he Magnetic Fields consists of Stephin Merritt and a rotating cast of guest singers and instrumentalists. Merritt's friend Susan Amway provided lead vocals for the first two albums, but Merritt took over singing after she moved away. Stephin Merritt records everything on inexpensive equipment, which keeps production costs very low, allowing him to be very prolific. Stephin is in several other bands, the Gothic Archies, Future Bible Heroes, the 6ths, and a more recent collaboration with two fellow singers, the Three Terrors.

Stephin Merritt is in love with pop music, which is good news for the listener. Any given song can exist anywhere in the pop spectrum, from hilarious bouncy pop ("Fido, Your Leash is too Long" from 69 Love Songs) to emotional ballads ("Don't Look Away" from Get Lost). His writing style is both traditional and introspective; 69 Love Songs is an album about love, but it is also an album about how love songs work.

One selling point of the music for me is Merritt's voice. He has this wonderfully rich and deep tone. When he can't hit the high notes, he'll just invite a friend over for a full command of the musical spectrum. Though early Magnetic Fields albums weren't known for their sonic diversity, Merritt has branched out to a more organic sound. His latest, 69 Love Songs includes a wide variety of instruments: chromatic percussion, a multitude of keyboard instruments, and many string instruments.

Merritt has been quite busy lately with his multiple projects; he recently provided the original soundtrack for the motion picture Eban and Charly. In addition to a brief tour in October, new records by the Magnetic Fields and the Future Bible Heroes are currently being recorded and may see release this fall.

Quick Facts:

Location: New York City

Style: Electronic Pop

Labels Appeared On: Merge Records, Harriet, Spin Art, Red Flame, Feels Good All Over, Motorway

Major Releases:

Distant Plastic Trees (Merge 1991)
The Wayward Bus (Merge 1992)
The House of Tomorrow (Merge 1993)
Holiday (Merge 1994)
The Charm of the Highway Strip (Merge 1994)
Get Lost (Merge 1995)
69 Love Songs (Merge 1999)

Starting Point: Get Lost (1995)

Essential: 69 Love Songs (1999)