Nevertheless, he bellied up to the microphone by himself and treated us to a brief but well-rounded survey of his expansive catalog: a selection from the Eban and Charley soundtrack, one song apiece from the albums Get Lost and Distortion, and a number originally composed for the audio book of Lemony Snicket's The Hostile Hospital.

NPR: Stephin Merritt: Musical Polymath

The songs were written for the audiobook version of the Lemony Snicket children's book series.

NPR: Lemony Snicket's 'Tragic Treasury'

Fans of a Series of Unfortunate Events, the children's book series by Merritt's buddy, Lemony Snicket, might already know the song.

NPR: Lemony Snicket's 'Tragic Treasury'