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Sep 26, 2023 By Mark Redfern Photography by Jackie Lee Young

The Mountain Goats are releasing a new album, Jenny from Thebes, on October 27 via Merge. Now they have shared its third single, “Murder at the 18th St. Garage,” via a music video. Check it out below, followed by the band’s upcoming tour dates.

Frontman John Darnielle had this to say about the song in a press release: “Rather than being coy about it let me tell you that somebody gets killed in this song, which is, at best, a short-term solution to Jenny’s problems, not that I’m saying she herself did anything. It’s her word against his now and he can’t talk any more and she’s long gone by the time the EMTs get to 18th street. Under oath I will testify that she was with me, because I am with her. I knew when I wrote this tune that Wurster-Hughes Inc. would eat it up like a big tasty snack, and guess what, they did. Lace up your dancing workboots but wear some inserts because this one’s a sprint.”

Previously The Mountain Goats shared the album’s first single, “Clean Slate,” which was one of our Songs of the Week. Then they shared its second single, “Fresh Tattoo,” and announced some new December tour dates. “Fresh Tattoo” features Alicia Bognanno from Bully on guitar and was #1 on our Songs of the Week list.

The title character from Jenny from Thebes prominently appeared in their 2002 album All Hail West Texas, as well as in the albums Jam Eater Blues (2001) and Transcendental Youth (2012).

A press release describes the story and themes of the new album in more detail: “Jenny from Thebes is the story of Jenny, her southwestern ranch style house, the people for whom that house is a place of safety, and the west Texas town that is uncomfortable with its existence. It is a story about the individual and society, about safety and shelter and those who choose to provide care when nobody else will.”

Darnielle regards Jenny from Thebes as a sequel of sorts to All Hail West Texas, which was much more lo-fi in nature. “If we’re going to do a sequel to a record that was recorded almost entirely on a boombox,” Darnielle says, “why not do the opposite and make it as big as possible?”

The Mountain Goats’ last album was 2022’s Bleed Out.

Check out our “Why Not Both” podcast featuring The Mountain Goats.

The Mountain Goats Tour Dates:

10/2 - Solana Beach, CA @ Belly Up Tavern
10/3 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Belasco
10/5 - San Francisco, CA @ August Hall
10/6 - San Francisco, CA @ August Hall - SOLD OUT
10/7 - Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades
10/9 - Spokane, WA @ Martin Woldson Theater at The Fox
10/10 - Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory
10/11 - Bozeman, MT @ The ELM
10/13 - Boulder, CO @ Fox Theatre
10/14 - Englewood, CO @ Gothic Theatre
10/27 - Lubbock, TX @ Cactus Theater
10/28 - Dallas, TX @ Longhorn Ballroom
10/29 - Houston, TX @ Heights Theater
12/1 - Greensboro, NC @ Hangar 1819
12/2 - Wilmington, DE @ The Queen
12/3 - Portland, ME @ Aura
12/5 - Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground
12/6 - Hartford, CT @ Infinity Hall
12/7 - Buffalo, NY @ Town Ballroom
12/8 - Homer, NY @ Center for the Arts of Homer
12/10 - Pittsburgh, PA @ Thunderbird Music Hall
12/12 - Athens, GA @ Georgia Theatre
12/13 - Pensacola, FL @ Vinyl Music Hall
12/14 - St. Petersburg, FL @ The Floridian
12/15 - Jacksonville, FL @ Intuition Ale Works

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