| The Congress | |
|---|---|
|
Origin |
California |
|
Years Active |
1985—1989; 1991—1995; 2004 |
|
Labels |
Cache Cow |
|
Members |
John Darnielle, Mark Givens, Caroline, Donna Destiny, Jim Banwell[1] |
The Congress was a band that was composed of John Darnielle (of The Mountain Goats) and Mark Givens (of Wckr Spgt), as well as various other musicians throughout its history. Little is known of The Congress—in fact, their very existence is disputed[2]. The songwriting process of The Congress was that Givens would come up with a song title, and then Darnielle would write a song based around the phrase or word. Givens and Darnielle would record "five or six songs a session", often while drinking heavily[3].
Most of their recordings are unavailable either digitally or physically, aside from various appearances on compilations and a one-off single called "Jungle Mercies" released in 2004 (which is available for free download at Mungbeing.com). In addition, a "cover" of the Congress song "Eleven Bands" (rumored to just be the original version played into Darnielle's Panasonic recorder) is featured on The Mountain Goats' Taboo VI: The Homecoming. "The Pieman" is also rumored to have originally been a Congress song.
Discography[]
Studio Albums[]
| Name | Date | Label | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Election Year | 1985 | Cache Cow | CD |
| Sleeping Under Angels' Wings | 1986 | Cache Cow | CD |
| We All Fall Down | 1986 | Cache Cow | CD |
| She Lies in Roses | 1989 | Cache Cow | CD |
| The Farm Out Back | 1991 | Cache Cow | CD |
| No Milk Since 1979 | 1991 | Cache Cow | CD |
| Full Term | 1995 | Cache Cow | CD |
Singles[]
| Name | Date |
|---|---|
| "Jungle Mercies" | 2004 |
Songs Available online[]
| Songs | Compilation | Date | Label | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Newspapers" and "My Mask" | A Sample of Anthropology Recording Artists | 1985 | Anthropology Records | [1] |
| "Pure Dynamite" | Pure Heaven | 1993 | Traumatone | [2] |
| "Rig Veda, Opulent" and "Delilah Statuesque" | Silvergate and Dovetail | 1993 | The Splinter Tape Company | [3] |
| "Jungle Mercies" | non-album single | 2004 | MungBeing | [4] |