The Magnetic Fields

No stranger to expansive conceptual albums (perhaps you've heard 69 Love Songs), Stephin Merritt's latest Magnetic Fields record is a sprawling autobiographical affair. 50 Song Memoir matches each of its composition to a year in Merritt's life, ranging from tongue-in-cheek synthesizer odes to heartfelt folk anthems. He'll be performing the entire song-cycle over the course of two evenings at Thalia Hall.