Shirley Simms....well, at least she is channeling the "hate" of Stephin Merritt, the brainchild- swengali and multi-instrumentalist behind The Magnetic Fields and that ridiculously infectious tune, "California Girls" from their aptly-titled DISTORTION.
Stephin, who, you'd think judging by all the indie-world buzz the band has been receiving lately, would be a young hipster, but refreshingly, he's a relatively quiet 40 Something. And speaking of quiet, what with all the feedback you hear on DISTORTION, Stephin and his talented collaborators (including Simms, who sings about half the tracks with her semi-androgynous, nasally pipes that bring to mind Green Gartside, Christine McVie and Kirsty MacColl- Stephin, in his husky Cavesque drawl, sings lead on the others), keep the tone down on the road...choosing acoustic instruments instead of distortion; Stephin, apparently, has hearing issues.
And, in case you haven't deciphered the lyrics of the extremely witty, fuzzy Beach Boys homage, California Girls, check out this live acoustic version and laugh along.
Oh heck, let's see one more! My favorite from DISTORTION: Drive on Driver. Brilliant ear candy!
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