how long have you been running?

Artist of the Month: Chad VanGaalen, and his album Diaper Island (which is a terrible name for an album, I know).

Fave songs: No Panic/No Heat, Burning Photographs, Do Not Fear

Sound: A mix between Fleet Foxes and surf rock, and stuff right from the 60s. It has this echoey beautiful, 'low-fi' sound to it, but is also so crisp and clever. It reminds me of Brokeback Mountain, but it's not country or cowboy or anything. Could just be that I was watching the movie (and reading the story) obsessively when I bought the album (more on that later), but I think it has this wide-open-spaces, lonely-blue-sky feel to it.

Found: I heard Burning Photographs on Sirius XMU (satellite radio) and risked a steep "distracted driving fine" to note it down.

If you like __________ you might like him: Bon Ivers, Fleet Foxes, Beirut

Bonus info: He's from Calgary, he's an illustrator...

sources: 1, 2, 3

Wait a second, for me lover, 'cause I'll be taking my sweet time.
Rolling softly across the meadow, dragging my broken pieces behind me.


Rain is falling so slow and mellow, washing this panic and heat from my skin.
Healing water come flood this valley, and carry our houses like ships to the sea.


How long have you been running, with feet made of stone?
How long have you been running, with feet made of stone?
-from No Panic/No Heat


I am quite enjoying this album, which is saying a lot since many of the complete albums I buy off iTunes are craptacular. That 30-second sound byte is just not enough to get a proper feel of things. I bought three albums within moments of each other this month - all good, all totally different - so I'll probably do a little write up about the others soon.

Music is top three on my wish list of life - coffee and books are the other two - so I feel strongly about being in love with bands, and obsessed with songs, and listening to one song over and over and over again on repeat before bed so I dream about melodies and layers and a perfect moment.