Sufjan Stevens’ Seven Swans and his music as a whole is beloved by hipsters who may not have paid attention in Sunday School (if they even attended it). Here’s a look at the Bible story that inspired the track “Abraham” from Seven Swans. It’s a morally complex tale that has been interpreted differently by Jews and Christians.
Sufjan Steven’s ‘Seven Swans’ references an attempted child sacrifice from the Bible
In the Book of Genesis, God blesses the prophet Abraham with a son named Isaac in his old age. Subsequently, God asks Abraham to execute Isaac. Abraham binds his own son in preparation for a human sacrifice, and an angel tells him that the Lord was merely testing his faith by asking him to sacrifice Isaac. The Lord blesses Abraham and he sacrifices a ram, rather than his son, to the divine. Christians often interpret this story as...
Sufjan Steven’s ‘Seven Swans’ references an attempted child sacrifice from the Bible
In the Book of Genesis, God blesses the prophet Abraham with a son named Isaac in his old age. Subsequently, God asks Abraham to execute Isaac. Abraham binds his own son in preparation for a human sacrifice, and an angel tells him that the Lord was merely testing his faith by asking him to sacrifice Isaac. The Lord blesses Abraham and he sacrifices a ram, rather than his son, to the divine. Christians often interpret this story as...
- 5/24/2024
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Sufjan Stevens and Asthmatic Kitty Records will mark the 20th anniversary of his fourth album, Seven Swans, with a deluxe reissue due out on June 21st.
The reissued album will be available on a variety of physical formats, including a zoetrope picture disc edition as well as on silver and split-colored vinyl. Additionally, the album’s B-sides, “I Went Dancing With My Sister” and “Waste of What Your Kids Won’t Have” will be pressed on flexi-disc as well as be available digitally for the first time. Pre-orders for Seven Swans (20th Anniversary Edition) are now ongoing.
Meanwhile, the Broadway musical adaptation of Stevens’ 2005 album, Illinois, is currently playing at the St. James Theatre through August (get tickets here). The production is nominated for four Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Choreography, Best Orchestrations, and Best Lighting Design. Additionally, a cast recording is set for release via Nonesuch Records on May 31st.
The reissued album will be available on a variety of physical formats, including a zoetrope picture disc edition as well as on silver and split-colored vinyl. Additionally, the album’s B-sides, “I Went Dancing With My Sister” and “Waste of What Your Kids Won’t Have” will be pressed on flexi-disc as well as be available digitally for the first time. Pre-orders for Seven Swans (20th Anniversary Edition) are now ongoing.
Meanwhile, the Broadway musical adaptation of Stevens’ 2005 album, Illinois, is currently playing at the St. James Theatre through August (get tickets here). The production is nominated for four Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Choreography, Best Orchestrations, and Best Lighting Design. Additionally, a cast recording is set for release via Nonesuch Records on May 31st.
- 5/23/2024
- by Scoop Harrison
- Consequence - Music
The Making Of ‘Illinoise’ And The Guiding Vision Of Sufjan Stevens – Tony Watch Q&a With Justin Peck
Illinoise, the dance-musical hybrid nominated for four Tony Awards (including Best Musical) is the seventh collaboration between Justin Peck, the resident choreographer and artistic advisor of the New York City Ballet, and his old friend and creative partner Sufjan Stevens, the indie singer-songwriter turned Oscar nominee (for his song “Mystery of Love” from 2017’s Call Me By Your Name). But it’s safe to say this quirky gem is something unique. Unlike the duo’s previous projects, which include commissions from major dance companies across the country, Illinoise isn’t exactly a ballet. It’s not exactly a musical either.
Putting movement to Stevens’ 2005 album Illinois and its captivating mixture of indie folk, rock and orchestral arrangements – not to mention lyrics that combine the autobiographical, the historical (figures from the state’s past and landscape pop up frequently) and the fanciful are fashioned into an episodic narrative without dialogue.
Putting movement to Stevens’ 2005 album Illinois and its captivating mixture of indie folk, rock and orchestral arrangements – not to mention lyrics that combine the autobiographical, the historical (figures from the state’s past and landscape pop up frequently) and the fanciful are fashioned into an episodic narrative without dialogue.
- 5/17/2024
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Update, with GoFundMe info: The Broadway production of Illinoise has dedicated the entire run of the musical to production stage manager Thomas J. Gates, who was struck and killed by a New Jersey Transit train yesterday.
“With heavy hearts we mourn the passing of our Production Stage Manager, Thomas J. Gates,” the production posted on social media today. “Thom was the center of Illinoise on Broadway, a beloved friend and collaborator. We are devasted for his husband Rick, another member of the Illinoise community.
“These two amazing human beings led our company on our journey since the beginning. We dedicate the run of Illinoise to Thom and his loving memory.”
Last night’s performance of the Sufjan Stevens-Justin Peck-Jackie Sibblies Drury musical was canceled after the production received word of the tragic incident.
A resident of South Orange, New Jersey, Gates, 51, was struck and killed at 9:12 a.
“With heavy hearts we mourn the passing of our Production Stage Manager, Thomas J. Gates,” the production posted on social media today. “Thom was the center of Illinoise on Broadway, a beloved friend and collaborator. We are devasted for his husband Rick, another member of the Illinoise community.
“These two amazing human beings led our company on our journey since the beginning. We dedicate the run of Illinoise to Thom and his loving memory.”
Last night’s performance of the Sufjan Stevens-Justin Peck-Jackie Sibblies Drury musical was canceled after the production received word of the tragic incident.
A resident of South Orange, New Jersey, Gates, 51, was struck and killed at 9:12 a.
- 5/9/2024
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Tonight’s performance of Broadway’s Sufjan Stevens dance musical Illinoise has been canceled due to the death of a backstage company member.
The death did not occur at the St. James Theatre, where Illinoise is playing. The company member is not a performer and does not appear onstage, and has not been identified.
“Due to a tragedy within the Illinoise community, tonight’s performance will be cancelled and performances will resume tomorrow,” an Instagram post reads. “We apologize for the inconvenience. All tickets for the cancelled performance will be refunded at the original point of purchase.”
Based on Stevens’ 2005 album Illinois, the musical is directed and choreographed by Justin Peck. Last week the production received four Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical, Best Choreography, Best Lighting Design and Best Orchestrations. Peck and Jackie Sibblies Drury wrote the musical’s book.
Following a sold-out Off Broadway run at Manhattan’s Park Avenue Armory,...
The death did not occur at the St. James Theatre, where Illinoise is playing. The company member is not a performer and does not appear onstage, and has not been identified.
“Due to a tragedy within the Illinoise community, tonight’s performance will be cancelled and performances will resume tomorrow,” an Instagram post reads. “We apologize for the inconvenience. All tickets for the cancelled performance will be refunded at the original point of purchase.”
Based on Stevens’ 2005 album Illinois, the musical is directed and choreographed by Justin Peck. Last week the production received four Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical, Best Choreography, Best Lighting Design and Best Orchestrations. Peck and Jackie Sibblies Drury wrote the musical’s book.
Following a sold-out Off Broadway run at Manhattan’s Park Avenue Armory,...
- 5/8/2024
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Broadway’s busy, busy spring of new shows came to an end today with this morning’s Tony nominations announcement, and while the impact, if any, of the nominations won’t be felt at the box office for a while, there were some indications last week about how things could pan out.
The Great Gatsby, for example, starring Jeremy Jordan and Eva Noblezada, opened to mixed reviews and received only one Tony nod (for costumes) but already seems to be building an audience. Filling 98% of seats at the Broadway, the musical grossed $1,028,276 – and that’s with five heavily comped press performances and opening night.
Other recent arrivals scored some impressive numbers for the week ending April 28. Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, even with a Wednesday matinee canceled, took in $1,701,828, all seats filled. Illinoise, the dance musical set to Sufjan Stevens music, opened at the St. James with eight heavily comped press performances,...
The Great Gatsby, for example, starring Jeremy Jordan and Eva Noblezada, opened to mixed reviews and received only one Tony nod (for costumes) but already seems to be building an audience. Filling 98% of seats at the Broadway, the musical grossed $1,028,276 – and that’s with five heavily comped press performances and opening night.
