Remember Sufjan Stevens? So do we
Alex Hatcher
Issue date: 11/13/09 Section: Entertainment
When any music lover thinks about indie-rock music, the name Sufjan Stevens instantly sticks out. Quite possibly one of the most interesting and groundbreaking musicians of the past decade in indie-rock, Stevens has been relatively quiet after he released his influential "Illinois" album over four years ago.
The Detroit-born musician debuted with his album "A Sun Came" in 2000. This album proved to listeners that his writing, lyrically and instrumentally, was superior and complex. He followed with the release of "Enjoy Your Rabbit" in 2001, which was a highly electronic album concerning the animals of the Chinese zodiac. At this point in his career, Stevens made an ambitious move stating that he planned to write a full-length album honoring each of the 50 states. In 2003, he released "Greetings From Michigan: The Great Lake State." In this revolutionary album, the multi-instrumentalist played over 20 instruments and by the end of the year it was considered one of the highest acclaimed albums of the year. In 2004, the intimate stand-alone songs of "Seven Swans" hit racks. The groundbreaking release of his second of the 50 states project, "Illinois" quickly gained worldwide acclaim. Stevens' sold out "Illinois" tour in which his numerically large band dressed in cheerleading outfits, earned him a spot in the indie-rock hall of fame. Each intimate show following the release was sold out and has been sold out since. Following the "Illinois" album, Stevens released "The Avalanche," which was an entire album of unreleased tracks and outtakes from "Illinois".
After the release of "Illinois" and several tours, Stevens sort of disappeared from the music scene. Fans anxiously awaiting his next 50 states release were disappointed to hear what Stevens had to say in a recent interview with Paste magazine in which he called the project a joke.
"The whole premise was such a joke, and I think maybe I took it too seriously," Stevens said. "I started to feel like I was becoming a cliché of myself."
The Detroit-born musician debuted with his album "A Sun Came" in 2000. This album proved to listeners that his writing, lyrically and instrumentally, was superior and complex. He followed with the release of "Enjoy Your Rabbit" in 2001, which was a highly electronic album concerning the animals of the Chinese zodiac. At this point in his career, Stevens made an ambitious move stating that he planned to write a full-length album honoring each of the 50 states. In 2003, he released "Greetings From Michigan: The Great Lake State." In this revolutionary album, the multi-instrumentalist played over 20 instruments and by the end of the year it was considered one of the highest acclaimed albums of the year. In 2004, the intimate stand-alone songs of "Seven Swans" hit racks. The groundbreaking release of his second of the 50 states project, "Illinois" quickly gained worldwide acclaim. Stevens' sold out "Illinois" tour in which his numerically large band dressed in cheerleading outfits, earned him a spot in the indie-rock hall of fame. Each intimate show following the release was sold out and has been sold out since. Following the "Illinois" album, Stevens released "The Avalanche," which was an entire album of unreleased tracks and outtakes from "Illinois".
After the release of "Illinois" and several tours, Stevens sort of disappeared from the music scene. Fans anxiously awaiting his next 50 states release were disappointed to hear what Stevens had to say in a recent interview with Paste magazine in which he called the project a joke.
"The whole premise was such a joke, and I think maybe I took it too seriously," Stevens said. "I started to feel like I was becoming a cliché of myself."
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