John Darnielle of The Mountain Goats. (Photo courtesy of Brandon Eggleston)
The Mountain Goats’ John Darnielle has used music to deal with personal issues — his bout with drug addiction and his abusive stepfather among them. Nowadays he prefers to tell stories of oft-overlooked people like pro wrestlers and aging Goth rockers with compassion and understanding. A frenzied guitarist, Darnielle is shifting more to piano to craft jazzy intoxicating pop. It’s the best music of his career, and that’s saying a lot.
Price: $23-26