Other recent arrivals scored some impressive numbers for the week ending April 28. Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, even with a Wednesday matinee canceled, took in $1,701,828, all seats filled. Illinoise, the dance musical set to Sufjan Stevens music, opened at the St. James with eight heavily comped press performances,...
- 4/30/2024
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
The 77th annual Tony Award nominations were announced today, and music lovers were given plenty to celebrate.
Illinoise, the recently-mounted musical adaptation of Sufjan Stevens’ 2005 concept album Illinois, received four nominations, including Best Musical, Best Choreography, Best Orchestrations, and Best Lighting Design. The production is currently playing at the St. James Theatre in New York through August 10th (get tickets here).
Get Illinoise Tickets Here
The recent Broadway staging of David Byrne and Fatboy Slim’s 2012 musical Here Lies Love also received four nominations, including Best Original Score, Best Sound Design, Best Scenic Design, and Best Choreography.
Hell’s Kitchen, the semi-autobiographical musical from Alicia Keys, tied for the most total nominations with 13, including Best Musical and Best Direction. Stereophonic, a new play by David Adjmi that follows a Fleetwood Mac-esque band in the ’70s struggling to write music together due to their interpersonal conflicts, also received 13 nominations, with Will Butler,...
Illinoise, the recently-mounted musical adaptation of Sufjan Stevens’ 2005 concept album Illinois, received four nominations, including Best Musical, Best Choreography, Best Orchestrations, and Best Lighting Design. The production is currently playing at the St. James Theatre in New York through August 10th (get tickets here).
Get Illinoise Tickets Here
The recent Broadway staging of David Byrne and Fatboy Slim’s 2012 musical Here Lies Love also received four nominations, including Best Original Score, Best Sound Design, Best Scenic Design, and Best Choreography.
Hell’s Kitchen, the semi-autobiographical musical from Alicia Keys, tied for the most total nominations with 13, including Best Musical and Best Direction. Stereophonic, a new play by David Adjmi that follows a Fleetwood Mac-esque band in the ’70s struggling to write music together due to their interpersonal conflicts, also received 13 nominations, with Will Butler,...
- 4/30/2024
- by Paolo Ragusa
- Consequence - Music
Close races and sharp elbows are likely when the 2024 Tony Award nominations are announced Tuesday morning. With so many shows opening during the onslaught of the past two weeks, nominators might still be clearing their minds — and maybe taking a moment to eat and breathe — as they ponder and re-ponder the 36 productions that opened on Broadway between April 28, 2023, and April 25, 2024.
Some of the nominations are no-brainers: The much-praised and hugely popular Merrily We Roll Along is a sure bet for all concerned, but what about more polarizing fare? Cabaret, Here Lies Love, Water for Elephants, I’m looking at you.
A selection of categories will be read live on CBS Mornings at 8:30 am Et, and a full livestream of the announcements will follow at 9 a.m. Et on the official Tony Awards YouTube page.
Related: 2024-25 Awards Season Calendar – Dates For Oscars, Tonys, Guilds, BAFTAs, Spirits & More
Here, then,...
Some of the nominations are no-brainers: The much-praised and hugely popular Merrily We Roll Along is a sure bet for all concerned, but what about more polarizing fare? Cabaret, Here Lies Love, Water for Elephants, I’m looking at you.
A selection of categories will be read live on CBS Mornings at 8:30 am Et, and a full livestream of the announcements will follow at 9 a.m. Et on the official Tony Awards YouTube page.
Related: 2024-25 Awards Season Calendar – Dates For Oscars, Tonys, Guilds, BAFTAs, Spirits & More
Here, then,...
- 4/29/2024
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
The anticipation surrounding Illinoise, the stage musical and dance performance inspired by Sufjan Stevens’ revered album of the same name, has been building for quite some time. Following successful runs at Chicago’s Shakespeare Theater and New York City’s Park Avenue Armory, Illinois has now arrived on Broadway, opening at the St. James Theatre, just in time for eligibility at the 2024 Tony Awards.
Since its debut at Bard College in New York last spring, the production has garnered wide acclaim from critics.
Upon its release in 2005, Stevens’s concept album, comprised of 26 songs dedicated to the state of Illinois, quickly resonated with a generation of listeners. Through the album, Stevens weaved together historical figures, local references, and personal narratives, alternating between marching band arrangements and intimate banjo strums. Despite its specific geographic focus, the album’s themes of loss, rediscovery and the universal human experience connected with audiences worldwide.
Since its debut at Bard College in New York last spring, the production has garnered wide acclaim from critics.
Upon its release in 2005, Stevens’s concept album, comprised of 26 songs dedicated to the state of Illinois, quickly resonated with a generation of listeners. Through the album, Stevens weaved together historical figures, local references, and personal narratives, alternating between marching band arrangements and intimate banjo strums. Despite its specific geographic focus, the album’s themes of loss, rediscovery and the universal human experience connected with audiences worldwide.
- 4/29/2024
- by Baila Eve Zisman
- Uinterview
The setting for Illinoise, Justin Peck and Jackie Sibblies Drury’s emotionally supercharged reinterpretation of the 2005 Sufjan Stevens concept album, is various locations across the Land of Lincoln — a cornfield, a hiking trail, a woodland clearing, the suburban home of a serial killer, a small town in the middle of nowhere, the top of a skyscraper and, of course, Chicago, with an out-of-state detour to New York City. But the real setting of this thrilling dance-musical-concert hybrid, alternately rhapsodic and shattering, is our collective youth.
Without a word of spoken dialogue, the show pulls us into late adolescence, a time when love, anguish and everything in between are felt perhaps with the greatest intensity. The book co-written by director-choreographer Peck and Drury (who won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Drama with her brilliant meta-theatrical race inquiry, Fairview) is skillfully shaped yet invisible in the best sense of undiluted physical, sensorial and elemental storytelling.
Without a word of spoken dialogue, the show pulls us into late adolescence, a time when love, anguish and everything in between are felt perhaps with the greatest intensity. The book co-written by director-choreographer Peck and Drury (who won the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for Drama with her brilliant meta-theatrical race inquiry, Fairview) is skillfully shaped yet invisible in the best sense of undiluted physical, sensorial and elemental storytelling.
- 4/26/2024
- by David Rooney
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
April on Broadway, to mangle a phrase from a showtune classic, is bustin’ out all over with no fewer than 14 new plays and musicals set to open before the April 25 Tony Award eligibility cutoff date. So crowded are the final weeks of the 2023-24 theater season that three days each will see the openings of two shows, a Broadway rarity.
Check this page to see Deadline’s takes. Whether you use this page as a guide or as an invitation to argue, drop by often for the latest on Broadway’s offerings. And there’ll be plenty of offerings indeed — here’s the schedule of April openings: The Outsiders (April 11), Lempicka (April 14), The Wiz (April 17), Suffs (April 18), Stereophonic (April 19), Hell’s Kitchen (April 20), Cabaret (April 21), Patriots (April 22), The Heart of Rock and Roll (April 22), Mary Jane (April 23), Illinoise (April 24), Uncle Vanya (April 24), Mother Play (April 25), The Great Gatsby (April 25).
Below...
Check this page to see Deadline’s takes. Whether you use this page as a guide or as an invitation to argue, drop by often for the latest on Broadway’s offerings. And there’ll be plenty of offerings indeed — here’s the schedule of April openings: The Outsiders (April 11), Lempicka (April 14), The Wiz (April 17), Suffs (April 18), Stereophonic (April 19), Hell’s Kitchen (April 20), Cabaret (April 21), Patriots (April 22), The Heart of Rock and Roll (April 22), Mary Jane (April 23), Illinoise (April 24), Uncle Vanya (April 24), Mother Play (April 25), The Great Gatsby (April 25).
Below...
- 4/26/2024
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
In the article series Sound and Vision we take a look at music videos from notable directors. This week we take a look at several music videos by Luca Guadagnino. Luca Guadagnino's films are vibrant and lush, pulsating with life and a heartbeat, like music. He is often one to curate his soundtracks carefully, with the likes of The Rolling Stones, Harry Nilsson, Captain Beefheart, Sufjan Stevens, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, Thom Yorke and John Adams showing up on his soundtracks. Sometimes he chooses pre-existing tracks, but more often he asks his favorite artists to provide the sonic backdrop for his films. It is fitting that a few of the music videos Guadagnino directed are for tracks tailor made for his own features, starting...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 4/22/2024
- Screen Anarchy
The nominations for the 77th Tony Awards will be announced in less than three weeks, but the lay of the land is ever changing because seven more musicals and musical revivals will open between now and the eligibility cutoff. As these remaining shows have started preview performances, our savvy users have been updating their choices for the most likely nominees in 10 of the 15 musical categories. See below for a breakdown of how our official odds have changed in the top categories since our last predictions center update on March 21, according to the 1,200 readers currently making their picks. Scroll to the bottom of the article for a tally of nominations by show in 10 of the 15 musical categories.
