3 Songs on Shuffle (Live Sufjan Stevens by Clicking Here!!!)

October is almost here and I feel like I sense Autumn before I actually feel it. Maybe the date on the calendar just triggers some switch in my brain that recalls fallen leaves, apple cider, and brisk days of Autumn's past. Who knows?

Currently listening to a band called Girls. The song album, which is called "Album" (catchy title), is very good. A lot of old influences at work--'60s rock and soul definitely. Will probably be giving this another listen soon.

Song 1: Come On! Feel the Illinoise!, Sufjan Stevens
Title track from Sufjan Stevens' great 2007 album. This is the guy who of course claimed he wanted to make an album for each of the 50 states. He's done one for Illinois and for Michigan, so if he was being truthful, he's got some work to do. Sufjan's music is filled with a lot of interesting stuff--polyrhythms, horns, bells, layering of textures, mood shifts. It's kind of like an indie rock symphonic piece. Being from Illinois, the album is extra fun (current part of the song is talking about being approached by the ghost of Carl Sandburg), but this was pretty well-loved outside of my homeland, so I hear. Apparently Sufjan is getting ready to release an all instrumental album soon. Can't wait!

Song 2: Possum, Phish
Ok, I'm not a huge Phish fan. I liked their album "Farmhouse", but jam bands occasionally get on my nerves. Maybe you need to be on 'shrooms and at their concert to "get" a 25 minute all out jam. Can't you accomplish it a little quicker? I mean, these are rock chords they are jamming on, not complex jazz chords. There's only so much you can do. All right, I'm sounding a bit elitist. On the other hand I do like improvised music and a lot of their songs are fun. They're pretty good musicians, even though Trey Anastasio's voice is kind of hit or miss. I downloaded this for a couple of their covers, which they provide ample amounts of. I'm always intrigued by cover songs. I like to see what direction a band takes with the work on a artist that may be completely different. This tune I think is a Phish original that clocks in at a mere 8:25. It's all right. Good fun rock and roll. I still prefer The Dead, though.

Song 3: Strange Condition, Pete Yorn
I guess the iTunes is giving me some live stuff to work with. This was somewhat of a radio hit. It's got a lot of pop sensibility to it. I like this version. Pete's voice isn't as polished as the album version. Little bit more gravel and drawl in it, which I enjoy a lot more than hearing someone hitting every note spot on. He gets his point across a lot quicker than Phish. Not to say that I'm particularly bowled over by this performance. I think I've heard this song too many times to have a lot of opinion on it.

There's three songs for you to ponder, as you ponder the advent of Autumn, as well. Nothing particularly Autumny about the above three, but I think songs have a way of taking on a different life in different parts of the year. Are summer hits as powerful during the winter? If the song "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley would have been released during autumn rather than summer, would it still have been such a big hit?

The songs playing right now are actually a lot more interesting than 2/3 of what I just wrote about. Oh well, shuffle'll help you and it'll let you down sometimes too. Enjoy your Sunday!

Click on today's blog title for a live performance of Sufjan Stevens performing the song "The Man From Metropolis Steals Our Hearts".