View Full Version : Sufjan Stevens
IndependentClauses
01-04-2006, 05:21 PM
I really am blown away by "Come On! Feel the Illinoise!" It's got brilliant songwriting, brilliant lyrics, a huge variety of sounds, and everything in it is just beautiful. His voice is unique, his style is unique, his work ethic is unique- everything about him is just amazing. I've recently gotten into him and it's just amazing how much this guy has done in 30 years of life. Very cool artist. I'm really fond of "John Wayne Gacy, Jr."- such a pretty song, although it's about a very sad story....
anyone else?
kOi1026
01-06-2006, 08:47 PM
Okay first of all as soon as I saw Sufjan Stevens name I had to read the post. Then like two seconds later I registered because I had to put my two cents in. Anyways I was just reffered to Sufjan Stevens like a couple of days ago by a friend and I'm glad to say that he is a wonderful artist I listen to his album "Come on feel the Illinoise" all the time. My favorite songs are "Chicago" and "The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts." He has a very "soulful" voice, so gentle and calm. I love how his music is so down to earth and mellow. I hope that he finishes his prominent 50 states project because I'd like to have all the albums.
P.S. Congratulations on the lauch of this site.
IndependentClauses
01-06-2006, 09:16 PM
I'm so happy that he's doing 50 states- that means he'll never stop releasing music....ever. It could be almost 30 years before he can finish- and that's if he picks up the pace a little.
Either way, I'm glad- new music forever. Heck yes. Kinda like Paul McCartney, but without the whole "I'm famous so I'll release an album whenever I want" complex.
The way you two speak of this guy I have to check it out now
I'll report back later :)
IndependentClauses
01-07-2006, 06:37 AM
It's hard to not speak highly of him.
Chiclero
01-08-2006, 02:24 PM
50 states? Good God. After hearing that I'm definitely checking his work out.
IndependentClauses
01-08-2006, 08:48 PM
Yep- so far he's got Michigan and Illinois done.
I've heard he's doing Rhode Island and/or Oregon right now.
Well, I've pretty much been listening to Illonois for the past two days... and wow, really, really great stuff.
I love the orchestral work, and his voice is just so relaxing.
IndependentClauses
01-10-2006, 08:07 PM
I agree- the voice is really what sold me. My favorite song is Track 15, the one about the wasp of the palisades (I hate writing out his song titles after a while), because of the way cool melodies he has at the end....so good. *shivers*
do you have a favorite track(s)?
Chiclero
01-10-2006, 08:22 PM
Yup, just checked out sufjan and it's pretty much amazing. So soothing to listen to. My girl friend listened to it and says that it sucks, but she's into rap/hip-hop so that's why. I guess the uniqueness of his music turned her off.
IndependentClauses
01-11-2006, 08:31 PM
It makes me sad when people like bad music instead of good music.
kOi1026
01-12-2006, 01:58 PM
Well you have to take into account music is all about liberation of your soul. Some people to express themselves in ways that others don't like. We're all the same species but with our own individual thoughts. But if you don't like Sujan your an idiot...lol!
IndependentClauses
01-12-2006, 09:43 PM
But if you don't like Sujan your an idiot...lol!
The first part is all well and good, but that quote is the heart of that phrase. If your soul isn't liberated by Sufjan's anthemic, amazing, even rapturous songs, well....
i have lost faith in you. I apologize, but no faith in you.
Chris Suyeda
02-08-2006, 04:25 PM
I could have sworn I already replied to this thread, but anyways, Sufjan Stevens (among others) is releasing a children's album entitled "See You on the Moon!"
Read more about Sufjan Stevens and "See You on the Moon!" here (http://www.lovethatsound.com/showthread.php?p=2367#post2367). :)
Orion_lts
02-08-2006, 05:21 PM
Just bought the newer album Illinois just for kicks, and it probably turned out to be one of my favourite albums I've ever heard. The music is just so relaxing (especially his voice, as said above), and the lyrics are actually very well done. Casimir Pulaski Day, Chicago, and The Man Of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts are fantastic songs, but basically, the whole album itself is just amazing. I plan on buying past cds to see how it sounds, hopefully its just like this album. Amazing stuff here.