Up
“Cabaret” — This immersive revival of the classic John Kander and Fred Ebb musical has been leading our odds for the most nominations of any musical revival of the year. It has now added...
Up
“Cabaret” — This immersive revival of the classic John Kander and Fred Ebb musical has been leading our odds for the most nominations of any musical revival of the year. It has now added...
- 4/15/2024
- by David Buchanan
- Gold Derby
Broadway’s busy spring was reaching peak bloom last week as the season’s final batch of new shows – save for the upcoming Sufjan Stevens musical Illinoise – was in previews, boosting total box office receipts to an impressive $39,445,823.
The figure for the week ending April 7 marks a 6% increase over the previous week. Attendance was 305,211, a 12% bump over the previous week (and 9% higher than last season at this time). In all, 37 Broadway productions filled 94% of available seats.
A healthy number of the recent arrivals played to full houses, including An Enemy of the People, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, Stereophonic, Uncle Vanya, The Great Gatsby, and The Outsiders. They joined the usual sell-outs Hadestown, Hamilton, Merrily We Roll Along, Moulin Rouge! and Wicked.
Among the spring arrivals:
The Outsiders, in previews at the Jacobs and opening Thursday, sold out its seven performances, grossing $732,073; Lempicka took in $357,757 for seven previews at the Longacre,...
The figure for the week ending April 7 marks a 6% increase over the previous week. Attendance was 305,211, a 12% bump over the previous week (and 9% higher than last season at this time). In all, 37 Broadway productions filled 94% of available seats.
A healthy number of the recent arrivals played to full houses, including An Enemy of the People, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club, Stereophonic, Uncle Vanya, The Great Gatsby, and The Outsiders. They joined the usual sell-outs Hadestown, Hamilton, Merrily We Roll Along, Moulin Rouge! and Wicked.
Among the spring arrivals:
The Outsiders, in previews at the Jacobs and opening Thursday, sold out its seven performances, grossing $732,073; Lempicka took in $357,757 for seven previews at the Longacre,...
- 4/9/2024
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
The Tony Award nominations are set to take place April 30, and in the lead-up, the month is jam-packed with Broadway openings, with 14 taking place over the course of 11 days.
While the days before the Tony Awards eligibility cutoff, on April 25, are typically filled with openings, many industry insiders are optimistic that this year’s rush spells somewhat of a return to normalcy. But with the influx of shows and changing audience makeup, producers are also anxious about making sure their shows stand out to ticket-buyers and can make it to the Tony Awards ceremony on June 16 and beyond.
“It largely feels very exciting. For the first time in a while, it really feels like we are back to pre-pandemic levels of volume,” says Greg Nobile, producer of several shows on Broadway this season, including the new musicals Lempicka and Illinoise and the play revival of An Enemy of the People.
While the days before the Tony Awards eligibility cutoff, on April 25, are typically filled with openings, many industry insiders are optimistic that this year’s rush spells somewhat of a return to normalcy. But with the influx of shows and changing audience makeup, producers are also anxious about making sure their shows stand out to ticket-buyers and can make it to the Tony Awards ceremony on June 16 and beyond.
“It largely feels very exciting. For the first time in a while, it really feels like we are back to pre-pandemic levels of volume,” says Greg Nobile, producer of several shows on Broadway this season, including the new musicals Lempicka and Illinoise and the play revival of An Enemy of the People.
- 4/9/2024
- by Caitlin Huston
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
I thought I was safe to boldly pronounce my initial 2024 Tony Awards predictions, but then Sufjan Stevens appeared to stomp all over them. As David Buchanan and I convened to discuss where we thought the musical nominations were headed this season, news broke that Off-Broadway’s dreamy dance show “Illinoise” will transfer to the St. James Theatre just in time to compete at this year’s ceremony. The show, based on Stevens’ seminal album, has thrown our Tony predictions into disarray. Watch our full video slugfest above.
“Illinoise” marks the 15th new musical of the 2023-2024 season. That’s more new tuners than any Broadway season since 1975-1976. Theatergoers this year are indeed spoiled with a glut of new shows, but predicting the coveted Best Musical category has become a titanic task.
See 2024 Tony Awards nominations predictions: Big tallies for musicals ‘Lempicka,’ ‘The Notebook,’ ‘Cabaret’ …
David believes “Illinoise” will be...
“Illinoise” marks the 15th new musical of the 2023-2024 season. That’s more new tuners than any Broadway season since 1975-1976. Theatergoers this year are indeed spoiled with a glut of new shows, but predicting the coveted Best Musical category has become a titanic task.
See 2024 Tony Awards nominations predictions: Big tallies for musicals ‘Lempicka,’ ‘The Notebook,’ ‘Cabaret’ …
David believes “Illinoise” will be...
- 3/21/2024
- by Sam Eckmann
- Gold Derby
Broadway’s insanely busy spring doesn’t really kick into full gear until next month when 14 new shows have their official openings, but with March as a sort of sign of things to come – five shows have opened or will soon this month – box office was strong last week.
In all, the 25 productions grossed $28,059,463 during the week ending March 17, a bump of 14% over the previous week, with attendance of 219,954 at a solid 94% of capacity.
Recent arrivals on the list found a welcoming Broadway. Some of the notable entries:
The Notebook, which opened to decidedly mixed reviews, proved steadily popular with audiences. Opening night and press comps barely dented receipts: The show grossed $767,281, filling 98% of seats at the Schoenfeld. A new block of tickets just went on sale through November 24; An Enemy of the People,...
In all, the 25 productions grossed $28,059,463 during the week ending March 17, a bump of 14% over the previous week, with attendance of 219,954 at a solid 94% of capacity.
Recent arrivals on the list found a welcoming Broadway. Some of the notable entries:
The Notebook, which opened to decidedly mixed reviews, proved steadily popular with audiences. Opening night and press comps barely dented receipts: The show grossed $767,281, filling 98% of seats at the Schoenfeld. A new block of tickets just went on sale through November 24; An Enemy of the People,...
- 3/19/2024
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
It’s not hard to imagine what Justin Peck heard in Sufjan Stevens’s 2005 album Illinois that convinced him that the music pulsated with possibilities for dance. Illinois, with its orchestral textures, surprising mixed-meter rhythms, and impressionistic instrumental interludes, is an explosively varied 75 minutes of music as Stevens’s lyrics traverse the history, geography, and iconography of the Prairie State. At its best, Peck’s stage adaptation, which arrives at the Park Avenue Armory following a run at the Chicago Shakespeare Theater, suggests that rapturous movement was somewhere inside Stevens’s songwriting from the start.
In Illinoise (the show’s title follows the stylized spelling on the album’s cover), a 14-piece band including three featured vocalists, pay thoughtful homage to Stevens’s original arrangements. Since Stevens played over 20 instruments on Illinois, watching the full band, led by Nathan Koci, can feel like the songwriter’s solo artistry has fragmented...
In Illinoise (the show’s title follows the stylized spelling on the album’s cover), a 14-piece band including three featured vocalists, pay thoughtful homage to Stevens’s original arrangements. Since Stevens played over 20 instruments on Illinois, watching the full band, led by Nathan Koci, can feel like the songwriter’s solo artistry has fragmented...
- 3/8/2024
- by Dan Rubins
- Slant Magazine
If the biggest, hookiest songs of 2023 are united by anything, it’s the insurgents who made them. For one, English singer PinkPantheress made good on her underground fandom with a remix of “Boy’s a Liar,” featuring raspy-voiced female rapper of the moment Ice Spice, whose eye-rolling attitude ingeniously cuts against her own unguardedly emotional pop minimalism.
Others similarly subverted expectations of what makes a hit. Troye Sivan ditched his moody bedroom-pop roots for unashamedly horny bangers that confront our collective hang-ups about what a gay artist should deliver. The aggro sonic hijinks of hyperpop duo 100 gecs coalesced into something strangely beautiful and profound, especially on “Hollywood Baby,” a satire of Barbie-fied showbiz aspirations that’s at least partly aimed at themselves.
