Sufjan Turns Water Sports Into Poetry

No the above image is unfortunaely not the cover of a new Sufjan Stevens album -- god, imagine! That would make my millennium. No, this is new old news instead -- via Stereogum comes the story that apparently when Sufjan was in college at the New School in the 90s he wrote a little chapbook of poetry that included poems he wrote every time he had to pee, alongside a photo of the place he peed. This came via a person who knew him in college and is now a professor at Penn State -- he showed the book to his students and obviously, they took this wonderful news to the internet to share lightning quick. There are more images at the link up top but I think the one below really sets the scene best. This is so him. He needs to reprint this book immediately. I know I'd rather die than let anyone read all the poetry I wrote in college (did y'all know I graduated with a Minor in Poetry? Can't you tell from my exceptional use of da English language?) but this is something different. This is History!

Quotes of the Day

"I’m okay. Situation normal, all up, kind of a thing. I’ve had some pretty difficult things happen to me, so I’m in a state of repair and survival. I’m not really in any state of mind or any position to go on tour yet. But I’m starting to see the light. I’m starting to feel a sense of direction toward something meaningful and substantial. I’ve been focusing on the moment and on things that feel very silly and Zen: serenity and acceptance and duty and stewardship... I’m doing a lot of ordinary, mundane adulting. The other day, I had to get a septic pump replaced. I have had to retile the kitchen and buy some new appliances, and I’ve got seedlings under grow lights in the garage. I’ve been working on other people’s music this past year, not my own. It feels like my life is in service to other things right now. It’s fine and required of me. I’m okay, I’m okay, I’m okay. It’s been two years of a shitshow, but I’m okay."

A couple of weeks ago when one of the fresh demo tracks off of Sufjan Stevens' upcoming 10th anniversary re-release of his record Carrie & Lowell dropped I wondered how the man himself is doing -- ask and ye shall receive, as he talked to Vulture today and gave us that update on his well-being. Thank goodness! There's a lot more to the chat so check it out if you worship the man like I do (well none of you worship him like I do, but it's nice you try) -- most of it is about the record (which is out on May 30th) but they also get into the gayness of religion which mightily amused me (how I wish we could've heard Sufjan talking like this a decade ago):

"The religious is very sexual. It’s erotic. Look at Catholic art through the ages, Baroque art. It’s all very fleshy and sensual and full of naked bodies. I’ve always embraced that. I’ve always felt that my relationship to God is a very intimate and sensual one. Sacraments are. It’s engaging with God in a physical way. You’re literally eating the flesh and drinking the blood of God during the Eucharist. It doesn’t get much more erotic than that. If you’re a vampire, that’s the ultimate erotic experience.... The Bible’s very gay. Just all men. That’s what you get when there’s a patriarchy that’s endured for so long. Jesus was single, never married; Disciples were all dudes …"

I Don't Know Where To Begin Again

About a month ago I shared the first track off of Sufjan Stevens' upcoming tenth anniversary edition of his masterpiece album Carrie & Lowell -- well there above is the second one, a demo for the album's opening track "Death With Dignity." You can pre-order the new physical version of the album over here -- they'll ship out at the end of May or thereabouts. In related news I hadn't checked Sufjan's Tumblr in awhile and if you're curious how his illness had been going he'd been updating it last year on there; there were several entries I'd missed. I hope he's doing better now but I can't lie -- I did appreciate all the leg shots from his hospital bed. He made the best of a bad situation! 

Boundless By the Time I Cried

My morning commute to work is often the shittiest time of the day for me to be trapped on a subway train because around 9am is when all sorts of things drop, and I go into a panic that said things -- I do love my things! -- will be sold out by the time I'm above ground and with service again in order to buy said things. So it went this morning when Sufjan Stevens announced a 10th anniversary re-release of his masterpiece album Carrie & Lowell -- don't fret though, I got mine! And you can get yours at this link. As you can see below the new vinyl looks like a stunner and it's got seven previously unreleased tracks... including a demo version of the Call Me By Your Name track "Mystery of Love"! And you can listen to that track above. Since I'm at work I haven't been able to listen to it myself yet so you tell me what you think in the comments. I am doubtless obsessed even unlistened.

