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Nettwork Records has posted a video of the "unboxing" of the new vinyl album by indie pop-folk band The Weepies. Be My Thrill was released today and the vinyl version features a digital download card that can be used to download the digital version of the album.
I wish that more record labels would create these kinds of videos. They couldn't be too expensive to produce. They are a great way to demonstrate special packaging, box sets, and vinyl records like this one.
Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the album cover that you believe is the best of the bunch.
10 Years - Feeding the Wolves   |
Disturbed - Asylum  | |
Heart - Red Velvet Car  |
Lyfe Jennings - I Still Believe  | |
Richard Thompson - Dream Attic  |
The Weepies - Be My Thrill  |
According to our AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, the best album cover for the week of August 24, 2010 is Katy Perry's Teenage Dream. The cover won by just one vote with 30% of those cast. Apocalyptica's 7th Symphony was second with 26% of the vote. 25: Very Best of a-ha was third with 22%.
What surprised me about this round was that the cover for Margaret Cho's Cho Dependent did not receive a single vote. It really is a great painting by a skilled artist.
The winning cover is also a painting. It was done by New York City artist Will Cotton. I hope that he does more album covers in the future.
Check back later this evening to see which album covers were preselected for this week's poll. I looks like it will be an interesting mix of artists and designs this time.
It is difficult to believe that there are adults who aren't old enough to remember that 1999 used be the year that many people thought would be the last before the end of the world. An entire generation grew up hearing Prince sing about partying like it's 1999. The title track of the 1982 album (right) was released 17 years before the year 2000 was supposed to spell doom.
Today, the year 2012 is the year that many believe will be the last. So, I have been wondering how long it would be until someone made a song that would serve as the party anthem for the impending apocalypse.
Recently, British singer and songwriter Jay Sean released the single 2012 (It Ain't the End) featuring Nicki Minaj. It certainly doesn't compare to the Prince classic, but the idea is pretty much the same.
The cover art for the single features Jay Sean walking on a rooftop. I would have like to have seen Minaj on the cover, too. She's a beautiful woman with an interesting look.
I ran across an article on Huffington Post today about Album Tacos, a blog that features album covers that have been altered to feature tacos.
Album Tacos: Every Album Cover Is Better With A Taco (PHOTOS)
The Internet continues to surprise us on a daily basis. Today, the hottest Tumblr on the web is Album Tacos, an amazing blog with a simple purpose: inserting tacos into our favorite album covers. Tumblr users continue to amaze us with their creativity, and Album Tacos is no different...
There aren't that many covers on the blog at this stage, but they are all hilarious.
If you're the type who gets depressed seeing Christmas decorations going up in shopping malls in October, you can imagine how it feels for me to start seeing holiday CDs in August. Every year, holiday music seems to come out earlier. This year is no exception. There are already several that I have been waiting to share here on the AlbumArtExchange blog for weeks.
One of the most interesting is Destination... Christmas! by The Superions. The band was formed four years ago by Fred Schneider of The B-52s, Noah Brodie and Dan Marshall. They had an Internet hit with their single Who Threw That Ham at Me? early this year.
Destination... Christmas! is scheduled to be released on Fanatic Records on October 26, 2010. The first single from the album will be Fruit Cake! (above right). This looks like it may be the Christmas novelty album of the year.
Both the album and single have great artwork. The design is credited to Brian Fraley. This is the kind of album art that makes you want to buy a CD. The furry cartoon type is unique and clever. I have never seen anything quite like it.
Let's say that you are a publicist for a new Brooklyn-based British indie rock band. The band has an attractive lead singer and the publicity photos that have been taken of the band demonstrates that they are very photogenic. In fact, the singer can be compared to a young Chrissie Hynde.
Now, let's go one step further and consider what the cover of the band's debut album should look like. Keep in mind that the album cover will introduce the band to tens of thousands of people who have never seen them before.
Would you allow that band to distribute their debut album with the cover art below?
Not only is this album cover for Deluka's You Are the Night hideous, it uses the same art that was used on a previously released EP. They simply added the title in pink neon and Photoshopped it to look as if it were left out in a storm. It is perhaps the most mucked up album cover of the year.
The band is very good. I think they have a mature rock image that would sell quite a few albums. You Are the Night is scheduled to be released digitally on September 21, 2010 and as a physical album on October 12. I hope that they reconsider the cover art.
Sometimes it can be painful to watch a band try to change its image. British pop band McFly recently posed nude for a magazine (right) and by the look of the cover for their latest single, it looks like their going glam. The quartet appear on the cover of Party Girl with gelled hair, futuristic costumes and lots of Adam Lambert-style eye makeup.
