In Chad VanGaalen’s new animated video for “Pine and Clover”, a shape-shifter is born with the inability to form memories. Created by VanGaalen from scratch, the “Pine and Clover” video is a combination of hand drawn animation (cell animation), claymation, and paperless 2D animation.
As the singer describes it: “The style and economy of the animation is governed by my ability to sit in a chair and draw for as long as I possibly can without being distracted by my beautiful vegetable garden. Because of the garden and its beauty, I have been inspired to make most of the environments similar to what I see in the garden. So needless to say there is a lot of lettuce.”
Light Information
Part of the fun of a new VanGaalen record is watching his effortless melodic sensibilities refracted through an array of stylistic filters — but a major connecting thread on Light Information is just how downright catchy the thing is. Already known for spinning an ear-worm with considerable ease, here VanGaalen is more generous than ever with his hooks, exemplified by the album’s chiming, ebullient first single, “Old Heads”. The song is a web of interlocking guitar parts and tumbling, layered percussion arrangements, atop which sit the classic VanGaalen vocals, equal parts fragile and effusive, and winding around itself in its inimitable way.
As always, VanGaalen wrote, played, and produced all of the music on the album (save Ryan Bourne’s bass part on “Mystery Elementals” and vocals on “Static Shape” from his young daughters Ezzy and Pip), and designed the cover art. Light Information emerged from the wild and weird array of vintage and exotic instruments that fill VanGaalen’s Calgary garage studio. Among them is a beloved Korg 770 mono synth, which VanGaalen coveted for years before fixing one up and devoting a lot of recent energy to recording “duets” with it. One of these, “Prep Piano and 770,” is the lone instrumental on Light Information, more atmosphere and chord bursts than the rest of the album’s hooky rock narrative. “If I was going to go out and buy a record, I would probably want it to sound only like that,” says VanGaalen. “That one’s for me.”
Good morning! Nice to see Chad Vangee’s Very Canadian Tour — there’s a date in Ottawa, yayyyyy! I haven’t heard him live for a very long time.
Hello
Good morning!
We saw him once.
CVG’s one of those people who’s pretty much the same live as recorded, at least as far as the overall musical envelope goes.
Hello! Really enjoying the new CVG, thanks for sharing! I’m bummed he’s not going to make to my area on his next tour
Off the computer! Do all the things!
Because the drawings are great: http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.ca/2010/06/this-is-why-ill-never-be-adult.html
Hi there. Chad isn’t coming to Regina and I am busy with Playing for Change Day when he is in Saskatoon. I like his videos, bizarre as they are.
Hi DBS
Anyone do anything fun this weekend? We capped off a busy one by seeing Ex Hex, Andrew Bird, Spoon, and Belle and Sebastian. I really enjoyed Ex Hex (a local band, apparently) and Spoon, Andrew Bird was good, and Belle and Sebastian continue to not be my thing.
Sounds pretty good Janet. I did a lot of relaxing and trying to stay cool on a super hot weekend. Drinks with friends a couple times and we went to see Dunkirk last night. Good movie.
No live music but I enjoyed listening to some of my new vinyl.
I found and caught up on 2,5 seasons of the Canadian Sci-Fi show Killjoys (I have 1 episode after this one)
Oh and for the record we didn’t win the lotto on Saturday
Well, that’s disappointing.
Oh damn! I forgot to buy lottery tickets. I will get on that.
tsk tsk tsk
Darbar, I saw Dunkirk last weekend, and enjoyed it. I usually find Christopher Nolan movies wayyyyy to long, so I really appreciated the 107 minute run-time. And the unique approach to storytelling!
It did really help give you an idea of what it would have been like to be there. Yikes!
It was also my first time in a theatre with recliner seats. That is a great way to see a movie.
I saw a photo of a cinema with seats that fold into single beds. I’m too worried that I would fall asleep.
That does seem to be pushing things a bit. Snoring through a movie wouldn’t be good.
Not to mention the heavy breathing noises…
Bahaha!
asthmatics are everywhere
and the blog was stunned into silence
Maybe everyone was picturing the movie theatre with the single beds, and contemplating a nap. Just me?
I don’t need to picture it, I moved the computer into my room