Say Good Night, Sufjan

Good night, Sufjan.

Pics of the Day

These photos of fresh besties Jonathan Groff and Daniel Radcliffe (who just starred together, and won Tonys together, in Merrily We Roll Along on Broadway) visiting with the star of the Sufjan Stevens ballet-musical Illinoise (which also won a Tony) Ricky Ubeda (he plays the Sufjan surrogate) have totally made my day. There are more photos over here with more of the show's cast but these two are the ones. Groff's nerd-out is delighting me so hard. I saw the show twice -- once at the Armory and then again on my birthday after it had moved to Broadway -- and I'd go again if I could. It's absolute magic. The show runs through August 10th so y'all still have a chance to make it if you haven't!

Sufjan: The Musical!

I didn't get around to posting this news here on the site proper yesterday because as soon as it broke I curled up into a ball and rocked back and forth trying to decide whether I should spend the money or not (I came down on yes I should, which is obvious in retrospect) but the Sufjan Stevens ballet musical (musical ballet?) called Illinoise -- named after his 2005 album and which has been doing a brief sold-out run at the Park Avenue Armory here in NYC -- has been tranferred like a fancypants to Broadway for a 16 week run starting on April 26th! You can buy tickets right here!

I saw the show this past Friday and it's truly something wonderful and weird and endearingly sincere and lovely, just like our boy Sufjan -- like I really didn't think they'd attempt to turn the lovely but disturbing song "John Wayne Gacy" about the clown serial killer John Wayne Gacy into a musical performance, but they go there and then some? The dancer playing Gacy has on a see-through clown costume and dance-murders a bunch of children! And it works! WTF? 

But that's just a small piece of a whole that they crafted the album into -- with choreography from now frequent Sufjan collaborator the choreographer Justin Peck (he and Sufjan have previously created and staged a few ballets here in NYC that I've been to) there's really nothing like this show, and I'm happy more people will be able to see it now. If you're coming to NYC this Spring/Summer snatch up a ticket quick! I bet it's gonna sell like hotcakes. 

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Goodbye Evergreen, You Know I Love You

Well a week of bad and sad news all over the place ends here today with even more -- the good news is that our beloved Sufjan Stevens has a new album out today called Javelin and it's glorious. I've been listening to it since midnight last night (not non-stop, I did sleep) and I'm in love with it. But that comes with some terrible news -- I've been wanting him to come out properly for ages, and it sucks very hard that it's happened this way:

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Much love to Sufjan.

Pledge Allegiance To My Heart

The second song from Sufjan Stevens' new record Javelin -- see my previous post here -- was dropped this morning, along with a video, seen above. The song is called "Will Anybody Ever Love Me?" and as that title implies it's a heartbreaker. Sigh! So was the previous song -- this album's really sounding like it's a break-up record at this point -- I hope you're okay, Sufjan! If you need an anything to nuzzle, I have lots of anythings. You can read more about the new song here and pre-order Javelin right here -- it's out on October 6th!

New Sufjan Record Imminent!

Along with those exquisite Aaron Taylor-Johnson photos for Esquire I was bombarded with a LOT of hot information when I sat down to my desk this here Monday morning -- including the news that Sufjan Stevens, our favorite sex-folk crooner, has a new album coming out! As seen on the cover above the title plashed in pink puffy paint (and only Sufjan could get me to type the phrase "pink puffy paint") is Javelin and it is out in full on October 6th. You can pre-order a copy right here. Here is the tracklist:

“Goodbye Evergreen”

“A Running Start”

“Will Anybody Ever Love Me”

“Everything That Rises”

“Genuflecting Ghost”

“My Red Little Fox”

“So You Are Tired”

“Javelin (To Have And To Hold)”

“Shit Talk”

“There's A World”

And he's already released the song called "So Are You Tired"

along with a lyric video, which you can watch right here:

I will share the very long press release down below, but I want to highlight something that the short version I got in my email said:

"All CD and LP editions of Javelin include a 48-page book of art and essays all created by Sufjan, including a series of collages, cut-up catalog fantasies, puff-paint word clouds, and color fields. The ten short essays offer little glimpses into loves and losses that have shaped Sufjan, and, in turn, these songs."

