrangement some jerk did on it - can anyone verify this is true

― broke my o_O face o_O (jjjusten), Thursday, 31 March 2011 19:27 (2 years ago) Permalink

yeah didn't dig the blenders' guest appearance but other than that it's solid

― Bleeqwot the Chef (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 31 March 2011 19:27 (2 years ago) Permalink

the only way to really get to the bottom of that is for you to buy 15 copies and listen to them simultaneously

― whelping at his sandpapery best (DJP), Thursday, 31 March 2011 19:28 (2 years ago) Permalink

oh snaaaaaaaaaap xpost

― broke my o_O face o_O (jjjusten), Thursday, 31 March 2011 19:28 (2 years ago) Permalink

but seriously folx this is on vinyl right?

― Bleeqwot the Chef (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 31 March 2011 19:30 (2 years ago) Permalink

Yes, good job DJP, that song is great.

― 'what are you, the Hymen Protection League of America?' (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, 31 March 2011 19:30 (2 years ago) Permalink

got yer vinyl right here

http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=8450030

gonna bow out of this thread now, that's enough tacky shilling for one day

thanks everybody!

― whelping at his sandpapery best (DJP), Thursday, 31 March 2011 19:32 (2 years ago) Permalink

new one sounds killer. i do a bad job at keeping up with the Goats (last one I heard was Get Lonely) but I am digging this!

― tylerw, Thursday, 31 March 2011 19:33 (2 years ago) Permalink

I only really got into the Goats with Heretic Pride (I know, I know). I've followed closely ever since and gone back and fallen for The Sunset Tree and All Hail West Texas. Get Lonely, We Shall All Be Healed, and Tallahassee are all on my list to get soon.

― 'what are you, the Hymen Protection League of America?' (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, 31 March 2011 19:42 (2 years ago) Permalink

Good idea!

― kkvgz, Thursday, 31 March 2011 19:45 (2 years ago) Permalink

I only really got into the Goats with Heretic Pride (I know, I know). I've followed closely ever since and gone back and fallen for The Sunset Tree and All Hail West Texas. Get Lonely, We Shall All Be Healed, and Tallahassee are all on my list to get soon.

yes, pls get all of the above. favorites are Tallahassee and Get Lonely

― hey ilxor, thanks for contributing, glad you stopped by (ilxor), Thursday, 31 March 2011 19:50 (2 years ago) Permalink

yeah before anything else, even the tape shit i had a while back, get lonely really grabbed my heart first

― Godspeed HOOS! Black Steendriver (BIG HOOS aka the steendriver), Friday, 1 April 2011 03:26 (2 years ago) Permalink

man I wanna get this but I want a physical copy, that I can hold, in my hands

― who is john nult? (dayo), Friday, 1 April 2011 03:40 (2 years ago) Permalink

Get Lonely is notorious difficult to get into though, and is really best approached from the vantage point of having broke up with someone and it hurts so bad that you want to die. Just saying - it's like when you're crying so long and hard and it's like these big heaving sobs and after a while you get a sore throat and swallowing your own spit becomes sort of a challenge. Have you cried like that recently? Because that's where you should be coming from for that record. Imo.

― kkvgz, Friday, 1 April 2011 08:43 (2 years ago) Permalink

Or like, she enticed you to follow her to a new land, then left you as soon as you got there, and you're friendless and penniless in a strange place among people whose customs who don't know and you're searching wildly for someone or anything you can relate to. But you can't.

― kkvgz, Friday, 1 April 2011 09:42 (2 years ago) Permalink

BOO: the videogame music gig I did yesterday ran super late by about an hour and I missed almost the entire show

YAY: I arrived in time for "No Children"

― whelping at his sandpapery best (DJP), Saturday, 2 April 2011 18:42 (2 years ago) Permalink

oooooh, what videogame?

― slight even by tweet standards (forksclovetofu), Saturday, 2 April 2011 19:39 (2 years ago) Permalink

Stuff from Final Fantasy VII, Civilization IV, Myst and Metal Gear Solid 3. It was pretty bad-ass! (The orchestra also did stuff from Super Mario Brothers and Chrono Chross)

― whelping at his sandpapery best (DJP), Saturday, 2 April 2011 20:01 (2 years ago) Permalink

wow, are you part of videogames live then?

― slight even by tweet standards (forksclovetofu), Saturday, 2 April 2011 20:23 (2 years ago) Permalink

Hands up, everyone who thought of LJ after reading this post. :-)

― Christine Green Leafy Dragon Indigo, Saturday, 2 April 2011 22:22 (2 years ago) Permalink

xp: it was with these guys http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Video_Game_Orchestra

― whelping at his sandpapery best (DJP), Sunday, 3 April 2011 00:13 (2 years ago) Permalink

cool; i am v impressed

― slight even by tweet standards (forksclovetofu), Sunday, 3 April 2011 02:21 (2 years ago) Permalink

This album is pretty ace. Wasn't a huge fan of their last album.

― musicfanatic, Sunday, 3 April 2011 02:27 (2 years ago) Permalink

nyc show got rave review from my good pal jacquelyn.

― one dis leads to another (ian), Sunday, 3 April 2011 02:33 (2 years ago) Permalink

[q=musicfanatic]This album is pretty ace. Wasn't a huge fan of their last album.[/q]

I second this.
apparently you will like it more if you give the life of the world in flux. i haven't tried.

― jacobfiala, Sunday, 3 April 2011 03:14 (2 years ago) Permalink

well that didn't work.
i'm so embarrased.

― jacobfiala, Sunday, 3 April 2011 03:15 (2 years ago) Permalink

Life of the World In Flux has Proverbs 6:27, which I like better than everything else on the actual album. He played it live at the Sixth & I Synogogue gig in DC (available on archive.org).

― kkvgz, Sunday, 3 April 2011 09:42 (2 years ago) Permalink

Also, the last one kinda made me want to write an album full of songs titled after SEC Forms that have special meaning to me:

1. "Form 4" - 4:07
2. "Form DEF 14A" - 3:13
3. "Form 10-K ex.21" - 3:10
4. "Form N-17f-2" - 3:03

etc. : )

― kkvgz, Sunday, 3 April 2011 09:50 (2 years ago) Permalink

am still picking through this new album, sounds really lovely but i feel a little distant from the lyrics. otoh i loved the last album immediately and emotionally; genesis 30:3 has this delicate touch of the sacred in it that messes me up every time i hear it, and i was really happy when it got some votes as a single in 2009's pazz and jop.

i'm looking forward to hearing the new stuff live; "liza forever minnelli" was devastating live on the last tour.

― major fashion inspiration (reddening), Sunday, 3 April 2011 10:13 (2 years ago) Permalink

Yeah, he played Charles Bronson for us last year and it was great.

― jacobfiala, Sunday, 3 April 2011 15:17 (2 years ago) Permalink

Went into HMV to see if they had it this week and no. Will see if I can be bothered to go on amazon later. Fuck record shops not having new records, bastids deserve to go out of business.

― Nult AGL (a hoy hoy), Monday, 4 April 2011 17:48 (2 years ago) Permalink

TS: some guy in a marcus allen jersey vs. some guy in an impala

― kkvgz, Monday, 4 April 2011 20:43 (2 years ago) Permalink

I have an Impala. I think he was talking about me

― jacobfiala, Tuesday, 5 April 2011 01:21 (2 years ago) Permalink

ahaha

― Godspeed HOOS! Black Steendriver (BIG HOOS aka the steendriver), Tuesday, 5 April 2011 01:54 (2 years ago) Permalink

four song set + interview @ spin website

http://www.spin.com/articles/mountain-goats-unplug-spin

― hey ilxor, thanks for contributing, glad you stopped by (ilxor), Tuesday, 5 April 2011 16:55 (2 years ago) Permalink

"unplug"

― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Tuesday, 5 April 2011 21:03 (2 years ago) Permalink

Several dates with Bright Eyes announced.

― the best reggae summer club there used to be in Helsinki (kkvgz), Thursday, 7 April 2011 17:54 (2 years ago) Permalink

huh, cool

― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Friday, 8 April 2011 00:52 (2 years ago) Permalink

i haven't necessarily been in to much of the 2000s goats stuff but on first listen this is fatastic

― call all destroyer, Friday, 8 April 2011 00:55 (2 years ago) Permalink

it's also fantastic, but yes it's very fat

― call all destroyer, Friday, 8 April 2011 00:55 (2 years ago) Permalink

high hawk, sourdoire, scorpion squandron are reeeedic

― call all destroyer, Friday, 8 April 2011 00:56 (2 years ago) Permalink

fat with PORTENT

― burn me at the stake if you must (reddening), Friday, 8 April 2011 01:21 (2 years ago) Permalink

more like PORKTENT

― ★ The Pistns ★ Miss You Sheed ★ (dayo), Friday, 8 April 2011 01:26 (2 years ago) Permalink

actually that's probably in bad taste, given food preferences

― ★ The Pistns ★ Miss You Sheed ★ (dayo), Friday, 8 April 2011 01:27 (2 years ago) Permalink

i think it might be one of my favs.
a healthy refresher course for me.
john can still rock; it's official.

― jacobfiala, Friday, 8 April 2011 02:14 (2 years ago) Permalink

oficial

― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Friday, 8 April 2011 03:02 (2 years ago) Permalink

^ that shit is spanish, motherfuckers

― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Friday, 8 April 2011 03:02 (2 years ago) Permalink

"I have started a blog where I record one ukulele cover (+ guitar, production, drums, if i have time) (+ the help of the four music majors I live with when they want to) of a Mountain Goats song a day! The idea is that it will help me have some fun learning ukulele but also be a cool project with a long duration."

http://www.ukegoats.com/

― Cunga, Friday, 8 April 2011 08:04 (2 years ago) Permalink

^^ lawsuit imo

― The Dunkster (absolutely clean glasses), Friday, 8 April 2011 08:40 (2 years ago) Permalink

^^jerk imo

― jacobfiala, Saturday, 9 April 2011 18:05 (2 years ago) Permalink

fee nah nay

― the best reggae summer club there used to be in Helsinki (kkvgz), Saturday, 9 April 2011 20:17 (2 years ago) Permalink

man taking a random break from wedding playlist making and just wanna say that "We Shall All Be Healed" is pretty close to a perfect album and freaks me out every time i stumble across it because it is just so on and kinda speaks to an old fucked up me in a way i cant really describe. also "Mole" in specific is a song that got me through some terrible shit w/a not around anymore friend at just the right time (and still does in a kinda memorial way i guess) so i cant really be impartial. TMI or whatever.

ok then

― broke my o_O face o_O (jjjusten), Tuesday, 12 April 2011 07:19 (2 years ago) Permalink

the one big misstep for me on this album is all up the seething coast which i have never really liked tho

― broke my o_O face o_O (jjjusten), Tuesday, 12 April 2011 07:40 (2 years ago) Permalink

I reviewed the new one for The Quietus - http://thequietus.com/articles/06054-the-mountain-goats-all-eternals-deck-review

― lol sickmouthy (Scik Mouthy), Tuesday, 12 April 2011 07:57 (2 years ago) Permalink

John Justen, I'm glad you feel that way. I think a lot of people place We Shall All Be Healed somewhere like 4 or 5 down on their lists of best 4AD MtnGts album, but it's been unshakably my favorite ever since hearing it. Mole is also my favorite jam from that record, although not for any personal reasons.

I've warmed a lot to All Up The Seething Coast as well. It reminds me of how I quit smoking by replacing it with binge drinking and quit binge drinking by replacing it with sugar and cheese. "A couple of Milky Ways for breakfast"? I have lived that. Dude is so gritty and real.

― kkvgz, Tuesday, 12 April 2011 08:47 (2 years ago) Permalink

tmg suffer from having too many awesome records imo. i've not even got around to the new one or we shall all be healed yet.

― popular gay automobile (a hoy hoy), Tuesday, 12 April 2011 10:13 (2 years ago) Permalink

not having any personal knowledge of who is involved with tmg or anything like that has made me want to wait to buy them all legally too. dagnammit.

