Stephen Merritt is about my favourite musician, along with Robyn Hitchcock. He's the guy behind the Magnetic Fields, The 6ths, Gothic Archies, and with Christopher Ewen (on keyboards /electronics) the fabulous Future Bible Heroes. In this video he's been given the task to create a song in two days, and I think everyone is pretty impressed. It's psychedelic eccentric pop, which tends to have a very small audience, so might not suit most people. I thought this was very interesting, but then I like the music.
Stephen Merritt can only write music while drinking in bars listening to loud music, so the covid restrictions hit him very hard. He's a very good lyricist / poet, but he's had a troubled love life, so his lyrics tend to be gloomy, although very charming.
From a group of six photos and six words, Magnetic Fields guru Stephin Merritt picked "1974" — and an image of a man wearing a kind of suit covered with baby dolls. Two days later, the song they inspired was finished.
Stephin Merritt's Project Song at NPR
Absolutely Cuckoo
The Magnetic Fields - '68 A Cat Called Dionysus (Official Video)
Strange Powers - Magnetic Fields
Hopeless - Future Bible Heroes
The 6ths - Falling Out of Love
I think the lyrics are brilliant in this, well, the way that it rhymes.
When My Boy Walks Down The Street
1 comment:
Many thanks for these. I love them.
Stephen Merritt’s singing style reminds me of Dane Taylor, who is with the Australian group “Shining Bird.”
If you like the Magnetic Fields, you might like these . . .
“Let’s Float” by Dane Taylor (2016)
https://soundcloud.com/leboogierecords/dane-taylor-lets-float
“Hot Summer Nights” by Shining Bird (2012)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgZTBS46UEk
“Shade of the Sea” by Shining bird (2012)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHz-VwG_juQ
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