Just started dipping into the Magnetic Fields’ forthcoming Distortion, loving every second. A more in depth evaluation’s sure to follow; in the meantime, chant along to the LP’s surf-y lead track “Three-Way,” and have a gander at Stephin’s conception of the album title — visually.

Distortion is out 1/18/08 on Nonesuch, featuring lots of “feedback acoustic piano.” There’s no large scale tour planned in support of the LP, but a few lucky cities (Sommerville, MA; NYC; San Fran; Hollywood; Seattle) will get multi-night residencies. Ticket info at Ticketmaster.

RELATED: Magnetic Fields cellist Sam Davol: still a lucky guy, no longer on the lower east side.

Comments (15)
  1. SM sits when he urinates.

  2. Cute silhouette

  3. Renaldo  |   Posted on Nov 26th, 2007 0

    Overrated act with boring cover art.

    This would be unremarkable were SM not such an insufferable douche.

  4. minnie_music  |   Posted on Nov 26th, 2007 0

    yes, why is SM such a douche? he is known everywhere is a huge douche. yet people still love his music.

  5. stephin merritt isn’t an insufferable douche, he just hates people.

  6. michelle  |   Posted on Nov 26th, 2007 0

    Whoaaa. Seriously? That’s the official album art? Really. Come on. :/.

    Also, I thought it was 1/15? ‘Cause that would definitely be a Tuesday.

  7. christian  |   Posted on Nov 26th, 2007 0

    i dare you to name an uglier album cover.

  8. You people complaining about the cover just don’t get it. It’s a BOY on PINK!!!1!

    It’s deep, y’all.

  9. Christopher  |   Posted on Nov 26th, 2007 0

    Despite having the joke “revealed”, still unimpressed and uninterested.

  10. michelle  |   Posted on Nov 27th, 2007 0

    Joke really isn’t funny enough to get away with album artwork that bad.

  11. Tommy  |   Posted on Nov 27th, 2007 0

    Horrible artwork aside, The Magnetic Fields are exponentially more interesting than three-fourths of the blog-buzz shit Stereogum usually covers.

    Stephen Merritt is an incredible song writer, a true craftsman. Who cares if he’s a dick?

  12. can someone PLEASE, PUHLEEEEASEE get out the “lame-ass fucking blog reader” thesaurus and look up another word for “douche?”

  13. seth  |   Posted on Nov 28th, 2007 0

    i can’t wait for this album. i couldn’t care less what the cover looks like. stephin merritt rocks my socks.

  14. Tom  |   Posted on Jan 19th, 2008 0

    God, I really like the Magnetic Fields but this new record sucks…

  15. Tom  |   Posted on Jan 19th, 2008 0

    OK, after listening to “The Nuns Litany” about 10 times in a row and the opener, “Three Way” it’s actually (already) starting to grow on me…

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