I guess boy bands go through a midlife crisis when they reach age 25 or so. The sound of the new single is quite a bit different as well. The music video was posted online a few days ago.
Party Girl will be released in the U.K. on September 5, 2010 and available in the U.S. on September 14. It will be included on the band's forthcoming album, which is scheduled to be released in November.
On Wednesday, pop singer David Archuleta announced a contest involving the cover for his forthcoming album The Other Side of Down. The album is scheduled to be released on October 5, 2010.
Make Your Own Version of the "The Other Side of Down" Album Cover!
Alright David fans, now that you've seen the official cover for The Other Side of Down, we want you to create your OWN version of the cover. Grab some friends, re create the cover in a creative way (be very careful that you don't fall off the chair), take a picture and upload it using the link below.
Click here to upload your contest submission
The best photo will win a signed copy of The Other Side of Down, so make sure to really go for it. We want to see how creative you all can be!
Rules for this contest are right here, this contest starts right now and ends on September 9th.
The comedy spoof Vampires Suck is currently playing in theaters across the country. It lampoons the popular teen vampire movies such as the Twilight series.
Albums for both the film score by Christopher Lennertz (right) and the soundtrack featuring tracks by various artists (below) are currently available. I am not familiar with many of the artists on the soundtrack, such as Magicwandos, The DeeCompressors, and KillDeer. The tracks have titles that appear to be those of novelty songs. However, there is a great cover of It's Raining Men by Kelly Kass.
The cover art for both albums is hilarious. Most people won't notice this, but the album art is also a clever parody of the Twilight films. The first Twilight film score and soundtrack albums use a similar group shot for the score and a romantic close up for the soundtrack.
Today, AAX user eaglescout1998 added a comment to the blog that let us know the new Katy Perry CD Teenage Dream (right) is scented like cotton candy. That reminded me of another scented CD, Madonna's Like a Prayer.
Like a Prayer was released in 1989. It was perhaps the forst time a scent was applied to the packaging of a CD, cassette, and LP. The scent was reported to simulate church incense with Madonna's favorite scent, patchouli oil.
Like a Prayer also included a small insert, The Facts About AIDS. It provided information about AIDS and an 800 number for an AIDS hotline.
After 21 years, my Like a Prayer CD still smells like patchouli. I think it is amazing that the scent could last that long.
The album debuted at number eleven on Billboard and reached number one three weeks later. The singles Express Yourself and Cherish both reached number two on the chart. The title track has became one of Madonna's best-selling singles, selling over five million copies worldwide at the time of its release. The music video for Like a Prayer is considered by many to be highly controversial.
The cover for the album is probably on of the least interesting in Madonna's discography. I recall that many fans were disappointed that Madonna's face did not appear on the cover. Instead, the album cover featured a woman (presumed to be Madonna) with her thumbs in the waistband of unbuttoned jeans and wearing costume jewelry. I recall several people I knew commented that the hands look like those of a 50-year-old.
Last year, I wrote about Paint My Album, a blog that features classic album covers recreated using Microsoft Paint.
The collection has grown considerably over the past year and the covers are now available on Flickr. Check it out. Many of them are quite good for bitmapped imaged.
The cover art for the forthcoming single What Do You Got? by Bon Jovi was revealed via press release today. I do not have a firm release date for the single. The track will be included on the band's Greatest Hits album, which is scheduled to be released in November 2010.
As I wrote yesterday, the music video for the forthcoming single Shame by Robbie Williams and Gary Barlow was scheduled to premiere online today. It was worth staying up to watch.
The video certainly isn't scandalous. However, there are definitely some homoerotic aspects to it. I think it could be interpreted to be more about friendship than a romantic relationship.
The music video is appropriate for the sentimental lyrics of the song. I can't imagine anyone being offeneded by this. Although, I can understand the comparison to Brokeback Mountain.
On Monday, the cover art for the forthcoming single by Robbie Williams and Gary Barlow was revealed on Williams' official website. It was also announced that the music video will premiere tomorrow.
The cover appears to be stills from the video featuring the pop singers. There has been speculation that the video has a romantic theme involving Williams and Barlow. The single is scheduled to be released in the U.S. on October 5, 2010. It will appear as a track on Williams' forthcoming album In and Out of Consciousness Greatest Hits 1990-2010 (right).
The album will be released on October 12. It will include two CDs and 39 tracks.
