The Strange Powers of Stephin Merritt

The Magnetic Fields are one of the most “cultishly adored“ musical acts around. Ostensibly a rock band, their sound is influenced by lo-fi indie aesthetics, dancy synthpop, Broadway musicals, and country music, and that is only the beginning. Founding member and songwriter Stephin Merritt is a singular artist working in the vein of other visionaries like Cole Porter and Phil Spector. Using a rotating cast of singers and musicians, Merritt writes funny, bite-sized songs about growing older, taking drugs, and evil twins, but he is perhaps most admired for his songs about matters of the heart. Whether you are suffering a heartbreak or have just fallen in love, the Magnetic Fields have a song for every moment.

OVID is pleased to share that Kerthy Fix and Gail O’Hara’s documentary Strange Powers: Stephin Merritt and the Magnetic Fields is now streaming. Featuring interviews with Carrie Brownstein, Peter Gabriel, Neil Gaiman, and the elusive Merritt himself, this is a must for fans as well as anyone lucky enough to be new to Merritt’s work.