The Mountain Goats

Okay, this is great:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qH7nWoRXSKo

New track from the album up:

https://themountaingoats.bandcamp.com/track/picture-of-my-dress

About it, plus a sad note about its recording:

On New Year's Day 2019, now a distant world away, Maggie Smith, author of "Good Bones," tweeted a plotline for an imaginary buddy movie about a divorced woman driving around the US with her wedding dress, taking it all around the country. I thought to myself: what if she's taking it to places she didn't go when she was married, what if she's showing her dress the life she didn't live? I hunkered down and a couple hours later I'd written "Picture of My Dress." In March of 2020, also now a distant world away, we recorded the tune with Matt Ross-Spang at Sam Phillips in Memphis. Playing on the track are the Mountain Goats -- John, Peter, Jon, and Matt -- plus Bram Gielen and Chris Boerner for that extra sweetness. We were assisted in the studio by one hell of a nice guy named Matt Denham, who died unexpectedly this week and we are all torn up about it because he was a real one so I am sending this out to you, bud. Everybody else give an extra head-nod while you listen to the studio attaché with the gentle way, a song like this can only be the result of everybody in the room being on the same wavelength and his contribution was a special energy that this world will miss but the next one is presently richer for. Enjoy!

An obituary for Denham can be found here. Based on the many notes on the tribute wall via this page, he was deeply loved:

https://www.colemanfuneralhome.com/obituaries/Matthew-Denham/#!/Obituary

The online show tonight was very lovely. Look forward to next week's too.

Also really loved the show tonight, and having the chat to get excited with was a great touch. Can’t wait for next week’s stream.

Looking forward to next week’s as well. Absolutely loved the Springsteenified Heel Turn 2 outro

New album is very rewarding. Lots of big tunes on it. I keep yelling along to Get Famous. Bell Swamp Connection and The Last Place I Saw You Alive are as goosebumpy as MG songs can be

Don't sleep on "Great Gold Sheep" and "Rat Queen."

Trueee

Wow---two in one year, this year, has my head bouncing back toward a particular fave as well (for instance)---from my P&J Top Ten comments:
The Mountain Goats--- Transcendental Youth No need to tunnel back into your Mountain Goats stash for comparative purposes; this album stands (leaps, eats tin cans) on its own terms, which acolytes and novices alike will recognize--not because it's a re-hash; just that all these coded hoodrat catacomb testimonies make unmistakably American sense. if you are a The Hold Steady fan but getting a bit frustrated with creative lovehandles, rest assured this contains no fat, does bring plenty crucial lyric and sonic detail, with hungry underdog cunning, zig-zag wandering and straight-ahead momentum. Also, if you're frustrated by good horn sections wasted on, say the Byrne/St. Vincent 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 urban twilight pang-vibe here, times art-rocking MGs leader John Darnielle's metal-compatible spirit too.

Putting this on for the first time, I'm moved to wonder whether Belle & Sebastian is a reference point! I mean that in a nice way obviously. (There's a non-nice way?)

wau @ Rat Queen

i need to check this out, "get famous" was a real bummer for me, so on the nose and obvious we live in a society stuff, kinda weird for such a great lyricist

Don't know how far back you want to go w the jangle, morrisp, but you might like Fields/Aquamarine, which is a reissue of the album and EP by the Individuals, who were one of the Hoboken Three, along with the Bongos and dBs, back in the late 70s and maybe early 80s, real good and you can read all about them on bar-none.com, along with other releases of related interest, like ones by the Feelies and Alex Chilton.
Also I'd try the Bongos and dB's, and reissue comp of pre-dBs' incarnation the Scruffs, along with Big Star, the Shoes' Black Vinyl Shoes, the Bangles, the Records, 20/20, prob a lot more on YouTube etc. I haven't thought of.

And speaking of the dBs, Holsapple and Stamey have reworked some band material for the mostly acoustic Our Back Pages in Omnivore's MusiCares Covid-19 Relief Fund series (which also incl. an NRBQ set):
...Signature dB’s songs, including “Black and White,” “Big Brown Eyes,” and “Happenstance,” are ably propelled here by lyric and guitar energy alone, and the hooks remain — it’s easy to find one’s self singing along. Tunes such as “Dynamite” and “From a Window to a Screen” are revealed as precursors to the music the two made together later, as they feature “dual lead,” close-harmony vocals as essential elements. Others, such as Peter’s “Today Could Be the Day” and “Molly Says,” were originally recorded by the band after Stamey’s departure, so this marks the first time he’s gone on record with them. When going through the material in preparation for mastering, they even discovered a forgotten track, “Depth of Field,” and completed it for this release; although a version had appeared on a Stamey solo record, it fits in here because it was originally written and rehearsed contemporaneously with the rest for The dB’s’ second album, Repercussion.

Another song, “Picture Sleeve,” is both old and new. A song by this title was in the band’s sets circa 1978, but all that anyone could remember, years later, were the first few lines, some chords, and the subject matter. Using those elements as a jumping-off point, it was rewritten for a Record Store Day single release three decades later, and a duo version is part of this release. Peter’s classic ballad “Nothing Is Wrong,” a staple of their live duo sets, was overlooked during the original sessions and sadly missed. Fortunately, it’s included on this new collection in a version The dB’s themselves recorded during a rehearsal in New York City in 2008.

“We’re still proud of the electric versions of the songs,” Stamey insists, “but a sturdy song should be able to handle a bit of reinvention from time to time...In most cases, it’s a trip back in time to the songs’ origins of being written on acoustic guitars in apartments or hotels..."

