Sufjan Stevens | IndieMuse

I only post this because I feel this song has slipped under most people’s radars. (So, sorry if this post seems slightly irrelevant. I just re-discovered it and got really excited.) From his first album, A Sun Came!, this is one of the zanier things Sufjan’s ever released. It sounds like something you’d record stoned at four in the morning on a whim. Which was probably the case, evidenced by the off-key vocals and the warm crackle of a four-track. I especially recommend this for any doubter’s of Sufjan’s songwriting prowess. If there is a song to turn you, it’s Super Sexy Woman. And with lyrics like “She is super duper smart/I like her for her mind/She’ll shoot a super fart/The deadly silent kind,” what’s not to love?

And for whatever reason, no one ever talks about A Sun Came!, which is just as good, if not better, than his more celebrated releases. So check it out. I know Sufjan has been blogged to death, but most of it is deserving.

And just for some context (and in the event that you’ve been living under a rock, which is somehow underneath another, larger rock), I’ve included Chicago, one of his hits from Illinoise!.

Sufjan Stevens – Super Sexy Woman

Sufjan Stevens – Chicago

Oh, and this video is hysterical.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bv5AELClUNs[/youtube]

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I went through a period when I wasn’t listening to Sufjan Stevens on a regular basis, but that is no more. The break I took made me appreciate his music all over again. In particular, I have been obsessed with the first track on Illinoise, “Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, IL.”

You may not be aware of the fact that Sufjan is a writer, outside of being a lyricist, having received a MFA in creative writing. Over the years, he has written many short stories and essays. Several months ago, I found a site, All Good Naysayers, that has many of his published works. I haven’t had a chance to go through everything he’s written, but am impressed and entertained by those which I have read. If you are a Sufjan Stevens fan, and want to get a little more intimate with him as a person, and his music, I highly recommend you go read these. Perhaps to start out, you can read the 2006 cover story Stevens’ wrote for Topic Magazine. He discusses music experiences he had while growing up as a kid. I have posted the whole essay below, click on the pictures to read. Then go to All Good Naysayers (linked to writing section) to read additional short stories.