Ooh! The 6ths is a wonderful mock "tribute" band for Stephin Merritt, so you will hear a lot of other artists. The first album seems more popular, but I thought the second (Hyacinths and Thistles) delicate and subtle.

Probably more like Magnetic Fields is Future Bible Heroes. Both albums are ace, but I actually suggest you find the Lonely Days EP. It has a gorgeous dance cover of the old Love Is Blue, and a very pretty instrumental, Berlin on $10 a Day. The 1st album, Memories of Love, has perhaps my favorite Merritt song, You Steal the Scene. But it's all good, if you are a Magnetic Fields fan you would love all of these.

Gothic Archies, I think, is the least necessary to own at this point. There's just one EP out, so it's anyone's guess how a real album would turn out.

You should really treat all his projects like Magnetic Fields. The only reason he has all these projects going is that he has a lot of energy to release albums, more than any single record company can handle at once. The projects are different, because they involve different colaborations, but easily can be seen to work as a whole. Steve is Steve.

The 6ths, for sure! Mary Timony's voice on "All Dressed up in Dreams" is sooooo good!

he's also done some soundtracks. Eban & Charley is one. there is another that came out recently but it consists of mostly previously released material.