Music: June 2005 Archives

From the New York Times...

THERE'S nothing wrong with self-pity. As a spur to songwriting, it's right up there with lust, anger and greed, and probably better than the remaining deadly sins. There's nothing wrong, either, with striving for musical grandeur, using every bit of skill and studio illusion to create a sound large enough to get lost in. Male sensitivity, a quality that's under siege in a pop culture full of unrepentant bullying and machismo, shouldn't be dismissed out of hand, no matter how risible it can be in practice. And building a sound on the lessons of past bands is virtually unavoidable.

But put them all together and they add up to Coldplay, the most insufferable band of the decade.

Yeah... I know a lot of people really, really like them. I just find their music kind of boring. Sorry. Perhaps I shall expound on my reasons why, someday when I've had more coffee.

Last night Michael and I were sitting down to watch a first-season episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. That plan was delayed somewhat when he turned on the receiver and a radio announcer said "...Magnetic Fields at Carnegie Hall."

For those who haven't heard them (or heard me talking about them before), the Magnetic Fields are largely the project of one man, Stephen Merritt, who pens dryly humorous and ironic songs about love and either gets other people to sing them (usually in a rather deadpan tone) or sings them himself in a dolefully deep voice. Many of the songs have blipping synthesizers merrily bopping along in the background (think Pet Shop Boys on acid); more recently, he's been taking an accoustic turn. Many of the songs are very funny (what other songwriter would use a line about the night sky containing "more stars than there are prostitutes in Thailand?") and some of them are very affecting— "It's Only Time" from their last album, i., comes to mind.

The concert on the radio was from a series called "Creators at Carnegie," and it's archived online. Click here to hear it.