Sufjan Stevens (born July 1, 1975) is an American musician, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Petoskey Michigan, he is known for his lyrically focused and instrumentally rich songs that often related to faith and family, he has enjoyed wide critical success in the U.S. He is considered part of the folk revival by indie pop, but his influences are very broad including experimental electronic music, jazz of Vince Guaraldi and the academic minimalism of Steve Reich and Philip Glass
Even Stevens had plans to make an album for each of the 50 states in the U.S. begins the series with the albums Michigan (2003) and Come On Feel The Illinoise! (2005 officially named Illinois) He has since retracted the statement "Sufjan Stevens will not write a postför all 50 states after all "was the original text on-line booklet on Mews Too: An Asthmatic Kitty Compilation disc released February 7, 2006 This statement was possibly included as a joke because the text has since been removed and the present booklet relating Sufjan Stevens says," Sufjan Stevens can fold a fitted sheet (he once worked as a professional folder in a commercial laundry)
Background
Stevens was born in Detroit Michigan and grew up in Petoskey, he attended Hope College on the west coast of Michigan
The name Sufjan is an Arabic / Persian name that preceded Islam and most famously belonged to Abu Sufyan a figure from early Islamic history, it has been mentioned in the press that the name was given to Stevens by the leader of Subud spiritual sect that his parentsbelonged when he was born Stevens explained that the name is of Armenian origin and means "comes with a sword" and that it is "a charming militaristic Muslim name" does not actually name Armenian and Armenia is a predominantly Christian country
His brother Marzuki Stevens currently training to compete in the 2008 Olympic trials and has played on two of Sufjan's albums
A multi-instrumentalist, Stevens plays the banjo guitar, drums and several other instruments, often playing all of these on his albums using multi-tracking, even in school, he studied oboe and English horn as he played on his album, he is one of the few musicians in popular music using these instruments
Career
Sufjan Stevens started his musical career as amember of Marzuki a folk-rock band from Holland, Michigan, he also played (and continues to play) various instruments for Danielson family, even in school at Hope College, Stevens wrote and recorded his solo album A Sun Came, which he released on asthmatic kitty records a record company he founded with his stepfather, he later moved to New York City where he was enrolled in a writing program at the New School for Social Research
While in New York, Stevens composed and recorded music for his second album Enjoy Your Rabbit, a song cycle based from animals in the Chinese zodiac, which appeared on the electronica
Stevens followed this with the first of his 50 States album a collection of folk songs and instrumentals inspired by his home state of Michigan outcome expansiva Michigan included odes to cities like Detroit and Flint's Upper Peninsula and the areas of vacation such as Tahquamenon Falls melded into the beautiful descriptions and characters are his own declarations of faith in God the sorrow of love and renewal of Michigan
After the release of Michigan, Stevens compiled a collection of songs recorded earlier in a side project of the Christian People's album Seven Swans, which was released in March 2004
Next he released the second in 50 States project entitled "Come On Feel The Illinoise! Among the topics explored on "Come On Feel The Illinoise! cities are Chicago, Decatur and Jacksonville the serial killer John Wayne Gacy poet Carl Sandburg and Mississippi Palisades State Park
He has contributed to music by Denison Witmer Soul Junk, Half-Handed Cloud Brother Danielson Danielson family Serena Maneesh castanets and Liz Janes A cover of "She Is" is on the album Dream Brother was released in U.S. January 31, 2006
Sufjan contributed a lot to the sound of 2001 Liz Janes album Done Gone Fire, which he constructed recorded, produced and arranged it and played many instruments, except
Sufjan recently recorded with Rosie Thomas and Denison Witmer play banjo and give vocal It is unknown how this record will be released in April 2006, Pitchfork erroneously announced that Stevens and Thomas was with a children together, but had to print a retraction Witmer and Thomas later admitted it was an April Fools' Pranks
the fifty States Project
From Michigan Stevens announced one ofterm to write an album for each of the 50 U.S. states, although in interviews he wavers between utter sincerity and self-disparaging irony when describing the idea
Stevens spent the second half of 2004 researching and writing materials for the second of these projects, this time focusing their As efforts in Illinois to Michigan, Stevens used the state of Illinois as a crucial starting point for his more personal exploration of family love and faith
location
The acclaimed "Come On Feel The Illinoise! was the highest rated album of 2005 Metacritic review aggregator site, based on glowing reviews from Pitchfork The Onion AV Club Spin Billboard Entertainment Weekly Rolling Stone, The New York Times and The Guardian from 2006 PLUG Ind.ependent Music Awards awarded Stevens with the Album of the year Best Album Art / Packaging, and Male Artist Of The Year Pitchfork Media and Paste Magazine called "Come On Feel The Illinoise! as Editors' Choice for best album in 2005 and Stevens got the Pantheon 2005 prize awarded to albums selling 500,000 copies or fewer of Come On Feel The Illinoise! In April 2006, Stevens announced that 21 pieces of music he had culled from the Come On Feel The Illinoise! recording would be integrated into a new album called The Avalanche album was released July 11, 2006
