Indie folk band The Mountain Goats have announced a new album titled Beat the Champ — that is the cover artwork above — which is set for release April 3 in Australia/New Zealand, April 7 in North America and April 13 in Europe through Merge Records. You can check out the album's upbeat lead single "The Legend of Chavo Guerrero," about pro wrestler Chavo Guerrero Sr., below.
Beat the Champ will be The Mountain Goats's first studio album since 2012's Transcendental Youth. According to frontman John Darnielle, Beat the Champ is a concept album about pro wrestling, a passion of his as a child.
"I wrote these songs to re-immerse myself in the blood and fire of the visions that spoke to me as a child," Darnielle wrote on Merge's website, "and to see what more there might be in them now that I'm grown."
You can check out the Mountain Goats's new song "The Legend of Chavo Guerrero" here, via Pitchfork:
In support of the album, The Mountain Goats have announced a string of U.S. tour dates for the spring. You can check out all their upcoming tour dates here:
01/24-01/25: San Francisco, CA @ Sketchfest
04/02: Nashville, TN @ Mercy Lounge
04/03: Asheville, NC @ The Grey Eagle
04/04: Savannah, GA @ The Jinx
04/07: Chapel Hill, NC @ The Cat’s Cradle
04/08: Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
04/09: New York, NY @ Webster Hall
04/11-04/12: New York, NY @ City Winery
04/13: Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
04/14: Boston, MA @ House of Blues
04/16: Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart’s
04/17: Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre
04/18: Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre
04/19: Minneapolis, MN @ Cedar Cultural Theatre
04/21: Louisville, KY @ Headliners
04/22: Columbus, OH @ Wexner Center
04/23: Chicago, IL @ Mr. Small’s Theatre
05/08-10: Atlanta, GA @ Shaky Knees Festival
05/26: Denver, CO @ Gothic Theatre
05/27: Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge
05/29: Seattle, WA @ The Showbox
05/30: Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
06/01: San Francisco, CA @ The Fillmore
06/03: Los Angeles, CA @ Mayan Theater
What do you think of the Mountain Goats's "The Legend of Chavo Guerrero"? Let us know down in the comments section.