A few special guests joined Holsapple and Stamey on the sessions: John Teer (Chatham County Line) and Libby Rodenbough (Mipso) both contribute violin, and Andy Burton (Little Steven, John Mayer, Cyndi Lauper) plays keys on “Nothing Is Wrong” with, of course, Rigby (drums) and Holder (bass). The mastering by Greg Calbi and Steve Fallone at Sterling Sound is a homecoming of sorts as legendary mastering engineer Calbi had previously mastered the pair’s influential Mavericks outing as well as Falling Off the Sky, the last dB’s album. For the most part, it’s Peter and Chris around the campfire at Modern Recording in Chapel Hill, N.C., grabbing whatever was in the room at the time: a toy piano, a ukulele, a banjo, a harmonium, an upright or an old Silvertone bass, and of course, guitars, guitars, guitars.

In addition to 1991’s Mavericks (RNA Records), Holsapple and Stamey also paired up for 2009’s hERE & nOW (Bar/None). For more insight into the genesis of some of these songs, see A Spy in the House of Loud: New York Songs and Stories (University of Texas Press), Stamey’s 2018 “songwriting memoir.” Be on the lookout for A Brand-New Shade of Blue, Chris’s new audio-and-songbook collection, currently slated for a summer 2020 release.

O shit, sorry! Was meant for Rolling Reissues!

Tonight's show is also lovely.

Holy shit, this new one is fantastic. I wasn't a big fan of "Get Famous", but I'm sold on the record. It's all about the back half, where it goes from another pretty good Mountain Goats record to, "holy shit, this might be one of the best of the Merge era".

I mean, this is just so gorgeous sounding - right now it's the guitars in "Harbor Me" that are killing me.

I already liked "Get Famous," but I otherwise agree. "Bell Swamp Connection" and "Wolf Count" are especially beautiful.

incredible shirt

https://www.hellomerch.com/collections/the-mountain-goats/products/banned-black-t-shirt

Hahah, that's pretty good.

To my total lack of surprise, I really enjoy this album. My favorite might be "Tidal Wave;" I always have time for that style of minimalist slow-build. Was listening in the car the other night and noticed that chorus of "Bell Swamp" is the same chord progression as "The Recognition Scene" and was all "WHAT DOES IT MEAN" until I realized it's a pretty common progression and dude's probably used it dozens of times.

BTW you have four hours left if you want to buy the audio from the two livestream sessions the other month

https://themountaingoats.bandcamp.com/album/the-jordan-lake-sessions-volumes-1-and-2

https://snake-boat.tumblr.com/post/646657742109589504/no-children-mountain-goats

"I hope you sink. I hope we both sink."

John just now announcing a new album via the preshow (as it were) to the new Jordan Lake performance stream just now. Dark In Here. Supposedly it is the 'rather gnarlier cousin' to Getting Into Knives

https://www.hellomerch.com/products/dark-in-here-artist-exclusive-double-vinyl

https://www.mergerecords.com/product/dark_in_here

Mostly stepped away from ILX these days, no?

And here's a track

https://themountaingoats.bandcamp.com/track/mobile

POGS!

https://www.mergerecords.com/product/dark_in_here_pog_pack

I have to admit I cried when he played 'Snow Owl' in the most recent Jordan Lake session.

I'm excited to hear 11. Arguing With the Ghost of Peter Laughner About His Coney Island Baby Review (3:58)

Here's a live version of Let Me Bathe In Demonic Light

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3314PC5DCg

Now that's a song title

https://themountaingoats.bandcamp.com/track/the-slow-parts-on-death-metal-albums

I also can't wait to hear "Arguing With the Ghost of Peter Laughner About His Coney Island Baby Review".

Also a v good thread on song and the creation of the album (and correct background singer credits!)

so like I was telling you we've got a new song out today and here it is!! https://t.co/BBrDYaLjkE
a couple words about it --

— The Mountain Goats (@mountain_goats) May 11, 2021

Another new song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkO_8or9mLs

ridiculous that this wasn't titled 'dark in herre'

just got it in the mail, really amazing record here imo

very surprising this far along the line but this is, to me, the most band-interplay focused of any of their records, you can hear them growing and searching and basically nailing everything they attempt not only because they know each other so well but because they know the realm in which this material is occurring and they strive to replicate the landscape

Wear my lizard suit to the party - its so hard to get noticed in this town

"slow parts" is such an amazing song

Good album. The title track, "Mobile," and " Before I Got There" are my favorites so far .

"arguing with the ghost of peter laughner" is probably my favorite song title and song

same. I wasn't expecting it to be such a pretty little song!

fantastic lp.

Spooner Oldham!

A good read and the man himself is interviewed

https://www.vox.com/the-goods/22745655/mountain-goats-no-children-tiktok

Go girl pic.twitter.com/kNA0a0lvIm

— c a i t l i n (@hello__caitlin) October 26, 2021

"no children" going viral on tik tok brings me so so so much joy

Devil House is really remarkable. Absolutely is.

I've been assidously avoiding all reviews and publicity, today I discover I have to wait another two months for the ebook.

Hi folks I interviewed @mountain_goats for @NewYorker https://t.co/p57BcrlZ3x

— Helen Rosner (@hels) April 24, 2022

Keep pondering JD's comments in that interview on being in one's fifties. Also, my partner took that portrait!