Sufjan Stevens

If you're like me, the last few months of non-stop popular Christmas music is like a slow methodical torture...every song another drip to the forehead...that's only ever broken up by moments of pure agony (McCartneys "wonderful christmastime", Band Aid's "do they know it's christmas", anyone singing along to the "Hanukkah Song"). It makes me feel like a scrooge...which is unfortunate cause really, I do enjoy Christmas and Christmastime. So thank the Christmas gods (... MORE

normally the phrase "cover of a bob dylan song" sends shudders down my spine. like 99.999% of all beatles, stones, and guns 'n roses covers, the majority of dylan covers are really satan's covert attempts to destroy the music industry, one american idol contestant at a time (not to be confused with bret michael's not-so-covert attempt to destroy television, one std-riddled emotionally damaged hobag at a time). but this time, sufjan and the 50 squillion other artists from... MORE

There is something about the music Sufjan Stevens produces that makes one want to go exploring small towns. The man takes all sorts of information, adds folk rhythms and his amazing voice. Whats produced is not like anything else I've heard.
XKCD comics make my world go round. For some reason, every one of these brilliant pieces seem to work perfectly with my lifestyle.What style is that?Oh...you know...the one I have....in my closet.

So I am rearranging my iTunes. My goal ... MORE

Just some music you just want to walk through the grass barefoot and love life...

I was scanning the JB bargain bin on the odd chance something good was accidentally dropped in there, and found Sufjan Stevens' A Sun Came! for $9.95. Seeing as it was the only cd of his I didn't own, I hurried through the cluttered, illogical layout of the store and purchased it. Satisfying find.

Well, judgin by the TV it must be Christmas -Steve McQueen's just missed jumping into Switzerland and Bartlett and the boys have been mown down for attempting The Great Escape, (the BBC's msot bizarre festive favourite) so before I go and get lost in a day of gluttony, greed and spending time with people I love but don't particularly like (no doubt with usual conversations about the "ambiance" of various supermarket, and Ethel down the road's various medical complaints) I ... MORE

Well, I did something different this year: I bought a few Christmas albums. Traditionally, I have despised Christmas music (R n B versions of Winter Wonderland are pure trash and acapella groups singing any Christmas songs at all make ill), but this year I thought I'd give it a try. I bought three albums:1. Jars of Clay - Christmas Songs2. Relient K - Let It Snow Baby, Let It Reindeer3. Sufjan Stevens - Songs for Chritmas I listened to them from November all the way u... MORE

I'm so tired, I couldn't really think of a witty title for this post. Basically all I want to say is that Sufjan Stevens is brilliant, he has a very distinctive sound and makes use of many differnent instuments to give his music a wonderful diverse flavor. His lyrics are also pretty cool and the references he makes are pretty sweet. Like John Wyane Gacy, Jr. Indie Follk Rules!

Ah, its that time again. Time to combine two of my favorite things in the world. The craigslist missed connections forum and music. So if you have never seen one of my semi-regular posts on this topic, the premise is simple. I pick out an entertaining missed connection, tag it with an appropriate song...instant entertainment. I know. I am very easily amused. But I will be laughing last when I corner some producer in a bar in LA and pitch my idea of a Missed Connections rea... MORE

The tree is up, the lights are on, the cat is chasing stray baubles and bringing up strands of tinsel with her hairballs, the kids are over-hyped on sweets and chocolate..Somehow Mr Stevens has captured the magic and the kitch and the kid's-singed-fringe-on-the-Christingle smell of Christmas with this set of EPs (five recorded over six years), and it has become a staple of my Christmas listening..From hymns that I didn't know but somehow felt like I always did (Come Thou F... MORE

in the intro (to a crowd of canadians), sufjan stevens calls this "new tune" a "traditional american song." it's an understatement. at first solemn, and then utterly feral, the song, in his hands, is so shot through with shaky grief that nothing traditional nor anthemic remains. oh say, can you see / by the dawn's early light / what so proudly we've ... / at the twilight's last gleaming after awhile, the lyrics change (and do not go on to endorse america), though t... MORE

It seems the more I listen to this album, the more I like it. Here's one of Sufjan's originals, from the 5th EP (Peace) of the Songs For Christmas box set. This one took a few listens for me until I liked it. Now I love it. Not only do I love the music from this compilation of music, but the packaging is just amazing. The box set comes with:-A Sufjan Stevens family poster (hilarious)-A comic strip-Lyrics/chords-An essay by Richard Moody-2 short stories by Sufjan-Sticke... MORE

Chicago is amazing (as are the other versions on Avalanche). And there are some other really good songs and it holds together extremely well as a concept album. But my favorite song and the reason I bought the album initially was for this song. It evokes such a strong mood - interesting and dark, kind of scary and holy at once. When I write creatively it's one of the songs I used to help me get into that place.