A Head Full of Wishes is a site for Galaxie 500, Luna, Damon & Naomi, Dean & Britta and Dean Wareham. With news, articles and lists of releases and past and future shows.
My record collection
#157: Caithlin De Marrais - My Magic City (LP)
I was unaware of Dean Wareham’s appearance on former Rainer Maria singer Caithlin De Marrais’s first solo album when it was released in 2008, and only became aware of it when the album got its first vinyl release a couple of years back.
The album credits just list all the contributors in alphabetical order and Caithlin describes how the record was made, but not who contributed where:
We made the record wherever we happened to be, creating music in a fire-ravaged church in brooklyn, a rustic cottage in upstate new york, and several brooklyn apartments including my own. There was no sound isolation, not much in the way of overdubs. We cued one another with eye contact, everyone playing together. I sang the songs live in the room as the musicians were playing them. You can hear the warmth and affection of the sessions in the songs.
My Magic City sleeve notes
Fortunately the website for the Skeletal Lightning re-release is kind enought to clarify things “the album also includes a lush stereo guitar solo from Dean Wareham (Galaxie 500, Luna, Dean & Britta) on ‘Outer Space Is Still Sexy’.
Britta also gets an electric bass credit and I suspect her appearance was on the same track. Of course one or both of them could appear on other tracks too. Other names recognisable to followers of AHFoW in the credits are Lara Meyerratken - Luna’s sometime fifth member - and Jason Lawrence who has drummed periodically with Dean & Britta.
The album is very sweet and fresh, this Pitchfork review suggests “too sugary” but I don’t agree - it is just about right!
Caithlin’s other AHFoW connection is that Rainer Maria did a cover of Galaxie 500’s Hearing Voices for Spin way back in the days when streaming a tiny low-res video was exciting - I downloaded and salvaged it and you can see it and hear it in all its “shuddery low-res joy”.
- Catalogue Number: AHFOW 12/094
- Artist: Caithlin De Marrais
- Title: My Magic City
- Notes: White vinyl
- Packaging: Card sleeve
- Format: LP
- Bought online for £25 (incl postage)
- Buy ‘My Magic City’ on Bandcamp