Rock noise of the less blaring kind flourished elsewhere, proving that the genre was never dead, just slyly mutating. Lana Del Rey, reigning queen of the extremely extended cut,...
Others similarly subverted expectations of what makes a hit. Troye Sivan ditched his moody bedroom-pop roots for unashamedly horny bangers that confront our collective hang-ups about what a gay artist should deliver. The aggro sonic hijinks of hyperpop duo 100 gecs coalesced into something strangely beautiful and profound, especially on “Hollywood Baby,” a satire of Barbie-fied showbiz aspirations that’s at least partly aimed at themselves.
Rock noise of the less blaring kind flourished elsewhere, proving that the genre was never dead, just slyly mutating. Lana Del Rey, reigning queen of the extremely extended cut,...
- 12/6/2023
- by Slant Staff
- Slant Magazine
Sufjan Stevens, the hipster’s holiday caroler, has shared the Official 2023 Sufjan Yule Log.
You know those “ambiance” YouTube videos that are just hours-long interrupted footage of a fireplace? The Sufjan Yule Log is essentially that, but it’s backed by all the Christmas music Stevens has ever released. As Brooklyn Vegan points out, that’s over 100 songs, originally released across 2006’s Songs for Christmas and 2012’s Silver & Gold, and clocks in at over five hours long.
“This video is ideal for your favorite holiday activities: decorating the tree, baking, making calls to loved ones, or enjoying hot cocoa,” Stevens’ label Asthmatic Kitty said a statement. Considering the majority of Stevens’ fanbase comprises millennials who will never be able to purchase a house — much less one with a fireplace — this is also brilliant marketing on his team’s part.
Stream the Official 2023 Sufjan Yule Log below, and then bookmark...
You know those “ambiance” YouTube videos that are just hours-long interrupted footage of a fireplace? The Sufjan Yule Log is essentially that, but it’s backed by all the Christmas music Stevens has ever released. As Brooklyn Vegan points out, that’s over 100 songs, originally released across 2006’s Songs for Christmas and 2012’s Silver & Gold, and clocks in at over five hours long.
“This video is ideal for your favorite holiday activities: decorating the tree, baking, making calls to loved ones, or enjoying hot cocoa,” Stevens’ label Asthmatic Kitty said a statement. Considering the majority of Stevens’ fanbase comprises millennials who will never be able to purchase a house — much less one with a fireplace — this is also brilliant marketing on his team’s part.
Stream the Official 2023 Sufjan Yule Log below, and then bookmark...
- 12/1/2023
- by Abby Jones
- Consequence - Music
There have been hundreds upon hundreds of ambient music albums released this year, but there’s only one released by an elite-tier rapper with a 13-times-Platinum record under his overalls. In the 16 years since the tectonic-shifting Outkast went on hiatus, fans of the duo’s André 3000 have been clamoring for the superstar to deliver something more than the occasional knockout guest verse. Instead, he’s been following his arrow as a nomadic, bohemian troubadour playing his flute in airports, coffee shops, sidewalks and yoga classes. His debut album, New...
- 11/20/2023
- by Christopher R. Weingarten
- Rollingstone.com
The National and Phoebe Bridgers are cracking up to stave off falling apart in the new animated music video for their recent collaboration, “Laugh Track.”
The video was directed and animated by Bernard Derriman, who recently helmed The Bob’s Burgers Movie. In it, a couple sit down for a grave conversation but are soon overwhelmed by a rising tide of chuckling faces. Before the couple nearly drowns in bleak hilarity, however, they launch into the sky, escaping the deluge and eventually landing back at the table for a clear-eyed conversation.
The video was directed and animated by Bernard Derriman, who recently helmed The Bob’s Burgers Movie. In it, a couple sit down for a grave conversation but are soon overwhelmed by a rising tide of chuckling faces. Before the couple nearly drowns in bleak hilarity, however, they launch into the sky, escaping the deluge and eventually landing back at the table for a clear-eyed conversation.
- 11/15/2023
- by Jon Blistein
- Rollingstone.com
The upcoming Broadway revival of Ibsen’s An Enemy of the People starring Jeremy Strong has landed two more heavy hitters: Michael Imperioli will costar opposite Strong, and Plan B, the production company of Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner & Jeremy Kleiner, has signed on as a producer.
The project marks the Broadway debuts for both Imperioli and Plan B. Complete casting will be announced at a later date.
As previously announced, the strictly limited 16-week engagement begins previews at Broadway’s Circle in the Square Theatre on Tuesday, February 27, 2024, and will open Monday, March 18.
The new adaptation by Amy Herzog (a Tony nominee for last season’s A Doll’s House starring Jessica Chastain) will be directed by Tony Award winner Sam Gold (Fun Home).
Imperioli, currently starring in Hulu’s This Fool, was Emmy-nominated for his turn in Season 2 of Mike White’s acclaimed hit series The White Lotus, and is...
The project marks the Broadway debuts for both Imperioli and Plan B. Complete casting will be announced at a later date.
As previously announced, the strictly limited 16-week engagement begins previews at Broadway’s Circle in the Square Theatre on Tuesday, February 27, 2024, and will open Monday, March 18.
The new adaptation by Amy Herzog (a Tony nominee for last season’s A Doll’s House starring Jessica Chastain) will be directed by Tony Award winner Sam Gold (Fun Home).
Imperioli, currently starring in Hulu’s This Fool, was Emmy-nominated for his turn in Season 2 of Mike White’s acclaimed hit series The White Lotus, and is...
- 11/14/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Say Anything have detailed their new album, …Is Committed, and shared the latest single, “Carrie & Lowell & Cody (Pendent).” Stream the cathartic track below.
To record the album, Say Anything mastermind Max Bemis reunited with producer Brad Wood, who previously helmed the emo veterans’ breakout 2007 double LP, In Defense of the Genre.
As the title implies, “Carrie & Lowell & Cody (Pendent)” nods toward Sufjan Stevens’ 2015 album, Carrie & Lowell. In a statement, Bemis explained how the song was influenced by the project as well as his own family trauma.
“‘Carrie & Lowell & Cody (Pendent)’ is named (with the brevity of an early Minus the Bear track) after my affinity for Sufjan Steven’s titular album about His Mommy issues,” Bemis said. “I adore my mom to death and grew up both sparring and worshiping her, enmeshing myself in both her emotional genius and warmth and the wealth of generational trauma she inherited from her Holocaust-laden family.
To record the album, Say Anything mastermind Max Bemis reunited with producer Brad Wood, who previously helmed the emo veterans’ breakout 2007 double LP, In Defense of the Genre.
As the title implies, “Carrie & Lowell & Cody (Pendent)” nods toward Sufjan Stevens’ 2015 album, Carrie & Lowell. In a statement, Bemis explained how the song was influenced by the project as well as his own family trauma.
“‘Carrie & Lowell & Cody (Pendent)’ is named (with the brevity of an early Minus the Bear track) after my affinity for Sufjan Steven’s titular album about His Mommy issues,” Bemis said. “I adore my mom to death and grew up both sparring and worshiping her, enmeshing myself in both her emotional genius and warmth and the wealth of generational trauma she inherited from her Holocaust-laden family.
- 10/13/2023
- by Eddie Fu
- Consequence - Music
Welcome to our weekly rundown of the best new music — featuring big singles, key tracks from our favorite albums, and more. This week, Drake and J. Cole team up for a rap “superbowl,” Nigerian pop star Tems returns with her first track in two years, and Megan thee Stallion shares a soundtrack cut. Plus, Jennie of Blackpink’s first solo single, Bizarrap enlists Milo J for his latest explosive session, and a cool B-side from Paramore.
Drake feat. J. Cole, “First Person Shooter” (YouTube)
Tems, “Me & U” (YouTube)
Milo J,...
Drake feat. J. Cole, “First Person Shooter” (YouTube)
Tems, “Me & U” (YouTube)
Milo J,...
- 10/6/2023
- by Rolling Stone
- Rollingstone.com
Sufjan Stevens is dedicating his new album Javelin to his late partner, Evans Richardson.
Evans was the Chief-of-Staff of New York City’s The Studio Museum in Harlem and tragically passed away in April at the age of 43.