― popular gay automobile (a hoy hoy), Tuesday, 12 April 2011 10:14 (2 years ago) Permalink

Slow down, Sam. Get to know the albums and cherish 'em a while.

― kkvgz, Tuesday, 12 April 2011 10:44 (2 years ago) Permalink

or spotify them, y'know.

a randomly picked up promo copy of wsabh provided my moment of conversion and as such it holds a particular place in my affections. palmcorder yajna and your belgian things especially are such a joy to go back to.

― DISPLAY NAMING RIGHTS (Upt0eleven), Tuesday, 12 April 2011 10:54 (2 years ago) Permalink

oooh, last time i looked half of them weren't there.

― popular gay automobile (a hoy hoy), Tuesday, 12 April 2011 10:59 (2 years ago) Permalink

WSABH=greatest
All Up The Seething Coast = really good imo. It was my jam for awhile.
And AED=supa good as well

― jacobfiala, Wednesday, 13 April 2011 00:29 (2 years ago) Permalink

yeah WSABH is excellent. "against pollution" + "story of the pigs" = strongest ending of any goats album? maybe 2 of the best songs, ever, period??

"all up the seething coast" was one of the last songs I warmed up to, but I love it now. 'the best you've got is powerless against me...'

― bernard snowy, Wednesday, 13 April 2011 01:09 (2 years ago) Permalink

ooh and I forgot "cotton" comes before those 2 — another song that I wholeheartedly love, and feel my love returned by

― bernard snowy, Wednesday, 13 April 2011 01:10 (2 years ago) Permalink

I think a lot of people place We Shall All Be Healed somewhere like 4 or 5 down on their lists of best 4AD MtnGts album, but it's been unshakably my favorite ever since hearing it.

Nope, you're not alone -- it remains my favorite.

― Hey Look More Than Five Years Has Passed And You Have A C (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 13 April 2011 01:10 (2 years ago) Permalink

I wrote a year-end essay for Stylus in 2004 based on that album's intimations of dread.

― Hey Look More Than Five Years Has Passed And You Have A C (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Wednesday, 13 April 2011 01:12 (2 years ago) Permalink

skimming through some of the old posts upthread, and can I just say: lol @ the reference (c.2003) to the "late period" of Full Force Galesburg and The Coroner's Gambit

― bernard snowy, Wednesday, 13 April 2011 01:20 (2 years ago) Permalink

i would definitely still call those records "late period"

― Guayaquil (eephus!), Wednesday, 13 April 2011 01:53 (2 years ago) Permalink

Late period surely has to start with Tallahassee? Beyond that there's early and mid period?

― lol sickmouthy (Scik Mouthy), Wednesday, 13 April 2011 08:09 (2 years ago) Permalink

yeah, I'm sure it wasn't an inherently lolzy sentiment in 2003 when those were 2 of his 4 most recent releases; but now it seems like hair-splitting fanboy silliness. "oh yeah, I prefer The Coroner's Gambit to Sweden, you can really hear that his guitar has gotten even more out-of-tune by that point."

― bernard snowy, Wednesday, 13 April 2011 11:52 (2 years ago) Permalink

lol!!!

but i do prefer coroner's gambit to sweden

― jacobfiala, Wednesday, 13 April 2011 23:09 (2 years ago) Permalink

ok this has earned the MGs my undying love and respect:

http://pitchfork.com/news/42185-video-silkworm-frontman-joins-mountain-goats/

― congratulations (n/a), Thursday, 14 April 2011 12:29 (2 years ago) Permalink

<3 everything about that video

― call all destroyer, Thursday, 14 April 2011 12:33 (2 years ago) Permalink

hoooooooly shit, look at this kid.

― kkvgz, Thursday, 14 April 2011 15:20 (2 years ago) Permalink

OH SHIT TIM MIDGETT!! FUCK YEAH AWESOME

― the zing cheese incident (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Thursday, 14 April 2011 21:05 (2 years ago) Permalink

hahahah what a badass video

― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Friday, 15 April 2011 00:26 (2 years ago) Permalink

V. cool:

http://www.marcbessant.com/artwork/all-eternals-deck/

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 20 April 2011 21:37 (2 years ago) Permalink

a mate of mine got some nice things with his aed order

http://www.roseability.com/2011/04/16/all-survivors-deck-we-are-young-supernovas-and-the-heats-about-to-break

― cuddles (the kid), Thursday, 21 April 2011 01:46 (2 years ago) Permalink

i will stand by this, zopilote / nine black poppies / sweden are their own thing and are as different from coroners gambit / full force janesburg as the latter are from his contempo stuff

― Guayaquil (eephus!), Thursday, 21 April 2011 05:09 (2 years ago) Permalink

^agreed.

Also, yeah, the first 500 preorders through merge's website of the cd or the lp came with All Survivor's Pack. But if you missed it, you still have a chance, they go for like 50 on eBay.

― jacobfiala, Thursday, 21 April 2011 13:40 (2 years ago) Permalink

new album is good. would rank it 2nd out of the last 5. Never Quite Free is heartbreaking beautiful again. (though it could do with a better session drummer...) (who cares, it's about the voice and twangy guitars and piano anyway)

― Ludo, Saturday, 23 April 2011 11:22 (2 years ago) Permalink

i will stand by this, zopilote / nine black poppies / sweden are their own thing and are as different from coroners gambit / full force janesburg as the latter are from his contempo stuff
― Guayaquil (eephus!), Thursday, April 21, 2011 5:09 AM (2 days ago) Bookmark

nah I mean, that's obviously true, but mostly I just thought it was funny to refer to it as the "late period" in light of everything that's happened since

― bernard snowy, Saturday, 23 April 2011 11:45 (2 years ago) Permalink

"lol old posts", basically

― bernard snowy, Saturday, 23 April 2011 11:46 (2 years ago) Permalink

I like this one:

I only have one Moutain Goats song but I like it a lot. "The Last Day of Jimi Hendrix' Life" on a 'zine 7-inch. You keep waiting for some revelation but it turns out on that day all Jimi did was drink some water & hang around. I love that. I need to get some Mountain Goats, anyway.
― Mark (MarkR), Friday, January 17, 2003 4:28 PM (8 years ago) Bookmark

― bernard snowy, Saturday, 23 April 2011 11:47 (2 years ago) Permalink

This made me lol http://www.avclub.com/philadelphia/articles/mountain-goats-lyrics-reimagined-as-travel-advice,54507/

― Cluster the boots (Billy Dods), Saturday, 23 April 2011 12:27 (2 years ago) Permalink

Someone at Something Awful is a Mountain Goats fan: http://www.somethingawful.com/d/comedy-goldmine/albums-books-photoshop.php?page=2

― Paul McCartney and Whigs (Phil D.), Wednesday, 27 April 2011 20:51 (2 years ago) Permalink

(though it could do with a better session drummer...)

lol poor Jon Wurster

― 'what are you, the Hymen Protection League of America?' (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Wednesday, 27 April 2011 20:58 (2 years ago) Permalink

new tour dates announced, including west coast.

gonna be interesting to see the vibe @ the aladdin theater in portland...that place's got SEATS!

― artisanal rabbit made from single-origin chocolate (reddening), Thursday, 28 April 2011 05:09 (2 years ago) Permalink

bah, precedes my West Coasting by 2-3 weeks

― your generation appalls me (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 28 April 2011 16:41 (2 years ago) Permalink

also gonna be interesting to see the vibe at the budweiser amphitheater at paper mill island in baldwinsville, ny, which is less than a mile from my parents' house (and normally hosts things like "Parrots of the Carribean-Jimmy Buffet Tribute Band")

― Suicide Demo for Kemba Walker (govern yourself accordingly), Thursday, 28 April 2011 20:08 (2 years ago) Permalink

You know they could all jam down together.

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 28 April 2011 20:41 (2 years ago) Permalink

i don't get why everyone complains about john wurster. he's fantastic! Psalms 40:2? [shudder] soooo good.

― jacobfiala, Saturday, 30 April 2011 03:03 (2 years ago) Permalink

okay this is awesome

http://womensmedicalfund.org/index.php/donate-Raffle

― ilxor running, w/ laptop in hand, checking ILX as he sprints (ilxor), Friday, 13 May 2011 03:10 (2 years ago) Permalink

people complain about wurster? the hell is wrong with them

― kaygee, Friday, 13 May 2011 04:06 (2 years ago) Permalink

JD on Kurt Andersen's radio show this week

― resistance does not require a firearm (Dr Morbius), Sunday, 15 May 2011 15:16 (2 years ago) Permalink

Wurster is a god among drummers, fuiud

― suggest ban the subbest man (some dude), Sunday, 15 May 2011 15:17 (2 years ago) Permalink

"estate sale sign" is fantaaaaaaaaaastic

― difficult listening hour, Sunday, 15 May 2011 15:38 (2 years ago) Permalink

― ilxor running, w/ laptop in hand, checking ILX as he sprints (ilxor), Sunday, 15 May 2011 16:34 (2 years ago) Permalink

This is by far the MG album I've played the most since '05. "Age of Kings," "Liza Forever Minnelli," "Beautiful Gas Mask" -- awesome.

― ginny thomas and tonic (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 15 May 2011 16:59 (2 years ago) Permalink

It really is wonderful. My girlfriend became an instant fan after one listen.

― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 15 May 2011 17:02 (2 years ago) Permalink

yeah i only just really sat down with it but it sounds to me like the best since healed.

― difficult listening hour, Sunday, 15 May 2011 17:09 (2 years ago) Permalink

Agree that it's the best since Healed as well.. Liked "Estate Sale Sign" and "Birth of Serpents" best initially, but the celebrity trio of "For Charles Bronson", "Liza Forever Minnelli" and "The Autopsy Garland" (about Judy) have come to feel like the heart of the album to me.

― jer.fairall, Monday, 16 May 2011 00:05 (2 years ago) Permalink

my wife likes this dude too, incl. the new album, she says he's gotten better as he sounds "less like an actual mountain goat" (i guess as his singing gets less intense/bleaty as on the pre-4AD stuff)

― ilxor running, w/ laptop in hand, checking ILX as he sprints (ilxor), Monday, 16 May 2011 02:52 (2 years ago) Permalink

the vocals on "liza" and "age of kings" seem like a step forward.. quite nuanced

― ilxor running, w/ laptop in hand, checking ILX as he sprints (ilxor), Monday, 16 May 2011 02:53 (2 years ago) Permalink

2 weeks pass...

I never really loved what I heard from the Mountain Goats but my wife and I just finished watching season 3 of Moral Oral and MG songs are used perfectly to soundtrack that last season. Really brilliant in that context and gave me some appreciation for the music that I didn't have beforehand. I think the songs from that season are "No Children," "Old College Try," and "Love Love Love."

― Mordy, Tuesday, 31 May 2011 17:03 (2 years ago) Permalink

oh GOD the episode that uses "No Children" is one of the most devastating things I've ever seen on television

― Tom Skerritt Mustache Ride (DJP), Tuesday, 31 May 2011 17:04 (2 years ago) Permalink

That show was really cut down unfairly in its prime. Apparently the 3rd season was supposed to be a full order but bc of some of the episodes (partic the one with the three women, the nurse talking to the bears, the teacher with the abortion and miss censordoll) were too "raw" (i guess?) it was cancelled. it doesn't look like Dino was ready to stop at all.

― Mordy, Wednesday, 1 June 2011 03:57 (2 years ago) Permalink

nice cover of "Boxcar" by Jawbreaker is now on the Onion AV Club

― Darin, Tuesday, 7 June 2011 18:32 (2 years ago) Permalink

oh rad!

― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Tuesday, 7 June 2011 22:22 (2 years ago) Permalink

i miss moral orel too. how did you watch season 2 and 3 mordy? i bought season 1, but 2 and 3 aren't available.

― jacobfiala, Wednesday, 8 June 2011 21:22 (2 years ago) Permalink

JD answers your questions

I hope this works. I've never done this before.

