David Campbell is a ridiculously prolific composer who has provided orchestral arrangements for musicians of varying caliber from 1970s singer-songwriters to today's Disney Channel Stars (oh, and Macy Gray, too). Look at any of Campbell's output during any given year and you'll find recognizable names from every genre of the music industry. Give him heavy metal, tweeny pop, or country rock; he does not discriminate. He works with mostly big names, too, which is why I was surprised to find that he provided the sparse arrangements for singer-songwriter David Vandervelde's debut.
David Vandervelde moved to Grand Rapids, Michigan and worked as a producer in his basement studio. He mainly conducted recordings for friends and bands with no futures until he produced a demo for singer-songwriter Brie Stoner. As Stoner was picked up by Fronic Records, the label sent her and Vandervelde to Chicago to record in Pieholden Studio. Vandervelde would continue to work there for the next few years working on various recording projects. One of these included working on a soundtrack with Brie for NOOMA short films, a film project promoted by Mars Hill Bible Church that shared Christian life experiences. On his own time, Vandervelde took his songwriting more seriously. His output and experimentation in the studio led to the content and sound that would make up his debut album.
Bloomington, Indiana record label Secretly Canadian signed Vandervelde and released his first single in 2006 and followed it up with The Moonstation House Band and the Nothin' No EP in 2007. The album received generally positive reviews without leaving much of a ripple in sales. Critically, Moonstation received universal comparisons to the sonic experimentation of Marc Bolan and his band T. Rex. There are more influences on the album (Electric Light Orchestra to name one), and Vandervelde sprinkles them carefully throughout as he moves from indie rock songs ("Nothin' No") to ambiguous religious songs ("Wisdom from a Tree") to murderous ballads ("Murder in Michigan").
Here is the discography surrounding David Vandervelde's debut album:
NOOMA Soundtrack (2005 soundtrack with Brie Stoner)
Jacket/Murder in Michigan (2006 single)
The Moonstation House Band
Nothin' No (2007 single)
"Jacket" by David Vandervelde
"Feet of a Liar" by David Vandervelde
If you have any ideas for where the tour should go next, please give a shout. I'm open to whatever as long as the artists are historically related in some way and go in an artist's chronological order.
Pass the Headphones!!
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