Good Morning, Video Game

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This isn't our typical "Good Morning" post, no, but when I got the alert on my phone this morning that there was New Sufjan Music to listen to I knew I'd be spending my morning listening to New Sufjan Music and why should you also have that privilege? Not only is there New Sufjan Music but there's a New Sufjan Music Video! His second song called "Video Game" off of his forthcoming album The Ascension -- which you can buy here and which drops in full on September 25th -- has arrived and the video, starring Jalaiah Harmon, who I am told created a viral dance called "Renegade" but I am far too un-hip to have any idea what that means. But she seems super cool in the video, which is like one of my Trapper Keepers from Middle School come to life. Anyway I previously told you about the album, with the track listing and the first song called "America" at this post here. Now watch!

This song's a catchy one, it's already firmly planted in my head for the day after a few listens on my commute. Also tell me that gif up top from the video doesn't immediately make you think of this:

ETA oh I actually got a press release about the video! I like being on this list! They included some quotes about the video, the dance, and the album as a whole, and I'll share it with you after the jump...

New Sufjan Record Imminent!

Along with those exquisite Aaron Taylor-Johnson photos for Esquire I was bombarded with a LOT of hot information when I sat down to my desk this here Monday morning -- including the news that Sufjan Stevens, our favorite sex-folk crooner, has a new album coming out! As seen on the cover above the title plashed in pink puffy paint (and only Sufjan could get me to type the phrase "pink puffy paint") is Javelin and it is out in full on October 6th. You can pre-order a copy right here. Here is the tracklist:

“Goodbye Evergreen”

“A Running Start”

“Will Anybody Ever Love Me”

“Everything That Rises”

“Genuflecting Ghost”

“My Red Little Fox”

“So You Are Tired”

“Javelin (To Have And To Hold)”

“Shit Talk”

“There's A World”

And he's already released the song called "So Are You Tired"

along with a lyric video, which you can watch right here:

I will share the very long press release down below, but I want to highlight something that the short version I got in my email said:

"All CD and LP editions of Javelin include a 48-page book of art and essays all created by Sufjan, including a series of collages, cut-up catalog fantasies, puff-paint word clouds, and color fields. The ten short essays offer little glimpses into loves and losses that have shaped Sufjan, and, in turn, these songs."

No, not "puff paint" -- we already covered that. It's the part about the attached book of essays where Sufjan will "offer little glimpses into loves and losses that have shaped" him. Umm. Do we think? Maybe...? Might he...? I daren't even say it, that feels like it'll jinx it. But as I have said before -- if writing those songs for Call Me By Your Name wasn't a "coming out" I don't know what could be. But... I suppose this could be? I daren't! Anyway hit the jump for the long press release if you're so inclined...

Good Morning, Ascension

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Good Morning & Happy Sufjan Stevens New Music Announcement Day!!! I got to my office and the first email that greeted me today was one from Sufjan's label Asthmatic Kitty announcing The Ascension, Sufjan's first album of new music (save some side-projects) since the beautiful and perfect Carrie & Lowell in 2016. Here's the cover:
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That is a very Sufjan cover. Reminds me of The Age of Adz cover. Anyway click on over here for purchasing information -- the 15-track record will be out on September 25th. Here are the track titles:

1. Make Me An Offer I Cannot Refuse (5:19)

2. Run Away With Me (4:07)

3. Video Game (4:16)

4. Lamentations (3:42)

5. Tell Me You Love Me (4:22)

6. Die Happy (5:47)

7. Ativan (6:32)

8. Ursa Major (3:43)

9. Landslide (5:04)

10. Gilgamesh (3:50)

11. Death Star (4:04)

12. Goodbye To All That (3:48)

13. Sugar (7:37)

14. The Ascension (5:56)

15. America (12:30)

Seeing an over-12-minute-long Sufjan song always gets me hard -- if anybody knows how to structure a song to infinity and beyond it's our sensitive folk boy from Michigan here. Am I a little bit sad that we're still not getting an official release of my favorite song "Majesty Snowbird" -- of course I am. But I think we're going to have to wait until he gets to the place where he's dropping a live-album about the tour that song was a part of, at this point. That 12-minute song called "America" is hilariously the first single for the record though, and in two days it will premiere right here:

I'll make sure to remind y'all of that in two days. Anyway it's impossible to suss out a theme for the album at this point, and hey maybe this one doesn't have an over-arching theme -- I'm surprised there's no statement attached to the announcement, he usually has something (plenty) to say. But the music always speaks for itself. Anyway this is a very good thing to wake up to! Always! Now let's make it better by posting some pictures of Sufjan in summertimes past to set our spirits to rise after the jump...