― banjoboy, Thursday, 9 June 2011 03:05 (2 years ago) Permalink

^ reddit thing is really cool

someone there linked this MTV interview and holy shit, worst ive ever read? a contender, for sure

http://read.mtvhive.com/2011/05/25/interview-the-mountain-goats-john-darnielle

― i genuinely thought when i first joined that he was the admin (ilxor), Thursday, 9 June 2011 05:22 (2 years ago) Permalink

obviously that's on the interviewer—not JD

― i genuinely thought when i first joined that he was the admin (ilxor), Thursday, 9 June 2011 05:22 (2 years ago) Permalink

Eric Spitznagl

― buzza, Thursday, 9 June 2011 05:33 (2 years ago) Permalink

lol

― markers, Thursday, 9 June 2011 06:17 (2 years ago) Permalink

yeesh

― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Thursday, 9 June 2011 18:36 (2 years ago) Permalink

That interviewer is awful, but JD certainy handled it well with his signature class and dignity.

― the fey bloggers are onto the zagat tweets (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, 9 June 2011 18:42 (2 years ago) Permalink

*sings beyonce*

― puff puff post (uh oh I'm having a fantasy), Thursday, 9 June 2011 18:46 (2 years ago) Permalink

"Oh you don't like pop music? How about if I sing it at you???"

― the fey bloggers are onto the zagat tweets (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Thursday, 9 June 2011 18:47 (2 years ago) Permalink

wow shit got really weird after that

― puff puff post (uh oh I'm having a fantasy), Thursday, 9 June 2011 18:48 (2 years ago) Permalink

super weird!

― just sayin, Thursday, 9 June 2011 20:27 (2 years ago) Permalink

spitzNAGL if i may

― arby's, Thursday, 9 June 2011 20:49 (2 years ago) Permalink

scroll 8 posts up

― iatee, Thursday, 9 June 2011 20:50 (2 years ago) Permalink

oh! misread that. XD

― arby's, Thursday, 9 June 2011 20:55 (2 years ago) Permalink

*sings beyonce*

― puff puff post (uh oh I'm having a fantasy), Thursday, June 9, 2011 6:46 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark

i love the idea of the writer grinning to himself as he's transcribing this portion of the interview

― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Thursday, 9 June 2011 20:56 (2 years ago) Permalink

holy hell this interview

― low-rent black gangster nicknamed Bootsy (DJP), Thursday, 9 June 2011 21:03 (2 years ago) Permalink

oh my god this interview

― low-rent black gangster nicknamed Bootsy (DJP), Thursday, 9 June 2011 21:11 (2 years ago) Permalink

WTF THIS INTERVIEW

― low-rent black gangster nicknamed Bootsy (DJP), Thursday, 9 June 2011 21:12 (2 years ago) Permalink

everytime I thought "oh this is the part where it gets weird" it got WEIRDER

― low-rent black gangster nicknamed Bootsy (DJP), Thursday, 9 June 2011 21:14 (2 years ago) Permalink

Jesus, I assumed this guy was an MTV intern or something, not a contributing editor at The Believer.

― jaymc, Thursday, 9 June 2011 21:15 (2 years ago) Permalink

that interview erased my brain and i can't think of what a good one is like

― arby's, Thursday, 9 June 2011 21:17 (2 years ago) Permalink

he has to be trollin', theres no way

― bnw, Thursday, 9 June 2011 21:18 (2 years ago) Permalink

In his defense: more reporters should quote Beyonce in interviews.

― The Edge of Gloryhole (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 9 June 2011 21:25 (2 years ago) Permalink

Actually, some of these Vanity Fair interviews he's done are pretty entertaining.

― jaymc, Thursday, 9 June 2011 21:27 (2 years ago) Permalink

ok lol singing at interviewees is actually a thing he does

― puff puff post (uh oh I'm having a fantasy), Thursday, 9 June 2011 21:33 (2 years ago) Permalink

seeing his interviewing style play out there helps frame the JD one a bit better...but still

― arby's, Thursday, 9 June 2011 21:37 (2 years ago) Permalink

lol lol

― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Thursday, 9 June 2011 21:38 (2 years ago) Permalink

What do you say when you’re roughing up a perp? “On the floor, dirtbag!” “Book 'em, Danno!” That kind of thing.
Shaq: Well, uh. [Long pause.] My job is to be a little girl.
Come again?
Shaq: I play a little girl on the Internet. So whatever name I’m going by, that will probably be my catchphrase. If I’m Tanya, then it’ll be something like, “Tanya says hello.” And they’ll be like, “Tanya who?” And I’ll say, “You don’t know no Tanya, huh? I’m Tanya. Let’s go.” And that’s when the cuffs get slapped on you.

SHAQ I LOVE YOU

― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Thursday, 9 June 2011 21:40 (2 years ago) Permalink

generally not a fan when the interviewers think we give a shit about them

― bnw, Thursday, 9 June 2011 21:43 (2 years ago) Permalink

seeing his interviewing style play out there helps frame the JD one a bit better...but still

Yeah, the fact that he doesn't seem to care about coming across as a dick is what makes some of his interviews funny, but with the JD interview that kind of jokes-bruv cheekiness is weirdly and uncomfortably mingled with the ingratiating tone of an awkward teenager meeting his idol.

― jaymc, Thursday, 9 June 2011 21:51 (2 years ago) Permalink

I think this guy should be hunted down and attacked by a pack of rabid woodchucks.

― Peyton Flanders (Nicole), Thursday, 9 June 2011 21:51 (2 years ago) Permalink

Or forced to live with Kid Rock, which is probably worse.

― Peyton Flanders (Nicole), Thursday, 9 June 2011 21:52 (2 years ago) Permalink

or mauled by a murder of rabid eddychucks.

― The Edge of Gloryhole (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 9 June 2011 21:52 (2 years ago) Permalink

seeing his interviewing style play out there helps frame the JD one a bit better...but still

― jaymc, Thursday, 9 June 2011 21:51 (11 minutes ago)

main prob isn't even the jokes, it's that his myopia is pushed to the forefront in this interview

― puff puff post (uh oh I'm having a fantasy), Thursday, 9 June 2011 22:03 (2 years ago) Permalink

"i bootlegg your music all the time, i even grabbed that leak of all eternals deck! is that alright with you?"

― jacobfiala, Friday, 10 June 2011 05:51 (2 years ago) Permalink

Just read some of his Vanity Fair stuff, and the Darnielle interview didn't get any better as a result.

― jer.fairall, Friday, 10 June 2011 12:49 (2 years ago) Permalink

Interview read OK to me. Good responses from J0hn. i.e.

The thing is, I have empathy for every character I sing through. But that song, “No Children,” is kind of funny and I’m not laughing with those people, I’m laughing at them. It’s funny to watch people who are that messed up. It’s maybe not the most admirable trait in a human being to be amused by that, and I think that’s why I try to have some empathy for them. But the funny parts of that song? That’s not me saying, “Hey, isn’t it hilarious how people treat each other bad?” It’s me saying, “You guys are wasting your single opportunity to occupy this human body."

― Forget the rest / this breast test is best (Ówen P.), Friday, 10 June 2011 15:43 (2 years ago) Permalink

hysterical interview; was kinda hoping it was incognito whiney

― When Zeester Met Koffie (forksclovetofu), Friday, 10 June 2011 16:48 (2 years ago) Permalink

lol

― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Friday, 10 June 2011 16:49 (2 years ago) Permalink

i mean...

On a scale of one to ten, ten being you want to punch me hard in the throat right now …

― When Zeester Met Koffie (forksclovetofu), Friday, 10 June 2011 16:50 (2 years ago) Permalink

On a scale of one to 51, 51 being you want to sb me right now ...

― i genuinely thought when i first joined that he was the admin (ilxor), Saturday, 11 June 2011 08:07 (2 years ago) Permalink

Of interest!

http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2011/06/first-drafts-the-mountain-goats-dance-music/240558/

― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 16 June 2011 20:41 (2 years ago) Permalink

awes, will read later

― markers, Thursday, 16 June 2011 21:37 (2 years ago) Permalink

that was cool. i always enjoy little candid bits from songwriters about their songwriting.

dude played a spirited show on tuesday in spite of a back half of the room who needed to be 51'd. it was the first i've been able to make it to in about 8 years, fun to see him with the (not extraordinarily recent) addition of a band.

― arby's, Thursday, 16 June 2011 22:25 (2 years ago) Permalink

i went and actually milled around outside but it was raining so hard and i was soaked from biking and went home instead :(

― all the pretty HOOSes (gbx), Thursday, 16 June 2011 22:26 (2 years ago) Permalink

Super fun show tonight, so much unpent mad energy coming from that stage. Really great sets w/ bonus Steely Dan cover in the (quieter) middle.

― Jaq, Friday, 17 June 2011 07:12 (2 years ago) Permalink

what steely dan song did he do?

― just sayin, Friday, 17 June 2011 07:42 (2 years ago) Permalink

could totally imagine kid charlemagne

― just sayin, Friday, 17 June 2011 07:42 (2 years ago) Permalink

― it's a meme i made and i like (Steve Shasta), Friday, 17 June 2011 07:53 (2 years ago) Permalink

NO STATIC AT ALL

― it's a meme i made and i like (Steve Shasta), Friday, 17 June 2011 07:54 (2 years ago) Permalink

Steve Shasta (Malibu, CA USA)

― buzza, Friday, 17 June 2011 08:09 (2 years ago) Permalink

could totally imagine kid charlemagne

Nah, he did Dr. Wu

― Jaq, Friday, 17 June 2011 13:31 (2 years ago) Permalink

I ask a few things.

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 20 June 2011 18:15 (1 year ago) Permalink

good interview! i only just got this album, and man its good, seems like it might even be one of his best?

― just sayin, Monday, 20 June 2011 18:24 (1 year ago) Permalink

Good interview. (But ketjap manis >>>>>> straight soy sauce in that pad thai.)

― Mr. Patrick Batman (WmC), Monday, 20 June 2011 18:57 (1 year ago) Permalink

I am totally not faking when I say that I don't get what's supposed to be wrong with the Spitznagl interview!

― Guayaquil (eephus!), Monday, 20 June 2011 21:09 (1 year ago) Permalink

2 months pass...

my 8 yr old daughter chimes in:

"what the... this is kind of annoying. going to georgia?? i thought your voice had to be good to have a CD out. how does this guy have a CD?... we need to get rid of this one... get rid of it, delete it from your computer at least, dad."

― i genuinely thought when i first joined that he was the admin (ilxor), Saturday, 27 August 2011 22:13 (1 year ago) Permalink

your daughter is kinda a dick

― iatee, Saturday, 27 August 2011 22:20 (1 year ago) Permalink

apple, tree, et cetera

― strongo hulkington's ghost dad, Saturday, 27 August 2011 22:24 (1 year ago) Permalink

Pretty much my favourite band ever. Had a wonderful bonding moment with my really surly 16 year old brother on holiday a few weeks back. I absent mindedly started singing Birth of Serpents in the car, he turns to me and asks why I was singing it, I was surprised he knew what it was, and then boom, he tells me about how much he loves the band, how he's got tonnes of their records etc. I've never got on with him better, so thanks John Darnielle!

― Darren Huckerby (Dwight Yorke), Sunday, 28 August 2011 00:05 (1 year ago) Permalink

that's my favorite mg song -- wtf little ilxtress

― mookieproof, Sunday, 28 August 2011 00:08 (1 year ago) Permalink

love TMG stuff, esp. as summer begins to fade into fall.

― Daniel, Esq., Sunday, 28 August 2011 00:12 (1 year ago) Permalink

I love High Hawk Season, but I am biased

― now I have to imagine your penis (DJP), Sunday, 28 August 2011 01:15 (1 year ago) Permalink

― *steens furiHOOSly* (BIG HOOS aka the steendriver), Sunday, 28 August 2011 01:20 (1 year ago) Permalink

i went to see their dublin show with some friends, we had a ball. suspiciously timed with the obama visit tho i must say

― zvookster, Sunday, 28 August 2011 01:30 (1 year ago) Permalink

did u mean to say o'bama

― mookieproof, Sunday, 28 August 2011 01:31 (1 year ago) Permalink

looooooool ilxor

― markers, Sunday, 28 August 2011 01:36 (1 year ago) Permalink

ní féidir liom xp

― zvookster, Sunday, 28 August 2011 01:40 (1 year ago) Permalink

loool djp

― come back to the five and dime remy bean, (remy bean), Sunday, 28 August 2011 01:43 (1 year ago) Permalink

i do like tmg

― markers, Sunday, 28 August 2011 01:44 (1 year ago) Permalink

I love High Hawk Season, but I am biased

one of the best things ive heard all year. i am not biased!

