The Mountain Goats

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

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

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

John, come play in Portland sometime.

Search: yes

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thanks for being a good sport. Whew!

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

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

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

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

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

I have no further contribution to make to this thread.

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

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

Enough already.

Loved your cover of "I saw the Sign"

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

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

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

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

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

God, I hope not.

3) Mountain Goats - Tallahassee (4AD)

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)....

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".

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.

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

(xp)

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

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

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

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

Yes! Love that song!

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

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

Sinead’s on Goodbye Jumbo too.

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

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

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

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

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

New album announced:

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

...and an incredible detail, from Bluesky:

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

Also, amazing titles here:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Amazing from Steve Lieber:

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

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

wonderful tracklist

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

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

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

Meantime, this rules too.

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

Yup!

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