I love finding new bands to love. Right now, I'm stuck on this one.
Sufjan Stevens. Let me be honest, I have a hard time getting unstuck on his music. It is my favorite, leagues above the rest. The band I'd fly across the country to see, the rock star I'd most want to meet, I would even invite him to my ficticious dinner party. Yes, I do love his music. And not surprisingly, it is brilliant. His use of multiple intstruments - some instruments that I've never even heard of - blended together to create a powerful piece of music. Several artist use large numbers of instrument and what results is a chaotic, distracting piece of 25 sounds competing against each other. What Sufjan creates is a rise of beautiful sound, all pieces working together, sound that makes you want to turn it up as loud as it will go and get lost in the sound. Couple that with stories about history, mixed in with statements of how those stories affect Sufjan's beliefs. I love his boldness in his songs, his honesty about his faith and his struggles.
Now, I tend to be picky with my music. If I'm honest, I don't like stuff once everyone discovers it. I like being the first to know and get sick of it once it reaches mainstream. Sufjan is my exception. My love began with Michigan. Grew with leaps and bounds with Seven Swans (my favorite album). And solidified with Illinoise. I love the Christmas album, I love the new songs he's written for NPR, the tribute to Joni Mitchell, even the weirdness that is Enjoy Your Rabbit. I had someone tell me once that they don't like Sufjan because every song sounds alike - they clearly haven't listened to Enjoy Your Rabbit. If that's you, download a song from that album, you will have no basis for your arguement.
So if you are reading this and don't know Sufjan, go on itunes and buy these:
- The Dress Looks Nice on You
- The Transfiguration
- The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out to Get Us
- Casimir Pulaski Day
I promise you won't be disappointed!
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
My favorite books
I spend a lot of time reading. And I enjoy reading all kinds of books. But it's hard to find good ones. And it's such a disappointment when you spend the time to read a book that's just not that good. So here's a list of my favorites.
1. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. One of the best new books I have read. Eugenides tells the unconventional coming of age story about a girl struggling with her sexuality. The book is raw in the way that it deals with emotions and social norms. If you are interested in reading light-hearted books, this selection is not for you. If you want to read a book that challenges the way you view people, dealing with the extreme of an abnormal person trying unsuccessfully to conform, buy the book. I promise it won't disappoint and may even leave you feeling encouraged in the strange ways we all find ourselves pulled into wanting to be accepted.
2. Slaughter House Five by Kurt Vonnegut. It took me 26 years to read this book. Honestly, I was expecting the hyped up nature to disappoint when I finally got to reading it. Even with that skeptisism, I founnd myself unable to put the book down. Vonnegut is one of the best written authors I've come across. He takes a boring subject, the existence of time or lack there of, and manages to breath life into it in a way that not only validates the question of it's existence, but you find yourself wanting to take up his life stance of "so it goes." This book is a must read, regardless of the book style you enjoy.
3. The Path to Power, The Years of Lyndon Johnson by Robert Caro. I received this 960 page book as a Christmas present last year from my boyfriend who claims it's the best book he's ever read. Needless to say, I had no choice but to read this daunting book about a man that I have little to no interest in that I had no intention of enjoying. About 20 pages in, I found myself planning my schedule around reading. Two hundred pages in, I was telling my family and friends all about my new LBJ knowledge, in disbelief of the character of young LBJ. By nine hundred pages, I had to run to the store to buy the second book, The Means of Ascent - a 600 page book which I read in a week. Never have I been more enthralled by a character, fictional or real. If you are a lover of politics or biographies, this book (and really series) is a no brainer. Caro dedicated his adult life to writing about LBJ, going as far as moving to new cities for years at a time to understand what it was like for Johnson. His dedication to telling the whole story to LBJ is unmatched. I would also argue that even if you have no interest in politics and don't normally read biographies, this book is also for you.
4. Beach Music by Pat Conroy. My book list cannot be complete without a Pat Conroy novel. The story teller of story tellers. He draws you in, making you fall in love with the people in his books, so much so that one becomes sad when the novel ends and you feel like you are loosing friends. In my opinion, this book is his best. He brings to life South Carolina and all it's history as he tells the story of a family who has to confront it's past in order to start enjoying life.
1. Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides. One of the best new books I have read. Eugenides tells the unconventional coming of age story about a girl struggling with her sexuality. The book is raw in the way that it deals with emotions and social norms. If you are interested in reading light-hearted books, this selection is not for you. If you want to read a book that challenges the way you view people, dealing with the extreme of an abnormal person trying unsuccessfully to conform, buy the book. I promise it won't disappoint and may even leave you feeling encouraged in the strange ways we all find ourselves pulled into wanting to be accepted.
2. Slaughter House Five by Kurt Vonnegut. It took me 26 years to read this book. Honestly, I was expecting the hyped up nature to disappoint when I finally got to reading it. Even with that skeptisism, I founnd myself unable to put the book down. Vonnegut is one of the best written authors I've come across. He takes a boring subject, the existence of time or lack there of, and manages to breath life into it in a way that not only validates the question of it's existence, but you find yourself wanting to take up his life stance of "so it goes." This book is a must read, regardless of the book style you enjoy.
3. The Path to Power, The Years of Lyndon Johnson by Robert Caro. I received this 960 page book as a Christmas present last year from my boyfriend who claims it's the best book he's ever read. Needless to say, I had no choice but to read this daunting book about a man that I have little to no interest in that I had no intention of enjoying. About 20 pages in, I found myself planning my schedule around reading. Two hundred pages in, I was telling my family and friends all about my new LBJ knowledge, in disbelief of the character of young LBJ. By nine hundred pages, I had to run to the store to buy the second book, The Means of Ascent - a 600 page book which I read in a week. Never have I been more enthralled by a character, fictional or real. If you are a lover of politics or biographies, this book (and really series) is a no brainer. Caro dedicated his adult life to writing about LBJ, going as far as moving to new cities for years at a time to understand what it was like for Johnson. His dedication to telling the whole story to LBJ is unmatched. I would also argue that even if you have no interest in politics and don't normally read biographies, this book is also for you.
4. Beach Music by Pat Conroy. My book list cannot be complete without a Pat Conroy novel. The story teller of story tellers. He draws you in, making you fall in love with the people in his books, so much so that one becomes sad when the novel ends and you feel like you are loosing friends. In my opinion, this book is his best. He brings to life South Carolina and all it's history as he tells the story of a family who has to confront it's past in order to start enjoying life.
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