Sufjan Stevens The Avalanche

I consider the original recording of "Hips Don't Lie" pretty canonical.

No fighting.

In defense of musicians everywhere, even the Beatles' B-sides material was underwhelming.

I've had this record for a few weeks and listened to it here and there. It is really good, but having worked in Seattle record stores for a while now, it's hard and frustrating to see Sufjan-love spread to the whole soccer mom SUV driving demographic. It really makes me embarassed to say I like it.

In fact, I'm changing my mind. I don't. And I think that's okay. Illinois goes on too long. The new album is just the throw outs from Illinois. Even Sufjan recognizes the "shamless" compilation of them on the cover.

I am hereby unapologetically not liking people because of who buys their records. If an artist is talented enough to rip that bitterness out of me, blessings on them, but "Suf" hasn't done it yet.

Just out of pure curiosity, how exactly would you define drinking the "sufjan stevens Kool-aid"?

Drinking the koolaid usually represents buying into a whole philosophy or a particular way of seeing the world. Concerning Sufjan's music, the jury's still out on my opinion, but I hadn't even considered the idea that i could be joining a cult by liking the music.

Just out of pure curiosity, how exactly would you define drinking the "sufjan stevens Kool-aid"?

Drinking the koolaid usually represents buying into a whole philosophy or a particular way of seeing the world. Concerning Sufjan's music, the jury's still out on my opinion, but I hadn't even considered the idea that i could be joining a cult by liking the music.

Isaac, I suppose I'd define my brand of drinking the Sufjan Kool-aid as "unable to think dispassionately or critically about the artist".

But Isaac, you're part of the cult for a host of other reasons.

That was a joke.

If I slightly undermined your hipster-aloof music consumption, I apologize.

I love fish tacos...they really are delicious, and I eat them as often as possible. Also, PBR's okay, in fact it can be the right beer at the right time, but I don't like it when people tell me they're drinking PBR, then look at me anxiously, yearning for some silly sense of approval that I ultimately can't provide. Also, Sufjan is great, but the minute he covers "Hips Don't Lie," I'm going to be begging for "Underneath Your Clothes."

Micah you're really on to something. Sufjan just needs to do an entire album covering slightly more....viceral songs. Like, "Suffies Sexy Singles" or "Christian Hipsters Like Nookie Too".

I can just see him now, up on stage with some bizarre amalgam of the Illinoisemakers & The Pussycat Dolls singing "Don'tcha". But boy, wouldn't that breath new life into the whole "Is Sufjan Gay?" discussions.

I'm hoping for "The Thong Song." With a banjo. Whispering.

I think Sufjan needs to break his base into the world of mainstream pop music a little more gently. An acoustic version of "When I Think About You, I Touch Myself," with dulcimer and chimes, perhaps? It'd maintain the introspective, self-obsessed, yearning but bashful hipster vibe, & just add a dash of auto-eroticism. The snooty, mesh-hat-wearing, Pabst-drinking, Gauloise-smoking, vintage-t-shirted Williamsburg archetype wasn't conceived in a day, either. These things take time.

you guys really aren't that funny. The joke was mildly funny the first time, but just lame the second, third, and fourth time around. In all seriousness, Sufjan could probly sing some rap song with a banjo and make it sound good. I didn't like how you said he was aubjective-historical storyteller who just so happened to make music. I think its more the other way around. Granted he does have great lyrics, but I think what makes the songs is the arrangements and his voice. Btw, I think Bobby Got a Shadfly/Springfield and the Mistress Witch are like two of his best songs...