Story by: Paul Haney

Following last year's best-of mainstay Illinois, Sufjan Stevens, who's lauded state-themed record saw his profile increase ten-fold in 2005, is set to release a record of outtakes from that celebrated album's sessions. Apparently, according to the press release, Illinois was at first intended to be a double album, which was scrapped in favor of the more compact, yet no-less epic, twenty-plus tracks of the single disc version. It seems Stevens still has much territory left to cover in the great state, with songs dedicated to Ann Landers, among others. In addition to re-recording some bits to give the record a more finished feel, there will be three (yes, three) alternate version's of the Illinois favorite "Chicago" as well as the previously vinyl-only tune "The Avalanche." Titled The Avalanche: Outtakes And Extras From The Illinois Album, the record is due July 25. No word yet on Stevens's next chosen state (here's hoping it's Maryland!), and although rumored on the blogs earlier this week, Stevens is not due to have a child with former-Sub Pop songsmith Rosie Thomas. A blood heir to the State project will just have to wait.

Tracklist For The Avalanche:
01. The Avalanche
02. Dear Mr Supercomputer
03. Adlai Stevenson
04. The Vivian Girls Are Visited In The Night By Saint Dargarius And His Squadron Of Benevolent Butterflies
05. Chicago (Acoustic Version)
06. The Henney Buggy Band
07. Saul Bellow
08. Carlyle Lake
09. Springfield, Or Bobby Got A Shadfly Caught In His Hair
10. The Mistress Witch From McClure (Or, The Mind That Knows Itself)
11. Kaskaskia River
12. Chicago (Adult Contemporary Easy Listening Version)
13. Inaugural Pop Music For Jane Margaret Byrne
14. No Man's Land
15. The Palm Sunday Tornado Hits Crystal Lake
16. The Pick-Up
17. The Perpetual Self, Or "What Would Saul Alinsky Do?"
18. For Clyde Tombaugh
19. Chicago (Multiple Personality Disorder Version)
20. Pittsfield
21. The Undivided Self (For Eppie And Popo)


http://www.cmj.com/articles/display_...hp?id=11047255



Anyone else think he is great?

__________________
Well, it was no Goodburger.

If only one of his homemade sex tapes would surface online. Well hopefully it would be a gay sex tape.

His music reminds me of getting high and giving handjobs and blowjobs in the showers or one the top bunk at Methodist Youth Fellowship Camp. It all spiritual, beautiful, dirty and hot. HMMMMM. Sufjan. YUUUMMMM.

These actually exist? Consider me intrigued.

Fantastic news. You can listen to two of the tracks:

here - "The Avalanche"
and here... "Adlai Stevenson"

As you'd expect they're gorgeous.

thanks!