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He's the next indie sensation. A great songwriter, clever, and he even has a nice gimmick:

He's making an album about all 50 states in the US. At least he says he's going to. So far, he's recorded "Say Yes! To Michigan!" and "Come On Feel the Illinoise!" about his homestate of Michigan and their midwest compatriot Illinois. Not only is he prolific (he sandwiched another album in between the 2003 Michigan album and this year's Illinois tribute) but he also has a penchant for long song titles. Some examples from the Illinois album:

"The Black Hawk War, or, How to Demolish an Entire Civilization and Still Feel Good About Yourself in the Morning, or, We Apologize for the Inconvenience But You're Going to Have to Leave Now, or, 'I have fought the Big Knives and will continue to fight them until they are off our lands!'"

"Let's Hear That String Part Again, Because I Don't Think They Heard It All the Way Out in Bushnell"

and some more. After listening to Illinois, my only regret was that he would probably relegate New Mexico to an EP even if he ever got that far.

I love Sufjan so much. Like Michigan better than Illinoise though.

you guys might like Ray Lamontagne as well

http://www.raylamontagne.com/listen.php

Love It

I have been listening to his music since 2003, absolutely love the music. Illnois was one of my favourite albums of 2005.

Sufjan Stevens is great. His Illinoise album is really good. I still have to check out his Michigan one though.

Michigan is very good.

both albums are excellent

the 50 states project is quite a huge commitment. I heard Pennsylvania is next on his list, but there has also been talk of him working on songs for Oregon, Rhode Island, and New Jersey

I think I might like "The Avalanche" more than "Illionois".

Funny, I'm just listening to the Michigan Album. Very good indeed. Haven't heard Illinoise yet.

I haven't listened to all of Michigan but from what i've heard of michigan i prefer Illinois...great artist

Ths is probably a stupid question but:

I was thinking of buying Illinios of his record label site but I've seen there's 3 different album covers for it. Is the music the same on all three?

Originally posted by musicislife
Ths is probably a stupid question but:

I was thinking of buying Illinios of his record label site but I've seen there's 3 different album covers for it. Is the music the same on all three?

Yes.

hes truly an amazing artist.

My favorite song on Michigan is probably "For the Widows in Paradise, For the fatherless in Ypsilanti"
And off of Illinois is "John Wayne Gacy, Jr."

I heard some stuff on The Avalanche and absolutely adored the music, so that is next on my music list to buy.

Songs for Christmas kicks ass!

Originally posted by SeptemberRain
hes truly an amazing artist.

My favorite song on Michigan is probably "For the Widows in Paradise, For the fatherless in Ypsilanti"


Indeed.

Sufjan is LOVE.

I've been hooked on this song all morning.

i'm very, very done with sufjan. i can still listen to him, but i really thought avalanche was a pile. it made me realize how mediocre he actually is, hearing all the remixes and realizing that he's got good pop sense, but his arrangements are meaningless and overblown. oh well.

it was pretty funny to see him treated like a punk on the danielson tour DVD. "we have twelve members...well, thirteen if you count sufjan. we have twelve members."

He's arguably the most talented artist working, even if his albums feel very long.

Originally posted by manorastroman
it made me realize how mediocre he actually is

Hahahahahaha, quite funny.

-AC

everything is arguable, but that's a particularly futile argument. he basically just rips off several baroque pop touchstones: brian wilson, high llamas, etc. when he abandoned the overblown arrangements on seven swans, he sounded like a bad ripoff of elliot smith. he just uses the "states" project as a way to distinguish himself from the superior artists he rips off; haven't you ever wondered why his state albums have nothing to do with the MUSICAL history of a state, and why the lyrics and subject matter aren't in the least reflected by the music?

he's just an overgrown kid. all ideas, no substance, no craft.

You shouldn't really be claiming other arguments are futile when you're sitting there saying he has no substance or craft, if we're being honest.

I don't care about the lyrics and subject matter, I don't buy the CDs to find out about Chicago or Michigan, I buy them for the music, which is astounding and continues to be.

-AC