― i genuinely thought when i first joined that he was the admin (ilxor), Sunday, 28 August 2011 03:48 (1 year ago) Permalink

2 months pass...

― mookieproof, Wednesday, 9 November 2011 05:47 (1 year ago) Permalink

too much time on ilx imo

― herbie mann on some gully shit (forksclovetofu), Wednesday, 9 November 2011 07:19 (1 year ago) Permalink

New track!

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/12730-thucydides-ii-58/

― Who wants to see the great Pavarotti sit on a pie? (jer.fairall), Wednesday, 9 November 2011 15:34 (1 year ago) Permalink

i try not to be a pushy fan but man if there was a whole now-cancelled mountain goats project of songs based on passages by classical historians i am going to be slightly rueful

― occupy the A train (difficult listening hour), Wednesday, 9 November 2011 15:40 (1 year ago) Permalink

Ooh!

― Who wants to see the great Pavarotti sit on a pie? (jer.fairall), Thursday, 17 November 2011 16:35 (1 year ago) Permalink

that show is right at the start of EMP, ja

― Dr Morbois de Bologne (Dr Morbius), Thursday, 17 November 2011 17:24 (1 year ago) Permalink

― spellcheck is really advanced these days (cajunsunday), Thursday, 17 November 2011 19:42 (1 year ago) Permalink

isn't that just the greatest thing ever? ^

― spellcheck is really advanced these days (cajunsunday), Thursday, 17 November 2011 19:46 (1 year ago) Permalink

That is great! Thanks for sharing

― grandavis, Thursday, 17 November 2011 20:16 (1 year ago) Permalink

a JD/OP duet album would be VERY welcome round here and with me

― do you want me to share what i know w/ you or not? (forksclovetofu), Friday, 18 November 2011 16:23 (1 year ago) Permalink

as long as we get more sweet djp action too

― Tokyo Sexwale (a hoy hoy), Friday, 18 November 2011 21:43 (1 year ago) Permalink

(also what are matmos up to these days?)

― Tokyo Sexwale (a hoy hoy), Friday, 18 November 2011 21:44 (1 year ago) Permalink

4 months pass...

the Anonymous 4 collaboration rolled out tonight was unbelievably good. I feel the need to hear it all again, since the arrangements were so intricate and perfectly attuned to the songs that each piece had a couple of moments I almost needed a breather after to take them in. Also v nice to see Mr Mountain Goats be so clearly thrilled by the occasion, and Owen Pallett perform in such a different situation, as a fill-in with A4 themselves (he looked increeeedibly nervous beforehand, but to my untrained ears it sounded great). Also thanks for finishing fairly early, as it meant I had time to run up the road and catch all of When Saints Go Machine's set.

― Boo-Yaa Too Rough International Boo-Yaa Empire (Merdeyeux), Monday, 2 April 2012 23:18 (1 year ago) Permalink

v much worth dragging myself out of bed for as I continue to fight a bug, but I feel I'm going to need about 15 hours of sleep now.

― Boo-Yaa Too Rough International Boo-Yaa Empire (Merdeyeux), Monday, 2 April 2012 23:19 (1 year ago) Permalink

Co-sign, especially about the need to hear it all again. If this stuff doesn't get recorded & released I might cry a little.

― God arrives for the apocalypse, having been traveling at the speed of (ledge), Tuesday, 3 April 2012 08:05 (1 year ago) Permalink

2 weeks pass...

The quintessential @mountain_goats moment: Someone requests "Fault Lines," JD demurs, claiming lyrical ignorance. Fan hands him her iPhone.

next time i see dude i'm gonna bring a printout of 'song for cleomenes'

― mookieproof, Friday, 20 April 2012 02:18 (1 year ago) Permalink

woohoo! http://pitchfork.com/news/46347-the-mountain-goats-reissue-old-cassettes/

"The songs you find on this compact disc originally appeared on two cassettes. To elaborate further about that—to say, for example, that the songs originally appeared 'on two cassettes that were released in ____ and ____'—would misrepresent the spirit of their time. These tapes did not have release dates. No one anticipated their coming into the world, and very few noticed or cared. All previous eras cross at some point into the territory of the unimaginable, and so it is with the days of tape-trading. The obscurity in which these songs were incubated and born and brought into their faint light is a state of being which has passed into history."

― kid steel (cajunsunday), Monday, 30 April 2012 21:39 (1 year ago) Permalink

wow, I still have these cassettes floating around somewhere, but they are nigh-unplayable. Will buy the reissue, definitely.

― deploying a sewer otter unit (askance johnson), Monday, 30 April 2012 22:15 (1 year ago) Permalink

2 months pass...

New album in October:

http://www.mountain-goats.com/archives/2012/07/just-under-1000.html

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 9 July 2012 13:31 (11 months ago) Permalink

SO EXCITED for the cassette reissues, somehow missed news of these but will get them today!

― Guayaquil (eephus!), Monday, 9 July 2012 13:50 (11 months ago) Permalink

Is it possible that the songs with the drum machine and the keyboard are actually his very greatest work?

― Guayaquil (eephus!), Saturday, 14 July 2012 15:51 (11 months ago) Permalink

was listening to one of the recent solo shows and was impressed with the piano playing! very very nice.

― tylerw, Saturday, 14 July 2012 16:19 (11 months ago) Permalink

xpost some definitely are--cant remember the name right now but whichever has the refrain "it won't be necessary" is all-time

― visions of kreayshawn with joanna newsom (bernard snowy), Saturday, 14 July 2012 17:11 (11 months ago) Permalink

"california song" up there for me

― Guayaquil (eephus!), Saturday, 14 July 2012 17:15 (11 months ago) Permalink

Sweden is just too much.

YOU'RE MEAN TO ME!
WHY MUST YOU BE MEAN TO ME?
YOU SHOULDN'T FORGET, YOU SEE, WHAT YOU MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAN TO ME!

― Blue Collar Retail Assistant (Dwight Yorke), Saturday, 14 July 2012 17:19 (11 months ago) Permalink

Fantastic piano playing!

― Ówen P., Saturday, 14 July 2012 18:05 (11 months ago) Permalink

hey owen, can you say how involved you were on the new record? (its cool if you wanna just make us wait for liner notes)

― Yeah and I ~obstruction~ you/ya fucking blind cunt (pause) fucking k (a hoy hoy), Saturday, 14 July 2012 18:11 (11 months ago) Permalink

actually, sorry for asking that. i know aero and i think yrself have said in the past to not talk directly about the day job

― Yeah and I ~obstruction~ you/ya fucking blind cunt (pause) fucking k (a hoy hoy), Saturday, 14 July 2012 18:13 (11 months ago) Permalink

I heard the Desmond Child penned songs on this are great

― wack nerd zinging in the dead of night (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Saturday, 14 July 2012 18:17 (11 months ago) Permalink

would usually say "hey let's leave a classic like 'dude (looks like a lady)" alone, but the version here really brings the pain

― tylerw, Saturday, 14 July 2012 18:21 (11 months ago) Permalink

As far as I know, Steven Tyler is pretty OK with talking about his day job round here

― Ówen P., Saturday, 14 July 2012 18:26 (11 months ago) Permalink

But getting back on topic, no, I contributed nothing to the new Mountain Goats album. They asked me to do some arrangements for two collaborative concerts with a capella group Anonymous 4, in March. I arranged three songs for guitar, voice + SSAA, four for piano, voice + SSAA, and one for voice + SSAA. (There were no string arrangements, as was reported.) I'm pretty sure NPR recorded the NYC performance and iirc the songs "Lakeside view apartments suite" and "Counterfeit Florida plates" were especially strong

― Ówen P., Saturday, 14 July 2012 18:29 (11 months ago) Permalink

(And for the record I'm OK with talking 'bout my day job so long as it's limited to clarifying already available facts and expressing positive opinions i.e. "he's a blessing and an inspiration")

― Ówen P., Saturday, 14 July 2012 18:33 (11 months ago) Permalink

Owen, thanks for making my brother's first ever gig (the Anonymous 4 show at the Barbican) one he'll never forget.

― Blue Collar Retail Assistant (Dwight Yorke), Saturday, 14 July 2012 18:33 (11 months ago) Permalink

No thanks necessary. I sit at the piano all day and take ILX breaks every hour. It's good living.

― Ówen P., Saturday, 14 July 2012 18:40 (11 months ago) Permalink

owen I didn't realize u did string arrangements on Life of the World to Come until v.recently, and when I found out I was like "oh that's why they're so awesome!" <3 <3

― visions of kreayshawn with joanna newsom (bernard snowy), Saturday, 14 July 2012 18:41 (11 months ago) Permalink

<3 at you but let's keep things on topic. I am so excited for this new Mountain Goats record and you should be too. There is one song on the album called "White cedar" that is so beautiful I couldn't bear to work on it, probably my favourite tMG song of the last seven years.

― Ówen P., Saturday, 14 July 2012 18:49 (11 months ago) Permalink

haha yes of course I am excited! I will probably never reach a point in my life where the idea of a new goats album fails to excite me

― visions of kreayshawn with joanna newsom (bernard snowy), Saturday, 14 July 2012 18:56 (11 months ago) Permalink

bah, after going to the incredible barbican show i was really looking forward to hearing those in recorded form! but on the other hand, now i have something unheard to be looking forward to. (but i'll have to track down those recordings.)

― Merdeyeux, Saturday, 14 July 2012 19:57 (11 months ago) Permalink

oh, well im very glad i asked then :) there comes a time once in a while where a new mtn goats record feels like a reassuring boost everyone needs

― Yeah and I ~obstruction~ you/ya fucking blind cunt (pause) fucking k (a hoy hoy), Saturday, 14 July 2012 20:25 (11 months ago) Permalink

that's rad that you're working with anonymous 4; i dig them

― This clam, stranded on someone’s floor, is trying to dig itself (forksclovetofu), Monday, 16 July 2012 04:23 (11 months ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

just noticed this, which was announced back in April but looks like it wasn't mentioned here--a "metal covers" set at Hopscotch next month:

The second set, however, will be unlike any in the 20-year history of the Mountain Goats—all covers, possibly all on Fletcher’s beautiful grand piano, all by himself. A lifelong metal fan and longtime columnist for the extreme music magazine Decibel, Darnielle says he plans to spend a portion of the summer arranging and learning covers of heavy metal songs. “The tentative title for this set,” Darnielle says, “is ‘Nearer My Hateful Mankind Plague to Thee,’ but titles are subject to change.
http://hopscotchmusicfest.com/news/post/the-mountain-goats-to-perform-rarities-and-first-ever-covers-sets-at-hopsco/

― Aglet, Tuesday, 21 August 2012 16:57 (9 months ago) Permalink

2 weeks pass...

so the Hopscotch gig was super fun

― DARING PRINCESS (DJP), Saturday, 8 September 2012 23:33 (9 months ago) Permalink

I certainly hope that the title of the set was changed to These Purges of God

― catbus otm (gbx), Saturday, 8 September 2012 23:38 (9 months ago) Permalink

still waiting for a buddy holocaust tribute album

― scott seward, Sunday, 9 September 2012 01:53 (9 months ago) Permalink

new album is fabulous as usual, lots of piano and what sounds like a small horn/brass section. strong song cycle & a few flat out stunners. love it

― ilxor, Sunday, 9 September 2012 18:01 (9 months ago) Permalink

Need to fully absorb it still, but yeah, I can already see myself liking this as much as Heretic Pride and All Eternals Deck, which means this will probably finish somewhere in the second half of my year end top ten.