The next states to be taken on the project have been reported as Oregon and Rhode Island, Minnesota may be another candidate, in late 2005 and early 2006, Stevens played a new instrumental song entitled "The MapelRiver "The Maple River mentioned in the title of the song runs through several counties in southern Minnesota Sufjan also the" Lord God Bird ", a song about the ivory-billed woodpecker rediscovered in Arkansas (known as" Lord God "or" Great God " bird because of its stunning looks), in connection with a National Public Radio piece in which "independent radio producers Dan Collison and Elizabeth Meister were curious about how Stevens writes his songs"
Religious Themes
Many of Stevens' songs have religious and spiritual allusions, but his album Seven Swans is the most direct religious references Stevens has expressed that he is a Christian but does not openly advertise that aspect of himself in his music, Stevens has also said that he was not trying to make music "with amessage "or music for the benefit of the sermon" I do not think music media is the real forum for theological discussions, "said Stevens," I think I said things and sung about things that probably were not appropriate for this type of forum and I just feel for it is not my job or my place to make requests and opinions, because I often think it is misunderstood "
The songs" Abraham "," Seven Swans "" To Be Alone With You "," We will not need legs to stand "and" Christ "directly address Christianity on the album Seven Swans In" Abraham "Sufjan retells the Old Testament story in the Book of Genesis when Abraham is ordered by God as a test of faith leads his son Isaac up the mountain and prepares to kill him bjuthere (but before God sends an angel to intervene) The text of "The Transfiguration" from the biblical accounts of Jesus Christ in Matthew 17:1-8 Mark 9: 1-8 and Luke 9:28-36
Michigan and Come On Feel The Illinoise! packed with Christian references and metaphors Michigan includes "Sleeping Bear Sault Saint Marie" that call "Oh Lamb of God! Tell us your perfect design and give us the rod" ("Lamb of God" is a biblical name for Jesus Christ) The song "Oh God, where are you now? "Asking God to" hold me now 'to save in any way "search for God in mittenst of personal turmoil" There is no other man who could save the dead' song is said to album closer "Vito's Ordination Song "was apparently originally written for Sufjan friend Vito Aiuto and its lyrics alludedirectly to Psalm 139 ("I always knew you in your mother's arms I have called your name" "I have made a crown for you") The song talks about "When the bridegroom comes" - The New Testament speaks of Jesus Christ as the bridegroom and the Church his bride 'finally be joined together at the end of time
Come On Feel The Illinoise! features the song "Chicago" with its refrain of "You came to take us to recreate ourselves" and "Decatur" is the chorus of "This is the great I Am" ("I Am" is the name of the Lord is revealed by Moses in Other Deuteronomy 3:14) "Casimir Pulaski Day" speaks of "all the glory that the Lord has done" in my personal pain and loss "The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out to get us!" has text: "Lamb of God, we let Horn Hallelujah" An instrumental movement entitled"In the temple as the Hearts of Man, for whom he saved the earth" "The Seer's Tower" tells Emanuel "with his sword in his robe, he will share the man from his brothers" (an interesting side note is that "Sufjan" really means "comes with a sword") is actually the vast majority of the songs Come onKänna Illinoise! contains lyrical lines that could easily be a result of Stevens' faith in Christ
Sufjan other electronic album Enjoy Your Rabbit includes a song cycle based on the animals in the Chinese zodiac ends with the song "Year of our Lord" Stevens released the original Christian theme song "God'll NEVER Let You Down" on "The Ghost Back to the Mews" collection on Asthmatic Kitty, the officially unreleased album Christmas Sufjan Stevens mades and are then compiled in Songs for Christmas function appropriate Christmas and the Christian themes of music, both originals and covers of hymns and traditional songs
Curiosities
On Snow Patrol's 2006 album Eyes Open is a reference to Sufjan and soneng "Chicago" in the song 'Hands Open "-" Put Sufjan Stevens on and we will play your favorite song / 'Chicago' shortcomings to the life and your sweet smile remembers you "
Sufjan has twice been featured on Fox television show" The OC "To Be Alone With You "and" For The Widows In Paradise For the fatherless in Ypsilanti "can be heard on episodes 202 and 315 respectively
Sufjan Stevens's music has been twice on Showtime dark comedy" Weeds "All the trees of the field will clap their hands" is S1E02 during latepoints and "Holland" appears at the end of S2E10
Two of Sufjan's songs appear on the soundtrack to "Little Miss Sunshine": & # 8220, Chicago "and" No Man's Land "
The song" John Wayne Gacy Jr. "is displayed on the 3rd season of the TV series "Nip / Tuck '
Several songs can be heard on the film" Driving Lessons "
You can also hear the fragment between the CSI shows on 5US
In the television show" Austin City Limits ", he mentioned that when he was little he and his best friend saw something in the sky that they could not figure out they thought it was a spaceship or UFO only after an eagle or a dragon finally realized it was a giant wasp, he wrote the song "The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades is looking after us! "about the incident and said that the reason they (the band) all have wings on stage is att overcome his fear of flying things |
