the mountain goats

The 30 Best Rock Albums of 2023

The 30 Best Rock Albums of 2023

As always, rock was a guitar-led extravaganza in 2023 with artists drawing from an ever-widening musical well. These are the 30 best rock albums of the year.

The Mountain Goats’ Musical Theatre Storytelling in ‘Jenny From Thebes’

The Mountain Goats’ Musical Theatre Storytelling in ‘Jenny From Thebes’

Can the Mountain Goats’ uncompromisingly oblique and challengingly uncommercial Jenny From Thebes become a fully-staged Jennymusical?

The Mountain Goats Brought a Secular Sense of Spirituality to ‘Heretic Pride’

The Mountain Goats Brought a Secular Sense of Spirituality to ‘Heretic Pride’

The Mountain Goats’ Heretic Pride is the sound of connection and change of direction, a way for John Darnielle to connect his audience with a new joyful sound.

The Mountain Goats Go to the Movies

The Mountain Goats Go to the Movies

The Mountain Goats’ John Darnielle has been a cinephile all his life, but he never created an album about the movies until this year’s thrilling Bleed Out.

The Mountain Goats Expose the Limits of Escapism on ‘Bleed Out’

The Mountain Goats Expose the Limits of Escapism on ‘Bleed Out’

The Mountain Goats’ Bleed Out is a fascinating homage and a meta-commentary on the action film genre and how it soothes our unease in a world on fire.

Why the Mountain Goats’ ‘All Hail West Texas’ Will—In Time—Both Outpace and Outlive You 

Why the Mountain Goats’ ‘All Hail West Texas’ Will—In Time—Both Outpace and Outlive You 

Twenty years old, John Darnielle’s unique, emotion-driven songwriting gave the Mountain Goats’ All Hail West Texas unrivaled staying power.

The Mountain Goats’ Say It’s ‘Dark in Here’

The Mountain Goats’ Say It’s ‘Dark in Here’

Despite few upbeat songs, the Mountain Goats’ Dark in Here is a well-balanced, entertaining album. John Darnielle’s songwriting is as strong as ever.

The 75 Best Songs of 2011

The 75 Best Songs of 2011

Nostalgia Alert! Jump back a decade and enjoy the best songs of 2011. They are headlined by a synthpop classic, a massive hit from a hot diva, pristine harmonies of a young band headed for greatness.

The Mountain Goats Find New Sonic Inspiration on ‘Getting Into Knives’

The Mountain Goats Find New Sonic Inspiration on ‘Getting Into Knives’

John Darnielle explores new sounds on his 19th studio album as the Mountain Goats—and creates his best record in years with Getting Into Knives.

The 80 Best Albums of 2015

The 80 Best Albums of 2015

Travel back five years ago when the release calendar was rife with stellar albums. 2015 offered such an embarrassment of musical riches, that we selected 80 albums as best of the year.

The 50 Best Songs of 2009

The 50 Best Songs of 2009

As part of PopMatters’ 20th anniversary, we are revisiting classic features. Travel back in time a decade ago to 2009, when indie rock was in its full ascendency,and hear the songs that soundtracked the era.

The 60 Best Albums of 2009

The 60 Best Albums of 2009

PopMatters turns 20 years old this October and we're beginning to celebrate our history by taking you back in time a decade ago. Obama was in the White House and the musical times were very good indeed. Revisit 2009 through its best albums.