Sufjan Stevens speaks about SY

Moshe · 05.15.2006, 10:40 AM

http://pitchforkmedia.com/interviews...ens_sufjan-06/

Pitchfork: Do you remember the bands and venues you saw at that time?
Sufjan: I went to the Metro a lot. I can't remember the theater, but I saw Sonic Youth in this big theater with the Ex. That was incredible. I have to write an essay about it.
Pitchfork: Who are you writing it for?
Sufjan: It's for a book of essays this guy is putting together, about different shows people have gone to that changed their lives.
Pitchfork: It sounds like the Ex were really formative for you. Were you listening to more folk stuff before you were exposed to them?
Sufjan: Yeah, I was listening to a lot of songwriting early on. I grew up on popular radio-- there wasn't a lot of diversity. And then in college somebody loaned me Sonic Youth's Sister, and that's when I started listening to rock and roll. I was going to this show to see Sonic Youth, but the Ex were opening and they blew me away. I wasn't really interested in Sonic Youth after that. I remember it being really dirty and energetic, and so unassuming. There was nothing going on, there was no pretension about it. It was all about instinct. You could tell they were untrained musicians.
They started this band in the late 1970s during the punk movement, and they were a serious anarchist band that was basically playing for squatter's rights. They were very unskilled, but over the years they developed a unique sound, unlike any punk music at the time. The rhythms were very interesting. The drummer, she's just incredible, and they would incorporate Hungarian folk music and scenes like that in their work. It was a hybrid of all these styles and traditions. It was really dirty, but it was also very musical and political and angry, but it had softness to it because the drummer was this very sweet and thin woman who basically kept the band together and was in charge.
Pitchfork: You said earlier you're a technical listener. Was that the first time you empathized with the instinct instead of the playing?
Sufjan: I think I was just in awe of the guitar sounds, and how they played together.
Pitchfork: Can you tell us anymore about this book? Who's in it, when it's coming out? Sufjan: I don't know...I missed my deadline, so I'm a little embarrassed about it.

AllHandsOnTheBigOne · 05.15.2006, 10:41 AM

Illinois is so fucking ghey.

_slavo_ · 05.15.2006, 10:47 AM

he's allright.

noisemachine · 05.15.2006, 10:51 AM

Sufjan is great. I have and really love all of his albums.

val-holla-ing · 05.15.2006, 11:08 AM

i like him and all, but if he's looking if he's listening to music for technique, he should go rock out to rush.

HaydenAsche · 05.15.2006, 11:19 AM

Sufjan Stevens is incredible.

Everyneurotic · 05.15.2006, 12:28 PM

i like sufjan stevens a lot in spite of himself

golden child · 05.15.2006, 03:24 PM

me too (thanks to hayden)

screamingskull · 05.15.2006, 03:35 PM

my dad plays his records all the time, i like the seven swans one best.

golden child · 05.15.2006, 03:43 PM

i do too

Rob Instigator · 05.15.2006, 04:13 PM

His records bore me. It is like listening to this generations Billy Joel.

noisemachine · 05.15.2006, 05:16 PM

Billy Joel? I see no connection or similarities at all.
For those of you who aren't into the more singer/songwriter aspect, check out his second album, Enjoy Your Rabbit. Its a really cool experimental electronic album.

nancykitten · 05.16.2006, 09:15 AM

I can't work out if he's complementing SY or not.

Society_In_My_Hole · 05.16.2006, 10:02 AM

I can't either. He really likes The EX better I can tell.

Daycare Nation · 05.16.2006, 07:45 PM

Yeah, from what I can tell from In the Fishtank, the Ex kind of suck.

Sufjan Stevens is nothing like Billy Joel, either. Very poor comparison. This person obviously is just not listening.

HaydenAsche · 05.16.2006, 08:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob Instigator

His records bore me. It is like listening to this generations Billy Joel.

Stupidest comparison on the new board. I would rep you but I'm lazy and don't care.

Daycare Nation · 05.16.2006, 08:43 PM

Am I still on Hayden's ignore list, or did he just respond to me with some adolescent wisecrack? I don't know, because he's on my ignore list.

HaydenAsche · 05.16.2006, 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Daycare Nation

Am I still on Hayden's ignore list, or did he just respond to me with some adolescent wisecrack? I don't know, because he's on my ignore list.

Blah. No need to say anything about it, twat.

Daycare Nation · 05.16.2006, 08:46 PM

Wow, this is great. It's like a mute button.

