Asthmatic Kitty records delivered Half-Handed Cloud's Thy Is a Word & Feet Need Lamps and Sufjan Steven's Greetings from Michigan: The Great Lake State in the box. It's more of the singer/songwriter ork-pop/folk-rock I've been rapping my mind around for the last half year. Delicious stuff. Michigan is the first part of the ongoing States records series that Stevens swears he'll complete (that's right, you can grab all 50 of them!). Illinoise (my favorite record of last year) is the second. That's two records in about three years, give or take. With one intermission (Seven Swans, which AK didn't have.) He may complete the series in his lifetime, but some of the albums will have to be as short as some of his songs. Of course, with the return of singles as the dominant recording form, he just may.
Sufjan and Co. trying, unsuccessfully, to conquer one of the lakes of Michigan.
I'm sure band geeks could come up with a better joke than mine about this Half-Handed Cloud playing the tromboney-thingy. (Ok, again, not a joke. Again, I'm not a musician. Sue me.)
I actually want to write a review of these records, if for nobody else than for this geek right here. So, maybe I should listen more before I say much. But I'll say this right now: I'm glad the roommates aren't here right now. As Linford from Over the Rhine says, you need to play quiet music loudly. Not that this is necessarily quiet music (very busy). But makes me happy.
I thought Sufjan admitted that the states project was a gimmick to get attention. Maybe I'm just imagining that.
ReplyDeleteI still have Illinois sitting unlistened to in my iPod. Maybe I'll save it for the long road trip this week.
it is a great road journey album. one of my current faves. my girlfriend's gonna get used to it shortly. haha.
ReplyDeleteit always seemed to me a gimmick. but i fig'd might as well join the fantasy.
Got my vote!
ReplyDeleteListened to the Sufjan disc during the journey back to VA...good stuff!
ReplyDeleteAnd he's releasing a full album of Illinois outtakes on July 25th. Just thought that you'd like to know...
yeah, i know. course at this rate, he'll never finish the fifty states. he just may have to stick to a northern midwest regional project. ohio may be in it. virginia, well, there's been songs about virginia, sweet virginia, before.
ReplyDeletei'm actually psyched about it - the outtakes album that is.
didn't care for michigan as much as i thought i would.
Ah, glad you picked up some Half-Handed Cloud. I've been meaning to pick his new disc up for a while now.
ReplyDeleteyeah, i do wanna get the new one, too.
ReplyDeletehe's got some great little ditties w/ these obscure sunday school songs. lovin' 'em. one was about noah being drunk and how, as his son, you should know to walk in on him backwards and rap him up in a blanket, or whatever it was.
funny story.
Yeah, he's also good live. He was in town not too long ago but, sadly, I wasn't able to make it downtown. Hopefully next time.
ReplyDeletei'm imagining an experimental drama experience not unlike that of the danielson family.
ReplyDeletewhich would be fun to watch. and maybe, just maybe, experience.
I saw him in a Christian coffee shop, down in Knoxville where he used to live. I'm sure the experience is a bit different in a real club. :)
ReplyDelete