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I've seen him mentioned here in Now Playing, but he doesn't have his own thread. His music is consistantly brilliant and beautiful and kinda folky. He's moved me to write more of my own stuff. Sometimes I'll listen to nothing but his records for days at a time. It never gets old.
His most recent releases are
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Greetings from Michigan! The Great Lakes State
and
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Seven Swans
Michigan is one of a planned 50 albums. Yes, one of each state. It has some of his finest orchestrations complete with minimalist repetition, ala Philip Glass. Seven Swans is a much more subdued release, with more banjo and traditional wooden instrumentation. It also has a very strong Christian spiritual message. That might turn some off but he makes the themes he adresses pretty universal. I'm of no faith whatsoever, but "the transfiguration" still makes me smile.
as if the above ass kissing did not tell you, i really reccomend him to everyone here (ghostboy...) you can find it on soulseek if you dont want to buy it...you can get it from me. my name's "Pedro the Wombat".
Yeah, I've really enjoyed his past two releases. I purchased Seven Swans on vinyl and it has made me happy.
I can't even fathom how he plans on actually following through with his 50 States project. Sounds like just an overly ambitious idea to me, I highly doubt much of it will be done.
Quote from: smash
I can't even fathom how he plans on actually following through with his 50 States project. Sounds like just an overly ambitious idea to me, I highly doubt much of it will be done.
you're probably right...he has written a song called "chicago" for the illinois album, though
i'm in love.
Quote from: Reinhold Messneri'm in love.
Me too. This guy is fantastic. When the link to the track from the Illinois album showed up I nearly, well, . . .creamed my pants.
I read about him on pitchfork and after hearing the michigan cd i've been in love, reminds a bit of the microphones
good stuff
I heard the Illinois tracks leaked a few weeks ago. A guy was offering it up, but it did me no good because it was the whole album and I have 56k. I just wondered if there is anywhere i might could find it one track at a time. I don't think the album is supposed to come out until July.
I'm hearing Vermont is after Illinois.
I love Sufjan Stevens. A lot. I've seen him live like 3 times?
Will he do the impossible and make me miss living in Illinois? Doubtful but I'm excited about the new album.
Illinois,
is AMAZING.
www.torrentspy.com
if you have BitComet, you can use it to choose to only download one song at a time.
you'll need to go to the tracker's website, register, and download it from there though.
i just found out the other day that if you order it through Asthmatic Kitty, they will ship orders out a month before it goes to stores, and it's only $10. i'll just wait and go that route.
Quote from: bigideasi just found out the other day that if you order it through Asthmatic Kitty, they will ship orders out a month before it goes to stores, and it's only $10. i'll just wait and go that route.
"We would like to inform you that your order has been shipped."
:yabbse-grin:
Quote from: bigideasI just wondered if there is anywhere i might could find it one track at a time.
if you, or anyone else is interested you can download two tracks off amazon.com Casimir Pulaski Day and The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts.
wow, this is an epic album.
the first two songs i want to listen to are John Wayne Gacy, Jr. and Jackson. i haven't had enough time to wrap my head around the album yet (it's pretty long), but you can tell a lot went into the mixing. i love how he records his albums. he leaves it pretty natural without many effects. it's also amazing how everything has so much clarity when he stacks up the voices and instruments.
Quote from: bigideasi just found out the other day that if you order it through Asthmatic Kitty, they will ship orders out a month before it goes to stores, and it's only $10. i'll just wait and go that route.
No kidding? I'm glad I don't have to wait. Thanks for the tip, I'm greatly anticipating hearing this.
John Wayne Gacy Jr is probably the best, most beautiful song I've heard in a long time.
and creepiest.
so what do you think the last verse is supposed to imply?
IMHO Sufjan is a murderer, I don't see how it could mean anything else honestly.
Quote from: SleuthIMHO Sufjan is a murderer, I don't see how it could mean anything else honestly.
with the exception of that last verse, it seems like he's just telling about Gacy's life. maybe it's supposed to be sung from the point of view of another serial killer that found inspiration from Gacy? or maybe Sufjan is just relating Gacy's sins to his own. either way or neither, it's a beautiful song.
and a creepy one!
Quote from: bigideasQuote from: SleuthIMHO Sufjan is a murderer, I don't see how it could mean anything else honestly.
with the exception of that last verse, it seems like he's just telling about Gacy's life. maybe it's supposed to be sung from the point of view of another serial killer that found inspiration from Gacy? or maybe Sufjan is just relating Gacy's sins to his own. either way or neither, it's a beautiful song.
I think it's obviously Sufjan relating Gacy's story and making the connection between types of Skeletons in the Closet at the end. Also, the whole idea of a facade hiding a darkness buried inside, very nice way of putting it.
