These days live video is all the rage (well, that and nostalgia, repetitious festivals, and getting too excited about things that don’t deserve it because you want to be “first”). But yeah, from Take-Aways to Black Cabs to P4K.tv, we have a variety of ways to see the people we like (or couldn’t give two shits about) doing their thing(s) on screens of various sizes. It’s often not worth the cheap digital video (or VHS or Super 
it’s recorded on, but from time to time it can offer new entryways into a well-worn composition. For instance, in a performance of Distortion standout “The Nun’s Litany” backstage at Town Hall from this past winter, we see Stephin Merritt’s handwritten lyrics for the “list song” — it offers an archival feeling, in turn making the song feel like some sort of personal manuscript/notation. Fittingly, the spare recording allows us to listen to those words more closely than on the original. Merritt also talks about his bouzouki, which is more the kind of thing you’d expect to happen backstage.
“The Nun’s Litany”
“This Little Ukulele”
“This Little Ukulele” is from his soundtrack for Eban And Charley. You can read more about the performance at Other Music’s site.
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one time i pooped in stephin merritt’s mouth
so, brando: speaking of the “live videos” (and, tangentially, portland– from our jaguar love fact-checking), you should check out lost gospel. it’s pretty much like a take-away-show meets an actual live show. white fang and starfucker (both of whom i believe were in the now-infamous MTV/portland love-fest) have both done them. you know, we should find a way to exchange e-mail addresses so i don’t have to do this so publicly. haha.
and before i go off the subject at hand too much: this version of “the nun’s litany” is pretty incredible.
I’ll check this out, Douglas — thanks. Pass me your email address in code.
(i tried this earlier, but i’m not sure if it posted: douglas martin 49 (no underscores, or [duh] spaces) [at] “gee-mail” dot com.
cool.
other music is racist for recording a live performance by stephin merritt.
Hell, Stereogum is racist for even reporting Stephin Merritt news.
Serious props for getting a good interview from Stephin. Almost all the interviewers this year have seriously blown it.