The cause of his death is unknown.
The 48-year-old musician almost never opens up about his personal life, but he got vulnerable in an Instagram post about his relationship with Evans.
Keep reading to find out what he wrote…
“This album is dedicated to the light of my life, my beloved partner and best friend Evans Richardson, who passed away in April,” Sufjan captioned a photo of Evans. “He was an absolute gem of a person, full of life, love, laughter, curiosity, integrity, and joy. He was one of those rare and beautiful ones you find only once in a lifetime – precious, impeccable, and absolutely exceptional in every way.”
He continued, “I...
Evans was the Chief-of-Staff of New York City’s The Studio Museum in Harlem and tragically passed away in April at the age of 43.
The cause of his death is unknown.
The 48-year-old musician almost never opens up about his personal life, but he got vulnerable in an Instagram post about his relationship with Evans.
Keep reading to find out what he wrote…
“This album is dedicated to the light of my life, my beloved partner and best friend Evans Richardson, who passed away in April,” Sufjan captioned a photo of Evans. “He was an absolute gem of a person, full of life, love, laughter, curiosity, integrity, and joy. He was one of those rare and beautiful ones you find only once in a lifetime – precious, impeccable, and absolutely exceptional in every way.”
He continued, “I...
- 10/6/2023
- by Just Jared
- Just Jared
Sufjan Stevens has dedicated his just-released new album, Javelin, to his late life partner, Evans Richardson.
“This album is dedicated to the light of my life, my beloved partner and best friend, Evans Richardson, who passed away in April,” the singer-songwriter wrote on Instagram. “He was an absolute gem of a person, full of life, love, laughter, curiosity, integrity, and joy. He was one of those rare and beautiful ones you find only once in a lifetime — precious, impeccable, and absolutely exceptional in every way.”
View this post on Instagram...
“This album is dedicated to the light of my life, my beloved partner and best friend, Evans Richardson, who passed away in April,” the singer-songwriter wrote on Instagram. “He was an absolute gem of a person, full of life, love, laughter, curiosity, integrity, and joy. He was one of those rare and beautiful ones you find only once in a lifetime — precious, impeccable, and absolutely exceptional in every way.”
View this post on Instagram...
- 10/6/2023
- by Kory Grow
- Rollingstone.com
Sufjan Stevens has dedicated his newly released album, Javelin, to his partner, Evans Richardson, who passed away earlier this year.
“This album is dedicated to the light of my life, my beloved partner and best friend Evans Richardson, who passed away in April,” Stevens wrote in a statement posted to his website. “He was an absolute gem of a person, full of life, love, laughter, curiosity, integrity, and joy. He was one of those rare and beautiful ones you find only once in a lifetime—precious, impeccable, and absolutely exceptional in every way.
“I know relationships can be very difficult sometimes, but it’s always worth it to put in the hard work and care for the ones you love, especially the beautiful ones, who are few and far between,” Stevens continued. “If you happen to find that kind of love, hold it close, hold it tight, savor it, tend to it,...
“This album is dedicated to the light of my life, my beloved partner and best friend Evans Richardson, who passed away in April,” Stevens wrote in a statement posted to his website. “He was an absolute gem of a person, full of life, love, laughter, curiosity, integrity, and joy. He was one of those rare and beautiful ones you find only once in a lifetime—precious, impeccable, and absolutely exceptional in every way.
“I know relationships can be very difficult sometimes, but it’s always worth it to put in the hard work and care for the ones you love, especially the beautiful ones, who are few and far between,” Stevens continued. “If you happen to find that kind of love, hold it close, hold it tight, savor it, tend to it,...
- 10/6/2023
- by Scoop Harrison
- Consequence - Music
In a rare comment on his personal life, singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens posted a lengthy social media message dedicating his new album Javelin, out today, to his late partner Evans Richardson, the Chief-of-Staff of the Studio Museum in Harlem who died on April 30 at the age of 43.
“This album is dedicated to the light of my life, my beloved partner and best friend Evans Richardson, who passed away in April,” Stevens writes (see the Instagram post below). “He was an absolute gem of a person, full of life, love, laughter, curiosity, integrity, and joy. He was one of those rare and beautiful ones you find only once in a lifetime – precious, impeccable, and absolutely exceptional in every way.”
Stevens’ new album chronicles the loss of a romantic relationship, with the single “So You Are Tired” referencing a longterm relationship (“So you are tired of us/So rest your head/Turning back...
“This album is dedicated to the light of my life, my beloved partner and best friend Evans Richardson, who passed away in April,” Stevens writes (see the Instagram post below). “He was an absolute gem of a person, full of life, love, laughter, curiosity, integrity, and joy. He was one of those rare and beautiful ones you find only once in a lifetime – precious, impeccable, and absolutely exceptional in every way.”
Stevens’ new album chronicles the loss of a romantic relationship, with the single “So You Are Tired” referencing a longterm relationship (“So you are tired of us/So rest your head/Turning back...
- 10/6/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Sufjan Stevens has unveiled Javelin, his first collection of stripped-down, singer-songwriter songs in eight years. Stream it below via Apple Music and Spotify.
Stevens’ tenth solo album was self-produced and features contributions from The National guitarist Bryce Dessner, adrienne maree brown, Hannah Cohen, Mina Tindle, Megan Lui, and Nedelle Torrisi. Along with lead single “So You Are Tired” and our former Song of the Week “Will Anybody Ever Love Me?” the 10-track project includes a cover of the Neil Young deep cut “Thereʼs a World” from 1972’s Harvest.
In September, Stevens revealed on his website that he had been diagnosed with the autoimmune disorder Guillain-Barre Syndrome and was recovering in physical therapy to “learn to walk again.” He cautioned that “most people who have Gbs learn to walk again on their own within a year” but reassured fans that rehab was “going really well” and added that “I’m committed to getting better,...
Stevens’ tenth solo album was self-produced and features contributions from The National guitarist Bryce Dessner, adrienne maree brown, Hannah Cohen, Mina Tindle, Megan Lui, and Nedelle Torrisi. Along with lead single “So You Are Tired” and our former Song of the Week “Will Anybody Ever Love Me?” the 10-track project includes a cover of the Neil Young deep cut “Thereʼs a World” from 1972’s Harvest.
In September, Stevens revealed on his website that he had been diagnosed with the autoimmune disorder Guillain-Barre Syndrome and was recovering in physical therapy to “learn to walk again.” He cautioned that “most people who have Gbs learn to walk again on their own within a year” but reassured fans that rehab was “going really well” and added that “I’m committed to getting better,...
- 10/6/2023
- by Bryan Kress
- Consequence - Music
The artist shared a health update to Instagram on Tuesday.
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony member Krayzie Bone is sharing a health update with fans after being hospitalized for a life-threatening ailment for the past several days.
Krayzie — whose real name is Anthony Henderson — took to Instagram on Tuesday to share a snapshot of himself sitting in a chair next to his hospital bed, still hooked up to tubes and monitor cables.
“Just fought for life Literally for 9 days straight,” Krayzie, 50, wrote in the caption. “And I only won the battle this time because I know Jehovah God was with every step of the way fighting for me.”
“Never take life for granted enjoy it while have you have it!” he added. “Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers trust me I needed every last on of them.”
While he did not specify what condition he’d been suffering from, Krayzie has...
Bone Thugs-n-Harmony member Krayzie Bone is sharing a health update with fans after being hospitalized for a life-threatening ailment for the past several days.
Krayzie — whose real name is Anthony Henderson — took to Instagram on Tuesday to share a snapshot of himself sitting in a chair next to his hospital bed, still hooked up to tubes and monitor cables.
“Just fought for life Literally for 9 days straight,” Krayzie, 50, wrote in the caption. “And I only won the battle this time because I know Jehovah God was with every step of the way fighting for me.”
“Never take life for granted enjoy it while have you have it!” he added. “Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers trust me I needed every last on of them.”
While he did not specify what condition he’d been suffering from, Krayzie has...
- 10/4/2023
- by Corey Atad
- ET Canada
Following a foray into electronica with 2020’s The Ascension and 2021’s Convocations, Sufjan Stevens’s Javelin marks a return to his singer-songwriter roots. Nearly every sound on the album sounds meticulously and intimately crafted, harking back to Stevens’s early DIY style. Each track begins solely with soft acoustic guitar and Stevens’s tender vocals, giving the effect that he’s performing these songs for no one else’s ears but his own.