Daycare Nation · 05.16.2006, 08:47 PM

Hi, Hayden. What's that you're saying? lol

05.15.2006, 10:40 AM	#1
Moshe Super Moderator Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 5,895	http://pitchforkmedia.com/interviews...ens_sufjan-06/ Pitchfork: Do you remember the bands and venues you saw at that time? Sufjan: I went to the Metro a lot. I can't remember the theater, but I saw Sonic Youth in this big theater with the Ex. That was incredible. I have to write an essay about it. Pitchfork: Who are you writing it for? Sufjan: It's for a book of essays this guy is putting together, about different shows people have gone to that changed their lives. Pitchfork: It sounds like the Ex were really formative for you. Were you listening to more folk stuff before you were exposed to them? Sufjan: Yeah, I was listening to a lot of songwriting early on. I grew up on popular radio-- there wasn't a lot of diversity. And then in college somebody loaned me Sonic Youth's Sister, and that's when I started listening to rock and roll. I was going to this show to see Sonic Youth, but the Ex were opening and they blew me away. I wasn't really interested in Sonic Youth after that. I remember it being really dirty and energetic, and so unassuming. There was nothing going on, there was no pretension about it. It was all about instinct. You could tell they were untrained musicians. They started this band in the late 1970s during the punk movement, and they were a serious anarchist band that was basically playing for squatter's rights. They were very unskilled, but over the years they developed a unique sound, unlike any punk music at the time. The rhythms were very interesting. The drummer, she's just incredible, and they would incorporate Hungarian folk music and scenes like that in their work. It was a hybrid of all these styles and traditions. It was really dirty, but it was also very musical and political and angry, but it had softness to it because the drummer was this very sweet and thin woman who basically kept the band together and was in charge. Pitchfork: You said earlier you're a technical listener. Was that the first time you empathized with the instinct instead of the playing? Sufjan: I think I was just in awe of the guitar sounds, and how they played together. Pitchfork: Can you tell us anymore about this book? Who's in it, when it's coming out? Sufjan: I don't know...I missed my deadline, so I'm a little embarrassed about it.
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05.15.2006, 10:41 AM	#2
AllHandsOnTheBigOne children of satan Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Where? Posts: 378	Illinois is so fucking ghey. __________________ Boys go to jupiter to get more stupider Girls go to mars, become rock stars
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05.15.2006, 10:47 AM	#3
_slavo_ invito al cielo Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Ðîññèÿ Posts: 10,908	he's allright. __________________ you're the boy that can enjoy invisibility
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05.15.2006, 10:51 AM	#4
noisemachine 100% Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Santa Barbara, CA Posts: 651	Sufjan is great. I have and really love all of his albums. __________________ The best radio station ever: http://www.kcsb.org/?page_id=9
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05.15.2006, 11:08 AM	#5
val-holla-ing invito al cielo Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: baton rouge. the 225, big raggedy. Posts: 2,731	i like him and all, but if he's looking if he's listening to music for technique, he should go rock out to rush. __________________ please do not misconstrue the previous statement as an invitation for same sex relations or as negative towards anyone of another sexuality. -cam'ron (formerly "no homo")
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05.15.2006, 11:19 AM	#6
HaydenAsche invito al cielo Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 10,755	Sufjan Stevens is incredible. __________________ rip
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05.15.2006, 12:28 PM	#7
Everyneurotic invito al cielo Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Mexico Posts: 15,713	i like sufjan stevens a lot in spite of himself __________________ Richard Clayderman found alive and still bland! Repo Man has all night! Photographic evidence of Monosodic's existance! New Kiddieriot shit after all! Never too late to share fave rex from the year before! David Keenan is a douchebag! Ron Asheton missed!
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05.15.2006, 03:24 PM	#8
golden child expwy. to yr skull Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 1,672	me too (thanks to hayden) __________________ blind
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05.15.2006, 03:35 PM	#9
screamingskull invito al cielo Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: england Posts: 5,580	my dad plays his records all the time, i like the seven swans one best.
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05.15.2006, 03:43 PM	#10
golden child expwy. to yr skull Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 1,672	i do too __________________ blind
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05.15.2006, 04:13 PM	#11
Rob Instigator invito al cielo Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: In the land of the Instigator Posts: 27,976	His records bore me. It is like listening to this generations Billy Joel. __________________ RXTT's Intellectual Journey - my new blog where I talk about all the books I read.
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05.15.2006, 05:16 PM	#12
noisemachine 100% Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Santa Barbara, CA Posts: 651	Billy Joel? I see no connection or similarities at all. For those of you who aren't into the more singer/songwriter aspect, check out his second album, Enjoy Your Rabbit. Its a really cool experimental electronic album. __________________ The best radio station ever: http://www.kcsb.org/?page_id=9
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05.16.2006, 09:15 AM	#13
nancykitten children of satan Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Glasgow, UK Posts: 316	I can't work out if he's complementing SY or not. __________________
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05.16.2006, 10:02 AM	#14
Society_In_My_Hole little trouble girl Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 69	I can't either. He really likes The EX better I can tell.
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05.16.2006, 07:45 PM	#15
Daycare Nation expwy. to yr skull Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 1,904	Yeah, from what I can tell from In the Fishtank, the Ex kind of suck. Sufjan Stevens is nothing like Billy Joel, either. Very poor comparison. This person obviously is just not listening. __________________ That dragon ain't the love sweet love.
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05.16.2006, 08:43 PM	#17
Daycare Nation expwy. to yr skull Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 1,904	Am I still on Hayden's ignore list, or did he just respond to me with some adolescent wisecrack? I don't know, because he's on my ignore list. __________________ That dragon ain't the love sweet love.
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05.16.2006, 08:46 PM	#19
Daycare Nation expwy. to yr skull Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 1,904	Wow, this is great. It's like a mute button. __________________ That dragon ain't the love sweet love.
	\|QUOTE AND REPLY\|

05.16.2006, 08:47 PM	#20
Daycare Nation expwy. to yr skull Join Date: Apr 2006 Posts: 1,904	Hi, Hayden. What's that you're saying? lol __________________ That dragon ain't the love sweet love.
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