About
Through a handful of masterful LPs, a few self-perpetuated myths (he claims
to have been left on his parent's Detroit doorstep in 1975) and a memorable
name, Sufjan (pronounced "soof-yawn") Stevens has charmed the Dickies off
America's underground. As if all that wasn't enough, the guy claims to have
taught knitting to the blind.
Stevens first took the stage while a student at Michigan's Hope College with
little-known Michigan indie act Marzuki, though he left the band in 1999 to
embark on a solo career in New York City. His first record, A Sun
Came, debuted in 2000 to modest critical acclaim; Enjoy Your
Rabbit followed it up in 2001. But it was Stevens' stunning dedication
to his home state, 2003's Greetings from Michigan: The Great Lakes
State, that earned him a wide international following. Michigan's
cleverly orchestrated songs and the songwriter's ambitions to release a
record for each state of the union received loads of critical lip service
and made Michigan a popular hit. Though its follow-up, Seven
Swans, had no geographical themes, Stevens came back to the states for
project 2005's Illinois. Two records came in 2006: a collection of
outtakes, The Avalanche, and a sprawling three-disc collection of
holiday music, Songs for Christmas.
- Nate Cavalieri
- Portions of Album Content Provided by All Music Guide © 2009 All Media Guide, LLC.