Though less overt than it was on earlier works like 2004’s Seven Swans, religious imagery remains an integral part of Stevens’s music. “Jesus lift me up to a higher plane/Can you come around before I go insane?” he begs on “Everything That Rises.” That said, the song’s arrangement—including heavenly chamber strings and an angelic choir—could imbue even the most secular lyrics with the divine.
As always, expressions of spiritual and romantic devotion...
Though less overt than it was on earlier works like 2004’s Seven Swans, religious imagery remains an integral part of Stevens’s music. “Jesus lift me up to a higher plane/Can you come around before I go insane?” he begs on “Everything That Rises.” That said, the song’s arrangement—including heavenly chamber strings and an angelic choir—could imbue even the most secular lyrics with the divine.
As always, expressions of spiritual and romantic devotion...
- 10/2/2023
- by Dana Poland
- Slant Magazine
Sufjan Stevens won’t be doing much in the way of promotion for his upcoming album, Javelin, and explained by in a post he shared on his website.
In the post, the singer-songwriter revealed he’s been hospitalized after being diagnosed with Guillain-Barré Syndrome, described as “a rare neurological disorder in which your immune system mistakenly attacks part of the peripheral nervous system — the network of nerves located outside of the brain and spinal cord.” Symptoms can be mild or severe, with the worst cases resulting in complete paralysis.
“It’s a slow process, but they say I will ‘recover,’ it just takes a lot of time, patience, and hard work.”
“Hi Friends. Quick update on my life. I’m very excited about having new music to share, but I just wanted to let you know that one of the reasons why I haven’t been able to participate in...
In the post, the singer-songwriter revealed he’s been hospitalized after being diagnosed with Guillain-Barré Syndrome, described as “a rare neurological disorder in which your immune system mistakenly attacks part of the peripheral nervous system — the network of nerves located outside of the brain and spinal cord.” Symptoms can be mild or severe, with the worst cases resulting in complete paralysis.
“It’s a slow process, but they say I will ‘recover,’ it just takes a lot of time, patience, and hard work.”
“Hi Friends. Quick update on my life. I’m very excited about having new music to share, but I just wanted to let you know that one of the reasons why I haven’t been able to participate in...
- 9/20/2023
- by Etcanadadigital
- ET Canada
Oscar-nominated singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens shared his Guillain-Barré syndrome diagnosis and announced he is relearning how to walk after a hospitalization.
Stevens, whose original song “Mystery of Love” was nominated for an Academy Award for 2017’s “Call Me by Your Name,” took to Tumblr to announce his medical treatment. His next album “Javelin” is slated to be released October 6.
“I’m very excited about having new music to share, but I just wanted to let you know that one of the reasons why I haven’t been able to participate in the press and promotion leading up to the release of ‘Javelin’ is bc I am in the hospital,” Stevens wrote. “Last month I woke up one morning and couldn’t walk. My hands, arms and legs were numb and tingling and I had no strength, no feeling, no mobility.”
Stevens continued, “My brother drove me to the ER and after a series of tests — MRIs,...
Stevens, whose original song “Mystery of Love” was nominated for an Academy Award for 2017’s “Call Me by Your Name,” took to Tumblr to announce his medical treatment. His next album “Javelin” is slated to be released October 6.
“I’m very excited about having new music to share, but I just wanted to let you know that one of the reasons why I haven’t been able to participate in the press and promotion leading up to the release of ‘Javelin’ is bc I am in the hospital,” Stevens wrote. “Last month I woke up one morning and couldn’t walk. My hands, arms and legs were numb and tingling and I had no strength, no feeling, no mobility.”
Stevens continued, “My brother drove me to the ER and after a series of tests — MRIs,...
- 9/20/2023
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Sufjan Stevens, the Oscar-nominated indie singer-songwriter, has been hospitalized with Guillain-Barré syndrome and is relearning to walk after the neurological disorder left him with what he says was “no strength, no feeling, no mobility.”
In a Tumblr post today, Stevens addressed his slow recovery and ongoing hospitalization, explaining why he has not been participating in “press and promotion” for the upcoming Oct. 6 release of his album Javelin.
“I’m very excited about having new music to share,” he writes, “but I just wanted to let you know that one of the reasons why I haven’t been able to participate in the press and promotion leading up to the release of Javelin is bc I am in the hospital. Last month I woke up one morning and couldn’t walk. My hands, arms and legs were numb and tingling and I had no strength, no feeling, no mobility.”
He signed the post,...
In a Tumblr post today, Stevens addressed his slow recovery and ongoing hospitalization, explaining why he has not been participating in “press and promotion” for the upcoming Oct. 6 release of his album Javelin.
“I’m very excited about having new music to share,” he writes, “but I just wanted to let you know that one of the reasons why I haven’t been able to participate in the press and promotion leading up to the release of Javelin is bc I am in the hospital. Last month I woke up one morning and couldn’t walk. My hands, arms and legs were numb and tingling and I had no strength, no feeling, no mobility.”
He signed the post,...
- 9/20/2023
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Sufjan Stevens has revealed that he is relearning how to walk at an acute rehab facility following a recent bout with the autoimmune disorder Guillian-Barre Syndrome.
In a rare message to fans, Stevens explained why he wouldn’t be making any promotional appearances or conducting interviews ahead of the October 6th release of his new album Javelin.
“I am in the hospital,” Stevens wrote. “Last month I woke up one morning and couldn’t walk. My hands, arms and legs were numb and tingling and I had no strength, no feeling,...
In a rare message to fans, Stevens explained why he wouldn’t be making any promotional appearances or conducting interviews ahead of the October 6th release of his new album Javelin.
“I am in the hospital,” Stevens wrote. “Last month I woke up one morning and couldn’t walk. My hands, arms and legs were numb and tingling and I had no strength, no feeling,...
- 9/20/2023
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Sufjan Stevens has revealed that he was recently diagnosed with Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a rare and potentially life-threatening immune disorder that results in severe muscle weakness.
As Stevens explained in a post on his webste, “Last month I woke up one morning and couldn’t walk. My hands, arms and legs were numb and tingling and I had no strength, no feeling, no mobility. My brother drove me to the ER and after a series of tests—MRIs, EMGs, cat scans, X-rays, spinal taps (!), echo-cardiograms, etc.—the neurologists diagnosed me with an auto immune disorder called Guillian-Barre Syndrome.”
“Luckily there’s treatment for this — they administer immuno-hemoglobin infusions for five days and pray that the disease doesn’t spread to the lungs, heart and brain,” Stevens continued. “Very scary, but it worked. I spent about two weeks in Med/Surg, stuck in a bed, while my doctors did all the things...
As Stevens explained in a post on his webste, “Last month I woke up one morning and couldn’t walk. My hands, arms and legs were numb and tingling and I had no strength, no feeling, no mobility. My brother drove me to the ER and after a series of tests—MRIs, EMGs, cat scans, X-rays, spinal taps (!), echo-cardiograms, etc.—the neurologists diagnosed me with an auto immune disorder called Guillian-Barre Syndrome.”
“Luckily there’s treatment for this — they administer immuno-hemoglobin infusions for five days and pray that the disease doesn’t spread to the lungs, heart and brain,” Stevens continued. “Very scary, but it worked. I spent about two weeks in Med/Surg, stuck in a bed, while my doctors did all the things...
- 9/20/2023
- by Scoop Harrison
- Consequence - Music
The National announced the impending release of a new album titled Laugh Track during the band’s opening night set at their Homecoming Festival in Cincinnati.
Arriving just five months after the band’s 2023 LP First Two Pages of Frankenstein, Laugh Track will be released digitally on Sunday, singer Matt Berninger told the crowd, with a vinyl release to follow in November.
“We have a new record coming out, it comes out Sunday night at midnight,” Berninger said. “The new record is called Laugh Track, and we have some pre-pressed...
Arriving just five months after the band’s 2023 LP First Two Pages of Frankenstein, Laugh Track will be released digitally on Sunday, singer Matt Berninger told the crowd, with a vinyl release to follow in November.
“We have a new record coming out, it comes out Sunday night at midnight,” Berninger said. “The new record is called Laugh Track, and we have some pre-pressed...