Below are six album covers that were preselected from among this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for noteworthy album cover design. Please vote for the cover that you believe is the best of the bunch.
a-ha - 25: Very Best of a-ha  |
Apocalyptica - 7th Symphony  | |
Blind Guardian - At the Edge of Time  |
Katy Perry - Teenage Dream  | |
Margaret Cho - Cho Dependent  |
The Sword - Warp Riders  |
Go-Go's co-founder and solo artist Jane Wiedlin has released a new single. Big Gay Ice Cream Song was written to be the theme song for New York City's Big Gay Ice Cream Truck, which combines traditional soft-serve ice cream with imaginative toppings such as wasabi pea dust, Nilla Wafers, Dulce de Leche, olive oil and sea salt, and other rotating offerings.
According to our AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, the best album covder for the week of August 17, 2010 is Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin by Brian Wilson. The cover won with a surprising 46% of the vote. Iron Maiden's The Final Frontier was second with 31% of the vote. Dondria vs. Phatfffat by Dondria and Esperanza Spalding's Chamber Music Society tied for third with 8% each.
The winning cover features a retro illustration by Steve Sterling. The art director for the album is Steve Gerdes. The illustration of a disassembling piano keyboard is quite appropriate for this album. It is obviously inspired by the covers created by the legendary father of the album cover, Alex Steinweiss (see example above right).
I had anticipated that the Iron Maiden cover would be the winner, based on the number of potential fan votes. This time, it looks as if those with an appreciation for the history of album cover art may have won out.
Check back this evening to vote on the best cover from among this week's new music releases. Katy Perry and Margaret Cho both have painted portraits this time. Will either one of them be good enough to win?
The cover for the deluxe edition of Brandon Flowers' forthcoming album Flamingo has been revealed. Both the standard and deluxe versions are scheduled to be released on September 14, 2010.
The deluxe edition album includes two non-album tracks, two remixes and an eight-page booklet with a special 12 panel posterfold. It is currently available for pre-order through Amazon.com.
The cover for the deluxe edition (below) is similar to that for the standard version (right). Flowers has moved from standing in front of the window in a cheesy Las Vegas hotel room to sitting on the bed. Perhaps he's worried about the epidemic of bedbugs that has been sweeping the nation. Maybe he tracked something in on the heels of those ugly boots.
A few weeks ago, several media outlets were trying to push a bogus story about a group of chanting nuns and Lady Gaga recording for the same record label. The Benedictine Nuns of Abbaye Notre Dame de L'Annonciation were signed by Decca, a division of Universal Music Group (UMG) and Lady Gaga records on Interscope, which is also owned by UMG.
Of course, Decca and Interscope are not the same label. They are simply part of a huge music recording and distribution company. UMG owns all kinds of labels, from Christian music to rap. The story was obviously someone's lame attempt at generating controversy where none exists (no pun intented).
Now that the cover for the nuns' album has been revealed, I thought it would be a good candidate for an Album Cover Mash Up.
If you want to participate in the AAX Album Cover Mash Up, all you have to do is follow these rules:
I will publish mash ups as I receive them. I will not guarantee that your mash up will be published (but I'm not going to be too picky).
While browsing through upcoming music releases, it is unavoidable to come across an album cover that makes one say out loud, "WTF?!" Over the past few months, we've seen mutilated animals, human corpses, unattractive nudity and more.
This installiment of WTF?! is an photograph of a horse urinating, with a GE logo Photoshopped on its behind. This album cover is so repuslive, I don't even want to find out anything about the recording artist. This is one of the most obvious attempts to be controversial I have ever seen.
For fans of this artist who may feel compelled to write and inform me that I don't understand the artistic statement, blah, blah, blah, you are just kidding yourselves.
I found several photos on Flickr of Storm Thorgerson speaking at the Semi-Perminent 2010 design convention in Auckland, New Zealand on Flickr. Check out the entire photoset.
Cee-Lo Green is offering his latest single Georgia as a free download on his offical website. Just sign up for Cee-Lo's email list and you will be sent a link to download the single as a 320 kbps MP3. You will also receive a track from his mixtape Stray Bullets, ChamPain.
The cover art for the single looks like the sleeve of an old 45. That is appropriate, because the song has a vintage 1960s soul vibe to it. It features a photo of a pregnant woman. That really doesn't have much to do with the song. It is a tribute to Georgia, similar to the Ray Charles classic Georgia on My Mind.
Cee-Lo has been making headlines for the past few days with a very popular viral music video called F**k You. The video includes some four-letter words and cool animated text effects. I have posted it below. Needless-to-say, it is NSFW.
