Sufjan Stevens’ Dark Night of the Soul

Sufjan Stevens is searching for answers...

http://public.npr.org/anon.npr-mp3/npr/me/2009/10/20091030_me_07.mp3?dl=1

NPR Interviews and Profiles – Sufjan Stevens: Finding Inner Peace In Traffic. 5:59

Sufjan Stevens has been making news in the past month, just a few weeks ago on Oct 20 he released what can be called an operatic tribute to a stretch of asphalt, The BQE: The Motion Picture Soundtrack — once only the title of the traffic-plagued Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, BQE now boasts itself as an indie music title (isn’t that the way indie works?) — and in some of the interviews and news from Stevens leading up to that release a dark, exhausted theme emerged from the quirky inanity—or brilliance—of making a musical tribute to a highway: Sufjan Stevens may be questioning the nature and purpose of  music and thinking about hanging up his guns. (well, maybe it’s not that extreme…) This is what spending 9 months of your life driving in New York traffic jams will do to you.

Matchbox Music Review – Wooden Houses

Wooden Houses: Self-Titled Album. Corey Hart & Danny Johnson. Released 9/22/09 iTunes exclusive.

PURCHASE FROM iTUNES

“Paper Fins” by Wooden Houses

When you think about it, it’s truly remarkable that a band can release an album without a record label simply by putting it online.  OK, well, maybe it doesn’t seem that remarkable, but that record selling successfully and launching the artist to stardom would be pretty impressive.  The thing is, with the revolution in the music industry, this is starting to happen.  Yeah, it’s impressive that Radiohead can release In Rainbows not only without a label, but also allowing people to download it basically for free, but Radiohead has long been an established international super-band – their iconic status is historically secure. Therefore I find it more stunning when Bon Iver puts out For Emma… Forever Ago and strikes gold, because he/they went from totally unknown and to “making it.”  For Emma is a gorgeous debut album, but I’m as taken by the story of a heart-broken young man who trucks off to a cabin in the woods of Wisconsin, knocks out an album he doesn’t think much of, and ends up on David Letterman.  I love it when the wallflower gets asked to the dance.  I love it when humble talent hits the spotlight. It gives me hope.