― this is the dream of avril and chad (jer.fairall), Wednesday, 12 September 2012 03:13 (9 months ago) Permalink

John needs to become a permanent co-host on Judge John Hodgman.

― NR’s resident heavy-metal expert (Nicole), Wednesday, 12 September 2012 14:03 (9 months ago) Permalink

Is it streaming somewhere at this point?

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 12 September 2012 14:20 (9 months ago) Permalink

http://www.maximumfun.org/shows/judge-john-hodgman

The metal episode is the best.

― NR’s resident heavy-metal expert (Nicole), Wednesday, 12 September 2012 14:21 (9 months ago) Permalink

Ah, sorry, I meant the album! (Based on previous comments.) But I'm glad for that too!

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 12 September 2012 14:22 (9 months ago) Permalink

Duh doy, I should have picked up on that.

― NR’s resident heavy-metal expert (Nicole), Wednesday, 12 September 2012 14:25 (9 months ago) Permalink

xpost

No, but it is, uh, around.

― this is the dream of avril and chad (jer.fairall), Wednesday, 12 September 2012 16:38 (9 months ago) Permalink

has anyone ever pitched Deadmau5, Skrillex and SBTRKT remixing Mountain Goats songs?

― DARING PRINCESS (DJP), Wednesday, 12 September 2012 16:39 (9 months ago) Permalink

i certainly hope not.

― this is the dream of avril and chad (jer.fairall), Wednesday, 12 September 2012 16:50 (9 months ago) Permalink

No, but it is, uh, around.

pet peeve is people phrasing "there's a leak online" like this as if there were some Dumb Ol' Suits who wouldn't be able to understand what "it is, uh, around" would mean

― we don't wanna miss a THING!!! (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Wednesday, 12 September 2012 17:19 (9 months ago) Permalink

speak for yourself man, I still don't know what we're talking about—far as I can tell some kind of steamer called the Mountain Goat is supposed to be around, but may have sprung a leak? also something about the holocaust

― He revs the language like a hypersonic superbike. (bernard snowy), Wednesday, 12 September 2012 17:44 (9 months ago) Permalink

It leaked online and I downloaded it illegally.

― this is the dream of avril and chad (jer.fairall), Wednesday, 12 September 2012 18:41 (9 months ago) Permalink

No, but it is, uh, around.

pet peeve is people phrasing "there's a leak online" like this as if there were some Dumb Ol' Suits who wouldn't be able to understand what "it is, uh, around" would mean

― we don't wanna miss a THING!!! (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Wednesday, September 12, 2012 12:19 PM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

i usually just walk up to a website and be like "um...heeey man...um....are you holding?"

― listen to that wu-tang whistle blowin' (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 12 September 2012 19:35 (9 months ago) Permalink

you know where i can get some, um, *420*

― how's life, Wednesday, 12 September 2012 20:04 (9 months ago) Permalink

yo man you got any of that yam king of crops

― cwkiii, Wednesday, 12 September 2012 20:13 (9 months ago) Permalink

To be fair, "know where I can get some, um, Transcendental Youth" does sorta sound like drug slang.

― this is the dream of avril and chad (jer.fairall), Wednesday, 12 September 2012 20:13 (9 months ago) Permalink

hey mp3 hosting website....are you cool?

― listen to that wu-tang whistle blowin' (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 12 September 2012 20:13 (9 months ago) Permalink

WHO LET THE NARC IN. i may wait to buy this one! i want the anonymous 4 memories to stay foremost with me for a while longer.

― tubular, mondo, gnabry (Merdeyeux), Wednesday, 12 September 2012 20:38 (9 months ago) Permalink

"...John's not here!"

― nickn, Wednesday, 12 September 2012 21:39 (9 months ago) Permalink

To be fair, "know where I can get some, um, Transcendental Youth" does sorta sound like drug slang.

always feel like having a weed strain named after one of your tunes would be some sort of ultimate accolade

― we don't wanna miss a THING!!! (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Wednesday, 12 September 2012 21:44 (9 months ago) Permalink

if you you smoke this shit...get this...you'll have....no children

― puff puff post (uh oh I'm having a fantasy), Wednesday, 12 September 2012 21:47 (9 months ago) Permalink

anyone got some swedish treeeees?

― tylerw, Wednesday, 12 September 2012 21:47 (9 months ago) Permalink

my man

― we don't wanna miss a THING!!! (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Wednesday, 12 September 2012 21:59 (9 months ago) Permalink

Bong for Dennis Brown

― would smash pumpkins (Ówen P.), Thursday, 13 September 2012 04:49 (9 months ago) Permalink

The Meth Inside

― cwkiii, Thursday, 13 September 2012 05:00 (9 months ago) Permalink

Going to Jamaica

― Odyssey Dong (how's life), Thursday, 13 September 2012 08:56 (9 months ago) Permalink

So anyway, stream up:

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/album-premiere-the-mountain-goats-transcendental-youth-20120924

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 24 September 2012 15:33 (8 months ago) Permalink

well shock surprise this is awesome

― cake-like Lady Gaga (DJP), Monday, 24 September 2012 15:38 (8 months ago) Permalink

So far, this is great.

― Regional Tug (irrational), Monday, 24 September 2012 16:28 (8 months ago) Permalink

When I was scoring "White Cedar" in January I had to take regular "me" breaks, that song has become very important to my life

― whiter than... this? (Ówen P.), Monday, 24 September 2012 16:38 (8 months ago) Permalink

Just listened to that one -- it's really, really lovely, arrangement and song both.

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 24 September 2012 17:06 (8 months ago) Permalink

yeah I've been on the "White Cedar" bandwagon for a little while now

this whole album is a gigantic ball of YAY

― cake-like Lady Gaga (DJP), Monday, 24 September 2012 17:08 (8 months ago) Permalink

Like a village on the steppe/
About to get collectivized.

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 24 September 2012 17:24 (8 months ago) Permalink

well this is great

― well if it isn't old 11 cameras simon (gbx), Monday, 24 September 2012 18:08 (8 months ago) Permalink

Yeah, I'm totally infatuated, oh hell in luv at first listening, which doesn't always happen w MGs or much else. Seems like, if you are a The Hold Steady fan but getting a bit frustrated with creative lovehandles, rest assured this contains no fat, but plenty crucial lyric and especially sonic detail, in questing, cunning and at rate unstoppable underdog tales. Also, if you're frustrated by good horn sections wasted on, say the St/ Vincent/Byrne thing (yeah I'll listen again, or maybe not), well you've come to the right place, as Elvis would say. Kind of a King Creole pang-vibe here, the metal-compatible spirit too.

― dow, Monday, 24 September 2012 19:52 (8 months ago) Permalink

Not to downplay the, what can I call it, clear-eyed, also blues-compatible spirit, compatible also with (and not slowed down or upstaged by) reading Tricia Romano's Twitter funeral pyre for Village Voice just now (not to sidetrack this thread, but was struck by compatility, water and everything in it rolling under the musical bridge)

― dow, Monday, 24 September 2012 20:06 (8 months ago) Permalink

Anyway, Top Ten baby, P&J or whatEVAH

― dow, Monday, 24 September 2012 20:07 (8 months ago) Permalink

fantastic record. "until i am whole" really perfectly describes a set of months i had this year

― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Monday, 24 September 2012 20:10 (8 months ago) Permalink

oh and "spent gladiator 2," that really spare groove they ride on is mean as hell

― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Monday, 24 September 2012 20:11 (8 months ago) Permalink

i wonder if this is gonna be on spotify and if anyone shall we say close with the band might comment on that

― EVERYONE COOKING SCMABLED EGGS,CHEESE WITH TOASTER!! (forksclovetofu), Monday, 24 September 2012 20:27 (8 months ago) Permalink

merge has all their stuff up there iirc
anyway, joe perry woefully underutilized here, but otherwise great!

― tylerw, Monday, 24 September 2012 20:28 (8 months ago) Permalink

sounds good. not very mountain goats though. has their music ever sounded as rich and subtly arranged before?

― alex in mainhattan, Monday, 24 September 2012 20:53 (8 months ago) Permalink

has their music ever sounded as rich and subtly arranged before?

we shall all be healed imo. get lonely too, which incidentally is the other record with horns

― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Monday, 24 September 2012 21:04 (8 months ago) Permalink

He's been heading in this direction for a while. Get Lonely and The Life of The World To Come were especially lush. This one just isn't as sparse as those records (which may be why I already like it better).

― this is the dream of avril and chad (jer.fairall), Monday, 24 September 2012 21:21 (8 months ago) Permalink

I'm not as fond of this one as I was of last year's outstanding album.

― taking tiger mountain (up the butt) (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 24 September 2012 21:29 (8 months ago) Permalink

The last 4 or 5 records sound absolutely gorgeous. The recording, mixing and mastering are sublime.

On first listen I'm with Alfred. Some great songs, but nothing grabbed me by the lapels like so much of the last two albums.

― EZ Snappin, Monday, 24 September 2012 21:32 (8 months ago) Permalink

All of the last 4-5 records have been varying degrees of wonderful, but Life of the World to Come was the one that still hits me the hardest. Really looking forward to sitting down with this one.

― heated debate over derpy hooves (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Monday, 24 September 2012 21:33 (8 months ago) Permalink

I didn't hear the last albums but this one seems pretty decent. Almost as good as Tallahassee. Which was a completely different beast of course. This one seems lighter and not as grave on first listen.

― alex in mainhattan, Monday, 24 September 2012 21:38 (8 months ago) Permalink

It took me about three listens to All Eternal's Deck for like to turn to love. One listen in, I'm still at like with this one, but I take that as a positive sign.

(Get Lonely, alas, never grew on me, and TLOTWTC only ever did slightly.)

― this is the dream of avril and chad (jer.fairall), Monday, 24 September 2012 21:41 (8 months ago) Permalink

yeah this isn't knocking me out like All Eternals Deck--the strings on "Age of Kings," backing vocals on "High Hawk Season," etc. were like perfect backing for the lyrics, some of that record almost has a Paris 1919 vibe to me--but this definitely has a lot of great stuff on it, "White Cedar" and "Diaz Brothers" are great for sure

― fadanuf4erybody, Monday, 24 September 2012 21:44 (8 months ago) Permalink

It may sound banal, and I certainly don't mean it to, but I have a feeling that All Eternal's Deck may come to exemplify what we mean when we say "typically great new Mountain Goats record."

― this is the dream of avril and chad (jer.fairall), Monday, 24 September 2012 21:58 (8 months ago) Permalink

agreed, it was the first goats record that didn't leave much of an impression on me. i listened to it a few weeks ago and nothing jumped out at me save for "high hawk season"

― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Monday, 24 September 2012 22:07 (8 months ago) Permalink

whereas every song for me was a discrete entity: my fave MG since 2005.

― taking tiger mountain (up the butt) (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 24 September 2012 22:14 (8 months ago) Permalink

Agreed w/Alfred.

― Ned Raggett, Monday, 24 September 2012 22:15 (8 months ago) Permalink

I have only had one playthrough with Transcendental Youth but I knew "White Cedar" so I was expecting awesome; I was not disappointed.

My pattern has generally been "most recent release = fave", although my favorite song is probably a tossup between "Ezekiel 7 and the Permanent Efficacy of Grace" and "No Children"

special place in my heart for "Damn These Vampires" and "Lovecraft In Brooklyn" and "Sax Rohmer #1" as well

― cake-like Lady Gaga (DJP), Monday, 24 September 2012 22:20 (8 months ago) Permalink

"Beautiful Gas Mask" is my favorite from the last several years.

― taking tiger mountain (up the butt) (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 24 September 2012 22:26 (8 months ago) Permalink

pale green things and damn these vampires are the only two that spontaneously come to mind now and then, but that's just because i like them as individual phrases i think

― well if it isn't old 11 cameras simon (gbx), Monday, 24 September 2012 23:00 (8 months ago) Permalink

whereas every song for me was a discrete entity: my fave MG since 2005.

ha, i hear that from a lot of people! it's strange how i just never got into it

― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Monday, 24 September 2012 23:50 (8 months ago) Permalink

Diaz Brothers is very very paris 1919/john cale.