The first single from Grinderman 2 (right), the forthcoming album by Nick Cave's Grinderman is scheduled to be released on September 6, 2010.
The music video for the single was posted on YouTube last week. Directed by John Hillcoat, the video contains some wild images. Some parts of the video reminded me of the old Hercules movies from the 1960s, with Nick Cave and friends dressed like mythical Gods and shooting lightning from their eyes.
Grinderman 2 will be released on September 14.
The 3D comedy horror film Piranha 3D opened in theaters today. Both the score and the soundtrack for the movie have been released. The albums have very different covers. So, it should not be difficult to tell then apart.
The score by Michael Wandmacher features a photo of star Jerry O'Connell swimming in blood (right). The iTunes version soundtrack features a woman floating on a raft above a sea of toothy fish (below). The artwork on Amazon.com has a close up of the piranha, without the woman in the bikini. The iTunes artwork is obviuously a parody of the poster for the movie Jaws.
The soundtrack includes tracks by artists such as Shwayze, Amanda Blank, Eli "Paperboy" Reed and Hadouken.
British pop duo The Ting Tings are offering a free download of a remix of Hands, the first single from their forthcoming album through a Facebook promotion. All you have to do is share your email address and the link to the download on your Facebook page and you will receive the track.
Titled Kunst, the album is scheduled to be released in October 2010. The single can be heard on the band's Facebook page and YouTube channel (they have not permitted embedding). The free track does not come with cover art. So, you may want to snag the image from the AAX gallery.
Posted by: zeefritz
History of Modern is 11th studio album by British synthpop band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. It is the band's first album since 1996. The album is scheduled to be released in the U.K. on September 20, 2010 in the U.S. on September 28.
The album cover was conceived by the legendary Peter Saville and designed by the four23 creative studio. It has a very 1980s retro look.
The first single from the album, If You Want It, will be released on September 6, 2010. The music video for the single was posted on YouTube early this week.
Posted by: zeefritz
An interesting music video for the single 4th of July (Fireworks) by Kelis was posted on the Interscope Record's YouTube channel yesterday. The video was created by Michael Schieben using something called the Echnonest API. I have no idea what that is.
However, the video is kind of cool. It features a mosiac made of Twitter avatars, tweets and whow know what else. I'm not a programmer, so my interest in the video is purely for the music and the aesthetics.
The cover art below is for the U.K. version of the single. The U.S. version did not include a photograph of the artist. It was simply test on an elaborate background.
The cover for Taylor Swift's forthcoming album Speak Now was revealed online today. The album is scheduled to be released on October 25, 2010.
There is a lot to like about this album cover. The colors are vibrant. The typography works well with the composition. However, there are a couple of things that bother me.
The image is obviously a photograph that has been Photoshopped to look like a painting. Unfortuntately, the designer did not apply the painting effects to Swift's hair. This makes her blonde mane look like it is a photo of a wig that was pasted on to the painting.
Also, there is no movement in the hair. While the gown is swirling around in a flowing motion, Swift's hair just hangs there. If Swift were actually spinning around, her hair would show movement similar to that seen in her dress. I have to give this album cover the "nice try" award.
The latest single from rapper Cazwell is Ice Cream Truck. The music video has received almost 1.5 million views on YouTube. The single was released yesterday and is available for download through iTunes and Amazon.com.
The cover art for the single is quite tame when compared to the music video, which features nearly naked male dancers doing the bump and grind. Needless-to-say, the video is NSFW.
Two covers for the forthcoming album by Selena Gomez & The Scene were recently revealed. The covers are for the standard and deluxe editions of A Year Without Rain, both of which are scheduled to be released on September 21, 2010.
The covers both feature photographs of the young pop star. The deluxe edition shows Gomez wearing jewelry and an evening gown. The standard edition has a slightly less formal-looking photo and a perhaps a more youthful pose.
Both covers are quite appropriate for an 18-year-old. Gomez looks classy and sophisticated, rather than cheap (I hope Miley Cyrus takes note). Gomez looks beautiful without the crazy costumes or sleezy gimmicks that are so common these days.
Below are six album covers that were preselected from among this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for noteworthy album cover design. Please vote for the cover that you believe is the best of the bunch.
