SUFJAN STEVENS
"No iron can stab the heart with such force as a full stop put just at the right place." This was going to be one of a number of 'literary quotes' displayed prominently around the classroom to try to inspire the students. And then I decided that I couldn't be arsed. However, it came into my mind again this morning, because no sound can quicken the pulse or gladden the heart like a Sufjan Stevens number. A quick check on Wiki. reveals the following:
Sufjan Stevens is an American singer-songwriter and musician from Michigan. He is known for his lyrically focused and instrumentally rich songs that often relate to faith and family. Stevens has enjoyed wide critical success in the United States. He is considered part of the folk revival in indie pop, but his influences are very broad. His music has been likened to electronica, the pop jazz of Vince Guaraldi, and the minimalism of Steve Reich. Stevens has announced plans to make a concept album for each of the 50 U.S. states, having begun the series with Michigan (2003) and Illinois... his ambitious "50 states" albums, a collection of folk songs and instrumentals inspired by his home state of Michigan. The result, the expansive Michigan, included odes to cities including Detroit and Flint, the Upper Peninsula, and vacation areas such as Tahquamenon Falls. Melded into the scenic descriptions and characters are his own declarations of faith in God, sorrow, love and the regeneration of Michigan.
Following the release of Michigan, Stevens compiled a collection of songs recorded previously into a side project, the Christian-folk album Seven Swans, which was released in March 2004.
Next he released the second in the 50 states project, entitled Illinois. Among the subjects explored on Illinois are the cities of Chicago, Decatur and Jacksonville, the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893, Chicago's observance of a holiday in honor of Casimir Pulaski, the poet Carl Sandburg, and the serial killer John Wayne Gacy Jr.
Some titles of songs include -
Come On! Feel The Illinoise!
Say Yes! To M!ch!gan!
Detroit, Lift Up Your Weary Head!
excellent.
"No iron can stab the heart with such force as a full stop put just at the right place." This was going to be one of a number of 'literary quotes' displayed prominently around the classroom to try to inspire the students. And then I decided that I couldn't be arsed. However, it came into my mind again this morning, because no sound can quicken the pulse or gladden the heart like a Sufjan Stevens number. A quick check on Wiki. reveals the following:
Sufjan Stevens is an American singer-songwriter and musician from Michigan. He is known for his lyrically focused and instrumentally rich songs that often relate to faith and family. Stevens has enjoyed wide critical success in the United States. He is considered part of the folk revival in indie pop, but his influences are very broad. His music has been likened to electronica, the pop jazz of Vince Guaraldi, and the minimalism of Steve Reich. Stevens has announced plans to make a concept album for each of the 50 U.S. states, having begun the series with Michigan (2003) and Illinois... his ambitious "50 states" albums, a collection of folk songs and instrumentals inspired by his home state of Michigan. The result, the expansive Michigan, included odes to cities including Detroit and Flint, the Upper Peninsula, and vacation areas such as Tahquamenon Falls. Melded into the scenic descriptions and characters are his own declarations of faith in God, sorrow, love and the regeneration of Michigan.
Following the release of Michigan, Stevens compiled a collection of songs recorded previously into a side project, the Christian-folk album Seven Swans, which was released in March 2004.
Next he released the second in the 50 states project, entitled Illinois. Among the subjects explored on Illinois are the cities of Chicago, Decatur and Jacksonville, the World's Columbian Exposition of 1893, Chicago's observance of a holiday in honor of Casimir Pulaski, the poet Carl Sandburg, and the serial killer John Wayne Gacy Jr.
Some titles of songs include -
Come On! Feel The Illinoise!
Say Yes! To M!ch!gan!
Detroit, Lift Up Your Weary Head!
excellent.
