It’s no secret we’re a fan of The Mountain Goats on this site. The band’s new album will be out on Merge Records March 29th but we have a track to sample now, ‘Damn These Vampires,’ a song dripping with John Darnielle’s impeccable song writing ability, this time focused on a fictional western… With vampires.

Of the new album, entitled All Eternal’s Deck, singer Darnielle says:

“The songs cluster around themes of hidden things and the dread that hidden things inspire, but also the excitement, the attraction, the magnetic draw that scary unknown hidden things exert… If you’ve 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 they’re 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 this album is all about.”

Tour dates and ‘Damn These Vampires’ after the jump… (Read the article)

Last night John Darnielle released a new song that will not appear on the forthcoming album All Eternals Deck via Twitter after he surpassed 5,000 followers.

It’s a beautiful, lilting song featuring Darnielle on the piano accompanied by strings.

Darnielle explains: “I am super fond of it but it does not really fit into the All Eternals Deck. Just a much different mood… This song was written last summer, I recorded piano and voice and then sent it to the amazing Leanne Zacharias for strings.”

He goes on to say: ” If you enjoy the song and have a few bucks to spare, show love to http://www.nextdoor.org they are awesome & their work means so much to me”

MP3: The Mountain Goats – ‘Tyler Lambert’s Grave’

The Mountain Goats have just announced that their debut album as a Merge artist will be released on March 29th, thus making All Eternals Deck my most anticipated album of 2011. Here’s how John Darnielle describes the album:

“if you have ever watched say a 70s occult-scare movie where one of the scenes involves a couple of people visiting a storefront fortune teller, getting their cards read, and then trying to feel super-hopeful about what they hear when what they’re visibly actually feeling is dread, then you have a pretty decent idea of what the album is all about. If you know the feeling of exultation that comes with having recognized the oncoming train of fate, then that’s the other thing the album’s about. JD, wouldn’t it be easier to write an album of, like, love songs? Probably, I would not know, my focus is mainly death scenes and downtown Portland. It’s not like there aren’t people in love either dying or getting arrested at 3rd and Yamhill, so really, if you can stretch your definition of “love song” we can all be happy. 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. Reversals of fortune and faces at the window and sudden unexpected screams of triumph here and there. Possible exits from the long-locked basement. These sorts of moments.”

So excited! Take a look at the tracklisting after the jump.
(Read the article)

All gigs are as follows:

November
4 – Ladies Literary Club, Grand Rapids, MI
5 – The Metro, Chicago, IL
6 – High Noon Saloon, Madison, WI
7 – Cedar Cultural Centre, Minneapolis, MN
10 – The Showbox, Seattle, WA
11 – Wonder Ballroom, Portland, OR
14 – The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA
15 – Henry Fonda Theater, Los Angeles, CA
18 – Antone’s, Austin, TX
19 – Granada Theater, Dallas, TX
20 – Mercy Lounge, Nashville, TN
21 – The Variety Playhouse, Atlanta, GA
23 – The Social, Orlando, FL
24 – Cafe 11, St. Augustine, FL
27 – 9:30 Club, Washington, DC
28 – Theater Of Living Arts, Philadelphia, PA
29 – Wilbur Theatre, Boston, MA

December
1 – Webster Hall, New York, NY
2 – Bell House, Brooklyn, NY

Last week, Final Fantasy debuted a new tune at Hillside Festival.

MP3: Final Fantasy – Fantasy

The Mountain Goats – Suedehead

A fantastic take on the Mozzer classic.

Visit The Mountain Goats on MySpace.

MP3: The Mountain Goats – Suedehead

Friday, 5/16 @ Masonic Temple (AIDS Benefit)

E-mail us for a chance to snag a pair of tix!

Winner will be chosen at random on Thurs (10am).

Visit The Mountain Goats on MySpace.

Learn more about the gig here.

MP3: The Mountain Goats – Yoga (Live)

Itching to check ‘em out?

TONIGHT, 3/18 @ Webster Hall

Be the 1st person to e-mail us & win a pair of tix!

Visit The Mountain Goats on MySpace.

MP3: The Mountain Goats – New Monster Avenue