I wasn’t sure I would do a best of list, but here I am, compiling it now. These are always a little tricky, as the moment I hit “Publish” something inevitably changes. It drives the perfectionist in me nuts. Alas, what can you do? I present to you my Best of 2021 list. Here are my top 10 albums of 2021.
Read More »My Top 10 Best Albums of 2021
My first quirky songs post was hugely popular. As it’s been a few years since I posted the original, I… Read More »5 Quirky Halloween Songs That Are Great All Year ‘Round
To be honest, I almost entirely overlooked Diaper Island, Chad VanGaalen’s 2011 LP on Sub Pop. It just didn’t have the same upbeat nature as his 2008 LP, Soft Airplane, a favorite of that year. His latest venture, Shrink Dust (out next month on Sub Pop), won’t succumb to the same fate. Read More »Chad VanGaalen: Where Are You
Diaper Island, Chad VanGaalen‘s awesomely titled new LP, dropped yesterday, and to celebrate the milestone he created a video. Mind you, videos from Chad are typically far from the norm, featuring original cartoonish art that’s a bit demented in a way. This is, like the oddities in his music, a very, very good thing. Read More »Chad VanGaalen: Peace On The Rise [Video]
I really fell in love with the weirdness behind Chad VanGaalen‘s last album, Soft Airplane. Many songs had strange electronic… Read More »Chad VanGaalen: Sara [mp3]
Creating a music video, in my opinion, should be about creating art. There are so many intricate elements that should go into a video that are so often left forgotten or, at least, unattended. First and foremost is the song itself — a video must compliment the art to which it is expanding from audio to video. Connecting the two is extremely important. Second is theme. The best videos have some storyline, vague or distinct. Or at least something visually interesting. Read More »25 Great Bands, 30 Great Music Videos
When I compiled my original Best Of 2008 list last December, it was a snow day. The sky dropped about a foot, maybe a foot and a half of fluffy white stuff and we lowly sub-compact drivers could go nowhere. Between ranking albums and locating album art, I took a stroll around town with my camera. The above image comes from that trek. Overall, I was pretty happy with last year’s list but, in revisiting all the albums from 2008, I now see quite a few that I left out.
Read More »A Retrospective Top 33 and 1/3: Best Albums of 2008 
B-sides are supposed to be throw-away tracks, the rejects that didn’t make the cut. But the majority of the tracks Chad VanGaalen classifies as such are worth much more than that nerdy kid picked last in 4th grade gym class. Read More »Chad VanGaalen: Soft Airplane B-Sides
The year is over. We have a new president about to take office, a failing economy, and out of control weather. The good news is that last year saw some amazing albums hit and, thanks to the rampant oppression of hard times, next year should prove just as fruitful music-wise. After all, difficult times, depression, etc. can often breed above average achievements in the arts… right?
So here it is, my top 33 and 1/3 albums of the year and the last post of 2008. The 33 is for the top 33 albums (with a few EPs included) of the year, while the 1/3 is an honorable mention 7″ single. We’ll begin with the latter…
Read More »Best of 2008: Fense’s Top 33 & 1/3 Albums of the Year 
Written by Fense
The animation in the video for “Molten Light” by Chad VanGaalen reminds me a lot of the animation signature of the late 80s and early 90s. You know the kind — gross for the sake of being gross; a sort of, well, faux art. There were plenty of bands from that era that slapped the crap on their album covers — Ugly Kid Joe and Big Black are a few that come to mind. But here, there’s a key “fortunate” element, and that is its association with the great music of Chad VanGaalen. Read More »Chad VanGaalen: Molten Light [Video]
