Heal Thyself

Because the Mountain Goats made last year's best album, "We Shall All Be Healed," it's worth checking in on the progress of their latest opus. That link has the studio blow-by-blow, more or less. Maybe you have to be a fan to care, so why aren't you a fan? The new album was completed in November and the song descriptions are tantalyzing. Bucking the time-honored rock learning curve, John Darnielle just seems to be getting better as he gets older. And I think the dude's in his early to mid-thirties already. Here's hoping that 4AD sees fit to release this in the next few months.

And whatever happened to albums coming out six weeks after they were finished? Back in the 60s and 70s this was commonplace. Now there's an ungodly long wait for music to get to the marketplace, even on small indie labels, despite the technology to manufucture the stuff being quicker than ever. Are we not living in the age of instant consumer gratification? (Give or take a pair of Zissou Adidas).