A Decade with Stephen Meritt and the Magnetic Fields

NOTE: This encore presentation of our episode of Feast of Fun is in honor of LD Beghtol, the singer-songwriter and Magnetic Fields Collaborator, he passed away at the age of 55 this week.

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Songwriter Stephin Merritt is known as “the Cole Porter of his generation” for his unusual melodies, lovelorn lyrics and dry wit. But he’s also notoriously known as the most miserable man in rock music.

Today we’re talking to our good friend, filmmaker Kerthy Fix on her new documentary- “Strange Powers: Stephen Merit and the Magnetic Fields.”

The film primarily explores the long term friendship between Stephin Merrit and his band mate Claudia Gonson and gives us a never before seen look at the songwriter’s complex personal life. We’re also given an intimate look at the song making process for the band which has one of the most dedicated followings in popular music.

Listen as we chat with Kerthy on the ten years spent making the film, the overblown zip-a-dee-doo-dah controversy and what love song she thinks best represents the eccentric musician.

And we go even further back to Kerthy’s own early years as a performance artist, using the power of theater to cope with grief and the incredible origins of Pussilla, her superhero alter ego with the really strong you-know-what.

{Best of Feast of Fun: FOF #1161 – A Decade with Stephen Meritt and the Magnetic Fields, Mar 22, 2010.}