It's been a good month for Stephin Merritt fans. First, we found out that a documentary on the Magnetic Fields leader was coming to DVD, and now we've learned that there's a new rarities collection coming our way as well.
The prolific songwriter will issue Obscurities on August 23 via Merge. Considering this is the guy that unleashed the epic and essential maudlin indie pop collection 69 Love Songs, you'd think he doesn't have too many B-sides lying around, but the new set packages a number of hard-to-find tunes.
Obscurities compiles material from all over Merritt's career, from solo songs, to his work as 6ths and the Gothic Archies, to his celebrated Magnetic Fields. As the press release explains, "Forever and a Day" is a ukulele-led love song, while "The Sun and the Sea and the Sky" is actually an outtake from the 69 Love Songs for a very good reason.
"This song didn't go on 69 Love Songs because it wasn't actually about romantic love," Merritt said in a statement.
Other Magnetic Fields songs previously saw release on a handful of now rare seven-inches released back in the day. You can check the tracklisting below and the cover above. You can also download "Forever and a Day" here.
Obscurities:
1. "Forever and a Day" (previously unreleased)
2. "Rats in the Garbage of the Western World" (The Magnetic Fields)
3. "I Don't Believe You" (The Magnetic Fields)
4. "Plant White Roses" (Buffalo Rome)
5. "Rot in the Sun" (the 6ths)
6. "The Sun and the Sea and the Sky" (previously unreleased)
7. "Yet Another Girl" (the 6ths)
8. "Scream (Till you Make the Scene)" (previously unreleased)
9. "The Song from Venus" (previously unreleased)
10. "Beach-A-Boop-Boop" (The Magnetic Fields)
11. "When I'm Not Looking, You're Not There" (The Magnetic Fields)
12. "Take Ecstasy with Me" (The Magnetic Fields)
13. "When You're Young and In Love" (previously unreleased)
14. "You Are Not My Mother and I Want to Go Home" (The Gothic Archies)
The prolific songwriter will issue Obscurities on August 23 via Merge. Considering this is the guy that unleashed the epic and essential maudlin indie pop collection 69 Love Songs, you'd think he doesn't have too many B-sides lying around, but the new set packages a number of hard-to-find tunes.
Obscurities compiles material from all over Merritt's career, from solo songs, to his work as 6ths and the Gothic Archies, to his celebrated Magnetic Fields. As the press release explains, "Forever and a Day" is a ukulele-led love song, while "The Sun and the Sea and the Sky" is actually an outtake from the 69 Love Songs for a very good reason.
"This song didn't go on 69 Love Songs because it wasn't actually about romantic love," Merritt said in a statement.
Other Magnetic Fields songs previously saw release on a handful of now rare seven-inches released back in the day. You can check the tracklisting below and the cover above. You can also download "Forever and a Day" here.
Obscurities:
1. "Forever and a Day" (previously unreleased)
2. "Rats in the Garbage of the Western World" (The Magnetic Fields)
3. "I Don't Believe You" (The Magnetic Fields)
4. "Plant White Roses" (Buffalo Rome)
5. "Rot in the Sun" (the 6ths)
6. "The Sun and the Sea and the Sky" (previously unreleased)
7. "Yet Another Girl" (the 6ths)
8. "Scream (Till you Make the Scene)" (previously unreleased)
9. "The Song from Venus" (previously unreleased)
10. "Beach-A-Boop-Boop" (The Magnetic Fields)
11. "When I'm Not Looking, You're Not There" (The Magnetic Fields)
12. "Take Ecstasy with Me" (The Magnetic Fields)
13. "When You're Young and In Love" (previously unreleased)
14. "You Are Not My Mother and I Want to Go Home" (The Gothic Archies)