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5CD
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AKR 028CD
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"In December 2001, Sufjan Stevens set out to create a Christmas gift for his friends and family. The result was a 7-song recording that he called, Noel, Vol. 1. Over each of the next few Christmas seasons Sufjan would create a new EP to add to the collection. As he was recording Peace : Volume V (in the summer of 2006), he considered how best to 'officially' release this music. He said he was, 'determined to present the EPs in their original form -- flaws, blemishes, mistakes and all. A compilation would have been a cumbersome compromise. A 'Greatest Hits' would have been heartbreaking (how to choose?).' In addition to the music he wanted to add a 'lavish display of ornamentation' to coincide with the spirit of excess and overindulgence that is the hallmark of Christmas."
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2LP
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AKR 014LP
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Double LP version, available again.
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CD
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AKR 022CD
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"The little secret behind Sufjan Stevens' acclaimed Illinois is that it was originally conceived as a double album, culminating in a musical collage of nearly 50 songs. But as the project began to develop into an unwieldy epic, common sense weighed in -- as did the opinions of others -- and the project was cut in half. But as 2005 came to a close, Sufjan returned to the remaining songs on his 8-track. What he uncovered went beyond the merits of nostalgia. Sufjan gleaned 21 tracks from remaining material; some songs were in finished form, while others were merely outlines. Most of the material required substantial editing, new arrangements or vocals, and much of the work was done at the end of 2005 or in January the following year. As the title song 'The Avalanche' bemuses, 'I call you once my friends,' Sufjan took in the odd musical misfits and gathered them together like a party of good friends."
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CD
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AKR 014CD
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"Asthmatic Kitty announces the second installment of Sufjan Stevens' 50 State Project, Illinois, a 22-track anthemic tone poem to The Prairie State. Following the 2003 collection of songs for his home state, Michigan, Stevens presents an emphatic answer to the question: Can a songwriter express the spirit of a state he's never called home? With his most enterprising project to date -- the result of extensive research, travel, meditation, and countless days and nights in the studio -- admirers of his previous work and first time listeners will agree that the answer is yes. On this second state tour, Sufjan weaves variegated musical styles (jazz, funk, pop) and instrumental textures (from oboe to church organ) into a tapestry of persons famous, infamous, and anonymous, and places iconic, obscure, and ghostly. The musical road trip takes you through ghost towns, grain mills, hospital rooms, and the City of Broad Shoulders, with guest appearances by a poet, a president, and a serial murderer, to name a few."
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2LP
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AKR 007LP
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"Asthmatic Kitty and Sounds Familyre announce the vinyl edition of Sufjan Stevens' Michigan. On two LPs, this special edition includes alternate versions of 'Vito's Ordination song,' 'Romulus,' and five out-takes not included on the original CD release. Also new to this edition is an essay on the songs by Sufjan Stevens. Composed as a geographical tone poem, Michigan follows a Metaphysical expedition through the idiosyncrasies of middle America. Drawing from personal anecdote, regional history, and state heritage, Stevens mixes social and political grievances with songs about snowmobiles, Henry Ford, the Detroit riots, and love."
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CD
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AKR 009CD
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"Asthmatic Kitty announces a new edition of A Sun Came, the 1999 debut album by Sufjan Stevens. Widely acclaimed for Michigan (2003), and Seven Swans (2004), singer/songwriter Sufjan Steven's first solo collection has been skillfully re-mastered, with two previously unreleased tracks and new art by Stephen Halker. Recorded on 4-track while still in college, A Sun Came first demonstrated Sufjan's eclectic instrumentalism -- he plays over a dozen instruments here -- noted production skills, and heartfelt songwriting. Though little known until listeners and reviewers discovered Michigan last year, A Sun Came foreshadows Sufjan's later work, and stands on it's own as an expression of his unique talents."
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