Having It Both Ways

Dear Sasha, Anywhere near the culture scale of theMountain Goats?!? Look, I think John Darnielle records weirdly interesting low-low-fi rootsy autobiographies—and when he shows up for his shows I hear he’s kind of cool live, too. But what do you mean by “cultural scale”? You don’t mean he’s popular. Maybe you mean he’s influential, though upon whom or what I’d be curious to know. Do you think it’s on history’s scale where his weight will finally be fairly measured? If so, your thumb better be o