- 9/16/2023
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Sufjan Stevens has returned with a new single entitled “Will Anybody Ever Love Me?” A strikingly candid composition, the song arrives ahead of his forthcoming new album Javelin, which is due in full on October 6th. Stream the new single below.
Featuring backup vocals from fellow artists adrienne maree brown, Hannah Cohen, and Megan Lui, “Will Anybody Ever Love Me?” is a confessional song, with an almost hymnal quality. Alluding to past sins and the “heartache and misery” he may have caused, Stevens pleads for a deliverance of sorts, seeking to find the answer to the titular question. As he reaches the chorus, he sings: “Will anybody ever love me?/ For good reasons, without grievance, not for sport/ Will anybody ever love me?/ In every season/ Pledge allegiance to my heart/ Pledge allegiance to my burning heart.”
Like Javelin’s previous single, “So You Are Tired,” the new song is...
Featuring backup vocals from fellow artists adrienne maree brown, Hannah Cohen, and Megan Lui, “Will Anybody Ever Love Me?” is a confessional song, with an almost hymnal quality. Alluding to past sins and the “heartache and misery” he may have caused, Stevens pleads for a deliverance of sorts, seeking to find the answer to the titular question. As he reaches the chorus, he sings: “Will anybody ever love me?/ For good reasons, without grievance, not for sport/ Will anybody ever love me?/ In every season/ Pledge allegiance to my heart/ Pledge allegiance to my burning heart.”
Like Javelin’s previous single, “So You Are Tired,” the new song is...
- 9/13/2023
- by Jo Vito
- Consequence - Music
Clockwise from top left: Booksmart (Annapurna); Bottoms (MGM); Portrait Of A Lady On Fire (Lilies Film); But I’m A Cheerleader (Lionsgate); Red, White & Royal Blue (Amazon Studios)
Graphic: The A.V. Club
Bottoms, a raunchy, bloody comedy from director Emma Seligman (Shiva Baby), is kicking and punching its way into theaters...
Graphic: The A.V. Club
Bottoms, a raunchy, bloody comedy from director Emma Seligman (Shiva Baby), is kicking and punching its way into theaters...
- 8/24/2023
- by Emma Keates
- avclub.com
It’s Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday — especially when it’s New Music Friday! We’re breaking down this week’s best new tracks to keep on your radar.
New Music Friday – August 18th, 2023
Hozier – “De Selby (Part 2)”, plus Unreal Unearth (album)
Reneé Rapp – “Pretty Girls”, plus Snow Angel (album)
Dolly Parton – “Let It Be” (featuring Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr)
Victoria Monét – “On My Mama”
Addison Rae – “2 die 4” featuring Charli Xcx, plus Ar (EP)
Grace Potter – “Truck Stop Angels”, plus Mother Road (album)
Madison Beer – “Spinnin”
Jon Batiste – “Uneasy” (featuring Lil Wayne), plus World Beat Radio (album)
Idina Menzel – “Paradise” (featuring Nile Rodgers), plus Drama Queen (album)
Icona Pop – “Fall in Love”
Sufjan Stevens – “So You Are Tired”
Thirty Seconds to Mars – “Seasons”
The National – “Space Invader”, plus Alphabet City (album)
Taela – “beetlejuice (dead to me”)
Lonesome Ace Stringband – “Praying for Rain”
Other noteworthy releases...
New Music Friday – August 18th, 2023
Hozier – “De Selby (Part 2)”, plus Unreal Unearth (album)
Reneé Rapp – “Pretty Girls”, plus Snow Angel (album)
Dolly Parton – “Let It Be” (featuring Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr)
Victoria Monét – “On My Mama”
Addison Rae – “2 die 4” featuring Charli Xcx, plus Ar (EP)
Grace Potter – “Truck Stop Angels”, plus Mother Road (album)
Madison Beer – “Spinnin”
Jon Batiste – “Uneasy” (featuring Lil Wayne), plus World Beat Radio (album)
Idina Menzel – “Paradise” (featuring Nile Rodgers), plus Drama Queen (album)
Icona Pop – “Fall in Love”
Sufjan Stevens – “So You Are Tired”
Thirty Seconds to Mars – “Seasons”
The National – “Space Invader”, plus Alphabet City (album)
Taela – “beetlejuice (dead to me”)
Lonesome Ace Stringband – “Praying for Rain”
Other noteworthy releases...
- 8/18/2023
- by Mikael Melo
- ET Canada
The National have released two new songs, “Alphabet City” and “Space Invader.” The latter arrived with a moody visualizer directed by Noah Sacré and Pauline de Lassus, with animation and drawings by de Lassus.
The melancholy, seven-minute track sees frontman Matt Berninger imagining alternate scenarios. “What if I stayed on the/ C train until Lafayette?” he croons. “What if we never met?/ What if I only had done what you/ Told me and never looked back?/ What if I’d only ducked away down/ The hallway and faded to black?...
The melancholy, seven-minute track sees frontman Matt Berninger imagining alternate scenarios. “What if I stayed on the/ C train until Lafayette?” he croons. “What if we never met?/ What if I only had done what you/ Told me and never looked back?/ What if I’d only ducked away down/ The hallway and faded to black?...
- 8/17/2023
- by Emily Zemler
- Rollingstone.com
Sufjan Stevens returns with his first solo album in three years as the singer-songwriter will release Javelin in October.
Ahead of Javelin’s October 6 release, Stevens has shared the LP’s first single, the atmospheric piano ballad “So You Are Tired”:
Stevens recorded Javelin — his first proper solo LP since 2020’s The Ascension, and touted as his first record in “singer-songwriter mode” since 2015’s acclaimed Carrie & Lowell — at his home studio with a small circle of collaborators, include a quintet of background singers — adrienne maree brown, Hannah Cohen, Pauline Delassus,...
Ahead of Javelin’s October 6 release, Stevens has shared the LP’s first single, the atmospheric piano ballad “So You Are Tired”:
Stevens recorded Javelin — his first proper solo LP since 2020’s The Ascension, and touted as his first record in “singer-songwriter mode” since 2015’s acclaimed Carrie & Lowell — at his home studio with a small circle of collaborators, include a quintet of background singers — adrienne maree brown, Hannah Cohen, Pauline Delassus,...
- 8/14/2023
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Sufjan Stevens has announced his new album, Javelin, due out October 6th. As a preview, he’s shared its the first single, “So You Are Tired.”
Javelin was recorded almost entirely by Stevens himself, but includes contributions from The National’s Bryce Dessner and vocalists adrienne maree brown, Hannah Cohen, Pauline de Lassus (aka Mina Tindle), Megan Lui, and Nedelle Torrisi. The 10-track project notably concludes with a cover of Neil Young’s “Thereʼs a World” from his 1972 classic Harvest. The physical release will also be include a 48-page book featuring artwork by Stevens as well as 10 short essays giving insights into the songs.
The album’s first single “So You Are Tired” marks a major shift back to the scaled-down, acoustic instrumentation reminiscent of 2015’s Carrie & Lowell in lieu of Stevens’ more recent electronic offerings like 2020’s The Ascension and 2021’s five-volume ambient project Convocations. The song proves that...
Javelin was recorded almost entirely by Stevens himself, but includes contributions from The National’s Bryce Dessner and vocalists adrienne maree brown, Hannah Cohen, Pauline de Lassus (aka Mina Tindle), Megan Lui, and Nedelle Torrisi. The 10-track project notably concludes with a cover of Neil Young’s “Thereʼs a World” from his 1972 classic Harvest. The physical release will also be include a 48-page book featuring artwork by Stevens as well as 10 short essays giving insights into the songs.
The album’s first single “So You Are Tired” marks a major shift back to the scaled-down, acoustic instrumentation reminiscent of 2015’s Carrie & Lowell in lieu of Stevens’ more recent electronic offerings like 2020’s The Ascension and 2021’s five-volume ambient project Convocations. The song proves that...
- 8/14/2023
- by Bryan Kress
- Consequence - Music
The single features renowned musicians Aaron Parks, Joe Sanders, and Brian Blade.