Just bought the newer album Illinois just for kicks, and it probably turned out to be one of my favourite albums I've ever heard. The music is just so relaxing (especially his voice, as said above), and the lyrics are actually very well done. Casimir Pulaski Day, Chicago, and The Man Of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts are fantastic songs, but basically, the whole album itself is just amazing. I plan on buying past cds to see how it sounds, hopefully its just like this album. Amazing stuff here.
Yeah I got a few of his other albums after I realized how amazing Illonois was and I wasn't disappointed, and I'm sure you wont be either [considering our musical tastes are so similar :p].
IndependentClauses
02-14-2006, 07:40 PM
Michigan and Illinois are supposed to be quite similar.
Michigan and Illinois are supposed to be quite similar.
When is Michigan due to be released?
kOi1026
02-15-2006, 07:08 PM
When is Michigan due to be released?Um..Michigan was released before Illinoise was. :D It was released in the July of 2003.
I knew that :shifty:
I havent seen Michigan anywhere
IndependentClauses
02-15-2006, 08:34 PM
It's out there.
from the wiki:
The next states to taken on in the project have been reported as Oregon and Rhode Island. [3] Minnesota may be another candidate; in late 2005 and early 2006 Stevens played a new instrumental track titled "The Maple River." The river mentioned in the title of the song runs through several counties in southern Minnesota.[4]
redbassist66
03-21-2006, 12:37 PM
such an amazing artist, everyone should be forced to listen to him
IndependentClauses
03-26-2006, 06:32 PM
....that's a rather aggressive stance, but I can't think of a better artist to be forced down people's throats, lol.
I found a bunch of other Sufjan albums floating around on the internet finally and I have to say, I am not disappointed. I'm listening to A Sun Came! now and I love it.
The combination of instruments that he implements in to his songs is amazing - I'm definitely loving the flutes
edit: and the middle eastern influence on some of the songs ties is great
IndependentClauses
03-30-2006, 08:38 PM
Yep....his instrumentations really make the songs.
You should check out pinetop seven if you like sufjan- similar in style but a tad more serious: www.pinetopseven.com
Yep....his instrumentations really make the songs.
You should check out pinetop seven if you like sufjan- similar in style but a tad more serious: www.pinetopseven.com
I listened to a few tracks and I don't know I just didn't find the same creativity that Sufjan has... I'm not saying they're bad, they're just a lot more... well as you said, serious. Many Sufjan Stevens songs come off as happy-go-lucky-ish so I guess they're just fun to listen to...
Regardless, I looked for their albums to download and couldn't find anything :/, I was hoping to listen to their other tracks and see what else they had to offer
josephburt
03-31-2006, 02:27 AM
Well, I've pretty much been listening to Illonois for the past two days... and wow, really, really great stuff.
I love the orchestral work, and his voice is just so relaxing.
i like how 4 days later you post about how you have been listening to him... great stuff indeed
<Jane>
03-31-2006, 03:33 AM
I bought Illinois a few weeks ago, and I am seriously impressed. His sound can get a bit samey at times but he definetly seems to be doing something different.
I bought Illinois a few weeks ago, and I am seriously impressed. His sound can get a bit samey at times but he definetly seems to be doing something different.
Yeah I find it really refreshing to hear some of his music - it's like nothing I've ever heard
Mr Randy Rhoads
04-02-2006, 05:02 PM
For some reason, I can't help but thinking of old show-tunes when I hear his music hahaha.
I gave it a shot, but there is just something about it that doesnt quite click with me...and I haven't quite figured out yet what it is.
kOi1026
04-02-2006, 06:59 PM
I bought Illinois a few weeks ago, and I am seriously impressed. His sound can get a bit samey at times but he definetly seems to be doing something different. I think Sufjan uses his older music rythms and develops onto them for newer albums. I have noticed this when I was listening to Seven Swans I realized some of the similarities with Illinoise in the rythm and beats.
IndependentClauses
04-02-2006, 08:39 PM
That's the mark of a good artist, to me- they have their own particular niche in sound. Not repetitive, but just enough that you know it's a Sufjan tune even if you don't know the album or have heard the voice yet. Always good to see that kind of maturity.
And to JW- yeah, Pinetop Seven is for when you're too tired to be happy with Sufjan. It's very somber, moving music. Kinda like if Sufjan had a girlfriend die. Oh wait...."Casimir Pulaski Day".....nevermind.
IndependentClauses
04-25-2006, 03:46 PM
A new Sufjan record is coming out! all of the outtakes from Illinois! Woo!