I Feel the Darkness on My Back

I must have felt a tingling in the Sufjan (that's the gay version of The Force) a couple of days ago because I suddenly had to put on his most recent album The Ascension for the first time in a few weeks -- and here we are, and it's a Thursday, and a new music video for the song "Tell Me You Love Me" (possibly my favorite on the album) has dropped, and it was directed by Luca Guadagnino. Cue angel choirs. Here's a quote from Luca:

"The aching feeling of loving and wanting to be loved, the mystery of bodies that clash, the uncanny aspects of nature, the sublime music poetry and voice of Sufjan—all this went into this video that I am proud to have made with the collaboration of two more great artists, Alessio Bolzoni and Celia Hempton.”

Bolzoni is a photographer, and Celia Hampton an installation artist. And Sufjan and Luca of course, as any person worth their weight in short shorts and peach juice knows, collaborated on the film Call Me By Your Name, to celebrated effect -- Sufjan landed an Oscar nomination and went from just the cool gays (i.e. me, a'duh) liking him to All The Gays. It's fine! There's plenty to go around! Anyway like all of the other music videos for this album -- see my previous coverage here -- there's no beautiful Sufjan to be seen; the video focuses on dancers. Anyway I really love this song and am psyched this is the one Luca snatched up. Watch!

Happy New Sufjan Day!

Put on your banjo pants and your favorite star-spangled banners, because The Ascension, the new album from the artist presently known as Sufjan Stevens, is available for streaming on all of your streaming platforms today! The physical release got delayed a couple of weeks -- my big fancy vinyl set is set to arrive in mid-October. But I was able to use my telephone like a futuristic robot to listen to the record this morning on my way to work -- I have a long commute but the record is longer, meaning I didn't make it all the way through by the time I sat down to my desk and started typing things. But I dig the funky beats I have so far heard!

Sufjan sings
PUT THE LOTION IN THE BASKET
on his new record
It has all been worth it

— Jason Adams (@JAMNPP) September 25, 2020

 

That photo up top is from a new chat with the singer-man at The Guardian, which I haven't read yet. I just look at pictures now. It's 2020, I don't have to read! Fuck yeah!

Quote of the Day

"I’ve been doing this for 20 years, and how many songs have I written about my own personal grievances [with] judgment against myself, self-deprecation, and sorrow? I was like, No, I don’t want to write another song about my dead mother. I want to write a song that is casting judgment against the world.”

There's a fascinating new chat with Sufjan Stevens up over at The Atlantic where he talks about the ideas and inspirations behind his new album The Ascension, which is out on September 25th. Fascinating because it's far less mired in bullshit than Sufjan chats are -- and I say that as His Number One All the Way back Fan, but reading interviews with him sometimes is exhausting, and this one, even in content, is all about putting bullshit behind him. You can feel that vibe on the three songs released off the album so far -- here's the most recent one called "Sugar" which I've been on top of all week non-stop. Depressingly Sufjan admits he's moved up into the Catskill Mountains and out of New York, though -- sad I won't see him around town anymore once we, you know, are able to "go outdoors again" or whatever...

Come on Sufjan Gimme Some Sugar

New Sufjan Song!  New Sufjan Song! His song "Sugar" -- along with its really beautifully shot and choreographed music video, which you'll see down, below -- has dropped today! This is the third single off of The Ascension, his new album which is out in TEN DAYS!!!! I am so so excited. I've loved all three songs so far -- see "Video Game" here and see "America" here -- and have been listening to them non-stop... well okay "Sugar" has only been out for five minutes but I already love it, and can see it taking over the next ten days until THE ENTIRE ALBUM IS MINE ALL MINE...