The 6ths

Country of origin:

U.S.

Type of music generally:

alternative pop

Status:

Most recent release, Hyacinths and Thistles (2000)

See also:

The 6ths page

Wikipedia's entry on The 6ths

The Stephen Merritt mailing list page

The Ectophiles' Guide entries for other Stephin Merritt projects: The Magnetic Fields, Future Bible Heroes, and The Gothic Archies.

Comparisons:

Other Stephin Merritt projects like The Magnetic Fields

Covers/own material:

Stephin Merritt's compositions, occasionally co-written with 6ths guests

General comments:

The 6ths is a project of Stephin Merritt's, where he invites his indie music friends to record vocals for his pop songs.

Recommended first album:

wasps' nests

Recordings:

• wasps' nests (1995)
• Hyacinths and Thistles (2000)

wasps' nests

Release info:

1995—London Records (Polygram)—422-828 592-2

Availability:

Wide

Ecto priority:

Highly recommended for any fans of alternative pop

Group members:

Stephin Merritt

Guest artists:

Barbara Manning (also SF Seals)—vocals
Stephin Merritt—vocals, other instruments
Mary Timony (Helium)—vocals
Dean Wareham (Luna, Galaxie 500)—vocals
Ayako Akashiba (Sunshower)—vocals
Mitch Easter (Let's Active)—vocals, guitar
Mac McCaughan (Superchunk, Bricks, Portastatic)—vocals
Georgia Hubley (Yo La Tengo)—vocals
Lou Barlow (Sebadoh, Folk Implosion)—vocals
Amelia Fletcher (Heavenly)—vocals
Robert Scott (The Bats, The Clean, The Magick Heads)—vocals
Anna Domino (also Snakefarm)—vocals
Mark Robinson (Unrest)—vocals
Jeffrey Underhill (Honeybunch, The Velvet Crush)—vocals
Chris Knox (The Tall Dwarfs, Toy Love)—vocals

Produced by:

Stephin Merritt

Comments:

wasps's nest is tremendous—a MUST HAVE recording! five chuck stars! if you haven't heard wasps' nests you're missing the BEST album of 1995 in my opinion! (JC214@aol.com)

i agree about wasps' nest. if you like the magnetic fields, this album, which combines the instrumental talents of mr. merritt with the vocal talents of the pop alternative, will probably also be to your tastes. (woj@smoe.org)

really really nice. indiepop stuff. gotta love it. i actually like it better than stephin's the magnetic fields stuff. everyone who has a thing for happy pop music with melancholic lyrics should run out and get The 6ths' album. Not to mention the fact that Barbara Manning, Anna Domino and a whole slew of indierockers are featured on the album (strangely missing are Lois, and Jenny Toomey, but i can't complain since he was just making an album, and not some pantheon of indierockers). or buy anything by the magnetic fields. Stephin Merritt is the guy who once said ABBA is the pinnacle of Western Civilization. Ya gotta love him. (iflin@speakeasy.net)

Hip, cynical, urban fun. With titles like "Dreamhat," "Movies in My Head," and "Heaven in a Black Leather Jacket"; a publishing company named "Gay and Loud;" a different vocalist on every track; innumerable, buzzing tracks of bizarre little synth sounds; and a thoroughly unapologetically Poppy sound (ABBA's a big influence), this has been one of my most successful gift-discs this year. (lissener@wwa.com)

Quirky music by Stephin Merritt. (scottz@best.com)

Wasps' Nest is a great little collaboration with lots of prominent indie-rocker names. I bought it after hearing Barbara Manning's vocal contribution, "San Diego Zoo", on the radio. Also featured of ecto interest are Anna Domino, Georgia Hubley (of Yo La Tengo), Mary Timony (of Helium), and Amelia Fletcher (of Heavenly). (paul2k@aol.com)

Hyacinths and Thistles

Release info:

2000—Merge

Availability:

Wide in U.S.

Ecto priority:

Recommended

Group members:

Stephin Merritt—guitar, keyboards

Guest artists:

Marc Almond—vocals
Miss Lily Banquette—vocals
Sarah Cracknell (Saint Etienne)—vocals
Sam Davol—cello
Brian Dewan—zither
Claudia Gonson—drums, piano
Clare Grogan (Altered Images)—vocals
Daniel Handler—accordion
Neil Hannon—vocals
Miho Hatori—vocals
Bob Mould—vocals
Gary Numan—vocals
Ida Pearle—violin
Margaret Leng Tan—piano
Sally Timms—vocals
John Woo—guitar
Dominique A.—vocals
Melanie—vocals
Momus—vocals
Odetta—vocals
Katharine Whalen—vocals

Produced by:

Stephin Merritt

Comments:

Another collection of vocalists doing Stephin Merritt's bouncy dark pop songs.

	10,000 Maniacs
	12 Rounds
	16 Horsepower (see Sixteen Horsepower)
	3 Kisses
	3Sum
	4 Non Blondes
	50 Foot Wave
	The 6ths