New Magnetic Fields: Distortion, out January 15th

The Magnetic Fields' 8th album (and #2 for Nonesuch Records), Distortion, is a pretty big departure from their traditional sound. It isn't boring and it isn't predictable. Distortion is not your standard indie rock album. The group re-visits the dream-like, weightlessness that can be found on 69 Love Songs, Vol. 1.

Fielder Stephin Merritt (also known for the 6ths, the Future Bible Heroes, and the Gothic Archies) says, "I wanted to make a record of three-minute pop songs, then they turned into three-minute power-pop songs. The previous Magnetic Fields record had been self-consciously soft rock, with all the songs starting with the letter 'i.' The idea here was to make this record quickly and use the same instrumentation on every song. And if I had to use the same instrumentation all the time, what would I want it to sound like? Well, like the first Jesus and Mary Chain album! So I attempted to adapt the sound of Psychocandy to the orch-pop reality of the Magnetic Fields, where we have a pianist and a cellist. And the occasional accordionist." Do these comments make anyone else extremely happy? Just me? Whatever.

I might be alone in my sentiments, but it's inconsequential because the whole album can be streamed on the Magnetic Fields' myspace profile and I promise that you'll love it. Honestly I don't give a shit if you don't, it just means you're crazy and you have shitty taste in music. Disagree with me--I dare you--but make sure to catch the New Yorkers on their upcoming tour. If you live and die in L.A., that'll be March 2nd and 3rd at the Henry Fonda, and it'll cost you about 30 bucks. Hopefully this time the 30 bucks won't be a waste of money and you won't get five people on a dark stage talking about esoteric bullshit. Cause that's what I got when I took my boyfriend for his birthday like 4 years ago, and he wasn't the brightest star in the sky so he really didn't understand most of what they were talking about. Kind of overshadowed the fact that they didn't play a single song I knew.