God that line he sings..."even more, they were boys, with their cars, summer jobs...oh my god...." GODDAMN. It's so fucking tragic.
what about on the first track (the best one) when he goes
"then to lebanon, ough gwaawd"
That one's ok, I guess. No, wait. No, it's no good.
IMHO Sufjan is lebanese, I don't see how it could mean anything else honestly.
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EDIT: Link to a song off of it!
http://downloads.betterpropaganda.com/music/Sufjan_Stevens-Casimir_Pulaski_Day_128.mp3
I really like the song entitled "They are Night Zombies!! They are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back From The Dead!! Ahhhh!"
Did you hear the rest of the CD, cause I seriously hate that song and it shouldn't be on there
Quote from: SleuthDid you hear the rest of the CD, cause I seriously hate that song and it shouldn't be on there
I did. Why do you hate it?
Quote from: Slick ShoesQuote from: SleuthDid you hear the rest of the CD, cause I seriously hate that song and it shouldn't be on there
I did. Why do you hate it?
Actually I don't remember, but I have been skipping it ever since the 2nd time I heard it. From memory I know that it doesn't fit with the CD and it was really really really really repeally really repetilly really repetive
Onion interview (http://www.theonionavclub.com/feature/index.php?issue=4128)
Also, I like the Zombie song... it's really good.
you don't think the incessant spelling was maybe a bit much?
I heard his tour was delayed because of legal issues with Superman being used on the Illinois CD without DC's consent.
Does anyone know the story on this?
That wouldn't inhibit tour. The superman on the cover is, though, limited edition.
Sufjan Stevens LP Delayed Due to Cover Art
Good things come to those who wait-- well, at least until a cease and desist order from DC Comics is no longer in place. Such is the fate that has befallen Sufjan Stevens' Illinois, which was originally scheduled to be released today. A post on Stevens' label, Asthmatic Kitty, states, "Unfortunately we've had to stop selling Illinois due to an legal issue concerning the artwork." According to various blogs and message boards, the legal issue in question is that the album cover featured an image of Superman (flying high above the Chicago skyline with Al Capone in the foreground). As comic book fans well know, the birth of the superhero came in 1938, when Superman made his debut on DC Comics.
In a statement to retailers, Asthmatic Kitty asked them not to sell the LP, saying: "We have been informed that there is a possible copyright and trademark infringement on the cover of the Illinois album art. We have been advised by a lawyer to essentially cease and desist, and that it would be in our best interest to do our best to retract as many of these cds as possible."
There has been no word yet from Asthmatic Kitty or Stevens regarding the specfic nature of the matter, the album's new release date, or what the new cover art will be. Daniel Gill, Stevens' publicist, e-mailed Pitchfork to say that an official statement is shortly forthcoming. We will provide updates on this story as more details emerge. On the plus side, if you were able to order Illinois early, you've now got a nifty collectors' item in your hands.
Sufjan's Illinois Back on Sale...For Now
If you haven't already auctioned off your pre-cease and desist copy of Illinois...too late. While copies printed from now on will feature new artwork, the initial pressings shipped to stores for the July 5 release date will be sold as originally planned. We reported yesterday that the new Sufjan Stevens album could no longer be sold with its original artwork, presumably due to the image of $uperman on the album cover. However, Asthmatic Kitty had been selling the record from its website for weeks in advance, so the dirty copies were already circulating. Also, iTunes was selling the album beginning yesterday (with bonus tracks!).
But now you can head on down to the record store and buy it. An email message sent to retailers yesterday evening by the label's distribution company said: "Any retail outlet which currently has Sufjan Stevens' Illinois in their possession can now sell at will. This can be done with the full blessing of Asthmatic Kitty and SC Distribution."
Unfortunately, that's not the end of the story. "We are not able to ship any more copies from our warehouse," the message continued. "Asthmatic Kitty is still dealing with unresolved issues. Right now, worst case scenario is that we have to wait until a repress with new artwork lands-- conservatively, that would be around the first week of August."
So get 'em while they're hot. Or, if you can't find it in stores, buy it on iTunes and then buy it again when the new edition comes out in stores...hmm...$ufjan?...nah. Why the sudden move to sell, sell, sell? The email addressed this decision: "There are two main reasons for this development: 1) We were largely unsuccessful in our attempts to get the large chains to comply with our cease and desist request. We did not want to disadvantage independent retailers because of that. 2) We realize that many stores have a limited buying budget each week/month. And may have spent a good chunk of their budget buying on Sufjan. Despite the unresolved issues that Asthmatic Kitty still faces, they wanted to make things as right as possible and allow stores to sell what they have."
Well, that's that. Go hunt the album down, even if the journey takes you to every Borders and Best Buy in your town.
he had a 2 or 3 min feature on mtv news. i was just flipping through the channels and caught it.
/cry
Whoa on the whoas.
