2 posts tagged “sufjan stevens”

I'm tired and stressed for several reasons and needed to go to bed an hour ago, but sometimes you stumble across a piece of brilliance that you have to share.

Well, first, for the hell of it:

Nada Surf - Popular (rcsa)
Not the brilliance I was talking about, but I do really like it.  Has Nada Surf really been around that long?  Am I really that old/young?  Why is my dog barking to go out, when she was just out an hour ago and there are possibly big snarly dogs still stalking around out there?  It was scary, and I had to throw plastic shelving at them.

Sufjan Stevens - Dumb I Sound (rcsa)
I know I just went over Sufjan, but I came across this one and it's rivaling The Henney Buggy Band for my affections.  The ending (the last minute or so) is creepy and gives me chills when I'm sitting here in the semi-dark listening to it, but the beginning is so beautiful.  The flute gets me every time.

Now crossposting over to LJ, just to annoy everyone over there.

I've been on a giant Sufjan Stevens kick lately, and I blame it on Jeremy giving me a copy of The Avalanche.  I can't believe some of these are only B-sides.

I know a lot of people don't like him, and I don't really know why. 

This is everything you need to know about Sufjan, in a nutshell:
It's pronounced "Soof-yahn."  His parents belonged to Subud, "an inter-faith, non-religious spiritual community."  He plays the banjo.  He has a very soft voice.  His songs are complex and meticulously arranged.  A lot of his songs (mostly on Illinois and Seven Swans have strong religious references, but don't let that put you off him--he does it in a way such that it's not beating you over the head with it.  He's not preaching it to anyone else: it's his own faith he sings about.  Jeremy's not religious and he's got more of his music than I do.  And according to WikiPedia, because I am too lazy to reword it:  "Beginning with Michigan, Stevens announced an intent to write an album for each of the 50 U.S. states, although in interviews he wavers between utter sincerity and self-deprecating irony when describing the idea."

He also has a funny sort of sense of humor, to wit:  Apparently a while back there was news of he and Rosie Thomas having a baby, and Pitchfork reported it, because Pitchfork is a bunch of idiots and indie fucks and I like their logo but their site is slow as hell so I just don't bother anymore.  So Sufjan eventually sent a response letter which I think is awesome (as reported by stereogum, which I do like):

A few things:

a) First of all, I would like to thank everyone who called or sent notes of congratulations about the news of my baby. I am so proud.
b) Secondly, the baby is a hoax. I had nothing to do with the baby hoax. I was as shocked as everyone else about the baby. Matthew's story was so convincing I almost believed it myself.
c) Thirdly, something you need to know about Rosie is that she's really weird and she's really funny. When she's not singing songs, she dresses up in a neck brace and wears broken reading glasses and delivers pizza as a dimwit named "Sheila Saputo." This is not the behavior of a normal person. So it's no surprise that she could pull this off, this imaginary baby. But the fact is, Rosie is not carrying my baby. As far as I know, we spent quality time in the studio, not in bed. If Rosie's pregnant, it's not my baby. Maybe it's Denison's baby. Maybe it's an alien baby. I don't know. All I know is that the baby is probably going to grow up to be a clown, or a mime, or a bassoon player or something funny like that. Most babies come out crying, but Rosie's baby is going to be born laughing its butt off.
d) Fourthly, the fact that an internet news site printed a story about my baby without consulting me first is insulting. I mean, it's my baby. Maybe I have things I'd like to say about the baby too. Such as: it doesn't exist.

Yours,
Sufjan Stevens

He's pretty awesome.  It helps me think of him as an actual dude instead of some soft-spoken, musical demigod.

..Right, so, music.  :)

Some of these are more pared-down, intimate songs; others are the complex multi-part arrangements I mentioned before.  I think I'll start with my favorite, which is off the B-sides album.  I am a sucker for horns.  So here we go!

Sufjan Stevens Mini-Sampler
01.  The Henney Buggy Band [rcsa]
02.  Come On!  Feel the Illinoise!  [rcsa]
03.  Casimir Pulaski Day [rcsa]
04.  John Wayne Gacy, Jr.  [rcsa]
             (Yes, he did write a song about a serial killer.  It's beautiful.)

One for Christmas:
05.  Sister Winter [rcsa]

And totally his best lyrics ever:
06.  Super Sexy Woman [rcsa]

Next time I'll do Sergio Mendes or Of Montreal.  Maybe the former, because I've been putting him off.

I have a hole in my pants.  :<