Tallahassee is the seventh studio album by the Mountain Goats. It was the band's second new album to be released in 2002, and it marked quite a few changes. First of all, after releasing records (and cassettes) on small record labels such as Shrimper, Ajax, and Emperor Jones, Tallahassee was the first Mountain Goats album to be released on a widely known independent label, the British alternative rock label 4AD. It was also the first Mountain Goats album to have an official single released, for the song "See America Right."
This is the first record on which the Mountain Goats is more or less a full "band," with fuller instrumentation and a percussion section. Up to this point, most recordings under the Mountain Goats name have either been solo recordings by leader John Darnielle or higher-quality recordings featuring Rachel Ware on bass, and other supporting instrumentalists. On Tallahassee, Darnielle is joined by two past collaborators, multi-instrumentalists Peter Hughes and Franklin Bruno. It was co-produced, recorded, and mixed by producer Tony Doogan at Tarbox Studios in Cassadaga, New York, assisted by Michael Ivins of The Flaming Lips. The album was recorded in just six days.