Sufjan Stevens vs. Christmas?

2012-10-14 by Julianna Reed EMERITUS | 67 Comments
Indie musician Sufjan Stevens has announced the release of a new holiday album, titled Silver & Gold. The album (in all its 58-songs glory) is set for release November 13, and additional information can be found on his Bandcamp link.

http://music.sufjan.com/album/silver-gold

Silver & Gold is deemed a "holiday album" only because of its subject matter, but upon further inspection this album's chock-full of jabs at the Christian holiday. Sufjan's made this much clear from the album's description. The piece opens with this:

"Christmas is a drag. Year after year, winter upon winter, we find ourselves “going through the motions of merriment,” possessed by a fervent celestial fever, conquered, squandered, beaten, broken, reduced to that clammy, pre-pubescent spoiled brat kid of our childhood, throwing a fit on Santa’s lap, faced with the hard-candy facts of reality, knowing for certain we will never really get what want for Christmas.

Or in life, for that matter.

This is the true horror-show catharsis of Christmas: the existential emptiness that perseveres in the heart of modern man as he recklessly pursues his search for happiness and comes up empty handed."

If you agree with the man's anti-venture-capitalism sentiments, you could pre-order the vinyl box set for a mere $120, although it wouldn't be advised. You could also go with the $15 digital download, which comes with a 40-page PDF liner note booklet. Hallulujah!

Tagged: Sufjan Stevens

Comments:Add a Comment 
Yuli
Emeritus
October 14th 2012
10767 Comments


Oh Sufjan, u so controversial! *giggles*

JohnnyoftheWell
October 14th 2012
64287 Comments


He boring

Trebor.
Emeritus
October 14th 2012
60331 Comments


A religious holiday bastardized into a capitalistic one yeah
I can't believe people still lie to their kids about santa, it's pretty fucked up

Thor
October 14th 2012
10384 Comments


wow this is pretty fucking stupid

Trebor.
Emeritus
October 14th 2012
60331 Comments


He's going to do in 58 songs what most people could say in 1

wacknizzle
October 14th 2012
14555 Comments


Damn Sufjan 58 tracks! So, about those other 48 states you promised...

Mickeymau5
October 14th 2012
1614 Comments


what a grinch

Yuli
Emeritus
October 14th 2012
10767 Comments


Robert, why would you say that about Christmas? Do you think it sponsors greed in kids?

I'm not questioning, just trying to understand. I really don't know how I feel about the topic.

Buzzkillr
October 14th 2012
1541 Comments


Damn, his anti-capitalist arguments totally convinced me to spend 120$ on his vinyl boxset.

Thank you basedsufjan!!

Buzzkillr
October 14th 2012
1541 Comments


holy fuck, there's only 319/2000 left. IT'S WORKING

theacademy
Staff Reviewer
October 14th 2012
31878 Comments




Apollo
October 14th 2012
10691 Comments


I fucking hate Christmas

Tijnmans
October 14th 2012
395 Comments


I fucking hate Christmas [2]
Last year I was on holiday and I spended my christmas lying on a beach so that wasn't bad.
This year it's shitty old traditions again. Oh god I fucking hate that christmas music!

Scoot
October 14th 2012
24159 Comments


this guy is kind of a queef

Youtellme
October 14th 2012
1351 Comments


omg he so edgy!!!!!

wacknizzle
October 14th 2012
14555 Comments


He may be a pretentious queef but he wrote some incredible music.

TRMshadow
October 14th 2012
5119 Comments


Cool! I was waiting for something like this! Pre-ordering CD box set right now!

Scoot
October 14th 2012
24159 Comments


his music has always been pretty overrated to me

wacknizzle
October 14th 2012
14555 Comments


That's cool. I personally love his albums Michigan and Illinois, still need to check out Adz.

manifestum
October 14th 2012
67 Comments


Moar Christmas H8.

chaseee
October 14th 2012
223 Comments


Well Sufjan Stevens is getting a lump of coal in his stocking this year...

larrytheslug
October 14th 2012
1587 Comments


hes gonna have more christmas albums than state albums if this keeps up.

CrazyFool84
October 14th 2012
1083 Comments


Jesus, give it a rest, we get it, you're so indie... move on, please.

MyDearWormwood
October 14th 2012
231 Comments


Respect lost.

HypedMerchant
October 14th 2012
532 Comments


"That's cool. I personally love his albums Michigan and Illinois, still need to check out Adz. "

Adz is, personally, his best. You should check it out soon.

Ethics
October 14th 2012
4112 Comments


I imagined him saying all of this with the face he has next to the article.

Trebor.
Emeritus
October 14th 2012
60331 Comments


I've had one of his albums rotting in my itunes forever

newjunkaesthetic93
October 14th 2012
1871 Comments


I fucking hate Christmas [3]

It's cool to be around family and friends, but it's still the worst fucking holiday ever.

Imperial
October 14th 2012
2155 Comments


Just shut up and play your music you fuckin' goof.

