The Mountain Goats

Hyper prolific and militantly lo-fi, the Mountain Goats have scattered hundreds of songs across compilations, label samplers, bootleg cassettes and original albums over the last 15 years, many of them recorded (by choice) on a department store boom box. In the process, they've gathered an enviably large cult following and long list of critical accolades. Singer/songwriter/guitarist and head Goat John Darnielle paused between churning out introspective country-rock gems long enough to spit out this list of twelve songs that would make it onto his ultimate mixtape.

1. George Jones - "Yes, I Know Why"
"The Possum gives a jaw-dropping vocal performance of this old Webb Pierce chestnut; all over town, people jump out of windows."

2. Billy Joe Shaver - "Georgia on a Fast Train"
"Good times, fresh bourbon, and your grand-dad’s rifle. The rhymes in the chorus here just kill me outright."

3. Mia Doi Todd, "The Last Night of Winter"
"So, so gorgeous! Like a great lost track from Nick Drake’s Bryter Later."

4. Sarah Dougher, "Moving"
"As a matter of personal policy, I don’t trust anybody who can make it to the end of this song without crying."

5. Trembling Blue Stars, "Sometimes I Still Feel the Bruise"
"A remarkably clear-headed account of what it’s like to never get over somebody. One of my favorite songs ever."

6. Morrissey, "It’s Hard to Walk Tall, When You’re Small"
"Morrissey, characteristically saving some of his best stuff for b-sides, absolutely murders the vocal on this one, even firing up the falsetto in the bridge. Our Mozz in top form."

7. The Distillers, "Gypsy Rose Lee"
"Do people ever talk about how emotional and true and righteous Brody Armstrong’s lyrics are? No? Well, they should."

8. Enon, "Fly South"
"Somebody needs to tune that A-string, but it doesn’t matter: This slow-burning minor key horror show takes an aching melody and infuses it with total dread."

9. Manishevitz, "Lonesome Cowboy Dave Thomas"
"This goes on pretty much every mix I make, 'cause it’s got such a murderous groove. It’s like a guy with an icy stare looking out at you from a window across the street."

10. Merle Haggard, "If We Make It Through December"
"Haggard’s singles from the '60s are also some of the best-sounding records ever made, sung by one of the greatest singers alive."

11. Blondie, "Shayla"
"The fourth Blondie record doesn’t get enough respect. This song floats like steam."

12. Essential Logic, "Rat Alley"
"Beautiful, bizarre pseudo-tropicalia moment from these divine first-wave-of-punk standouts whose singer quit the scene to chant Hare Krishna."

The Mountain Goats are one of the more unusual bands to find shelter under the ever-expanding umbrella term of indie rock. Hyper-prolific and militantly lo-fi, there are over a hundred Mountain Goats songs scattered across compilations and label samplers, most of them recorded (by choice) on a department-store boom box. Although many musicians have contributed to Mountain Goats releases, by far the person most identified with the outfit is singer/guitarist John Darnielle. (In fact, many Mountain Goats tracks feature only Darnielle's nasal bleat and his primitive yet frenzied acoustic guitar.) Taking the name from the Screamin' Jay Hawkins song "Big Yellow Coat," Darnielle donned the Mountain Goats moniker in 1991 while working as a nurse in a California State hospital and began releasing cassette-only albums for the Shrimper label. Despite attracting a devoted underground following (or, possibly, because of it) the Mountain Goats continued to release songs in cassette form only for many years, using tape hiss as, virtually, an additional instrument.

Lyrics are also essential with the Mountain Goats. Highly literate and full of metaphor, many of Darnielle's songs fit together to form a larger narrative than they would alone. The "Going to..." series, the "Songs for..." series and the "Alpha" series (which chronicles a dysfunctional couple) are some of the Mountain Goats' more notable song cycles. But many of the Mountain Goats' songs stand alone and present Darnielle's skewed take on the mundane. Besides innumerable compilation tracks, the Mountain Goats have also released many 7" singles for over a dozen labels. Their full-length albums include Nine Black Poppies and Zopilote Machine (both released in 1995), Sweden (1996), Full Force Galesburg (1997), and Nothing for Juice (1997). Protein Source of the Future...NOW! and Bitter Melon Farm (both 1999 releases) collected many early tape tracks and singles. Sweden and The Coroner's Gambit appeared a year later.

Darnielle began the new millennium with records for Absolutely Kosher (The Coroner's Gambit) and Shrimper (Sweden) before signing to 4AD for the release of the surprisingly polished Tallahassee in 2002. We Shall All Be Healed followed in 2004, and one year later Darnielle was back with The Sunset Tree. Remaining prolific as ever, Darnielle turned away from the intensity of The Sunset Tree for a calmer, more reflective set of songs on 2006's Get Lonely. The accessible and assured Heretic Pride appeared in 2008. ~ Jason Nickey, All Music Guide