One of his best records is called All Hail West Texas, for goodness' sake.

But John Darnielle — aka The Mountain Goats — defies categorization. Combining folk, rock, blues, acoustic, beat box, high fantasy and low reality with witty, novelistic lyrics that have been called the best since Morrissey . . .

Whew. Can we just say this guy is an American original, maybe even a genius? Your feet will tap, your heart will ache, you'll smile and wonder how you ever lived without him.

The Mountain Goats are at Austin's Mohawk on Sunday, June 22. Doors are at 6:30, and it's an all-ages gig — click here for tickets.

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