Brian Wilson - Reimagines Gershwin  |
Dondria - Dondria vs. Phatfffat  | |
Esperanza Spalding - Chamber Music Society  |
Iron Maiden - The Final Frontier  | |
John Mellencamp - No Better Than This  |
Trace Adkins - Cowboy's Back in Town  |
A recent single from Arizona rapper MC Magic is Welcome to Arizona. It is an uplifting rap song about racial equality and the current political situation involving SB 1070 and immigration reform.
The single most recently released by MC Magic is Mrs. Delicious (right). While it is a cool track and I really like the cover art, I want to promote the Welcome to Arizona single instead. There is just something about it that struck me as being socially significant and different from most of the rap music on the market right now.
The single can be purchased online for less than three bucks. It contains the inspirational speech, We are American, the title single, and an instrumental version.
Pop singer David Archuleta revealed the cover for his forthcoming album via Twitter this morning. The album is scheduled to be released on October 5, 2010.
The cover features a photograph of Archuleta leaning back in a bentwood chair. The thing that stands out in the photo are the ugliest brown boots I have ever ever seen. The fact that they clash with the young singer's poorly fitted black jacket and dark jeans only makes it worse.
It looks like they didn't hire a stylist — or a graphic designer. The composition and typography are far from professional. Running the type both vertically and horizontally as well as the contrived positioning of Archeleta's foot on the bar of color along the right side of the cover screams amateur or perhaps even student quality design.
According to our AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, the best album cover for the week of August 10, 2010 is the Scott Pilgrim vs. The World Original Motion Picture Soundtrack album. The cover won with 38% of the vote. Come and Get It! by Eli "Paperboy" Reed was only one vote behind in second place. Brother Clyde's self-titled album was third.
Check back later this evening to vote in this week's poll. I think that there will be a landslide winner this time. A band with a huge number of fans and a great album cover is in the mix.
I haven't been able to find any information about the forthcoming album by Norah Jones. However, I really like the cover art. According to Amazon.com, the album is scheduled to be released on October 19, 2010.
The cover features a very cute photograph of Jones and the names of several artists with whom she has collaborated with over the last few years. There is not a track listing at Amazon.com, but the album is available for pre-order on both CD and vinyl.
Last Thursday, few websites and blogs (including this one) reported that Belle and Sebastian had revealed the album cover for their forthcoming album. An image had been posted on the band's website and a Flickr group (right) that was assumed to be the final version of the cover.
There have been dozens of images posted to the Flickr group that was created to promote the album (including two of my own). It is kind of disappointing that they didn't use the promotion to actually select an album cover.
Today, the real album cover was announced online along with a brief statement:
Some websites got hold of the wrong end of the stick last week (perhaps not surprisingly), but no harm done! It comes out on the 11th October in most countries and 12th October in North America.
Source: BelleandSebastian.com
I have to write that I like the first image much better. It has a fresh concept and a the photograph is much more interesting, with the harlequin dress and the architectural elements. The more recent image reminds me of a Hallmark card.
The album cover for Commitment, the forthcoming studio album by Seal, has been revealed online. The album is scheduled for international release on Septewmber 20, 2010. It will be released in the U.S. on September 28.
The cover features a profile portrait of Seal. It is an interesting photograph. I do not think it is one of the best album covers we've seen from Seal. However, it is definitely better than what is being created for many other major artists these days.
Here is a clever concept. A Flickr user has posted over two dozen allbum covers that have been Photoshopped to look like pages out of an IKEA catalog. Check out the entire photoset at Flickr.com.
This déjà vu moment doesn't require much of an explanation. I just hope that I don't have to look at another skinny, shirtless, white torso without a head for at least a year or two. Otherwise, the AAX gallery will have more sunken chests than a pirate movie.
Antony and The Johnsons - Thank You for Your Love EP (2010)
Atlas Sound - Logos (2009)
Posted by: zeefritz
Formed in Glasgow in 1987, The Vaselines released just two singles and one album. The duo split up in 1989, the same week their debut album was released.
Over 20 years later, The Vaselines have recorded a new album, Sex with an X. It was recorded outside Manchester at the Analogue Catalogue studio with guest musicians Stevie Jackson and Bob Kildea from Belle & Sebastian on guitar and bass, and Michael McGaughrin from the 1990s on drums.
The Vaselines are planning to tour the United States in October 2010. Their album is scheduled to be released on Sub Pop Records on September 14.
The a music video for the title single from the album was posted on YouTube yesterday. It features a priest and a nun on a wild excursion (the hilarious public urination scene is certain to be controversial).
Also, the single is currently available as a free download from Soundcloud.
The film Eat Pray Love starring Julia Roberts opened in theaters today. The soundtrack features songs by Neil Young, Marvin Gaye and the new single Better Days by Eddie Vedder.
