MINNEGASCO Releases New Single TAR MAZZAN Featuring James Mercer
The track pairs an accordion solo from Dru Arstark with an outlandish DIY music video.
Minnegasco has released its latest single, 'Tar Mazzan.' Featuring the vocals of The Shins' frontman James Mercer, the track is now available on streaming platforms worldwide.
A month back, Minnegasco secured James Mercer to lend his voice to 'Livin' in France.' As the mastermind behind The Shins, Mercer is described as indie-pop royalty, here transforming their atmospheric pop into art-rock.
Minnegasco's 'Tar Mazzan' plays out like a riddle. On first spin, it feels like a catchy tune. But beneath all that bounce lies an anti-war protest track taking aim at the status quo.
Imagine Black Sabbath's 'War Pigs,' but stripped of the heavy guitar stacks and handed to a maniac with an accordion. The central chorus—'hat and a cane, hook and a chain, mask and a flame'—sounds like a playground chant until you realize what it's really about: Wall Street bankers, war profiteers, and the daily grind turning everyday people into modern-day slaves.
Part backroom circus, part full-blown rally, 'Tar Mazzan' doesn't just call out the rich and powerful—it sets their whole circus on fire and hands you a beer as it burns. The track is paired with an outlandish DIY video.
Sonically, 'Tar Mazzan' is an indie-folk delight featuring a compelling accordion solo by Minnegasco's second half, Dru Arstark. Along the three minute stretch of audio, listeners can be transported to an almost medieval sounding landscape that eerily tickles the aural senses. Together, Jon Forrest Little and James Mercer's vocals sync up in a lovely way, creating a mesmerizing track that's worth replaying.
About Minnegasco
Jon Forrest Little is the architect and songwriter behind the indie-folk duo Minnegasco. Joined by Dru Arstark (accordion/Korg), Little is a seasoned industry veteran who has spent decades writing in the shadows—penning everything from 1990s radio jingles to tracks for other artists. Playing over 400 gigs since 1989, Jon Forrest Little has had the honor of sharing stages with Yo La Tengo, The Meat Puppets, The Shins, Julianna Hatfield, Handsome Family, Soul Asylum, Cracker, and Pylon.
As a songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and one-half of the avant-pop duo Minnegasco alongside his fiancee Dru Arstark, Little has navigated the underground landscape with a fierce commitment to creative autonomy. His artistic journey spans decades of fronting seminal underground bands, a temporary detour into the worlds of finance and industrial journalism, and a continuous return to his first true passion: pure, unadulterated songwriting. Borrowing textures from indie-folk, power pop, and classic alternative music, his work has quietly earned the respect of discerning peers across the industry.
Little lives by a songwriting mantra: 'If you can't hum the music minutes after hearing it, then you really haven't written a song', which rings true on the forthcoming album The Studio Audience. Using poignant metaphors, Little explores themes of resilience, resisting evil forces such as the ruling class addicted to unending wars, hidden dignity, and the quiet endurance of the underdog.