― s.clover, Tuesday, 25 September 2012 17:16 (8 months ago) Permalink

In Memory of Satan keeps reminding me of summerteeth: "ashtray says..."

― s.clover, Tuesday, 25 September 2012 17:21 (8 months ago) Permalink

people might laugh at your tattoos/ when they do get new ones in completely garish hues

― save the game like a memory card (cajunsunday), Friday, 28 September 2012 12:37 (8 months ago) Permalink

Really really enjoying this one after not making a huge amount of headway with All Eternals Deck. 'In Memory of Satan' being a particular highlight. Could do without those weird backing vocals on 'Until I Am Whole Again; but that's just nitpicking really.

― Blue Collar Retail Assistant (Dwight Yorke), Monday, 1 October 2012 13:53 (8 months ago) Permalink

This post on the AV club discussion of the new album made me lol http://www.avclub.com/articles/the-mountain-goats-transcendental-youth,85936/ especially as there's a good chance he'd agree on some of them.

More than one hundred bands with "goat" in their name better than this one
1. Necrosadistic Goat Torture (a.k.a. N.G.T.) Death/Black Metal United Kingdom
2. Progetto:ChaosGoat.666 (a.k.a. PCG666) Black Metal/Noise Italy
3. Satan's Goat Black/Thrash/Doom Metal United
States
4. Satanik Goat Ritual (a.k.a. Satanic Goat
Ritual) Black/Death Metal United States
5. Sign of the Goat (a.k.a. SOTG) Black Metal United
States
6. Super Heavy Goat Ass (a.k.a.
SuperHeavyGoatAss) Stoner/Southern Metal United States
7. The Austrasian Goat (a.k.a. TAG) Funeral Doom/Black Metal France
8. The Black Goat Order (a.k.a. BGO) Black Metal Canada
9. The Goat Radio Thrash Metal Finland
10. Throwing the Goat Thrash Metal Australia
11. Ye Goat-Herd Gods Black Metal Canada
12. Black Goat of the Woods Black Metal/Grindcore United States
13. Goathanger (a.k.a. Goat Hanger) Groove Metal Australia
14. Goatholocaust (a.k.a. Goat Holocaust) Black Metal Belgium
15. Goatpuncher (a.k.a. Goat Puncher) Melodic Death Metal United Kingdom
16. Goatsoldiers (a.k.a. Goat Soldiers) Black/Thrash Metal United States
17. Goatvomit (a.k.a. Goat Vomit) Black Metal United
States
18. Goatwar (a.k.a. Goat War) Black Metal Canada
19. Lady Reaper (a.k.a. Goat Arse) Black Metal Slovakia
20. Moorgate (a.k.a. More Goat) Death/Black Metal Sweden
21. Nauseating Tepid Whiff (a.k.a. Black Goat) Black Metal France
22. Nazgoat (a.k.a. Nazarene Goat) Black Metal Italy
23. Nocturnal Graves (a.k.a. Nocturnal Goat) Blackened Thrash Metal Australia
24. Wolfen Reich (a.k.a. Goat Ritual) Black Metal United
States
25. GoateatGod (a.k.a. Goat Eat God) Black Metal Greece
26. Milking the Goatmachine (a.k.a. Milking the
Goat Machine) Brutal Death
Metal/Grindcore Germany

27. Goat Vulva (a.k.a. Goatvulva) Black Metal Finland
28. Goat Warlord Death/Black Metal United
States
29. Goat Worship (a.k.a. Jatunheimen) Black Metal Denmark
30. Goat Wrath Black
Metal Germany
31. Goat-Tech Black
Metal Brazil
32. GoatPenis Black/Death
Metal Brazil
33. Hell Goat (a.k.a. Hellgoat) Southern Metal United States
34. Infernal Goat Black Metal Italy
35. LavaGoat Doom/Death
Metal Canada
36. Malignus Goat Raw Black Metal Brazil
37. Maniac Goat Black Metal Brazil
38. Mountain Goat Stoner/Sludge Metal United
States
39. Nuklear Goat Black Metal Portugal
40. Old Goat Black
Metal United States
41. Putrid Goat Death/Doom Metal United
States
42. Sabbatic Goat Black/Death Metal New
Zealand
43. Sabbatical Goat Black/Thrash Metal (early), Death Metal (later) Netherlands
44. Sacro Goat Black
Metal Brazil
45. Scape.Goat Thrash/Death
Metal France
46. Shit Goat Progressive
Thrash Metal United States
47. Von Goat Black
Metal United States
48. Arch Goat of Sodomy Death/Black Metal/Grindcore United
States
49. Black Goat Attack Black Metal Denmark
50. Goat of Mendes Heavy/Folk/Pagan Metal Germany
51. Goat the Head Death Metal Norway
52. Goat's Ass Trumpet Doom/Death Metal Finland
53. Hallowed Be Thy Goat Black Metal France
54. King Fire Goat Sludge Metal United
States
55. Mighty Goat Obscenity Black Metal Brazil
56. Morbid Goat Fornicator Black/Death Metal Chile
57. Goat Emperor Black Metal Brazil
58. Goat Evil Raw
Black Metal Bosnia and Herzegovina
59. Goat Funeral (a.k.a. GoatFuneral) Black Metal Germany
60. Goat Horn Heavy/Doom
Metal Canada
61. Goat Horns Black
Metal United Kingdom
62. Goat Inferno Raw Black Metal Germany
63. Goat Invocation Black Metal Brazil
64. Goat Messiah Black Metal Switzerland
65. Goat Molestation Black Metal United
States
66. Goat Molestör Black/Death Metal United
Kingdom
67. Goat Perversion Black Metal Brazil
68. Goat Perversion Black/Death Metal Bulgaria
69. Goat Perversion Black Metal Mexico
70. Goat Perversör Black/Thrash Metal Belgium
71. Goat Phallus Black/Death/Thrash Metal Greece
72. Goat Prayers Atmospheric Black Metal Brazil
73. Goat Ritual Black Metal Bosnia
and Herzegovina
74. Goat River Stoner/Doom
Metal France
75. Goat Semen (a.k.a. Goatsemen) Death/Black Metal Peru
76. Goat Serpent Death Metal Finland
77. Goat Skull Black
Metal Mexico
78. Goat Slime Black
Metal United States
79. Goat Synagogue Black Metal Greece
80. Goat Terrorism Black Metal Netherlands
81. Goat Thron (a.k.a. Throne of Goat) Raw Black Metal (early), Dark
Industrial Noise/ Dark Ambient (later) Poland
82. Goat Throttler Death Metal United
Kingdom
83. Goat Torment Black Metal Belgium
84. Goat Tunnel Doom Metal Finland
85. Goat Tyrant Blackened Thrash/Death Metal Poland
86. Goat Vengeance Black Metal Brazil
87. Goat Vomit Death
Metal/Grindcore/Crust Belgium
88. Goat Stoner/Sludge
Metal Australia
89. Goat Death/Black
Metal Denmark
90. Billy Goat Heavy/Power
Metal Spain
91. Black Goat Black
Metal Russia
92. Black Goat Black
Metal (early), Blackened Thrash Metal (later) Spain
93. Black Goat Black
Metal United States
94. Blood Goat Black
Metal United States
95. Dead Goat Black
Metal Norway
96. Dehydrated Goat Death Metal/Grindcore Latvia
97. Eternal Goat Black Metal Thailand
98. Floating Goat Stoner Metal United
States
99. Funeral Goat Black Metal Netherlands
100.Goat Altar Black/Death
Metal Netherlands
101.Goat Anus Black
Metal Netherlands
102.Goat Bleeder Death Metal with Grindcore influences United States
103.Goat Command Black/Thrash Metal Chile
104.Goat Eater Grindcore Serbia

― fun loving and xtremely tolrant (Billy Dods), Tuesday, 2 October 2012 15:46 (8 months ago) Permalink

poll

― a hoy hoy, Tuesday, 2 October 2012 16:59 (8 months ago) Permalink

I think Lady Reaper aka Goat Arse probably walks that poll

― Inconceivable (to the entire world) (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Tuesday, 2 October 2012 17:16 (8 months ago) Permalink

strong challenge from Shit Goat IMO

― set me on fire RAAAAH (DJP), Tuesday, 2 October 2012 17:21 (8 months ago) Permalink

Goat Tunnel has me scratching my head.

― EZ Snappin, Tuesday, 2 October 2012 17:46 (8 months ago) Permalink

the sequence from 13 to 19 is kind of amazing tbh

― set me on fire RAAAAH (DJP), Tuesday, 2 October 2012 17:48 (8 months ago) Permalink

if I can just be a bestial black metal* pedant for a minute here there's a band called Sadomator aka Sadogoat who're kind of elite & their absence on this list speaks poorly of its compiler

*actual subgenre that's mainly in play here

― Inconceivable (to the entire world) (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Tuesday, 2 October 2012 18:53 (8 months ago) Permalink

I thought all black metal was bestial to a greater or lesser degree.

Goat Molestör FTW, for the general ewwness of the name and the umlaut.

― fun loving and xtremely tolrant (Billy Dods), Tuesday, 2 October 2012 19:05 (8 months ago) Permalink

goat vengeance tho

― mookieproof, Tuesday, 2 October 2012 19:08 (8 months ago) Permalink

Goat Thron (a.k.a. Throne of Goat)

there are so many great names here

― set me on fire RAAAAH (DJP), Tuesday, 2 October 2012 19:09 (8 months ago) Permalink

Super Heavy Goat Ass (a.k.a. SuperHeavyGoatAss)

― EVERYONE COOKING SCMABLED EGGS,CHEESE WITH TOASTER!! (forksclovetofu), Wednesday, 3 October 2012 12:59 (8 months ago) Permalink

why are itunes uk being dicks and not releasing this till friday ;_;

― I got the Boyzone, I got the remedy (ledge), Wednesday, 3 October 2012 13:23 (8 months ago) Permalink

yeah this is a good one, i will definitely Purchase it

diaz brothers <-> paris 1919 comparison is pretty apt, and awesome

― ciderpress, Wednesday, 3 October 2012 14:45 (8 months ago) Permalink

77. Goat Skull Black
Metal Mexico

78. Goat Slime Black
Metal United States

writing my phd thesis on lexical choices in black metal group names & their indications of national identity, this is a fascinating contrast

― unprotectable tweetz (schlump), Wednesday, 3 October 2012 14:45 (8 months ago) Permalink

Goat Semen (a.k.a. Goatsemen)

― ciderpress, Wednesday, 3 October 2012 14:46 (8 months ago) Permalink

goatse men

― ciderpress, Wednesday, 3 October 2012 14:46 (8 months ago) Permalink

this is really great!
white cedars is gorgeous

the diaz brothers is power pop!

― farte blanche (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Wednesday, 3 October 2012 20:48 (8 months ago) Permalink

also conspicuously absent from that list: chapel hill's own GOAT THROWER!!!

― beta male misogyny is here to stay (bernard snowy), Thursday, 4 October 2012 02:33 (8 months ago) Permalink

wher is lubricated goat

― linalooool (electricsound), Thursday, 4 October 2012 02:35 (8 months ago) Permalink

re: this album: didn't like it at first but now I love it. might help that I somehow ended up ~~making love~~fucking to it the other day? pretty sure I came during "The Diaz Brothers"

also: sitting at a red light just now on my way home from work, with windows down and screaming along (as is my wont), the line "Mistreat your altarboys long enough and this is what you get" earned a "woo!" from one of the cars next to me

― beta male misogyny is here to stay (bernard snowy), Thursday, 4 October 2012 02:38 (8 months ago) Permalink

A review from a most unlikely source!

http://www.theamericanconservative.com/the-mountain-goats-disco-purgatorio/

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 9 October 2012 20:34 (8 months ago) Permalink

Larison: Mountain Goats Album a "Stunning" Repudiation of Romney Campaign

― the ones that I'm near most: fellow outcasts and ilxors (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 9 October 2012 20:34 (8 months ago) Permalink

Hahaha

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 9 October 2012 20:35 (8 months ago) Permalink

Eve Tushnet is a great cyberpunk trait-name.

