I tend to think the album is a bit overrated, but 'Chicago' is gorgeous.
September 12, 2005 3:54 PM   Subscribe

Illin'-Noise! is the new remix of Sufjan Stevens' album Illinois by mc DJ; a torrent is available, as is cover art. It's not quite like Hippocamp Ruins Pet Sounds (previously on Mefi) -- it's not nearly as noisy, and not quite as good, although it's still worth checking out, particularly "Chi-Town" (from "Chicago"), "Zombies" (from "They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back From the Dead!! Ahhhh!") and "Jacksontown" (from "Jacksonville"). [prev.]
posted by Rev. Syung Myung Me (25 comments total) 2 users marked this as a favorite
 
Sometimes taking a bland album and remixing it can produce wonderous results. Count me in~!

Since it's my signature for every music thread, here's a link to my music journal, with links to all the best music you've never heard.
posted by Mach3avelli at 3:58 PM on September 12, 2005


Thanks for the link! I for one love Sufjan's music, even if he does believe in an invisible man in the sky. He's not bad looking either.
posted by tweak at 5:35 PM on September 12, 2005 [1 favorite]


I saw Sufjan Stevens in Boston less than 5 days ago. Absolutely incredible. Rocked my socks off. Highly recommended. A+++++++++++++++++++++++++
posted by VulcanMike at 6:17 PM on September 12, 2005


Oh... and I don't remember him talking about Jesus at all. I remember God once or twice, however. Is this Christian pop?
posted by VulcanMike at 6:25 PM on September 12, 2005


Oh... it was the most truly patriotic thing I've experienced in forever. I was almost in tears, given the tragedy that had ocurred a week earlier.
posted by VulcanMike at 6:27 PM on September 12, 2005


anyone else having issues with the torrent?
posted by Kifer85 at 6:28 PM on September 12, 2005


Being one who is annoyed by most things Christian, I'll say I'm not annoyed by Sufjan at all. Illinois was one of the most inspired albums I've heard in a while...in that he really takes the theme and runs with it, making something beautiful, instead of just a joke.

That said, I really want to hear this, but the torrent ain't working for me either.
posted by fungible at 7:07 PM on September 12, 2005


while I don't dislike all Christians, I do dislike him

Then what does his Christianity have to do with it?

I'm enjoying the Illinois album, and don't see it as Christian pop or Christian music.
posted by pitchblende at 7:19 PM on September 12, 2005 [2 favorites]


I abhor Sufjan's music, but it has nothing to do with his Christianity. Just plain simply, a man and his guitar telling stories as they make folk music is the anti-music, in my opinion.

I'm a strict atheist, but I hold nothing against bands with a Christian bent. Speaking of which, everyone should check out This Beautiful Mess, a shoegazer's wet dream of a band from The Netherlands.
posted by Mach3avelli at 7:26 PM on September 12, 2005 [1 favorite]


This torrent?
posted by VulcanMike at 7:32 PM on September 12, 2005


"Sufjan Stevens doesn't care about black people."

(sorry, the mash-up link brought it all full circle for me.)
posted by VulcanMike at 7:46 PM on September 12, 2005


I'm not a christian, but I enjoy a lot of artists that express their spirtuality through music.

I've only listened to 4 tracks so far and I don't like it at all. I don't think anything creative has been added to these songs; they just follow a stale dance-mix mentality.
posted by 2sheets at 8:33 PM on September 12, 2005


I'm working on the torrent (damn my school for rate-limiting that port), but I wanted to throw in my comment about the concert.

I think Mike and I were at the same one (Somerville Theatre?), and I have to agree - it was a pretty amazing experience. I've never been to a concert that so frankly addresses themes of history, patriotism, and identity the way Sufjan did.

I didn't get it so much from his albums (I didn't LOVE the album, and was convinced to go by a friend), but it was out in full force at the show, and it didn't feel overly cheesy or campy to me.
posted by heresiarch at 9:13 PM on September 12, 2005


thanks for the post Rev.
Stevens makes luscious beautiful music that is a fuck load better than most of the pap out there these days, and I am not even a huge fan, but Illinoise does stand out in the indie rock/post rock whatever scene as one of the better albums I have heard in a while.

