"I don't even understand why people like live music," Merritt says.

People probably wonder why I like Stephin Merritt so much. There is not an easy answer. Hmmm... His sense of humor reminds me of House. He is always saying things that debunk my desire for clarity in music ( "It's not like there's one production style at the center of the universe," he says. "I think there is no arrangement or production style that you would accurately call 'clear' that just presents the songs. It doesn't exist in the world of audio - it's called sheet music."). He does interviews despite hating doing interviews, and produces awesome reactions from his interviewers. Read the interview in the San Francisco Gate here .

Another sign that it is a good day: You can now buy The Charm of the Highway Strip on LP here.