Gyromania
Contributing Reviewer
October 14th 2012
38374 Comments


hating on christmas seems like the 'cool' thing to do lately.

that quote from sufjan makes him sound like a pretentious douchebag.

Trebor.
Emeritus
October 14th 2012
60331 Comments


Why is he in Andy's room in the picture?

Spare
October 14th 2012
5567 Comments


why's everyone so mad bout this

seems ok

awal16
October 14th 2012
218 Comments


nothing says stickin it to the man like selling your music for 120 bucks. that'll show the greedy capitalist pigs who worship christmas.

Spare
October 14th 2012
5567 Comments


he never said anything negative about the capitalist element of christmas

Spare
October 14th 2012
5567 Comments


though i didn't read the whole thing on his page

Spare
October 14th 2012
5567 Comments


oh he did actually ok carry on

awal16
October 14th 2012
218 Comments


oh my gawd guyz, you can get temporary tattoos and hallucinogenic photos with the box set. MUST BUY!

PuddlesPuddles
October 14th 2012
4798 Comments


Guys christmas is wrong, all you do is, like, lie to your kids about santa. I'd never do that.

god shut the fuck up

newjunkaesthetic93
October 14th 2012
1871 Comments


"why's everyone so mad bout this"

Because christians don't think it's ok to disagree with or make fun of them. It's totally ok to bash Muslims though.

PuddlesPuddles
October 14th 2012
4798 Comments


Derrrrrrrrrrrrp.

dbizzles
October 14th 2012
15411 Comments


Christmas music sucks no matter who plays it.

Gyromania
Contributing Reviewer
October 15th 2012
38374 Comments


"nothing says stickin it to the man like selling your music for 120 bucks. that'll show the greedy capitalist pigs who worship christmas."

yep

Dreakon
October 15th 2012
453 Comments


That's pretty deep.

BaseballJames
October 15th 2012
396 Comments


"bah humbug am i right guys lol plz buy my vinylzzzzz!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11111111"

Trist66
October 15th 2012
148 Comments


He's not fucking around guys

North0House2
October 15th 2012
6157 Comments


Too bad he didn't pull up the fact that the holiday is totally pagan. That'd get religious people even more up in arms, which would be kinda cool.

jackalope11
October 15th 2012
330 Comments


Still a phenomenal musician, haha

AtomicWaste
Moderator
October 15th 2012
2918 Comments


He does pretty much go on to say that it's sort of a good thing.

derekkp
October 15th 2012
149 Comments


Yeah who the fuck cares? If he writes good music I won't give a flying fuck what he says

someguest
October 15th 2012
30519 Comments


He's not fucking around.

Anthracks
October 15th 2012
8404 Comments


Deciding whether or not to spend money on this.

awal16
October 15th 2012
218 Comments


don't

manifestum
October 15th 2012
67 Comments


He's not making you buy it, guys.



guitarnater
October 15th 2012
917 Comments


Christmas isn't a Christian holiday, it's pagan.

SinkToTheBeets
October 15th 2012
69 Comments


Can't wait to ask for this for Christmas from mom and DaD!






HOLY SHIT I MADE A JOKE

Blind
October 15th 2012
437 Comments


u guys are all cunts go sufjan ilu

JohnnyoftheWell
October 15th 2012
64287 Comments


or you could listen to good stuff instead liek thrice [2]

Timmons
October 15th 2012
561 Comments


didn't he already do a christmas album back in 2006? also with a billion songs on it?

Youtellme
October 15th 2012
1351 Comments


he be 2 edgy for us guise

Recspecs
October 15th 2012
9911 Comments


I fucking despise Christmas.

That being said, OMG NEW SUFJAN

Spec
October 15th 2012
41435 Comments


Christmas is so expensive.

Recspecs
October 15th 2012
9911 Comments


*Women are so expensive.

WatchItExplode
October 15th 2012
10705 Comments


People are kinda special around here eh? Limited edition box set Sufjan vinyl would make many people pretty happy around the holidays. There is a $15 digital download of 58 friggin songs as well...or you could just shut up.

ReadyForTheHouse
October 15th 2012
88 Comments


When is Jandek releasing a Christmas album?

derGrimnebulin
October 16th 2012
5 Comments


These are the volumes 6-10. The first box set was volumes 1-5. He's already released one track, Christmas Unicorn,
which talks about paganism and being 'hysterically American' and having 'credit cards on your wrist,' and popping pills.

It's a pretty good song, esp. when it gets to the dance-y part where he screams about us being Christmas unicorns and he
loves us, and then it gets better when the Joy Division cover part starts where he then screams about love tearing us apart
for 5 fucking minutes.

Honestly, I suspect he's making fun of everyone. Especially the section on his site where he says he's been drug free since
1975...

theacademy
Staff Reviewer
November 13th 2012
31878 Comments


fuck christmas

xxm
November 7th 2013
257 Comments


this thread is hysterical.



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