Thanks again.
posted by bluevelvetelvis at 9:15 PM on September 12, 2005


heresiarch: Yes, Somerville Theatre. I was one of the 27-year-old people that looked really, really old next to the throngs of college-aged fans in attendance. Where my fellow 27-year-old former fans of popular indie music were is beyond me... I certainly didn't recognize anyone in line, which was bizzaire.

If it wasn't the bassist's birthday, I think the crowd would have sucked them out for a second encore -- standing ovations are not a common thing in Boston.
posted by VulcanMike at 10:13 PM on September 12, 2005


While Sufjan's album Seven Swans is overtly Christian, neither Illinois or Michigan are notably religious in nature. (cf. this Christianity Today review.) Consider that he's done an album based on the Chinese Zodiac, the kind of "pagan" symbol that certainly wouldn't go over well in a lot of self-labeled Christian concepts. I don't think Stevens's religiosity is any more intrusive on his songwriting than that of Bono.

Now, my niece and my cousin are really into "Christian" music, and I hardly ever hear anything that isn't derivative as all get-out. I keep thinking, Ah, they're doing a Bruce Springsteen song etc.

At the county fair this year I was amused at the prevalence of country music at the grandstand, hip-hop on the midway, and rock just about nowhere. Then I found this neat little indie-sounding outfit twanging away in a tent. It was going find until the singer thanked the audience for their applause and said "...this next one is a Relient K song ..." and I suddenly realized that half-decent hung-up-on-you love song he'd been singing was about a Jewish guy with a beard.

But Sufjan is a true original and shouldn't be pigeonholed like that.

Just plain simply, a man and his guitar telling stories as they make folk music is the anti-music, in my opinion.

Interestingly, Stevens is an example of what is called anti-folk (well, I think he's more neo-folk, but there's a definite relationship between the two).

Just a note: Illinois is presently the highest-rated album of 2005 on Metacritic.
posted by dhartung at 10:17 PM on September 12, 2005


Why do people sometimes refer to it as Illinois or Illinoise, does the album have two names?
posted by Navek Rednam at 4:34 AM on September 13, 2005


Funny, It had never occurred to me that Stevens was Christian until I read this thread, perhaps I am not listening hard enough.
posted by Fat Buddha at 5:58 AM on September 13, 2005


Navek -- the album is called Illinois, but the backup band for this tour is called the Illinoise.

A friend of mine took me to see Sufjan in SF when I was visiting (I'd never heard of him before). I felt *old* in that room...it was like someone bussed in an entire first-year art school class to the show!
posted by bitter-girl.com at 6:37 AM on September 13, 2005


Saw Sufjan on the weekend in Toronto, but it wasn't nearly as good as his last show here, which is available online here (RealAudio, unfortunately).
posted by krunk at 6:47 AM on September 13, 2005


Navek - the spine of the album says it's called 'Illinois.' However, the cover says 'Come On Feel The Illinoise!'

Seeing as how his last album was called Michigan, and he's been reported to have said he's going to record an album for all 50 states, I'd lean towards 'Illinois' as the true title.
posted by NationalKato at 7:01 AM on September 13, 2005


I was given 'Illinois' by a mate who's judgment I'd usually trust. I've only listened to it once and I have to say I was distinctly unimpressed. I did notice a bit of a God squad vibe going on there and, for whatever reason, that made me vaguely uncomfortable. Maybe I should give it another chance?
posted by MrMustard at 8:42 AM on September 13, 2005


I was one of the 27-year-old people that looked really, really old next to the throngs of college-aged fans in attendance. Where my fellow 27-year-old former fans of popular indie music were is beyond me...

VulcanMike, just wait until you're over 45 and still attending shows...

Fortunately by then, however, you're old enough to not care anymore. :)
posted by jokeefe at 10:15 AM on September 13, 2005


The next Confabulators entry is an interview with Mc DJ.

<3 Sufjan
posted by ludwig_van at 11:27 AM on September 13, 2005


Surprised that no one's mentioned the New York shows yet. I think that I saw it mentioned in one of the links there, but he played 5 shows at the Bowery Ballroom. It was hard to tell how much of that was the same people coming back each night, but it was pretty impressive nonetheless. Each night had a theme (fake facial hair and tattoos, prom, etc.), and on the last night he did a great version of the National Anthem. I've been looking for a torrent of the whole show if anyone knows of one.
posted by hue at 2:37 PM on September 13, 2005


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