If you've been paying any attention to Chad VanGaalen's career, you know what to expect when he drops a new album. First and foremost, dude likes to do it himself musically, as he does with the visual arts he dabbles in. He recorded his first two albums, 2005's Infiniheart and 2006's Skelliconnection, by himself. And he continues the trend with Soft Airplance. To craft this one, which he did in the basement of his home in Calgary, VanGaalen employed an old boombox and tape machine. He also used percussion instruments he made himself, as well as more traditional instrumentation including guitars, synthesizers, xylophones, and accordions. Suffice it to say that VanGaalen pours a lot of himself into the making of his music, and the results are fittingly emotional.

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Artist: http://www.myspace.com/chadvangaalen

Label: http://www.subpop.com