Here is how it goes – NPR(All Songs Considered) invites artists into a recording space for a few days and the artists has to produce a new song based on a word and image NPR gives them. NPR then records them in the creative process and edits it down into a 10-15 minute movie of the condensed life of a song from inspiration to finished product. There have only been three so far but they were all enjoyable. I choose to feature the Stephin Merritt one here. I have a soft spot in my heart for his work with the Magnetic Fields and the Future Bible Heroes. I really didn’t like him much when I first heard him, but grew to love him as I matured and gained an appreciate for his humor and dark themes. Now I think he is full blown genius. Hell I event want an Omnichord now so I can get my “Magnetic Fields in a box” songwriting style on. While this isn’t one of his best songs, it’s interesting none the less how he interprets the items meant to inspire him. Watch how he incorporates the word “1974″ into his work.

Man of a Million Faces by Stephin Merritt – you have to follow the link to get the video for this one

…and just for fun, here are a couple of Omnichord videos. Merritt doesn’t use one in the song above, but I always think of the Magnetic Fields when I think of these little “instruments”.

Dark Halls by Au Revoir Simone – I’m not really a fan of this band or this song(a little too twee – even for me), but the woman in the purple dress plays an Omnichord so I thought it was a decent example of these quirky instruments in a more modern setting.