No, not "puff paint" -- we already covered that. It's the part about the attached book of essays where Sufjan will "offer little glimpses into loves and losses that have shaped" him. Umm. Do we think? Maybe...? Might he...? I daren't even say it, that feels like it'll jinx it. But as I have said before -- if writing those songs for Call Me By Your Name wasn't a "coming out" I don't know what could be. But... I suppose this could be? I daren't! Anyway hit the jump for the long press release if you're so inclined...

Quote of the Day

"To be honest, I very rarely watch movies or TV shows if I know my music is in it. The way it usually works is I get a description of the scene and a solicitation from the director for why they wanna use the song. If I feel they’re doing justice to the scene and that my song speaks to them then I just trust their vision. I’m pretty democratic about it. After that, if I know my song is gonna appear in a film or TV show I turn it off so it doesn’t make me uncomfortable! With [Call Me by Your Name], I had so much admiration for Luca’s work because his films are infused with song and he’s just a real scholar of music. But I had to watch that film a lot, in all these different screenings, and every time my music came on, I’d either run to the bathroom or slouch in my seat ’cos I was kind of embarrassed."

It's been a couple of months since it was first announced but Sufjan Stevens' new collaborative record called A Beginner's Mind -- which sees him and Angelo De Augustine writing a bunch of songs based around movies -- is finally out on Friday, and a chat with the two musicians is up at Little White Lies today; the answer above is Sufjan being asked what his favorite use of his own music in a movie has been up until now. That's truly not even my favorite bit though -- earlier in the chat Sufjan admitted he's "a horror film fanatic" and I squealed. I honestly wouldn't have guessed -- I was surprised that one of the tracks on the record was based on Hellraiser III and figured that was Angelo's influence. Happy day! Pre-order A Beginner's Mind right here if you haven't yet, and watch the fun video for my favorite song released so far right here.

Do You Mind That I'm Falling Apart?

Remember when I told you just about a month ago that Sufjan Stevens' has a new album, a collaboration with fellow musician Angelo De Augustine, coming out soon? Well A Beginner's Mind (that's what the album is called) isn't out fully until September 24th, but they've dropped several songs since that first announcement and today came two more -- one called "Fictional California" which you can hear at this link, and one called "Back to Oz" which there's a video for, seen above. An animated video! An animated video that references the 1985 classic Return to Oz of course! The theme for this record, you may recall, is The Movies -- every song was inspired by a film these two dudes bro'd out over together during the pandemic. Oh I bet they loved Princess Mombi...

Hey, Medusa's Eyes Are Up There

I've had a bit of a crazy morning -- a co-worker found out he had contact over the weekend with a person who tested positive for COVID, so he ran off to be tested while the rest of us sprayed Lysol over everything until we were choking (co-worker's fast-test already came back negative so... hopefully all's well, fingers crossed) -- and while all of this was going on a new Sufjan album was announced!!! So I had Lysol in one hand and quick bought myself a copy with the other. It's called A Beginner's Mind and here are Sufjan's own words on it via his Tumblr:

"I made an album with my friend Angelo De Augustine called A Beginner’s Mind—a collection of folk songs loosely based on films. We started this project together in upstate New York (before the pandemic) and then finished it remotely during Covid. The first new 7-inch single (“Reach Out,” above) is partly inspired by Wim Wenders’ Wings of Desire, and the lyric video features our respective dogs. The B-side (“Olympus”) is based on Clash of the Titans (the 1981 version, which includes Ray Harryhausen’s final stop-animation work). ... We will be releasing two more 7-inch singles over the next few months. More music (and movies) to come. I hope you enjoy. Peace to you. XOXOXO"

Sufjan says the single "Reach Out" is above but hey oh it's actually below, where I have shared it. I haven't even listened to it yet myself, since, you know, the plague or whatever. Enjoy!

