Pitchfork

Having recently played a benefit performance for 826 Seattle, Stephin Merritt continues his literary dalliance with a new album and contributions to various book-ish comps.

On October 13, Nonesuch Records will release The Tragic Treasury: Songs From a Series of Unfortunate Events, the debut album from Merritt's side project the Gothic Archies. The CD is a companion album to the Lemony Snicket books, featuring a song for every book in the series (plus two bonus tracks). In the spirit of Snicket, The Tragic Treasury is a decidedly grim affair. How grim and gothic? Merritt explains on his website: "What makes this band different from the Magnetic Fields is that any glimmer of hope is absolutely extinguished."

In October and November, Merritt will accompany Snicket (aka Daniel Handler) on the "For Crying Out Loud" bookstore tour, playing songs from the album on ukulele, accompanied by Snicket on percussion.

In other Merritt news, the Future Bible Heroes awoke from dormancy this summer to contribute a song "Mr. Punch"-- a "faux-British vaudevillian dance hall tune"-- to the Neil Gaiman tribute CD Where's Neil When You Need Him? on your favorite label and mine: Dancing Ferret Discs.

The 6ths recently contributed "You You You You You", a track from Hyacinths and Thistles to the music issue of the Oxford American.

And continuing onward in musical prolificacy, Merritt is currently recording a new Magnetic Fields album, to be released by Nonesuch "with a target release of next spring" (according to his website).

For Crying Out Loud tour dates:

10-13 New York, NY - Barnes & Noble (Host: Barnes & Noble)
10-18 Atlanta, GA - Ferst Center for the Arts (Host: Margaret Mitchell House)
10-20 Frisco, TX - Barnes & Noble (Host: Barnes & Noble)
10-21 Waxahachie, TX - Waxahachie High School Fine Arts Building (Host: Hastings)
10-23 Los Angeles, CA - Sinai Temple (Host: Book Soup)
10-24 La Verne, CA - University of La Verne (Host: Mrs. Nelson's Toy and Book Shop)
10-26 Seattle, WA - Town Hall Seattle (Host: University Bookstore)
10-28 San Bruno, CA - Capuchino High School (Host: Books, Inc.)
10-31 Ann Arbor, MI - Borders (Host: Borders)
11-02 Milwaukee, WI - Alverno College's Pitman Theater (Host: Harry W. Schwartz)
11-04 Downers Grove, IL - Tivoli Theatre (Host: Anderson's Bookshop)
11-11 Corte Madera, CA - Book Passage (Host: Book Passage)
11-12 Berkeley, CA - First Congregational Church of Berkeley (Host: Cody's Books)
11-14 Vancouver, British Columbia - TBA (Host: Vancouver Kidsbooks)
11-16 South Euclid, OH - Regina High School (Host: Joseph-Beth Booksellers)