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Sufjan Stevens and the 50 States
“Sufjan Stevens was found in a milk crate on the doorstep of Mr. and Mrs. Stevens, in Detroit, MI, on Canada Day, July 1, 1975. He was wrapped in cellophane, and tagged on the wrist with the mysterious note: “I love you.” Mr. and Mrs. Stevens had three other children: Jo-Jo, Zukey-Dukey, and Jam-Jam. Mrs. Stevens crocheted afghans for the flea market. Mr. Stevens was the custodian at the hospital. They had very little money, but very big hearts. They decided to keep the baby (using the milk crate to hold their National Geographics). They named him Sufjan Stevens, after Abu Sufjan Muhammad, the great Armenian Sufi warrior who slew ten thousand dragons to save the Fairy Princess. Despite his despondent looks, Sufjan was a good kid. Mr. and Mrs. Stevens did the best they could. They fed him carrots, they read him parts of the Bhagavad Gita, they combed his hair, they sang songs and tap-danced in the living room. Things were looking good!”
Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sufjan Stevens has a totally unique and ambitious goal – to explore all 50 states of the USA and produce a full length CD about each one, inspired by the places and people he meets and the stories they tell. I have to admit, when Nathan first told me about this guy a few months ago, I had this idea in my head that Sufjan wanted to do this as a bit of a fun joke, purely to see if he could do it, because it seemed so ridiculously impossible. But tonight I listened to some of his tracks for the first time. They are hauntingly soulful and so much care has been taken into writing and composing each piece. Yet at the same time the songs just flow so naturally and easily, like he could write them in his sleep. He is so talented, I wouldn’t be surprised if he does.
He has already released two -
Greetings from Michigan, The Great Lakes State
)- Take a listen to Romulus (RealAudio – from NPR All Songs Considered, The Best Songs of 2003)
- and listen to All Good Naysayers, Speak Up! or Forever Hold Your Peace! (RealAudi0 – courtesy NPR’s All Songs Considered)
Come on Feel The Illinoise
- Take a listen to a bone chilling tune about the serial killer John Wayne Gacy Jr. (RealAudio – courtesy NPR’s All Songs Considered)
As a brief departure from this project, he released a new album -
Seven Swans
- Take a listen to Sister (RealAudio – courtesy NPR’s All Songs Considered)
If you like what you heard there, there’s more! (more…)
Wondertoonel
Mark Ryden‘s paintings instantly trigger a warped deja vu. His works recall a parallel universe of 1950s Golden Books and the whimsy of Lewis Carroll. His cheery bunnies, rendered in the glowing hues of children’s books, are more likely to be carving slabs of meat rather than frolicking in the forest.
Some sweet ass tattoo ideas!
BATHSHEEBA GROSMAN
“I’m an artist exploring the region between art and mathematics, and this is my gallery and storefront. My work is about life in three dimensions: working with symmetry and balance, getting from a zero point to infinity, and always finding beauty in geometry.”
Protect the Western Arctic Reserve From Big Oil
The Western Arctic Reserve, also known as the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, is the largest tract of unprotected, relatively pristine public land in the United States. The 23.5 million-acre reserve is home to imperiled polar bears, seabirds and one of the densest populations of nesting raptors in the world. Its shores and lagoons harbor beluga whales, seals, walruses and other marine mammals. The BLM is accepting comments on a planning document that sets the stage for oil and gas leasing in the western Arctic for decades to come. Help save this national treasure by telling the BLM to protect the Western Arctic Reserve from dirty fossil fuel development »
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