Double vinyl LP pressing include digital download. 2015 release from the veteran indie folk band led by John Darnielle. “Beat the Champ is about professional wrestling, which was an avenue of escape for me when I was a kid. Wrestling was low-budget working class entertainment back then, strictly UHF material. It was cheap theater. You had to bring your imagination to the proceedings and you got paid back double. I wrote these songs to re-immerse myself in the blood and fire of the visions that spoke to me as a child, and to see what more there might be in them now that I’m grown.” — John. For many years, the sole member of the Mountain Goats was Darnielle despite the plural moniker. Although he remains the core member of the band, he has gradually worked with a variety of collaborators.

Track List

1. Southwestern Territory 04:14
2. he Legend of Chavo Guerrero 03:00
3. Foreign Object 02:52
4. Animal Mask 02:55
5. Choked Out 01:43
6. Heel Turn 2 05:58
7. Fire Editorial 03:23
8. Stabbed to Death Outside San Juan 03:49
9. Werewolf Gimmick 02:35
10. Luna 03:28
11. Unmasked! 03:29
12. The Ballad of Bull Ramos 02:53
13. Hair Match 05:41