Chad VanGaalen's Soft Airplane

There's been a band called The Soft Boys, another called The Soft Machine, The Doors released an album called The Soft Parade, and now there's Soft Airplane. Airplanes aren't exactly what we'd call cushy (on the outside, at least), but Soft Airplane is the title of Chad VanGaalen's third full-length album that's due out on Sept. 9 through Sub Pop.

VanGaalen again recorded the album in his Calgary basement using a four-track tape machine and a "ghetto blaster" (remember when that's what stereos were called?). Soft Airplane is the follow-up to 2006's Polaris Music Prize-nominated Skelliconnection. VanGaalen plays all the instruments — including guitars, accordion, xylophone, synthesizers and instruments he made himself — on the album, as has been the case with Skelliconnection and 2004's Infiniheart.

VanGaalen is an accomplished artist who has designed all of his album covers and animated videos for his songs "Clinically Dead," "Flower Gardens" and "Red Hot Drops." He also produced the self-titled debut from Women that will be released by Flemish Eye on July 8.

You can see Chad VanGaalen at Sappyfest in Sackville, N.B. on Aug. 2.

Here's what's on Soft Airplane:

• "Willow Tree"
• "Bones Of Man"
• "Cries Of The Dead"
• "Inside The Molecules"
• "Bare Feet On Wet Griptape"
• "Phantom Anthills"
• "Poisonous Heads"
• "TMNT Mask"
• "Molten Light"
• "Old Man + The Sea"
• "City Of Electric Light"
• "Rabid Bits Of Time"
• "Frozen Energon"