Sing Us a Song You're the Sufjan

New Sufjan music news! And per usual, it's a lot -- no little projects for our favorite try-hard. He's just this morning announced Convocations, a five-volume 49-track (!!!) song-cycle  that deals with the death of his biological father last year -- it sounds like this is another instrumental album(s) a la last year's Aporia, so we're once again being denied that sweet sweet voice of his, but we'll deal since he makes amazing music besides. 

He's releasing one album a week digitally -- they're individually titled Meditations, Lamentations, Revelations, Celebrations and Incantations -- starting this Friday, with the first song available right this minute at this link. This Thursday a pre-order for a big no-doubt beautiful boxed-set on vinyl of the entire thing will go live -- those will ship in August. Guess I better find some room on my shelves...

 

His Name is Luca

I should stop tweeting out my best thoughts before I write up my posts -- John Waters says that's why he doesn't have a Twitter account, cuz he's not giving away his jokes for free -- but earlier when the trailer for Pixar's new cartoon Luca appeared I tweeted...

Ya know my CMYBN-loving ass made plenty of jokes about a Pixar movie being called LUCA being set in a beautiful Italian village but they seem to be coming right at me bro with that gay gay gay gay gay trailer (yes I cried a little) pic.twitter.com/PrNTEb5hM4

— Jason Adams (@JAMNPP) February 25, 2021

... and that's where I'll be coming at as I share Luca's trailer with you today. It's inescapable, watching this thing, how gay it is. (Up to and including the fact that Jack Dylan Grazer, star of Luca Guadagnino's series We Are Who We Are, voices the big-haired kid.) I say that knowing there's a housewife in Idaho clutching her Liberace records (second Liberace reference of the day, it's about to start raining rhinestones up in here) who watches this trailer and sees not a whit of queerness, but me? I watch this? I hear Sufjan playing in my head. 

Granted Sufjan is literally always playing in my head, but you know what I mean. Two young boys discover they share the same secret and together must hide it away from the world, while becoming incredibly close in the process... I'm not projecting anything sexual onto child entertainment here either, but gay kids exist! I know from firsthand experience! We develop crushes on other boys, just like what happens with straight kids, and those ones get OOOOOHs and AWWWWWWWWs in the church parking lots across this country. All we're asking for is it to be admitted, by culture, that we exist.

I mean then we'll have other requests, but ya gotta start somewhere. Anyway this movie's never going to come out (heh) and say anything explicitly, it is a Disney product after all. (Bless Laika for Mitch in ParaNorman.) But the metaphors are clear as Sufjan's voice on a summer day, and hopefully they'll be brave enough to not you know stick that female friend seen in the trailer awkwardly into the middle of what is plainly going on. Fingers crossed. Watch the trailer and y'all tell me your thoughts in the comments please!

I Feel the Darkness on My Back

I must have felt a tingling in the Sufjan (that's the gay version of The Force) a couple of days ago because I suddenly had to put on his most recent album The Ascension for the first time in a few weeks -- and here we are, and it's a Thursday, and a new music video for the song "Tell Me You Love Me" (possibly my favorite on the album) has dropped, and it was directed by Luca Guadagnino. Cue angel choirs. Here's a quote from Luca:

"The aching feeling of loving and wanting to be loved, the mystery of bodies that clash, the uncanny aspects of nature, the sublime music poetry and voice of Sufjan—all this went into this video that I am proud to have made with the collaboration of two more great artists, Alessio Bolzoni and Celia Hempton.”

