Despite his pluralized moniker, John Darnielle remains the sole driving force of Californian indie pop-rock outfit The Mountain Goats. With an ever-evolving roster of live and recording musicians surrounding him, Darnielle revels in his goth-tinged melancholy, fusing a winning combination of wry insight and black humor in his lyrics (which earned him the accolade of 'America's best non-hip-hop artist' by the New Yorker) with lingering melodic hooks and satisfying songcraft. This year, Darnielle brings his spell-binding songwriting to venues across America once more.