I saw Sufjan Stevens last night. I hate to complain about such an amazing show (and believe me, it was amazing) but the whole set was Illinois. We were in Grand Rapids, Michigan so you'd think he'd play a Greetings From Michigan song, even just as an encore. I loved the Illinois album, but I've always preferred Michigan and how much more appropriate would it be to hear some songs about Michigan cities...
Nevertheless, it was something I could not have predicted. Laura Viers opened for him, and she was all right. Sufjan's group had a cheerleader motif, they all wore cheerleader outfits, and it was very energetic.
It seemed like he sang better live than on the CD, which is rare among artists, I find.
(Below is a picture, not from my a show, but my show carried the same motif and the girl on the far right had her hair in these cute pigtails... needless to say, she was extremely hot)
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Yeah! When I saw him last Thursday (in Boston), I too thought the female to the far right was extremely hot! right on!
I also helped myself to a COME ON FEEL THE ILLINOISE t shirt thankyouverymuch.
Quote from: A Matter Of Chance
I also helped myself to a COME ON FEEL THE ILLINOISE t shirt thankyouverymuch.
I picked a shirt up as well (because they were all out of Greetings From Michigan vinyls).
I just saw him the other night. That was one of the best shows I've been to in a while. They played for somewhere around an hour and a half and did a human pyramid. It was very, very cool. I, also, got a t-shirt.
If you're already sweating what to get for that indie rocker on your Christmas list, Sufjan Stevens just made it easier. The prolific folk-pop singer is gathering up Christmas EPs he's recorded for friends and family over the past five years into a box set called Songs of Christmas (due November 21), which will include Stevens' versions of holiday staples "Silent Night" and "Jingle Bells," as well as quirky originals such as "Come On! Let's Boogey to the Elf Dance!," "That Was the Worst Christmas Ever!," "Did I Make You Cry On Christmas Day? (Well, You Deserved It!)" and "Get Behind Me Santa!" The box will also contain five Christmas stickers and extensive liner notes as well as short stories by Stevens, an original Christmas essay by writer Rick Moody, an animated music video and comic strip by Tom Eaton and a Christmas songbook with lyric sheets and chord charts.
I'm seeing him in a few weeks at the Fox theater, I'm so excited
anyone seeing him at town hall on oct. 1?
I've bought my ticket for his show in Copenhagen November 12. Really excited about this show too.
I just saw him tonight. It was a terrific show, although it sounds like past performances have been a bit more energetic (no pyramid performed here). I really liked the rearrangements of a lot of the songs, although John Wayne Gacy suffered a bit. The venue was tiny, which made the grandness of it all that much more impressive.
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Sufjan Stevens - "Majesty Snowbird (Live)" (http://obscuresound.com/mp3/suf-maj.mp3) - Great quality / Highly Recommended!!!
YouTube Video of the Song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5DnN_z4N2bg)
From Obscure Sound:
"While the extreme popularity of Sufjan Stevens has often become abrasive, there is no denying he is one of the most talented songwriters currently making music. Though literally thousands of blogs has posted material from Sufjan, I would never miss the opportunity to post something that is very new and exciting. While Stevens is no stranger to lengthy songs, 'Majesty Snowbird' is one of his most significant epics, reaching over ten minutes in length. Though no studio version is available yet, the quality for this live version is phenomenal.
Stevens' vocals are introduced over a simple strum of an acoustic guitar, until a quick twinkle of keys signals the brilliant strings to take part. That's certainly not all though, as some very effective brass stomps itself in as some heart pounding percussion momentarily appears. The most impressive parts of the song are the musical solos after Stevens' initial verses, especially in the latter section of the song where Stevens creates an excellent vocal melody to blend in with the musical highlight. The conclusion to the song is also fantastic, as every single instrument previously introduced breaks free for two minutes of breathless awe. I'm really looking forward to hearing the studio version of this one, as the live performance is great."
——————————————————————————————-
Quote from: JG on October 01, 2006, 10:24:40 AM
From Obscure Sound:
"While the extreme popularity of Sufjan Stevens has often become abrasive, there is no denying he is one of the most talented songwriters currently making music. Though literally thousands of blogs has posted material from Sufjan, I would never miss the opportunity to post something that is very new and exciting. While Stevens is no stranger to lengthy songs, 'Majesty Snowbird' is one of his most significant epics, reaching over ten minutes in length. Though no studio version is available yet, the quality for this live version is phenomenal.
formula for the annoying style of this paragraph: While something, something else. Though something, something else. (repeat)
thanks for the hook up
amazing show. i got an inflatable santa.
here's a better video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sgt7G1BYZmg
this song is pretty amazing.
admin edit: fixed link
http://www.bam.org/events/08SUFJ/08SUFJ.aspx (http://www.bam.org/events/08SUFJ/08SUFJ.aspx)
World Premiere
THE BQE
COMPOSED AND PERFORMED BY SUFJAN STEVENS
NOV 1—3 AT 8PM
BAM HOWARD GILMAN OPERA HOUSE
RUNNING TIME: APPROX 90MIN
TICKETS: $20, 25, 35, 50
A prolific singer/songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and composer with a penchant for storytelling, Sufjan Stevens reveals the epic in the everyday in songs infusing the vernacular of Midwestern folk with a distinctly orchestral grandeur. Stevens pairs orchestrated selections of both new and old material with the 25th Next Wave Festival commission/world premiere of The BQE—a symphonic and cinematic exploration of one of New York's least celebrated monuments: the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway.
