Between writing and arranging a piece about the BQE and writing book intros, you'd think Sufjan Stevens has forgotten about the project that captured the indie rock fans' attention in the first place: his proposal to document all 50 states in song. Now, he's got another diversion - scoring Natalie Portman's new short film, Eve.

Apparently Portman saw his BQE performance and enlisted Stevens to add some ambiance to her directorial debut. In Stevens words, "I was asked to add only piano, no songs, no arrangements, just quiet, sad, romantic flourishes. Ah! My forte!" He would later add, that the only other (living) director he'd be willing to work with in the future is Gus Van Sant, and his ideal soundtrack is Bernard Hermann's work for "The Birds," which contained no actual music at all, just effects.

I don't know exactly how this translates to whatever state Stevens has on tap, but he did mention New Jersey some years ago, and that state is about as creepy as a Hitchcock movie. [The Playlist]