Chaos and confusion reigned the other day as millions of Americans were made aware for the first time of a previously uncharted region known as “The Midwest.”

This valuable piece of reconnaissance was reported by none other than the journalistic bloodhounds at the MTV (Music Television) Network, as they appeared finally to have caught on to Sufjan Stevens’ musical genius.

After a fashion. Perhaps it is more accurate to say that the folks at MTV caught on to his popularity. In any case, those of us who “get” MTV were treated to an exciting (and soon, I predict, to be proven rare) chance to see our favorite banjo balladeer riding the wave of national television coverage.

While much of the interview on MTV’s News program, You Hear It First, was nothing but old hat for faithful followers of Stevens, one potentially juicy bit of information may have surfaced regarding the top choices for the next State in the ongoing 50 States Project. Stevens was quoted as sharing, “I’ve been working on songs for Oregon and Rhode Island and New Jersey lately, just based on information I’ve read about their histories.” Predictably, though, this statement was countered by his admission that the volume of suggestions he gets in any given area of the country is overwhelming.

A brief written summary and a link to video of the broadcast can be found through MTV’s site here.

In a story that is thought as of press time to be unrelated, several so-called indie kids’ heads were also reported to have spontaneously exploded.