Robert Moses' controversial 11.7-mile roadway tears through neighborhoods in Brooklyn and Queens with the brute force of modern urban planning, and in Stevens' hands becomes an evocation of the intersection of intimate experience and the American Dream. Merging a virtual road trip shot on film with a live band and orchestral ensemble, The BQE discovers abstract patterns and stories in the snaking traffic, potholed pavement, billboards, badly marked exits, and beautiful city views, revealing what happens when Manifest Destiny converges with urban blight.
Commissioned by BAM
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oh my god this is outstanding. it's such an evolution.. the first track is like a farewell to his old style, then the rest perfectly follows from where 'you are the blood' left off. lyrically, sufjan can be a little limited for my tastes, but i don't even care because this sound is just.. virtuosity defined. cutting edge. and it paints a picture of a world that i want to visit. i've pretty much just been listening to this on repeat for the last few days.
just give this a listen:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnycQL6UTow
if i had a lot of money/influence i would make a really expensive music video for that. so cinematic, down to the sync sound reference at the top.
and this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jVPaaTlhHg
the flute flourishes alone...
http://www.thebuddyproject.com/news/sufjan_tapeop_0309/sufjan_tapeop0309_1.html
(click on the page to go to the next - there are 4 in all)
There is an interesting interview he did with Tape Op a year or two ago. Apparently he recorded most of the early albums only using 2 SM57's. At the end he kinda foreshadows Adz.
I wonder if he really recorded it fast and just put it out there, or if there is a ton of material from the past 5 years or so. He recorded some with The National and apparently none of that ended up on the record. The credits are pretty null and void in the album booklet unless I'm overlooking it. Not even mastering, etc.
it really is a remarkable album. his voice is a lot cleaner and more soulful (lots of boys II men style ooo's and ahhh's). he's found a way to make his voice stand out in a big production. i wonder how he's going to do this stuff live (if at all)
sometimes the vocals sound too processed for me. at the end of I'm Not Well i'm not even sure it's him, it sounds so weird - and not weird like a vocal effect or auto-tune.
i haven't read too much about the live show, but apparently he's playing the whole album besides I'm Not Well.
Quote from: ddiggler on October 21, 2010, 10:14:18 AM
i wonder how he's going to do this stuff live (if at all)
I saw him night before last. He opened with Seven Swans and Closed with Chicago then the encore was three older songs as well... the rest was all new stuff from both the EP and the LP.
I still haven't heard the new album, I don't know why, but I wanted to hear the new stuff live.
It was fucking great. I don't normally like to listen to new stuff live for the first time, but this was just a crazy-good experience. I loved it and really want to get the new album now.
Obviously, I can't compare what I saw to the way it sounds on the album, but it's very creative and he played a fucking 25 minute long song that ended with crazy autotune/Kanye West/1980s synch dance specatacular.
He did a good deal of talking between songs and said with this album, he started with experimenting with different sounds and laid them down then came back to focus on melody.
go see him
Wow, opening with the song, Seven Swans? That is a crazy/epic way to open. I saw him in Nashville after Illinois came out. The venue had a lot of problems and things were very delayed, so it was bad on that part.
Is there still a large amount of backing players, or is it all done via laptops/keyboards?
This is pretty amazing new stuff, since to be totally honest, I never really connected to much of his material other than Enjoy Your Rabbit. Not to just be a contrarian, but that album is incredible experimentation that's hard to find elsewhere but because it's so unlike his other stuff, a lot of my friends just neglect it.
I'm liking the instrumentation but I'm not convinced his lyrics are totally necessary. Still, this new album is an amazing bridge between fully orchestrated music and experimental noise. Good, good stuff.
Oh, there was still a huge backing band. Including him, I think there were about ten people on stage at any given time (except during the final John Wayne Gacy).
I just listened to the album and I'd say it's even better live (though I love the album).
Also, he did a good deal of breakdancing.
http://fuckyeahsufjanstevens.tumblr.com/
this has a video of impossible soul from Austin - you may not want to watch it if you don't want stage things spoiled. what i watched just stays on sufjan the whole time.