IndependentClauses
04-25-2006, 03:54 PM
AND you can get an unreleased sufjan track here: http://anon.npr-mp3.speedera.net/anon.npr-mp3/atc/20050706_atc_godbird.mp3
It's called "The Great God Bird" and it's from Arkansas. It's amazing, if I do say so myself.
AND you can get an unreleased sufjan track here: http://anon.npr-mp3.speedera.net/anon.npr-mp3/atc/20050706_atc_godbird.mp3
It's called "The Great God Bird" and it's from Arkansas. It's amazing, if I do say so myself.
I can't wait untill I get home so I can listen to that
redbassist66
04-25-2006, 06:54 PM
yay
IndependentClauses
04-29-2006, 10:28 PM
I wonder if he'll ever get to Oklahoma......that would be an interesting album.
We actually do have a lot of cool stuff here to write about.
Now kansas would be a really terrible state to try and do an album on. North Dakota, too. But then again, I wouldn't have picked Illinois as my second state, so who knows what he'll do next.
What are some things that you think sufjan would write about on an album about your state? (sorry MI and IL people....)
I know he'd write about the Heavener Runestone, the Rose Barite stone, and the Golden Driller, if he got here....i'll post more later.
What are some things that you think sufjan would write about on an album about your state? (sorry MI and IL people....)
I was actually thinking about this the other day and the obvious things that came to me were things like September 11th... but then I started thinking about how he shouldn't include much of anything about that because it is pretty cliche by now
I imagine he'd sing about the upstate forest/mountain-y parts and such, and the business of the city. I'm not too keen on NYS history
On a seperate note, has anyone listened to Sufjan's album Enjoy Your Rabbit? If you're in to a progressive type of techno but don't like his softer stuff, definitely check this out. This album was a complete... absolutely complete change of pace for him, musically anyways, there are still undertones and such that come through
IndependentClauses
05-13-2006, 09:34 PM
I've heard enjoy your rabbit is good.....but I haven't heard it.
I've heard enjoy your rabbit is good.....but I haven't heard it.
I'd recommend checking it out. I've been listening to it while I'm driving lately, and in New York it has been raining a lot. Well on my way to school, it is raining, so I hear all of that coming down on my car, then I hear this really cool ambient sound coming from my stereo. This was in the morning and it completely made my day, it was just so amazing the mood he set and with what was happening around me it was even better.
The song is called, "Year of the Sheep." It's beautiful.
antihero0009
05-13-2006, 10:46 PM
is it me or does the intro to "Come on Feel the Illinois" kinda sound like the intro to the Charlie Brown cartoons??
is it me or does the intro to "Come on Feel the Illinois" kinda sound like the intro to the Charlie Brown cartoons??
Haha yeah the first two measures do, never thought of that before
IndependentClauses
05-16-2006, 09:10 PM
Yep, one critic said that it sounded like charlie brown basslines being led by a banjo backed by a wes anderson orchestra (wes anderson was the director of Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, and the Life Aquatic).
Hilarious.
yay
Scott, I didn't take you for a Sufjan fan.
IndependentClauses
05-17-2006, 12:12 PM
Well, I like Saetia, so everyone's not exactly pin-downable.....
Just got my hands on a copy of The Avalanche and I'm listening to it now
It sounds great like most of his stuff, but I'll have to listen to all of it before I judge it
Orion_lts
05-21-2006, 09:14 PM
Just got my hands on a copy of The Avalanche and I'm listening to it now
It sounds great like most of his stuff, but I'll have to listen to all of it before I judge it
Its out already? Awesome, tell us how it is.
Its out already? Awesome, tell us how it is.
It's not officially out untill July 11, 2006, but there is a leak of it (don't hit me IC :()
IndependentClauses
05-22-2006, 10:18 AM
*rolls eyes*
*rolls eyes*
:/
I like the album overall, but it doesn't seem to carry the same feel or emotion that his other albums do (only a little bit of what Illinois achieved). It was late when I listened to it though, and I couldn't listen to it very loud, so now I just need to find a time to listen to it at a decent volume
IndependentClauses
05-22-2006, 12:53 PM
Well, it is a b-sides album. They aren't specifically known for their cohesiveness. Although "Steal This Album!" was pretty cohesive...
Well, it is a b-sides album. They aren't specifically known for their cohesiveness. Although "Steal This Album!" was pretty cohesive...
