JIM POE , CAITLIN WELSH and KATIE CUNNINGHAM report on the second day of Vivid Sydney, featuring Danish three-piece Efterklang, “Modular Night” at the Studio and a panel on DIY as part of Song Summit. Photos by DANIEL BOUD . Efterklang JP: Denmark’s Efterklang are in town for a performance specially commissioned by Vivid. Acclaimed for their lush, complex “indie chamber pop”, the group were invited to premiere songs from their unreleased fourth album, Pyramida , at the Opera Theatre with the Sydney Symphony. It’s easy to make fun of the overweening ambition that can lead a pop performer to take ...

KATIE CUNNINGHAM and CAITLIN WELSH report on the first day of Vivid Sydney, which saw the illumination of the Opera House and performances by Florence + The Machine and PVT. Photos by PRUDENCE UPTON . With the sails of Sydney’s Opera House lit for the fist time last night (May 25), Vivid Sydney was officially on. This year, German design collective Urbanscreen handled the visuals: think giant dancers beamed across the Opera House sails and geometric shapes building up and crumbling away. We spoke to Vivid LIVE creative director Fergus Linehan about Efterklang, Karen O in Stop the Virgens , the collaboration ...

From high atop the Sydney Harbour Bridge, we had the unique opportunity last night to join some 120 climbers as they helped (literally) light up celebrations for launch of Sydney's fourth annual VIVID Festival. Battling cold and blustery conditions, the climbers, covered in lights, were just one of the many ways the city was celebrating the launch of the festival. Of course the main attraction was the ‘Lighting the Sails’ at the Sydney Opera House, unveiling a stunning visual feast of colour, movement, and world-class digital artistry to the delight of tens of thousands of enthralled viewers lining the ...

Vivid Sydney gets underway tonight, and we’ll be covering every day of it. Over the course of the next two weeks, the festival will see performances by the likes of Amon Tobin, Sufjan Stevens, The Temper Trap, Janelle Monae, Karen O (The Yeah Yeah Yeahs), Seekae, Geoffrey O’Connor, Donny Benet and Straight Arrows at the Opera House, in addition to seminars, the APRA song summit and the illumination of Circular Quay. For the first time, M+N will embedded at the Opera House every day of Vivid’s run, reporting on all the action daily – even weekends. We ...

Along with many incredible events dropping at this weekend’s honourable and eclectic VIVID LIVE festival is, PLANETARIUM, allowing you to experience the magic and charm of Sufjan Stevens, Bryce Dessner and Nico Muhly at one of Australia’s most beautiful venues, the Sydney Opera House. The lovely lads listed above are setting their sights to the stars as [...]

WHAT:  Movement Electronic Music Festival WHEN: May 26-28 WHERE: Detroit, MI WHO: Public Enemy, Major Lazer, AraabMuzik, Actress, SBTRKT, Lindstrøm, Tiger & Woods, Todd Terje, Photek, Radioslave, more WHAT: Vivid LIVE WHEN: May 25 - June 3 WHERE: Sydney, Australia WHO:  Karen O's "Stop the Virgens", Sufjan Stevens with Bryce Dessner & Nico Muhly, Janelle Monae, Zola Jesus, Danny Brown, Florence + the Machine, Shut Up & Play the Hits (LCD Soundsystem documentary), My Brightest Diamond, Amon Tobin, Efterklang, MED, more WHAT: I Love This City WHEN: May 25-26 WHERE: San Francisco, CA WHO: James Murphy, AraabMuzik, Holy Fuck, Holy Ghost!, Duck Sauce, Cut ...

Sufjan Stevens, Son Lux and Serengeti collaborate on a sometimes humorous but mostly beautiful EP.

Visit Indie Shuffle to download. Sounds like: Sigur Ros, Jonsi, Sufjan Stevens, Alpine Song: Founds - Avalanches [download here ] What's so good? This track caught me seriously by surprise. I was so enraptured when I first heard it that I pulled over on a busy highway to find out what it was. The song I’m talking about is “Avalanches” by Brisbane band Founds. Having been together for just over a year, the six-piece is currently finishing their debut album Hadean , which will be released in the coming months. “Avalanches” is a captivating, mesmerising track – more likely to be made ...

hpolleyphotography : Pedro Soler and Gaspar Claus feat. Sufjan Stevens and Bryce Dessner - Encuentro en Brooklyn (Minera), from Barlande (Pedro: acoustic guitar, Gaspar: cello, Sufjan: harmonium, Bryce: electric guitar) A Tiny Desk Concert is up on NPR!

In partnership with Vivid Sydney and Intel, we’re giving away a one-of-a kind Vivid LIVE experience. Up for grabs is a double pass to a Vivid LIVE show of your choosing such as Amon Tobin’s audiovisual spectacular “ISAM”, Janelle Monae, Karen O’s Stop The Virgens and the collaboration between Sufjan Stevens, The National’s Bryce Desner and composer Nico Muhly. Intel are also throwing in return airfare for you and a friend, two nights accommodation in Sydney, an Intel Inspired Ultrabook and passes to an accompanying Vivid Ideas seminar. Click here to enter. Vivid LIVE at Sydney ...

So the musician behind Illinoize has a new album coming out. No, not Sufjan Stevens (that would be Illinoise with an 's'). Tor, the Vancouver-based producer responsible for colliding Sufjan with Outkast and Aesop Rock, will likely be releasing Drum Therapy in the coming month. Music Player:  01_Tor_-_Glass_&_Stone.mp3 read more

Vancouver-based producer Tor once had the brilliant idea to make some of Sufjan Stevens’ songs – taken from his concept album Illinois – into elegant and extremely well produced hip-hop beats. His second best idea was to mix these beats with underground rap vocals, from Aesop Rock to Brother Ali, from Big Daddy Kane to CL Smooth. And the [...]

Artist Song Beach House Troublemaker Heavy Beach 1963 Caitlin Park Baby Teeth Songs Different Light Collective">Animal Collective Gotham Summer Flake Walk the Plank (theme song for the Nick Walton show) A Lull Summer Dress Belong Perfect Life Fools Gold Surprise Hotel El Guincho Bombay Gang Gang Dance House Jam Jonny Telafone Pitter Patter Sufjan Stevens [...]

Visit Indie Shuffle to download. Sounds like: Polyphonic Spree, Sufjan Stevens, The New Pornographers Song: Vincent">St. Vincent - Krokodil [download here ] What's so good? Vincent">St. Vincent’s seemingly endless tour wound back through Chicago this past Friday, expanding from the smaller Metro to the hallowed halls of the Vic Theatre. Annie Clark presented a tightly packed set to the sold-out crowd, playing what have now become standards off of her first two albums, 2007′s Marry Me , and 2009′s Actor , though she still relied heavily on her most recent masterpiece, 2011′s Strange Mercy . Opening with the ...

Next gen 30-something New York composer who's worked with Philip Glass composed opera, ballet and film scores including the score for The Reader and now a song cycle with Brian Dessner and Sufjan Stevens about the planets. He's here for Sydney's Vivid Festival.