The Mountain Goats release their wrestling-inspired new record Beat the Champ on April 7th, but they surprised listeners of the Welcome to Night Vale podcast on Sunday by playing a new song from the record, “Heel Turn 2.”
In wrestling parlance, a “heel turn” is when a “babyface” – a “good guy” or crowd favorite – makes a sudden and unexpected change from good to evil, turning his back on the crowd and all who supported him, like when Hulk Hogan dyed his cheeks black and joined the NWO or the second time John McCain ran for president. Wrestlers with long careers often go through several hell and babyface turns throughout their careers, before they die early from mysterious (or not so mysterious) causes.
You can stream “Heel Turn 2” via Merge Records’ SoundCloud. You can pre-order Beat the Champ via Merge now, or via iTunes to get “Heel Turn 2” and “The Legend of Chavo Guerrero” immediately. The Mountain Goats head out on tour in April, and hit the Fillmore in San Francisco on June 1st. Full tour dates below.
The Mountain Goats on tour:
Apr 02 Nashville, TN – Mercy Lounge
Apr 03 Asheville, NC – Grey Eagle
Apr 04 Savannah, GA – The Jinx SOLD OUT
Apr 07 Carrboro, NC – Cat’s Cradle SOLD OUT
Apr 08 Washington, DC – 9:30 Club SOLD OUT
Apr 09 New York, NY – Webster Hall SOLD OUT
Apr 11 New York, NY – City Winery SOLD OUT
Apr 12 New York, NY – City Winery SOLD OUT
Apr 13 Philadelphia, PA – Union Transfer
Apr 14 Boston, MA – House of Blues
Apr 16 Cincinnati, OH – Bogart’s
Apr 17 Detroit, MI – Majestic Theatre
Apr 18 Chicago, IL – Vic Theatre
Apr 19 Minneapolis, MN – First Avenue
Apr 21 Louisville, KY – Headliners
Apr 22 Columbus, OH – Wexner Center
Apr 23 Millvale, PA – Mr. Smalls Theatre
May 08 Atlanta, GA – Shaky Knees Music Festival
May 26 Denver, CO – Gothic Theatre
May 27 Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge
May 29 Seattle, WA – The Showbox
May 30 Portland, OR – Wonder Ballroom
Jun 01 San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore
Jun 03 Los Angeles, CA – Mayan Theater
Jun 06-07 Houston, TX – Free Press Summer Fest
Three Match Breeze 