- Chad VanGaalen
-
Chad VanGaalen 
VanGaalen at the Primavera Sound festival in 2009Background information Also known as Black Mold Born Calgary, Alberta, Canada Origin Calgary, Alberta, Canada Genres Indie rock, Folk music, Electronica Instruments Guitar, drums, keyboards, harmonica Years active 2001–present Labels Flemish Eye, Sub Pop Website http://www.flemisheye.com/chad.php Chad VanGaalen (born 1977) is a Canadian musician and artist from Calgary, Alberta.
Contents
Career
Infiniheart
Following a few scattered independent releases, done mostly on homemade CDs with hand-drawn art, VanGaalen released Infiniheart (2004) on Canadian independent label Flemish Eye. Infiniheart, a collection of songs selected from recordings made in his bedroom/makeshift studio, was picked up in 2005 by indie label Sub Pop.[1] In late 2005, the album was re-released with a bonus six-song EP entitled Green Beans.
Skelliconnection
On August 22, 2006, VanGaalen's second album, Skelliconnection, was released in the U.S. on Sub Pop and in Canada on Flemish Eye. The album is composed of new songs as well as tracks previously released on his earlier independent recordings and features exclusive artwork[2] and videos made by VanGaalen.
On January 17, 2007, ChartAttack reported that Skelliconnection was #31 and had been on the chart for 19 weeks.[3]
On July 10, 2007, Skelliconnection was revealed as being on the shortlist for the 2007 Polaris Music Prize. The winner was announced at a gala ceremony on September 24, 2007, with the prize going to the band Patrick Watson.[4][5][6]
Soft Airplane
VanGaalen's third studio album, Soft Airplane, was released on September 9, 2008.[7] Soft Airplane marked a significant change for Vangaalen's songwriting as, unlike previous Vangaalen releases (where songs were collected from a vast catalogue of previous home recordings), Soft Airplane was written within the two year time span since Skelliconnection.
Soft Airplane garnered many favourable reviews internationally. It was both nominated for a Canadian Juno Award for Alternative Album of the Year and shortlisted for the 2009 Polaris Music Prize. Furthermore, the album maintained a #2 placement in Exclaim!'s Top Albums of 2008 and, upon release, spent 22 weeks on !earshot's Top 50.
Vangaalen toured Soft Airplane extensively; performing live dates throughout North America, Europe, and the UK throughout 2008 and 2009. Vangaalen opted to tour with Flemish Eye label mates Women for many of his performances allowing him to utilize certain bandmembers as his backing band.
In September 2009, to celebrate the success of Soft Airplane, Vangaalen released an accessory EP for free download.
VanGaalen's song "Rabid Bits of Time", off of Soft Airplane, was featured in the trailer for the 2011 indie film Norman.[8]
Black Mold
On August 11, 2009, VanGaalen released a full-length album Snow Blindness is Crystal Antz under the alias Black Mold. The album features the organic instrumental and electronica-oriented sound merely hinted at on his other releases. Snow Blindness is Crystal Antz was released with a download code to 100 plus minutes of glitchy odds and ends, unfinished ideas, analogue improvisation, and experimental manipulation.
Live shows
VanGaalen is sometimes assisted live by bass player Mathew Flegel of the indie rock band Women and drummer Eric Hamelin from No More Shapes.
Other activities
In 2008 VanGaalen recorded the debut album of Women as well as their second album. VanGaalen is also an illustrator and animator,[9] and has made his own album artwork and animated music videos to accompany several of his songs, including "Clinically Dead", "Flower Gardens", "Red Hot Drops", and "Molten Light", as well as the Love as Laughter song "Dirty Lives". He has also designed album covers for other artists, including Shout Out Out Out Out's Not Saying/Just Saying.[10] VanGaalen's video for "Molten Light" was featured on Aux.tv [11]
Discography
- 2004: Infiniheart
- 2005: Green Beans EP
- 2006: Skelliconnection
- 2006: Skelliconnection EP
- 2008: Soft Airplane
- 2009: Soft Airplane EP
- 2011: Your Tan Looks Supernatural EP
- 2011: Diaper Island
- Black Mold
- 2009: Snow Blindness is Crystal Antz
References
- ^ Ciabattoni, Steve. "Chan VanGaalen: Heart of Gold". College Music Journal. http://prod1.cmj.com/articles/display_article.php?id=4047225. Retrieved 2007-01-23.
- ^ Brown, Marisa. "Skelliconnection". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r847522. Retrieved 2007-01-23.
- ^ Burland, Chris (2007-01-17). "Charty Chart Chat: Tom Waits Still Has What It Takes". Chart. http://www.chartattack.com/news/42770/charty-chart-chat-tom-waits-still-has-what-it-takes. Retrieved 2007-01-24.
- ^ "Arcade Fire, Feist on Polaris short list". CBC News. July 10, 2007. http://www.cbc.ca/arts/music/story/2007/07/10/polaris-shortlist.html?ref=rss. Retrieved July 10, 2007.
- ^ "Feist, Fire get Polaris noms". Archived from the original on October 11, 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20071011225300/http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/2007/07/10/4328574-cp.html. Retrieved July 11, 2007.
- ^ Love, Noah (2007-07-10). "Arcade Fire, Feist And The Dears Among Polaris Nominees". Chart. http://www.chartattack.com/news/43988/arcade-fire-feist-and-the-dears-among-polaris-nominees. Retrieved 2009-04-27.
- ^ Thiessen, Brock. "Home Alone", Exclaim!, September 2008.
- ^ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUE8EiBsriY
- ^ Love, Josh (2006-08-28). "Chad VanGaalen - Skelliconnection - Review". Stylus Magazine. http://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/chad-vangaalen/skelliconnection.htm. Retrieved 2007-01-23.
- ^ Jason Anderson, "Solo 2.0: Ingenious young musicians are redefining the one-man band". cbc.ca, October 30, 2006.
- ^ "Chad VanGaalen - "Molten Light"". Aux. http://www.aux.tv/video/Chad-VanGaalen-Molten-Twilight/.
External links
Categories:- Canadian singer-songwriters
- Canadian rock singers
- Canadian male singers
- Sub Pop artists
- People from Calgary
- Musicians from Alberta
- Living people
- Canadian indie rock musicians
- Canadian people of Flemish descent
- 1978 births
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