― borscht and bikinis (how's life), Tuesday, 9 October 2012 21:32 (8 months ago) Permalink

Video for "Cry for Judas"

― Ned Raggett, Wednesday, 10 October 2012 15:32 (8 months ago) Permalink

friend of mine said they killed it last night

― carne asada, Wednesday, 17 October 2012 18:03 (8 months ago) Permalink

I am dead excited to see them this weekend. I do a lot of tMG listening but every time I see them there'll be multiple requests for songs I've never heard of, or the name has escaped me, and I'll get the sensation that people are just making up song titles on the spot. "Play 'Queen of Cups'! 'The paw of Romulus'! 'Alpha Fright Night'! 'Orange ball of empathy'!"

― flamboyant goon tie included, Wednesday, 17 October 2012 18:37 (8 months ago) Permalink

theme song from armageddon

― ɥɯ ︵ (°□°) (mh), Wednesday, 17 October 2012 18:43 (8 months ago) Permalink

Okay everyone go see this tour, it's fucking incredible

― The Owls of Ja Rule (DJP), Friday, 19 October 2012 04:50 (7 months ago) Permalink

this was one of my favorite mountain goats shows i've seen. the horns are a really great addition.

i was wildly impressed with matthew e white, also.

― kaygee, Friday, 19 October 2012 04:56 (7 months ago) Permalink

paw of romulus is a jam

― zvookster, Friday, 19 October 2012 05:03 (7 months ago) Permalink

well what the shit, i had no idea this tour was happening and they are here next wednesday, and i dont have anything to do that night so well holy shit awesome

― I'M THE ONLY ON (jjjusten), Friday, 19 October 2012 05:15 (7 months ago) Permalink

http://www.daytrotter.com/#!/concert/the-mountain-goats/20055796-3737475

― this is the dream of avril and chad (jer.fairall), Friday, 19 October 2012 15:19 (7 months ago) Permalink

show highlights for me:

1. Ezekiel 7 and the Permanent Efficacy of Grace - this song flat-out slays me and the version they did was just beautiful; absolutely haunting, turning fragility into the most powerful musical weapon imaginable
2. Space Gladiator 1 aka Amy - all of the new uptempo songs were unbelievably tight but this one in particular hummed top to bottom, from the initial stick beats that counted the band in, over the "tattoos/garish hues" bridge to the perfect abrupt ending
3. the horns - OH MY GOD THE HORNS you just can't even imagine the shivers caused by "White Cedar" and "Cry For Judas"
4. Due to confusion about when Matthew E. White was going on, we missed about half of that set, which sucks because what we heard was WAU AWESOME

― The Owls of Ja Rule (DJP), Friday, 19 October 2012 15:33 (7 months ago) Permalink

"Space Gladiator"!!

― have you ever even *seen* a cliche?? (bernard snowy), Friday, 19 October 2012 17:14 (7 months ago) Permalink

lol I have just now realized that is not actually the title of that song

I'm calling it that anyway

― The Owls of Ja Rule (DJP), Friday, 19 October 2012 17:16 (7 months ago) Permalink

you'll hear no objection from me... mountain goats space gladiator concept album sounds amazeballs!

(speaking of which: should I bite the bullet and give Moon Colony Bloodbath a listen? for whatever reason, I've always avoided it, expecting it to be disappointing... but I have no idea what gave me that impression)

― have you ever even *seen* a cliche?? (bernard snowy), Friday, 19 October 2012 17:24 (7 months ago) Permalink

I'd say definitely yes, that entire cluster of vinyl releases (w/ black pear tree and satanic messiah) was very strong imo.

― i've hidden a white teen on Crimedoer Mountain (reddening), Friday, 19 October 2012 18:15 (7 months ago) Permalink

seriously though, Ezekial 7 may be my overall favorite MG song

― The Owls of Ja Rule (DJP), Friday, 19 October 2012 18:16 (7 months ago) Permalink

my only prob w/that great record is that i have no idea what the titles of the songs are unless i have my ipod handy

― i dox in yellow gox dox socks (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, 19 October 2012 19:00 (7 months ago) Permalink

E7 = the last song, dreamy piano ballad "drive 'til the rain stops/keep driving"

"1 Samuel 15:23", the moody first track with the "peel grapes" line and the rumbling toms, is also bad ass

― The Owls of Ja Rule (DJP), Friday, 19 October 2012 19:03 (7 months ago) Permalink

ah gotcha...haha i call that other song "peel grapes" in my head actually

― i dox in yellow gox dox socks (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Friday, 19 October 2012 19:14 (7 months ago) Permalink

mountain goats space gladiator concept album sounds amazeballs!

just realized that I am basically describing Ender's Game

― have you ever even *seen* a cliche?? (bernard snowy), Saturday, 20 October 2012 01:59 (7 months ago) Permalink

also: "PLANT grapes" ffs you charlatans!

― have you ever even *seen* a cliche?? (bernard snowy), Saturday, 20 October 2012 02:00 (7 months ago) Permalink

― nice suit (flamboyant goon tie included), Saturday, 20 October 2012 02:22 (7 months ago) Permalink

Why oh why is this tour coming to Milwaukee and Minneapolis but not Madison?

― Guayaquil (eephus!), Saturday, 20 October 2012 03:28 (7 months ago) Permalink

I honestly cannot type anything correctly today, I could have sworn I wrote "plant"

― The Owls of Ja Rule (DJP), Saturday, 20 October 2012 03:30 (7 months ago) Permalink

Seeing JD do Ezekiel 7 at the Royal Festival Hall show - his first with solo piano? - is something I'll hopefully never forget.

― Blue Collar Retail Assistant (Dwight Yorke), Saturday, 20 October 2012 14:35 (7 months ago) Permalink

Was that the show with Anonymous 4? It was amazing, and to an extent the reason I've been having trouble getting into this album is that it's not that show (which I was warned of directly from the stage!)

― Andrew Farrell, Saturday, 20 October 2012 15:55 (7 months ago) Permalink

Nope, this was back in...2009? The Life of the World to Come had just been released and then entire crowd knew every word from it. Such a special special gig.

Annonymous 4 w/Owen Pallet at the Barbican was also amazing - upthread I praised/thanked Owen for making the first gig my younger brother ever went to one to remember...at the time I did not know who [redacted] was, and as such did not extend my thank yous to him, an act of which I am now regretful for. So, [redacted], thank you for everything.

― Blue Collar Retail Assistant (Dwight Yorke), Saturday, 20 October 2012 15:59 (7 months ago) Permalink

Wish I could go to show on Monday but Grand Rapids is a loooong drive.

― Sug ban (Nicole), Saturday, 20 October 2012 16:20 (7 months ago) Permalink

I'd posit that one's memory of the A4 show is strengthened by the temporality of that programme's existence. Not that it was bad (or even merely good, I was thrilled tbh) but these songs are strong in any context and the album versions do them all great justice.

― sharp-looking tux for rent (flamboyant goon tie included), Saturday, 20 October 2012 18:36 (7 months ago) Permalink

oh what I mean is that the fleeting nature of the A4 thing was a good aesthetic move, "One night only!" etc.

― sharp-looking tux for rent (flamboyant goon tie included), Saturday, 20 October 2012 18:37 (7 months ago) Permalink

Oh for sure - I'm just mentioning the unexpected effect it had on me.

― Andrew Farrell, Saturday, 20 October 2012 18:38 (7 months ago) Permalink

boom

― Gandalf’s Gobble Melt (DJP), Wednesday, 24 October 2012 17:52 (7 months ago) Permalink

[mod edit] I just wanted to mention your new record slays, and moved me deeply. keep on etc

― Simon H., Thursday, 25 October 2012 05:26 (7 months ago) Permalink

show tonight was the shit, horn section add-on is badass, people in future spots on the tour should just go buy those tickets right now.

― I'M THE ONLY ON (jjjusten), Thursday, 25 October 2012 05:30 (7 months ago) Permalink

Thanks for the autograph!

My buddy just mailed this to me from the New York show. Listening to it in traditional Wisconsin fashion, with local microbrews.

― Josiah Alan, Friday, 26 October 2012 22:42 (7 months ago) Permalink

i've never seen john live. what i've read about some of his diehard fans makes me think i would feel kind of uncomfortable (i am easily made uncomfortable). maybe if i just stay in the back by the bar with my SO and don't make eye contact with anyone.

― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Saturday, 27 October 2012 00:19 (7 months ago) Permalink

Mountain Goats are definitely the band I'm most irritated about still never having seen live.

― Room 227 (cryptosicko), Saturday, 27 October 2012 01:31 (7 months ago) Permalink

GO SEE THEM THEY ARE AWESOME AND AMAZING

also, due to the nature of the fans, you don't actually have to engage them at the show and you can be in your own bubble buffeted by awesome music

― Gandalf’s Gobble Melt (DJP), Saturday, 27 October 2012 01:42 (7 months ago) Permalink

I'm excited to finally see them in December.

― EZ Snappin, Saturday, 27 October 2012 01:56 (7 months ago) Permalink

what was that early-00s band that would appear on MTV with an adoring teenage crowd sitting around them as if they were a campfire and earnestly sing along with every emo word?

― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Saturday, 27 October 2012 02:02 (7 months ago) Permalink

like dashboard police or something.

― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Saturday, 27 October 2012 02:03 (7 months ago) Permalink

Dashboard Confessional?

― Gandalf’s Gobble Melt (DJP), Saturday, 27 October 2012 02:03 (7 months ago) Permalink

yeah. i was kind of picturing that type of scenario, with me awkwardly handing a beer standing against the back wall wishing i were somewhere else.

― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Saturday, 27 October 2012 02:05 (7 months ago) Permalink

handling

― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Saturday, 27 October 2012 02:05 (7 months ago) Permalink

the crowd is entirely ignorable because since you aren't JD, they will not give two fucks about you and you are therefore free to put as much of your attention on the music as you want

― Gandalf’s Gobble Melt (DJP), Saturday, 27 October 2012 02:06 (7 months ago) Permalink

I have heard a rumor that the tMG singer once back in the small-small club days had a fan/heckler try to get his attention all night by requesting "screaming infidelities" all night. RIP fan/heckler guy may someone someday find the body

― Inconceivable (to the entire world) (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Saturday, 27 October 2012 02:08 (7 months ago) Permalink

lol

― how's life, Saturday, 27 October 2012 02:10 (7 months ago) Permalink

Not only did Dashboard Confessional appear on tv like that, they also released a live album (2 records into their career, natch) complete with overbearing crowd singalong intact.

― Room 227 (cryptosicko), Saturday, 27 October 2012 02:11 (7 months ago) Permalink

the crowd is entirely ignorable because since you aren't JD, they will not give two fucks about you and you are therefore free to put as much of your attention on the music as you want

― Gandalf’s Gobble Melt (DJP), Friday, October 26, 2012 9:06 PM (5 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

sold.

― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Saturday, 27 October 2012 02:12 (7 months ago) Permalink

i just have to make sure not to go to the show with the one or two work colleagues who appear to be part of john's diehard emo fanbase. one of them routinely pops into the offices of anyone he suspects might have mountain-goat sympathies and almost-whispers "do you like the mountain goats?!"

― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Saturday, 27 October 2012 02:14 (7 months ago) Permalink

oh course, although i do, the answer has to be "not really."

― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Saturday, 27 October 2012 02:14 (7 months ago) Permalink

surprise surprise dude is also bit of an oversharer

― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Saturday, 27 October 2012 02:17 (7 months ago) Permalink

he should be our secret

― mookieproof, Saturday, 27 October 2012 02:19 (7 months ago) Permalink

I did an opera chorus with a dude who was a huge Mountain Goats fan who also made himself into the lead tenor's boy toy for the duration of our run; apparently the lead tenor told all the other leads about how much he liked to cum on this dude's face

and that is my story about my relationship with a hardcore MG fan

― Gandalf’s Gobble Melt (DJP), Saturday, 27 October 2012 02:19 (7 months ago) Permalink

lock thread

― mookieproof, Saturday, 27 October 2012 02:20 (7 months ago) Permalink

omg

dying irl right now

― set the controls for the heart of the sun (VegemiteGrrl), Saturday, 27 October 2012 02:35 (7 months ago) Permalink

"the crowd is entirely ignorable because since you aren't JD, they will not give two fucks about you and you are therefore free to put as much of your attention on the music as you want"

bruh this is not true, the one tMG show I was at there was a guy loudly jumping around and he kept screaming shit in my direction like "DO YOU LIKE SATANIC BLACK METAL LIKE JOHN DOES"

he was the coolest guy

― don't trust the lil b in apartment 23 (fadanuf4erybody), Saturday, 27 October 2012 03:05 (7 months ago) Permalink

well, if I ever get the opportunity to ejaculate on someone's face, I can only hope it's to the pleasing sounds of The Mountain Goats

― d-_-b (mh), Saturday, 27 October 2012 05:02 (7 months ago) Permalink

I have no horse in the race but that is my favorite post ever

― Inconceivable (to the entire world) (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Saturday, 27 October 2012 05:58 (7 months ago) Permalink

I hope to see that used in press releases and adverts for many years to come.

― fun loving and xtremely tolrant (Billy Dods), Saturday, 27 October 2012 07:00 (7 months ago) Permalink

I would like to continue to endorse this show, but at no point during the show did I ejaculate into someone's face. I would like to know if this is still ok, please advise.

― I'M THE ONLY ON (jjjusten), Saturday, 27 October 2012 07:18 (7 months ago) Permalink

Guys, I think I did it wrong ;_;

― I'M THE ONLY ON (jjjusten), Saturday, 27 October 2012 07:19 (7 months ago) Permalink

well, if I ever get the opportunity to ejaculate on someone's face, I can only hope it's to the pleasing sounds of The Mountain Goats

― d-_-b (mh), Saturday, October 27, 2012 12:02 AM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

should be on the promo sticker slapped on his next album

― flesh, the devil, and a wolf (wolf) (amateurist), Saturday, 27 October 2012 07:34 (7 months ago) Permalink

http://www.npr.org/event/music/148782993/the-mountain-goats-and-anonymous-4

There's that Anonymous 4 show if anyone's still interested, my friend went to that as well and said it was very impressive.

― Josiah Alan, Saturday, 27 October 2012 13:00 (7 months ago) Permalink

Their album the Origin of Fire is probably my favorite vocal based album of all time, except for maybe the Berliner Messe album of Arvo Part's music.

I was sitting listening to it at work and a guy came in off the floor listens to it a second and says "you getting so high to this at home, right?"

― Josiah Alan, Saturday, 27 October 2012 13:14 (7 months ago) Permalink

2 weeks pass...

my mom borrowed my car today and i forgot that the new MG cd was still in the player. when she came back she said "i don't know what cd that is, but it's the most depressing thing i've ever heard. the music sounds so nice and normal, and then he starts talking about throwing up in the sink!"

― sad faces at Terror Castle (reddening), Sunday, 11 November 2012 00:14 (7 months ago) Permalink

when i was like twenty and had tallahassee playing in the car when my dad was driving me back from college his reaction to 'no children' was "god, this is a cheerful record, isn't it?"

― Yorkshire lass born and bred, that's me, said Katriona's hologram. (thomp), Sunday, 11 November 2012 00:18 (7 months ago) Permalink

I will never understand the logic by which Christgau decides which Mountain Goats albums he likes and which he thinks are meh.

http://social.entertainment.msn.com/music/blogs/expert-witness-blogpost.aspx?post=ba99127c-adef-493f-b83c-35ba2ff18c68

― Room 227 (cryptosicko), Sunday, 11 November 2012 03:46 (7 months ago) Permalink

Thorny to begin with, John Darnielle reached some near-perfect threshold of liminal comprehensibility with Tallahassee 10 years ago, then got thornier again, albeit in liminally comprehensible mode.

One of the must aggravating writers that ever lived

― captain angeroo (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Sunday, 11 November 2012 21:01 (7 months ago) Permalink

ahaha i kind of love that sentence

also

But the dealmaker is Jon Wurster's spare, inescapable drumming.

otm

― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Sunday, 11 November 2012 21:06 (7 months ago) Permalink

I will never understand the logic by which Christgau decides which Mountain Goats albums he likes and which he thinks are meh.

otm. I loved the last one, this one okay.

― the little prince of inane false binary hype (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 11 November 2012 21:10 (7 months ago) Permalink

xgau and underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned are in, like, near-complete accord as to which mountain goats albums are the best ones. (he didn't think the sunset tree succeeded, I don't know what to say about that.) but he was the only guy repping for "we shall all be healed," which, like, there are people in mountain goats camp who'll go to their graves still pissed that only xgau, at the time, seemed to get it. and his line on "autoclave" was so dead-on it was like, lol, ok, pwn3d, advantage xgau

― Inconceivable (to the entire world) (underrated aerosmith bootlegs I have owned), Sunday, 11 November 2012 21:26 (7 months ago) Permalink

I gate the MG's a try on the strength of his WSABH review, and it's still my favorite.

― the little prince of inane false binary hype (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Sunday, 11 November 2012 21:32 (7 months ago) Permalink

We Shall All Be Healed is my go-to MGs album fwiw.

― crüt, Sunday, 11 November 2012 21:33 (7 months ago) Permalink

we shall all be healed is absolutely my favorite tmg record, followed by get lonely

very singular moods nailed on both of those

― emo canon in twee major (BradNelson), Sunday, 11 November 2012 21:43 (7 months ago) Permalink

At least his longer stuff he can have some point, I bet the consumer guide woulda been something like:

The Mountain Goats - Transcendental Youth

The Mountain Goats' John Darnielle writes mini rock operas like a guy that went to Sunday school in between shifts at Dairy Queen. Too bad I never much liked onion rings. B+

― captain angeroo (upper mississippi sh@kedown), Monday, 12 November 2012 02:00 (7 months ago) Permalink

ok lol

― EZee4snappin (Drugs A. Money), Monday, 12 November 2012 02:02 (7 months ago) Permalink

m@tt if i ever get another editing gig my first priority is to give you a whole page to do that

― idiot man-child (strongo hulkington's ghost dad), Monday, 12 November 2012 02:03 (7 months ago) Permalink

haha. my christgau instincts are insisting that i try to unpack that.

― fun facts about human waste (Merdeyeux), Monday, 12 November 2012 02:04 (7 months ago) Permalink

(he didn't think the sunset tree succeeded, I don't know what to say about that.)

I was surprised he only gave it an honorable mention originally, but he slapped into the dean's list at the end of the year so his opinion must have improved over the year.

― da croupier, Monday, 12 November 2012 02:13 (7 months ago) Permalink

DQ onion rings were never too popular at my location. Most customers preferred to offset the heaviness of their chicken strip basket with a delicate combo of an extra gravy tub, mayo for the fries, and an oreo blizzard.

― Eccsame the Photon Guys (Sufjan Grafton), Monday, 12 November 2012 02:13 (7 months ago) Permalink

my tastes are not unlike xgau in re all this stuff (shocking), though my two Pick Hits are Sunset and Healed rather than Healed and Tallahassee

― da croupier, Monday, 12 November 2012 02:16 (7 months ago) Permalink

I checked into a bargain priced room on La Cienega,
gazed out through the curtains of the parking lot.
walked down to the Dairy Queen just before nightfall in my bare feet.
black tarry asphalt, soft and hot.
and when I came back I spread out my supplies.
on the counter by the sink,
I looked myself right in the eyes

an extra tub of gravy,
mayo and fries,
and you or your memory (stares at empty blizzard cup)

― Eccsame the Photon Guys (Sufjan Grafton), Monday, 12 November 2012 02:28 (7 months ago) Permalink

Tallahassee / We Shall All Be Healed / The Sunset Tree is as brilliant a run of albums as any in the previous decade.

― Room 227 (cryptosicko), Monday, 12 November 2012 02:56 (7 months ago) Permalink

3 weeks pass...

Saw my first Mountain Goats show tonight. It was very good, and sweet baby Jesus does "This Year" rule with the added horns. When I told John that at the merch table he said it was new to this leg of the tour, so I'm glad to be on this second go round.

― EZ Snappin, Wednesday, 5 December 2012 05:15 (6 months ago) Permalink

The Diaz Brothers has been lodged in my head for the better part of a month and shows no signs of leaving any time soon. That is one catchy chorus.

― kornrulez6969, Friday, 7 December 2012 05:49 (6 months ago) Permalink

Awww:

http://twitpic.com/bm9mv8

― etc, Saturday, 15 December 2012 22:55 (6 months ago) Permalink

2 weeks pass...

The Diaz Brothers is still stuck in my head. It is the catchiest song in years. Holy moley. How come more people aren't singing its praises?

― kornrulez6969, Sunday, 30 December 2012 05:01 (5 months ago) Permalink

I dunno, I still haven't heard the new album, but did you catch that there is a whitehouse.gov position to make JD our next poet laureate?

https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/recognize-mountain-goats-and-name-john-darnielle-us-poet-laureate/4X2y05sH

I've been thinking about starting a counter-petition to nominate David Berman.

― how's life, Sunday, 30 December 2012 13:29 (5 months ago) Permalink

Do you have to be an American citizen to sign a White House petition?

― Public Brooding Closet (cryptosicko), Wednesday, 2 January 2013 03:05 (5 months ago) Permalink

A good interview.

― the little prince of inane false binary hype (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 10 January 2013 01:02 (5 months ago) Permalink

t's easy to get lots in the shoots and ladders game of his many characters

o rly

― Solange Knowles is my hero (DJP), Thursday, 10 January 2013 01:18 (5 months ago) Permalink

gf was watching New Girl and I was convinced Zooey's boyfriend was being played by Jon Wurster

― Binder, Binder & (Sufjan Grafton), Thursday, 10 January 2013 03:53 (5 months ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

This is neat. 1 minutes worth of a video for 'Wild Sage' made by Rian Johnson. Its really good but a shame it wasnt finished.

http://rcjohnso.tumblr.com/post/43268810808/back-in-2006-when-we-shot-the-woke-up-new-music

― you're going home in a crispy ambulance (cajunsunday), Sunday, 17 February 2013 19:26 (4 months ago) Permalink

3 weeks pass...

For those of y'all who don't also have the Bieber thread bookmarked

http://pitchfork.com/news/49873-watch-john-darnielle-defends-justin-bieber-lectures-paparazzi-in-song/

― Public Brooding Closet (cryptosicko), Tuesday, 12 March 2013 03:48 (3 months ago) Permalink

the amazing thing about this guy is how prolific of a musical career he's already had by the tender age of 31.

― how's life, Tuesday, 12 March 2013 08:24 (3 months ago) Permalink

i like that mode for john d

― the 'dirty sprite' is implied (forksclovetofu), Tuesday, 12 March 2013 19:40 (3 months ago) Permalink

There's a nice clean non-live version of You Were Cool at the end of his WTF btw

― ( ͡° ͜ʖ͡°) (sic), Tuesday, 12 March 2013 21:26 (3 months ago) Permalink

1 month passes...

930 Club show sold out before I bought a ticket. Oh well, have seen 'em/him before.

― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 1 May 2013 14:14 (1 month ago) Permalink

Transcendental Youth is so good. Love the horns and also the cover art is my favorite yet for a mountain goats record.

― rock 'em sock 'em (Treeship), Wednesday, 1 May 2013 14:19 (1 month ago) Permalink

dunno if this has been mentioned upthread but "Steal Smoked Fish" and "Western Hills", from the bonus 7"/subsequent digital release, are both outstanding, especially if you feel like crying and/or resent the variety of instrumental textures on recent tMG albums

― Excelsior twilight. Harpsichord wind through the trees. (bernard snowy), Wednesday, 1 May 2013 14:23 (1 month ago) Permalink

3 weeks pass...

Boy do I feel stupid. TMG are playing literally a mile from my house and I missed being able to get tickets. Its in a pretty cool venue too. Dammit.

― i kant believe it's not buffon (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Saturday, 25 May 2013 00:48 (3 weeks ago) Permalink

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