I guess I was just expecting a little more... not to say that I still don't like it, I just thought it'd be more like Illinois. Like you said though, they're B-sides, and that's probably why they were cut. Don't forget that I still havent litened to it with decent surroundings, so maybe I'll change my mind
Gropp Von Hanser!
07-19-2006, 11:31 AM
I was actually thinking about this the other day and the obvious things that came to me were things like September 11th... but then I started thinking about how he shouldn't include much of anything about that because it is pretty cliche by now
I imagine he'd sing about the upstate forest/mountain-y parts and such, and the business of the city. I'm not too keen on NYS history
On a seperate note, has anyone listened to Sufjan's album Enjoy Your Rabbit? If you're in to a progressive type of techno but don't like his softer stuff, definitely check this out. This album was a complete... absolutely complete change of pace for him, musically anyways, there are still undertones and such that come through
well, coming from the golden state of sunny CA, i'd like to hear Sufjan write some songs about the Pacific Coast Highway, San Francisco (much potential there), and maybe...just for irony...Hollywood. hahaha...a beautiful slow song about faith and love about fame and glamour...imagine the possibilities!
oh and random trivia...the track that would have been "Year of the Rabbit" is called "Enjoy Your Rabbit" probably because Sufjan was born that year (1975). subtle subtle...
[this was my first post on Love That Sound...looking forward to talking with yall some more!]
Gropp Von Hanser!
07-19-2006, 11:37 AM
oh and yea...from Wikipedia.org:
"A Rabbit person has grace, culture and beautiful manners. Although Rabbit people get on well with everyone, at heart they are basically reserved creatures, and are only really happy when they are engrossed in some sort of scholarly or intellectual activity. They are just too sensitive for the world around them...Their inner world is simply too delicate for unsettled or unpredictable situations, and they tend to create a peaceful and comfortable atmosphere on a hunch."
fits Sufjan's music and persona mold, wouldnt you say?
IndependentClauses
08-09-2006, 10:39 AM
Oklahoma he'd probably write about Indian reservations, the Golden Driller statue, Bricktown, the Heavener Runestone, The Black Mesa, and lots of small towns. He'd have a lot of fun visiting Oklahoma....
He's supposedly in Arkansas, Minnesota, and/or Oregon right now.
miller566
10-04-2006, 02:15 PM
Anyone else here about the 5 disc christmas album he's releasing?
http://asthmatickitty.com/news.php?newsID=80 I'm excited :D
IndependentClauses
10-12-2006, 08:53 PM
it's gonna be cooooool
blaksun
02-20-2007, 10:27 PM
old news.
put the lights on the tree has a music video. it's one of the first results if you search for sufjan stevens on gootoob.
but guys, i am developing a huge crush for sufjan stevens. i think i'm act ually starting to develop an infatuation for this man and his music.
what should i do.
old news.
put the lights on the tree has a music video. it's one of the first results if you search for sufjan stevens on gootoob.
but guys, i am developing a huge crush for sufjan stevens. i think i'm act ually starting to develop an infatuation for this man and his music.
what should i do.
Welcome to my life; it wont be too long before you have a shrine in your closet.
Bluescarecrow
04-02-2007, 01:32 PM
I recently just got into Sufjan, I really enjoy "chicago" and this other one i have but I forgot the title. I want to hear more, actually.
ryanvsrobots
04-22-2007, 10:21 AM
Sufjan is definitely in my top 20 pop artists of our time-- I hope he does go through with his aspirations of an album for every state-- but even getting close to 50 albums is A LOT of work for one lifetime.
IndependentClauses
04-23-2007, 11:23 PM
I think he'll start combining states. North and South Dakota = The Dakotas. Idaho and Montana? Idana. Montaho. Something along those lines.
I also think it would be really, really cool if he franchised it out - had different artists record albums about their home states.....it would create a huge, awesome body of work.
priji
12-11-2007, 09:36 PM
Sufjan Stevens music that is very true music,variety sounds and brilliant lyrics.
lifestylebreak
01-02-2011, 05:00 PM
I was really excited about Sufjan's audacious 50 states music project, but I think he gave up on that. I heard the last album he did recently wasn't that great, too. But Come on Feel the Illinoise is still a masterpiece. I hope he gets his game back together soon!
~ Zac ~:D
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