By Greg Swan, on October 14th, 2010%
Key quotes from Sufjan Stevens‘ interview with The Quietus:
In the past we’ve been limited by media; because records were limited to 40 minutes, the CD was limited to 70 or 80 minutes… an MP3 can last as long as you want it to last. So I think it’s ironic that attention spans are lower and songs become shorter when there’s so much more potential there….
Yeah there’s definitely an awareness of the value of music today. There isn’t any standard by which to measure work, the work of a song or the work of an album because everything is accessible now . . . → Read More: Sufjan Stevens on the music industry
Saredren Wells debut solo release pulls from Sufjan and Bon Iver
By Greg Swan, on May 27th, 2010%
Although he hails from Louisville, Saredren Wells pulls influences from Sufjan Stevens, Bon Iver and Andrew Bird.
His debut full-length, Memories Are Hunting Horns, came out earlier this month.
Here’s a sample:
Saredren Wells – In Advance of a Broken ArmbyCrashAvenue
And here’s the video for “To Live in Dreams and Memories”
To Live in Dreams and Memories from Saredren Wells . . . → Read More: Saredren Wells debut solo release pulls from Sufjan and Bon Iver
Karen O and the Kids' movie soundtrack is worth making mischief
By Greg Swan, on October 2nd, 2009%
I can’t fast-forward past the trailer for the new Spike Jonze joint Where The Wild Things Are. I rewind my DVR every time to watch it. There’s something about that monster’s face that won’t let me look away. Just look at him –>
Last night I got my grubby hands on a copy of the official soundtrack from Karen O and the Kids.
Karen O, if you didn’t already know, is from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. The kids include Tristan Bechet (Services), Tom Biller (co-producer with Karen O and member of Afternoons), Bradford Cox (Deerhunter), Brian Chase (YYY), Dean Fertita (The Dead Weather), . . . → Read More: Karen O and the Kids' movie soundtrack is worth making mischief
By Greg Swan, on August 27th, 2009%
Although I studied classical music in college and was a regular patron of the Des Moines Symphony Orchestra growing up, I have little doubt that reviewing a new classical album would never have happened if it didn’t have Sufjan Stevens name attached to it.
The BQE is a film and musical suite — composed by Sufjan Stevens — exploring New York City’s Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. The performance featured 36 performers including a band, a wind and brass ensemble, string players, a horn section, projected film footage of the expressway and five hula hoopers.
I received an advance review copy of the album and listened . . . → Read More: The millenial generation's Koyaanisqatsi: Sufjan Stevens' The BQE
