The Magnetic Fields’ Quickies was released on Nonesuch Records on May 29, 2020. The five 7" vinyl box set features twenty-eight new short songs written by Stephin Merritt, ranging in length from thirteen seconds to two minutes and thirty-five seconds.
Merritt explains his thinking behind the Quickies concept: “I’ve been reading a lot of very short fiction, and I enjoyed writing 101 Two-Letter Words, the poetry book about the shortest words you can use in Scrabble. And I’ve been listening to a lot of French baroque harpsichord music. Harpsichord doesn’t lend itself to languor. So I’ve been thinking about one instrument at a time, playing for about a minute or so and then stopping. And I’ve been thinking of narratives that are only a few lines long. Also, I had been using a lot of small notebooks, so when I reach the bottom of the page, I’ve only gone a short way. Now that I’m working on a different album, I’m enforcing a large notebook rule so that I don’t do Quickies twice in a row.”
Track List:
Disc 1
1. Castles of America
2. The Biggest Tits in History
3. The Day the Politicians Died
4. Castle Down a Dirt Road
5. Bathroom Quickie
6. My Stupid Boyfriend
Disc 2
1. Love Gone Wrong
2. Favorite Bar
3. Kill a Man a Week
4. Kraftwerk in a Blackout
5. When She Plays the Toy Piano
6. Death Pact (Let's Make A)
Disc 3
1. I've Got a Date With Jesus
2. Come, Life, Shaker Life!
3. (I Want to Join A) Biker Gang
4. Rock 'n' Roll Guy
1. You've Got a Friend in Beelzebub
2. Let's Get Drunk Again (And Get Divorced)
3. The Best Cup of Coffee in Tennessee
4. When the Brat Upstairs Got a Drum Kit
5. The Price You Pay
6. The Boy in the Corner
1. Song of the Ant
2. I Wish I Had Fangs and a Tail
3. Evil Rhythm
4. She Says Hello
5. The Little Robot Girl
6. I Wish I Were a Prostitute Again