The New York Times and NPR Feature The Magnetic Fields

The picture atop the New York Times‘ new feature on The Magnetic Fields’ Stephin Merritt depicts a man surrounded by a colorful collection of odd instruments, more than 50 of which appear on his new album 50 Song Memoir. The Times details the backstory behind that album, which chronicles the beloved singer’s life in year-by-year installments, giving fans some insights and the ability to connect the dots between the biographical musical material and the remembrances of their creator. The feature is an excellent companion piece to the album, providing both context and humorous asides. Check it out here.

Before the album’s release, NPR’s First Listen gave listeners a chance to check out each of its five discs one-by-one. Those streams were taken down after the album was released, but the article still contains a link to an Apple Music playlist with all 50 songs. Go here to listen, and hear “02: Be True To Your Bar” below: