Archive
Sufjan Steven’s “States a gimmick”
I think deep down, we all knew this was the case… here’s Sufjan Stevens from a recent Guardian article…
“I have no qualms about admitting [the Fifty States project]
was a promotional gimmick.”
Oh well… I’ve heard some of his new stuff, and it’s delightful. So, regardless of statehood, I’m looking forward to more Sufjan.
~Dan – np: Peter Mulvey – Letters from a Flying Machine
Sufjan’s The BQE
So… I’ve heard the new CD from Sufjan Stevens, called The BQE. (Thanks Asthmatic Kitty for the pre-release download.) Wow. No vocals, but very much a Sufjan album, though. The instrumentation borders on classic Sufjan instrumentals from Illinoise and Michigan (specifically the flute trills) mixed with more conservative chamber music (piano, strings, horns, tympani, et al). It also jumps into a very Enjoy Your Rabbit moment with “Movement IV – Traffic Shock.”
AK DOWNLOAD: Sufjan Stevens – Movement VI–Isorhythmic Night Dance with Interchanges (FREE MP3)
The BQE tracklist
- Prelude on the Esplanade (2:56)
- Introductory Fanfare for the Hooper Heroes (1:07)
- Movement I–In the Countenance of Kings (5:19)
- Movement II–Sleeping Invader (4:34)
- Interlude I–Dream Sequence in Subi Circumnavigation (3:33)
- Movement III–Linear Tableau with Intersecting Surprise (4:09)
- Movement IV–Traffic Shock (3:24)
- Movement V–Self-Organizing Emergent Patterns (3:45)
- Interlude II–Subi Power Waltz (0:28)
- Interlude III–Invisible Accidents (0:54)
- Movement VI–Isorhythmic Night Dance with Interchanges (3:17)
- Movement VII (Finale)–The Emperor of Centrifuge (3:51)
- Postlude–Critical Mass (2:59)
I think it fits very well within Sufjan’s oeuvre. A fan of his instrumental tunes interspersed within his State’s records should truly enjoy The BQE. The limited edition, which is on order for me, has presumably a lush packaging with a full-color booklet accompanying the vinyl. I can’t wait to crack it open…
It’s available for pre-order from Amazon and Asthmatic Kitty (and other eTailers):
Amazon CD/DVD ~ LINK
Amazon limited edition vinyl ~ LINK
AKitty CD/DVD ~ LINK
AKitty limited edition vinyl ~ LINK
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And a complete side-note, Opeth frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt is planning releasing a Nick Drake-ish acoustic solo album (Blabbermouth link). Man, I love music. Seriously. Frank was right. It’s the best.
~Dan – np: Sufjan Stevens – The BQE
no free downloads or torrents here
bike ride tours, any speed vinyl, the bqe, a van & streaming ‘deth
5 music news stories… Peter Mulvey, Holy Fuck, Sufjan Stevens, David Bazan/Pedro the Lion and Megadeth…
So, Peter Mulvey has toured all over the world. A few years back, he started also doing some bike tours within his own state. Well, he just embarked on his “Long Haul” Tour in support of his new, fantastic record Letters from a Flying Machine.
He’s riding 1,100 miles from Grand Rapids, MI to Northampton, MA on The Long Haul Tour, September 9 – 26. His friend, and presumably co-rider, Kathy Wittman will be blogging about it as it goes on. The daily blog will be HERE. Here’s his tour path, created via the Google based on his gigs along the route:
(click for larger)
He’ll be in Oregon (Portland and Eugene) in early November. Not part of the bike tour, but I’ll be glad to see him nonetheless. In fact, he might be less worn out from riding so much. Getting to see him twice in one weekend is gonna be fantastic… PS- go to PeterMulvey.com for info on the new record. Seriously, it’s good, folks!
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Next up… a vinyl you can play at either 33 1/3 or 45 rpm…
This one from Off the International Radar including a remix by fellow Toronto’ans Holy Fuck. I don’t know about the rest of the songs on “Hot Lips,” but the Holy Fuck collaboration features “Holy Radar” – which is a reworking of OTIR’s “E bowl of Iris.” Holy Fuck sped up the original recording on a record player in studio and then played along and added their own layers. So, at 33 1/3, you’ll hear OTIR with a slowed down HF; and on 45 rpm, you’ll hear HF with a sped-up OTIR. You can listen to the “as normally played” version of the song on OITR‘s MySpace page. There is also ordering links there as well.
