#ShareTheMusic

So, The Mountain Goats.

Where to start with this amazing band. I feel like I can find a Mountain Goats song for almost anything. Any thought or feeling, almost any situation past or present in my life.

John Darnielle is the primary member of The Mountain Goats. He is, for all intents and purposes, the band on his own.

He's an amazing song writer who somehow translates a lot of human emotion into music.

His personal experiences are poured out in the many albums he's released. His relationship with his family (in particular his Step Father), his relationship with living a hard life, his relationship with religion, and i particular his interest in the human condition where loss and loneliness is concerned are particularly obvious.

Depression, anxiety, happiness, and stark beauty are hallmarks, in my opinion, of his style. He seems to sing about the human condition, and even now I'm finding new meaning to songs I've listen to based on what I'm learning about or what I've been connecting to in the recent days.

But now, the music. Offered

Isaiah 45:23 from The Life of the World to Come.

A song written from the standpoint of someone who is dying, perhaps in hospice care:

https://open.spotify.com/track/79zBChZdeaf1tAPQe9BHzp

(For those curious, here is the text of Isaiah 45:23 KJV- I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear.)

This Year from The Sunset Tree

This album is primarily about John's complicated relationship with his stepfather. This song is specifically about a 17 year old John trying to make it to 18 years old so he can finally GTFO.

https://open.spotify.com/track/2M1Qc1mGSI1IYtmJzQtfPq

Harlem Roulette from Transcendental Youth

A song about people left behind and forgotten.

https://open.spotify.com/track/16wYqLfL0B9fuo8ejg7LCf

Lovecraft in Brooklyn from Heretic Pride.

This isn't a song about Lovecraft, but rather about a guy who's experiencing extreme some super serious social anxiety and xenophobia. This is a recurring theme in John's music- outcasts, hermits, people who live apart from the regular.

https://open.spotify.com/track/3fSrbVvu3nCxMcHqfomhqt

The Mess Inside from All Hail West Texas

Sometimes love doesn't last and it's lost despite one's best intentions and efforts. It leaves you longing for brighter days, but in the end running away from your problems will never fix them.

https://open.spotify.com/track/3B7a3OW9h51WJKYQXD5IAo

Now, for one last song.

No Children from Tallahassee

This one was featured in the Adult Swim show Moral Oral.

It's another song of loss and hopelessness featuring a divorce and the comfort of the pain you're used to.

https://open.spotify.com/track/4XpQ2F8NtzWMZ3g5t8qv2Y

The Mountain Goats have an impressive catalog of songs and I fully recommend checking them out. I love them.

That is today's #ShareTheMusic ! Have a BEAUTIFUL day!