News
Stephin Merrit And Evil Dwarves Cover Gabriel
Adam Kearney :: Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010 5:30 pm
Stephin Merrit has recorded a cover of Peter Gabriel’s “Not One Of Us” that is full of synthesizers and electronic effects, a welcome relief from the technologically devoid Realism just released by The Magnetic Fields. The song uses some form of vocoder to produce a sound Stephin says resembles an “evil dwarf choir.” You can hear a preview of the song, which includes commentary by the Magnetic Fields singer. MORE »
News
Stephen Merritt Does Valentine’s Day Right
Shannon Hassett :: Monday, February 1st, 2010 6:00 pm
It’s that time of year again, and cashing in on the month long retail therapy binge, there has been no shortage of box set announcements. The champion, of course, being The Magnetic Fields’ 69 Love Songs, not only the most fitting gift for your Valentine (or yourself) but by far the most involved. The 1999 masterpiece from the ambitious Stephen Merritt was originally released as 3 CDs, and the box set does nothing but increase this grandeur. Rereleased by Merge, the set features remastered versions of all tracks on six separate 10″s, along with a 10″ copy of the original CD booklet. It also appears that the original cover will be preserved, and who doesn’t want to open a giant 69 from their sweetheart — it certainly beats the post-chocolate bloat. The set will be out on April 20th (yet another gift giving holiday) but is currently available for pre-order on the Merge site, where your diligence will be rewarded with a $10 discount. It may require an IOU, but is there really a better way to say ‘I love you’ than Mr. Merritt?
News, Record Reviews
Magnetic Fields: Realism
Colm McAuliffe :: Wednesday, January 27th, 2010 12:00 pm
Stephen Merritt has crafted a musical career under his Magnetic Fields moniker almost entirely bound by strictures - every song on 2004’s I begun with the letter ‘i’ while 2008’s stellar Distortion contained 13 pop cuts, drenched in distortion. While this often makes for conceptually brilliant listening, the ease with which Merritt flits from idea to idea can often leave the listener cold as he only ever appears to engage with sounds on a purely superficial level.
Events
Noise Pop Film Festival Line-Up
Amy Rose Spiegel :: Wednesday, January 20th, 2010 5:00 pm
In addition to the noteworthy acts featured in the musical portion of the festival, like the Magnetic Fields, Atlas Sound, !!!, and Mirah, just to name a few, some intriguing-looking films have been selected to be showcased as well. They’re all music-based documentaries, but they focus on disparate mindsets and experiences within the musical world.
News
Magnetic Fields Reveal New Album Details
Isaac Lekach :: Tuesday, November 10th, 2009 6:00 pm
Check out the album cover for the next Magnetic Fields record. Looks a bit like 2008’s Distortion. Guess they must like the motif. Realism is the name of their eighth album. January 26 marks the release date. I don’t know about you, but I wish 1/26/10 wasn’t two months away. Nonesuch Records, if you’re reading this, where is my advanced copy? See the track listing after the jump.
News
Free Download: Xiu Xiu
Alex Moore :: Wednesday, October 28th, 2009 1:50 pm
Merge Records releases SCORE! 20 Years of Merge Records: The Remixes! On November 17 on a limited edition CD and digital download.
Xiu Xiu contributes with a remix of “Volcana” by The 6ths. If you’re not familiar, The 6ths was a one of a few great side projects from Stephin Merrit of Magnetic Fields glory.
Want a sneak peek at the track? Free download and full track listing after the jump.
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