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Sufjan Stevens‘ The BQE (as reported here) is coming out in limited edition vinyl (in addition to the CD/DVD combo). It’s now up for pre-order at the Asthmatic Kitty store and over at Amazon. Also, in the news, Sufjan will be playing his 2004 album Seven Swans in its entirety at ATP NYC this weekend. ATP = All Tomorrow’s Parties (festival).
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Help (Pedro the Lion) David Bazan buy a tour van… click the picture for more info…
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And to round it out with some metal… Megadeth‘s latest record, Endgame, is out next week (9/15/09). It’s streaming in its entirety on the MySpaces…
~Dan – np: The Beatles – Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band {mono}
no torrents or free downloads here
Sufjan Stevens & Celldweller news
So, I’d have posted about this sooner (Monday), but I’m less enthused about it, as Sufjan Stevens is not making his way out of the East & Midwest… this were one of those times, I wish I lived in Cincinnati, as I’d hit 2-3 of these shows…
Oh, but wait, there’s a Portland date!!!
Damn… Portland, Maine… not Oregon… :(
Sufjan Stevens & Cryptacize Tourdates
(from Pollstar as of today)
- Mon 09/21/09 – Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s
- Tue 09/22/09 – Philadelphia, PA – Johnny Brenda’s
- Wed 09/23/09 – Ithaca, NY – Castaways
- Thu 09/24/09 – Cleveland, OH – Beachland Ballroom & Tavern
- Fri 09/25/09 – Pontiac, MI – Pike Room
- Sat 09/26/09 – Champaign, IL – High Dive
- Sun 09/27/09 – Minneapolis, MN – The 400 Bar
- Mon 09/28/09 – Madison, WI – Majestic Theatre
- Tue 09/29/09 – Bloomington, IN – Buskirk-Chumley Theater
- Thu 10/01/09 – Toronto, ON – Lee’s Palace
- Fri 10/02/09 – Montreal, QC – Scene Cabaret
- Sat 10/03/09 – Portland, ME – Port City Music Hall
- Sun 10/04/09 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
- Mon 10/05/09 – New York, NY – Bowery Ballroom
- Tue 10/06/09 – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall Of Williamsburg
- Wed 10/07/09 – Brooklyn, NY – Music Hall Of Williamsburg
So, I guess some Sufjan activity is better than no Sufjan activity. Also, over on blackbookmag, they received a pre-release copy of Sufjan’s The BQE CD/DVD package…
It’s out on October 20th. It’s not available for pre-order… yet…
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So, the other news…
Information on Celldweller‘s next album, Wish Upon a Blackstar, is being leaked purposefully by Klayton himself. Here’s the album cover for Chapter 1…
Over on Klayton’s blog, you can listen to a streaming sample of “Hit Me.” I like the cover. It kinda of reminds me of this, though…
~Dan – np: Dream Theater – Master of Puppets
Sufjan Stevens – The BQE (Oct 20th)
Well, ask and ye shall receive…
The BQE – out 10/20/2009
Sufjan Stevens‘ has a new project coming out, The BQE. Nope, not a state… it’s a a cinematic suite inspired by the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway and the hula hoop. It’s due out on October 20, 2009, and will be available as a CD/DVD combo, a double gatefold vinyl with large scale booklet & black-and-white comic book, and a sold-separately color version of the comic book.
The assumed cover art (at top of blog) has a dreadful, tangled mass of a font… much like what I imagine driving on the BQE is like. :)
Sufjan performing the BQE suite at the Howard Gilman
Opera House in Brooklyn, 11/1/07 (theanimalshow)
View the cinematic trailer to the release here:
http://vimeo.com/5682252Read TONS more about The BQE over on the Asthmatic Kitty webpage:
http://asthmatickitty.com/the-bqe
I’ll post pre-order information on The BQE once it’s announced.
~Dan – np: Dave Douglas & Han Bennink – Serpentine
no free download or torrents available here
-Eyvind Kang
-Frank Zappa
Amazon.com mp3 downloads
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