Sufjan Stevens Hearts "Eternal Flame"
This being Stereogum, it's our duty to keep you updated on the man behind both your favorite '05 CD and indie rock fantasies. Spin recently caught up with Sufjan Stevens to find out what's on his iPod. Well duh, Sufjan doesn't have an iPod -- when he wants to listen to music, he calls over a harpist and an eight-piece boys' choir.
SUFJAN STEVENS: I don't have the inclination to discover new music. Honestly, I don't really care.However, he does reveal The Music That Changed His Life. And it's what you'd expect: Judee Sill's Heart Food, Mike Oldfield's Ommadawn, and a bunch of shit we never heard of. But Sufjan throws one curveball:
SUFJAN STEVENS: The Bangles' Everything. This is the first tape I ever bought with my own money. They wrote great songs, were talented performers, and they were supermodels. I know they were ripping off early girl-punk bands from the '70s, but there was something about the way they did it. It was so streamlined and well crafted. This is the one indulgence from the Top 40 that I still like.Everybody now: Say my name, sun shines through the rain...
Speaking of Bangles, Matthew "Sid" Sweet and Susanna "Susie" Hoffs (who collaborated as Ming Tea in Austin Powers) are releasing an album of '60s covers.
Matthew Sweet & Susanna Hoffs Under The CoversStream three tracks here. The duo plays Hotel Cafe in LA on 3/1 and 3/8, then heads to SXSW for a show at The Drink on 3/18.
01. I See The Rain (The Marmalade)
02. And Your Bird Can Sing (The Beatles)
03. It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue (Bob Dylan)
04. Who Knows Where The Time Goes? (Fairport Convention)
05. Cinnamon Girl (Neil Young And Crazy Horse)
06. Alone Again Or (Love)
07. Warmth Of The Sun (The Beach Boys)
08. Different Drum (The Stone Poneys)
09. The Kids Are Alright (The Who)
10. Sunday Morning (The Velvet Underground)
11. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere (Neil Young)
12. Care Of Cell ..44 (The Zombies)
13. Monday Monday (The Mamas And The Papas)
14. She May Call You Up Tonight (The Left Banke)
15. Run To Me (The Bee Gees)
I have this so-crazy-it's-awesome orchestral version of "Walk Like An Egyptian" by Henry Mancini I'll upload later.
Posted at 1:10 PM
i love her.
Posted by: richard at February 23, 2006 1:23 PM | ReplyScore = 0
Matthew Sweet is not lookin' good. Actually, he's starting to look a bit like Brian Wilson circa late '60s/early '70s.
Posted by: Jason at February 23, 2006 1:34 PM | ReplyScore = 0
Seriously!
Matthew.
When did you start looking crazy old and junk?
Suze, you're still a peach off my Grandmother's tree.
Posted by: sven at February 23, 2006 1:43 PM | ReplyScore = 0
OMG - He looks like my stalker!
If I had one.
Posted by: Jen at February 23, 2006 2:06 PM | ReplyScore = 0
He's lookin' a little crusty, but still rockin' the poppy hum-doodle-do like no one's business. And he's hangin' with Hoffs. Which is more than most of us could hope for.
Posted by: Theo at February 23, 2006 2:16 PM | ReplyScore = 0
Tonight, instead of Jared Leto, the role of Mark David Chapman will be played by Matthew Sweet.
Posted by: Ben at February 23, 2006 2:51 PM | ReplyScore = 0
Matthew Sweet killed John Lennon?
Susannah looks beautiful!
Posted by: Rina at February 23, 2006 2:53 PM | ReplyScore = 0
Amazing call with the cover of "The Care of Cell 44." Such a "sweet" track (hah).
Posted by: the management at February 23, 2006 2:59 PM | ReplyScore = 0
I like the fat, crazy lookin' M. Sweet.. He tried marketing himself as a prettyboy back in the late 80's... no one bought it. The uglier he gets, the better his creative output. I can respect that.
BTW, Hoffs has done some other great covers in the past... one of my favorites is her version of The Lightning Seeds' "All I Want". Obscure song, but a great result.
Posted by: Joey Headset at February 23, 2006 3:08 PM | ReplyScore = 0
Sunsanna is still hot stuff, but man the years have not been kind t matthew
Posted by: seamus at February 23, 2006 3:49 PM | ReplyScore = 0
Sunsanna is still hot stuff, but man the years have not been kind t matthew
Posted by: seamus at February 23, 2006 3:49 PM | ReplyScore = 0
Yeah, aging is a bitch. People who age tend to look worse than they did they were young. . . unless they have plastic surgery. Isn't that right, Susanna?
Posted by: Darwin at February 23, 2006 4:18 PM | ReplyScore = 0
Ooh, snap! Especially coming from Darwin, because, you know, evolution or something.
Posted by: John S at February 23, 2006 5:31 PM | ReplyScore = 0
I really adore Matthew Sweet but he scares the shit out of me. Check out the pic on his MySpace page...yikes.
Posted by: sasefina at February 23, 2006 6:02 PM | ReplyScore = 0
When I saw the pic I thought Sweet (whose music I did, and still do, play ad nauseum) looked a bit like that crazy hobbit right before he kills his buddy and starts his dark slide into Gollum-hood.
That Sufjan loves Flame is great but where, I ask, is a recording of him covering it?
Posted by: Skatelip at February 23, 2006 6:51 PM | ReplyScore = 0
CREEPY PERV ALERT! LOOK OUT SUSANNA! HE'S RIGHT BEHIND YOU!
Posted by: LL Cool F at February 23, 2006 7:06 PM | ReplyScore = 0
Hoffs = perfect girl for ned hepburn. ever. serious. holy. wow.
and you NEED to upload that Walk Like An Egyptian cover, mang.
Posted by: Ned Hepburn at February 23, 2006 7:26 PM | ReplyScore = 0
I love how Sufjan's more of a dick in each interview he does. So much praise of so little consequence shouldn't give him so big an ego.
Posted by: G3K at February 23, 2006 8:53 PM | ReplyScore = 0
Susannah Hoffs has always bugged the snot out of me. That said, I love Matthew Sweet and am looking forward to hearing this.
Posted by: corianderstem at February 23, 2006 11:07 PM | ReplyScore = 0
Spin. Surfjam. iPod.
I quit.
Posted by: ryan p at February 24, 2006 10:48 AM | ReplyScore = 0
"Sufjan doesn't have an iPod -- when he wants to listen to music, he calls over a harpist and an eight-piece boys' choir."
Is Sufjan the indie version of Chuck Norris now? I mean, the guy's good, but you have to draw the line somewhere.
Posted by: josh mcc at February 24, 2006 12:45 PM | ReplyScore = 0
I've been checking back every few hours for that Henry Mancini cover of "WALK LIKE AN EGYPTION"...hopefully we'll see that soon, eh? ;)
Posted by: Brandon at February 24, 2006 6:09 PM | ReplyScore = 0
Brandon, I posted just for you!
Posted by: scott at February 24, 2006 6:50 PM | ReplyScore = 0
Whoa. Matthew Sweet = Dwight Schrute.
Think about it.
Posted by: Jake at February 25, 2006 7:57 PM | ReplyScore = 0