Sufjan Stevens roll call

[Sage 703]

I'll be there.  anybody else going?

[bellenseb]

Is there anyone who isn't super into this guy? I only read A+ reviews.
 
 His work is ambitious and well put-together and all, but I find it a bit wan and precious and overthought...without payoff in terms of melodies, songs, passion...it comes off to me like Gastr Del Sol meets Trembling Blue Stars.

[you be betty]

i love him so much; but i have school the next day  

[Julian, Alleged Computer F**kface]

Originally posted by bellenseb:
  Is there anyone who isn't super into this guy? I only read A+ reviews.
 

May I direct you to bigyawn.net?

[ggw]

Originally posted by bellenseb:
  Is there anyone who isn't super into this guy? I only read A+ reviews.
 

Me.
 
 I've listened to the disc many times and it just won't grab me.  I guess I partially understand why it's getting so much notice, in that it is sufficiently "different" from most of the indie-rock out there; it's a cohesive narrative piece on a focused theme, etc...
 
 I agree with the "too precious" comment.  Unfortunately, that seems to be the style of the day -- not just for Sufjan, but for Safron-Foer, and McSweeney's, and Pitchfork and a lot of others trying to prove how clever they can be.  It was interesting and entertaining the first couple of times around, but now it's getting tired.

[Sage 703]

For me it has less to do with the cute factor or cleverness, and more with the arrangement and ambition that was mentioned before.  I think his sense of composition is brilliant, but my background is in classical music and jazz, which then in turn eventually led me to indie rock.  So I think its his obvious classical training/influences that really win me over.

[twelsh737]

Yes I will be there.
 
 As to the other discussion - I think there is a difference between someone trying to sound clever and someone actually being clever. It is the difference between David Sedaris and Oscar Wilde. Because I am going you can probably guess that I think Sufjan is actually clever. I can see how one might not think the same thing about his music but I enjoy it. As for it being "over-thought," well I guess that is probably true, but then again that is what I like about it; the sense that he actually thinks about things rather then just looks for rhyming couplets.
 
 That is just my opinion. Anyway I look forward to the show since his last trip to DC was housed in a venue unsuited to his strengths.

[Bags]

I've never heard a Sufjan song (that I know of).

[Sage 703]

http://www.myspace.com/sufjanstevens

[HoyaSaxa03]

Originally posted by bellenseb:
 I find it a bit wan and precious and overthought

coming from someone with belle & sebastian in their name?

[timcorsi]

I'm ready for some illinoise.

[Tom Servo]

Not going.  When a friend asked what I thought of the new album, I believe the adjective I used was "unlistenable".  I couldn't even get through it.  I'll give it a few more tries.  Good music can take time to settle in.

[bellenseb]

Originally posted by HoyaParanoia:
   

Originally posted by bellenseb:
 I find it a bit wan and precious and overthought

coming from someone with belle & sebastian in their name? [/b]

Yes...well, there is twee in the Wolfie vein, there is precious from the likes of Trembling Blue Stars...and then there is B&S, which is in my view unfairly lumped in with the likes of these guys.

[boweswana]

I liked him better when he was Billy Idol's guitar player.  The Atomic Playboys stuff never really did it for me.  I mean what kind of a lyric is -
 
 "Atomic Playboys we are radiation romeos!"
 
 THAT'S TERRRIBLE!!!!
 
 We are talking about Steve Stevens, right?

[Bags]

Originally posted by callat703:
  http://www.myspace.com/sufjanstevens

Thanks, callat...I like "Chicago." Generally with this genre, it may really stick after a few listens, but as often or more than not it doesn't (for me).  Folks love this guy -- if you do, enjoy the show!