BY FRED SHUSTER >LA.COM

Merritt, who cheerfully admits he hates playing concerts, makes albums that present his music one way, and then goes out on stage and plays those songs in an entirely different fashion.

Merritt, 42, became a favorite of the indie pop crowd in 1999 when his three-disc, 69-song orchestral-pop set, "69 Love Songs," revealed an encyclopedic variety of styles.

Merritt, who recently moved from New York to Los Feliz, would rather be recording in his home studio than trotting around the country duplicating that encyclopedic variety of styles. He has plenty of outlets for his creativity - along with the Magnetic Fields, he heads such indie bands as the Sixths, Future Bible Heroes and the Gothic Archies.

He's also working on a movie musical with accordionist Daniel Handler, better-known as the author Lemony Snicket, and a musical adaptation of the Neil Gaiman novella "Coraline" with playwright David Greenspan.

The Magnetic Fields' eighth and latest album, "Distortion," is intriguing. Inspired by the Jesus and Mary Chain's 1985 feedback-drenched classic, "Psychocandy," Merritt marinated every song and instrument on his record in abrasive, buzzing feedback.

But when the Magnetic Fields played in New York last week, Merritt left the feedback out, instead giving his sardonic, insightful songs a spare acoustic treatment. So, if you plan on seeing the Fields on Sunday or Monday at Hollywood's Music Box at the Fonda, don't expect a note-for-note recital of the record.

We reached Merritt at home as he prepared to take his Chihuahua to the dog groomer.

Why did you move to L.A.?

I want to get into film soundtracks. I've done some work along those lines in the past and want to do a lot more. There's more opportunity for that kind of thing here. I like a place where you can stay busy and not have to deal with anything else but the creativity at hand. But I really don't know my way around yet at all. The only thing that saves me is the GPS system in my car.

Your albums all have some sort of theme.

I grew up listening to the music of Queen and ABBA and I liked that they were able to cover lots of genres, but the albums had some sort of concept about them. I think people can pick up the link between songs if they want to or not. It's there for the taking.

You apparently really liked "Psychocandy."

That album to me was the last significant event in pop music. It sounded so shockingly new when it came out, and it still does today. It was full of great ideas. It just kind of left you wondering if anything like it could ever be created again because it went as far as you could possibly take that concept. I found the white-noise production completely inspiring and it's definitely there in "Distortion."

You sort of shock people when you perform because it's usually acoustic.

I have a long history of hearing problems and that's why. When something is too loud, it just sounds like a blur. If I listen to the Carpenters at a really loud volume, suddenly they sound like the Jesus and Mary Chain.

Fred Shuster (818) 713-3676 fred.shuster@dailynews.com

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MAGNETIC FIELDS

>Where: The Music Box at the Fonda, 6126 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood.
>When: 7 p.m. Sunday and Monday.
>How much: $27.50. (213) 480-3232, www.ticketmaster.com.