Bolzoni is a photographer, and Celia Hampton an installation artist. And Sufjan and Luca of course, as any person worth their weight in short shorts and peach juice knows, collaborated on the film Call Me By Your Name, to celebrated effect -- Sufjan landed an Oscar nomination and went from just the cool gays (i.e. me, a'duh) liking him to All The Gays. It's fine! There's plenty to go around! Anyway like all of the other music videos for this album -- see my previous coverage here -- there's no beautiful Sufjan to be seen; the video focuses on dancers. Anyway I really love this song and am psyched this is the one Luca snatched up. Watch!

Happy New Sufjan Day!

Put on your banjo pants and your favorite star-spangled banners, because The Ascension, the new album from the artist presently known as Sufjan Stevens, is available for streaming on all of your streaming platforms today! The physical release got delayed a couple of weeks -- my big fancy vinyl set is set to arrive in mid-October. But I was able to use my telephone like a futuristic robot to listen to the record this morning on my way to work -- I have a long commute but the record is longer, meaning I didn't make it all the way through by the time I sat down to my desk and started typing things. But I dig the funky beats I have so far heard!

Sufjan sings
PUT THE LOTION IN THE BASKET
on his new record
It has all been worth it

— Jason Adams (@JAMNPP) September 25, 2020

 

That photo up top is from a new chat with the singer-man at The Guardian, which I haven't read yet. I just look at pictures now. It's 2020, I don't have to read! Fuck yeah!

Quote of the Day

"I’ve been doing this for 20 years, and how many songs have I written about my own personal grievances [with] judgment against myself, self-deprecation, and sorrow? I was like, No, I don’t want to write another song about my dead mother. I want to write a song that is casting judgment against the world.”

There's a fascinating new chat with Sufjan Stevens up over at The Atlantic where he talks about the ideas and inspirations behind his new album The Ascension, which is out on September 25th. Fascinating because it's far less mired in bullshit than Sufjan chats are -- and I say that as His Number One All the Way back Fan, but reading interviews with him sometimes is exhausting, and this one, even in content, is all about putting bullshit behind him. You can feel that vibe on the three songs released off the album so far -- here's the most recent one called "Sugar" which I've been on top of all week non-stop. Depressingly Sufjan admits he's moved up into the Catskill Mountains and out of New York, though -- sad I won't see him around town anymore once we, you know, are able to "go outdoors again" or whatever...

Come on Sufjan Gimme Some Sugar

New Sufjan Song!  New Sufjan Song! His song "Sugar" -- along with its really beautifully shot and choreographed music video, which you'll see down, below -- has dropped today! This is the third single off of The Ascension, his new album which is out in TEN DAYS!!!! I am so so excited. I've loved all three songs so far -- see "Video Game" here and see "America" here -- and have been listening to them non-stop... well okay "Sugar" has only been out for five minutes but I already love it, and can see it taking over the next ten days until THE ENTIRE ALBUM IS MINE ALL MINE...

Good Morning, Video Game

.

This isn't our typical "Good Morning" post, no, but when I got the alert on my phone this morning that there was New Sufjan Music to listen to I knew I'd be spending my morning listening to New Sufjan Music and why should you also have that privilege? Not only is there New Sufjan Music but there's a New Sufjan Music Video! His second song called "Video Game" off of his forthcoming album The Ascension -- which you can buy here and which drops in full on September 25th -- has arrived and the video, starring Jalaiah Harmon, who I am told created a viral dance called "Renegade" but I am far too un-hip to have any idea what that means. But she seems super cool in the video, which is like one of my Trapper Keepers from Middle School come to life. Anyway I previously told you about the album, with the track listing and the first song called "America" at this post here. Now watch!

This song's a catchy one, it's already firmly planted in my head for the day after a few listens on my commute. Also tell me that gif up top from the video doesn't immediately make you think of this:

ETA oh I actually got a press release about the video! I like being on this list! They included some quotes about the video, the dance, and the album as a whole, and I'll share it with you after the jump...