Come On Feel The Illinoise

I've really gotten into the album Illinois by Sufjan (pronounced SOOF-yan) Stevens, released last summer. This is his 2nd in a series of "state" albums -- he released Greetings From Michigan in 2003. He's claimed that he will produce one album about each of the 50 states, an absurd notion but fun to imagine nonetheless.

Anyway, many of the songs aren't technically about Illinois; instead they use Illinois locations and/or events as their jumping off point. A great example is Casimir Pulaski Day, a quiet but powerful reminiscence of a childhood sweetheart diagnosed with bone cancer. (Whether it's actually true, I have no idea). The March 1st state holiday is referenced only subtly. In my Googling for info about the song, I found a link where you can get the MP3. If you like it, by all means purchase the whole disc.

The rest of the album isn't quite as direct or literal. It's often wildly experimental the best Wilco/Radiohead tradition. A couple of other favorites are "Chicago" and "John Wayne Gacy, Jr.". And I swear that "The Tallest Man, the Broadest Shoulders" sounds EXACTLY like an early 70s Yes song as perfomed by a high school jazz band and chorus. Some songs (especially the instrumentals) are notable for their long and silly titles -- my favorite of these may be "To the Workers of the Rock River Valley Region, I Have an Idea Concerning Your Predicament, and It Involves an Inner Tube, Bath Mats, and 21 Able-bodied Men". It's fun to watch it slowly scroll across the iPod screen.