New Sufjan Stevens Album due in July

From the press release:

“Asthmatic Kitty Records has announced plans to release a new collection of songs from Sufjan Stevens, titled The Avalanche: Outtakes and Extras from the Illinois Album which will hit shelves on July 25, 2006.

The little secret behind the Illinois record 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 old, forsaken songs on his 8-track like a grandfather remembering his youth, indulging in old journals and newspaper clippings…The gathering that followed would become the setting for the songs on The Avalanche.”

Dude also has an album (but not a baby) due with kinda-boring singer/songwriter Rosie Thomas. Talk about coming out of nowhere. Anyway, maybe the outtakes will sound like this:

Sufjan Stevens – “Chicago” (live, 10.27.05): mp3
Sufjan Stevens – “Casimir Pulaski Day” (live, 10.27.05): mp3

—

Also, guys, this week’s episode of South Park was SO meta. And offered some great social commentary on the Mohammed cartoons and the South Park/Scientology situation. Anybody watch it?