04 August 2023 – Joshua Redman has released “Baltimore,” the second single to be revealed from the acclaimed saxophonist’s forthcoming Blue Note debut where are we due out September 15. One of two instrumental tracks on the album, “Baltimore” was written by the classically influenced songwriter Gabriel Kahane and is given a transcendent performance by Redman’s quartet featuring pianist Aaron Parks, bassist Joe Sanders, and drummer Brian Blade.
where are we is a musical journey across the United States of America that also marks Redman’s first-ever album with a vocalist—the dynamic young singer Gabrielle Cavassa—who is featured throughout as heard on the album’s lead single “Chicago Blues,” a mash-up of Count Basie’s “Goin’ to Chicago” with Sufjan Stevens’ “Chicago.” Redman will be touring the project across the U.S. and Europe following the album’s release.
04 August 2023 – Joshua Redman has released “Baltimore,” the second single to be revealed from the acclaimed saxophonist’s forthcoming Blue Note debut where are we due out September 15. One of two instrumental tracks on the album, “Baltimore” was written by the classically influenced songwriter Gabriel Kahane and is given a transcendent performance by Redman’s quartet featuring pianist Aaron Parks, bassist Joe Sanders, and drummer Brian Blade.
where are we is a musical journey across the United States of America that also marks Redman’s first-ever album with a vocalist—the dynamic young singer Gabrielle Cavassa—who is featured throughout as heard on the album’s lead single “Chicago Blues,” a mash-up of Count Basie’s “Goin’ to Chicago” with Sufjan Stevens’ “Chicago.” Redman will be touring the project across the U.S. and Europe following the album’s release.
- 8/5/2023
- by Music Martin Cid Magazine
- Martin Cid Music
Inspired by the vestiges of a bygone industrial age in places like Flint and Ypsilanti, as well as the enduring grandeur of Tahquamenon Falls, Sufjan Stevens’s Michigan was, to borrow from William Butler Yeats by way of Joan Didion, something of a “slouch towards Bethlehem.” Set against the backdrop of a nation grappling with the effect of globalization, the slow creep of post-modern isolationism, and the trauma of 9/11, the album serves as both a freeze-frame of an era and a signpost of a new direction for indie music in 2003.
Michigan was the first entry in Stevens’s 50 States Project, with a proposed album about each state in the United States. The ambitious series was ultimately revealed to be, at least in part, a joke, with only one other album—2005’s Illinois—ever completed.
Michigan isn’t just Stevens’s home state, but a microcosm of the broader challenges faced...
Michigan was the first entry in Stevens’s 50 States Project, with a proposed album about each state in the United States. The ambitious series was ultimately revealed to be, at least in part, a joke, with only one other album—2005’s Illinois—ever completed.
Michigan isn’t just Stevens’s home state, but a microcosm of the broader challenges faced...
- 6/28/2023
- by Jackson Rickun
- Slant Magazine
Sufjan Stevens has announced that he’s partnered with Third Man Pressings to release a new special edition vinyl honoring the 20th anniversary of his third studio album, Michigan. Featuring alternate versions of “Romulus” and “Vito’s Ordination Song,” as well as never-before-heard cuts like “Marching Band” and “Wolverine,” the new edition will expand on the sonic world Stevens created while honoring his home state. Each of the colored vinyl variants will hit shelves this upcoming week.
Coordinated with Third Man’s Detroit location, the new vinyl comes in three shades. A “Great Lakes Blue” edition will be released on June 13th at 10:30 a.m. Et, and will be available online as well as at Third Man’s physical stores. The “University of Michigan/Michigan State Akr” edition, released with Asthmatic Kitty Records, will be available at Asthmatic Kitty’s store beginning June 14th at 10:00 a.m. Et,...
Coordinated with Third Man’s Detroit location, the new vinyl comes in three shades. A “Great Lakes Blue” edition will be released on June 13th at 10:30 a.m. Et, and will be available online as well as at Third Man’s physical stores. The “University of Michigan/Michigan State Akr” edition, released with Asthmatic Kitty Records, will be available at Asthmatic Kitty’s store beginning June 14th at 10:00 a.m. Et,...
- 6/9/2023
- by Jo Vito
- Consequence - Music
Sufjan Stevens has revealed his latest project Reflections, a score to his frequent collaborator Justin Peck’s ballet of the same name. It’ll be out today, May 19th via his own label Asthmatic Kitty.
Stevens wrote Reflections for two pianos, while Peck, whose recent credits also include Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story remake, choreographed its eleven dancers. The Houston Ballet originally commissioned the show, which premiered on March 21st, 2019. Piano might not be Stevens’ first instrument (fun fact: it was the oboe), but the format lends itself to moving and whimsical compositions. Per his words, the score is meant to emanate “energy, light, and duality,” although he certainly doesn’t take himself too seriously here: The closing track is called “And I Shall Come to You Like a Stormtrooper in Drag Serving Imperial Realness.”
“I’m constantly thinking about bodies moving through space when I’m writing for...
Stevens wrote Reflections for two pianos, while Peck, whose recent credits also include Steven Spielberg’s West Side Story remake, choreographed its eleven dancers. The Houston Ballet originally commissioned the show, which premiered on March 21st, 2019. Piano might not be Stevens’ first instrument (fun fact: it was the oboe), but the format lends itself to moving and whimsical compositions. Per his words, the score is meant to emanate “energy, light, and duality,” although he certainly doesn’t take himself too seriously here: The closing track is called “And I Shall Come to You Like a Stormtrooper in Drag Serving Imperial Realness.”
“I’m constantly thinking about bodies moving through space when I’m writing for...
- 5/19/2023
- by Abby Jones
- Consequence - Music
Two of metal’s most iconic mascots — Iron Maiden’s Eddie and Anthrax’s ornery flatbill-cap-wearing Not-Man — are joining forces for the Among the Living in-game event in Maiden’s Legacy of the Beast mobile game.
For this latest dungeon event, the plot of Anthrax’s recent Among the Living graphic novel serves as the premise, as players venture through the wreckage of a recently destroyed New York City. Not-Man is out for revenge, and he’s got Eddie in tow.
“We couldn’t be happier to be featured in this game,” commented Anthrax, who join an esteemed group of major bands that have appeared in Lotb.
The band continued: “When the idea came up, we were completely taken aback by it, like, ‘Are you serious?’ You have Eddie, one of the greatest mascots of all-time, and the Not-Man. When you see the Non-Man’s face, you identify it with Anthrax.
For this latest dungeon event, the plot of Anthrax’s recent Among the Living graphic novel serves as the premise, as players venture through the wreckage of a recently destroyed New York City. Not-Man is out for revenge, and he’s got Eddie in tow.
“We couldn’t be happier to be featured in this game,” commented Anthrax, who join an esteemed group of major bands that have appeared in Lotb.
The band continued: “When the idea came up, we were completely taken aback by it, like, ‘Are you serious?’ You have Eddie, one of the greatest mascots of all-time, and the Not-Man. When you see the Non-Man’s face, you identify it with Anthrax.
- 5/18/2023
- by Jon Hadusek
- Consequence - Music
One night before releasing their ninth album, The National appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon to deliver a stirring rendition of “Eucalyptus.” Watch the performance below.
The appearance coincided with the release of The National’s new album, The First Two Pages of Frankenstein (out today), and comes nearly two months after they last appeared on Fallon, when they performed “Tropic Morning News.” This time, vocalist Matt Berninger gave an particularly evocative performance, especially as he belted the song’s main refrain: “You should take it/ ‘Cause I’m not gonna take it.”
The First Two Pages of Frankenstein is the band’s first album since 2019’s I Am Easy to Find. Embracing themes of reflection while setting into a familiar sonic palette, the record is another example of The National’s signature introspection, but features some of their first big-name collaborations. Sufjan Stevens, Phoebe Bridgers, and Taylor Swift all make appearances.
The appearance coincided with the release of The National’s new album, The First Two Pages of Frankenstein (out today), and comes nearly two months after they last appeared on Fallon, when they performed “Tropic Morning News.” This time, vocalist Matt Berninger gave an particularly evocative performance, especially as he belted the song’s main refrain: “You should take it/ ‘Cause I’m not gonna take it.”
The First Two Pages of Frankenstein is the band’s first album since 2019’s I Am Easy to Find. Embracing themes of reflection while setting into a familiar sonic palette, the record is another example of The National’s signature introspection, but features some of their first big-name collaborations. Sufjan Stevens, Phoebe Bridgers, and Taylor Swift all make appearances.
- 4/28/2023
- by Jo Vito
- Consequence - Music
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