The album and single are available on iTunes. It looks as if the CD can be purchased on Amazon.com as a pricey import or from several third-party sellers. I'm not sure what's up with that.
The cover art for the album is the image that has been used for the jacket of the Elizabeth Gilbert memoir on which the film is based. I wonder why they didn't use a photo of Julia Roberts. Perhaps her price was too high.
The song from the movie's trailer is Dog Days Are Over by Florence and the Machine (above right). It is not included on the soundtrack album. The single can be purchased online through most retailers.
Several remixes of Kylie Minogue's single Get Outta My Way were posted on her YouTube channel today. Get Outta My Way is the second single from Minogue's current album, Aphrodite (right). It will be available on a two track CD, Maxi enhanced CD and 7" picture disc as well as a digital download bundle. It is scheduled to be releaded on September 27, 2010.
The cover art for the single features a mirrored image of Minogue and the strange (and pixelated) font used on the album cover and the previous single, All the Lovers. At least the single doesn't have a pair of black lava rocks in the foreground.
The Bimbo Jones remix is my personal favorite. I have posted the video below.
Today, Elvis Costello revealed the cover for his forthcoming album National Ransom on his official website. The album is scheduled to be released internationally on October 25, 2010 and in the U.S. on November 2.
Like his 2009 album Secret, Profane & Sugarcane (right), the cover illustration for National Ransom is an illustration by American cartoonist and illustrator Tony Millionaire (a.k.a. Scott Richardson). Millionaire is known for his syndicated comic strip Maakies and the Sock Monkey series of comics and picture books.
I like the illustration for National Ransom much more than the previous one. It is much more imaginative. It features a carpetbagger wolf wearing a top hat and tails, fleeing with a bag of money that is burning faster than than the wolf's feet can carry him.
According to Costello's website, the album was produced by T Bone Burnett and features all the members of The Imposters and The Sugarcanes and guests such as Vince Gill, Marc Ribot, Buddy Miller and Leon Russell.
With marriage equality restored in California and couples lining up at city halls all over the state, I thought that the recent single My Reclamation by Sam Harris would be an appropriate choice as new and notable today.
Produced by Kevin Fisher, Todd Schroeder and Sam Harris, the single is an uplifting song with great lyrics. The cover art for the single tells the whole story.
Yesterday, pop band Belle & Sebastian revealed the cover for their forthcoming album Write About Love. Along with the album cover, they launched a rather unique promotion that ties in with the concept of writing the band name and album title in chalk.
The band set up a Flickr group and asked fans to take their own photos of the band name and album title written in public places. I aready created my own version of the album cover (right) and it has been accepted into the group. There are already about a dozen submissions. I am sure that there will be hundred of photos in the group very soon.
I love it when bands have promotions like this. If you submit your own photo to the group, come back and leave a link to it in the comments.
Posted by: zeefritz
Today, Scissor Sisters premiered the music video for their forthcoming single Any Which Way. The cover art for the single (below) was revealed last week. It is scheduled to be released on September 20, 2010.
According to the band's website, the video was shot over two days in London and directed by Ace Norton.
Posted by: zeefritz
I had never heard of Finnish metal band Lordi until I came across their forthcoming album Babez for Breakfast on Amazon.com. According to Wikipedia, Lordi won the Eurovision song contest in 2006.
Lordi is a Finnish hard rock band, which was formed in 1996 by the band's lead singer, songwriter and costume-designer, Mr. Lordi. The band is known for wearing monster masks and using pyrotechnics during concerts.
Source: Wikipedia
The cover for Babez for Breakfast (I'm not sure if it is supposed to be pronounced "babes" or "babies") is one of the most disgusting I have seen in months. The cover features a demonic baby that is chewing on the bloody breast of a woman.
One review link below describes the album cover as "sexcellent" — really? Sexcellent? It looks more like a grizzly nightmare to me. Since when is a woman getting her nipple chewed off sexy? WTF?!
Below are six album covers that were preselected from among this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy designs. Please vote for the album cover that you believe is the best of the bunch.
Black Label Society - Order of the Black  |
Brother Clyde - S/T  | |
George Duke - Déjà Vu  |
Mike Posner - 31 Minutes to Takeoff  | |
Eli "Paperboy" Reed - Come and Get It!  |
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World OMPS  |
The music video for Janelle Monáe's single Cold War has been posted on the pop singer's YouTube channel. Cold War is the second single from Monáe's recent album The Archandroid (right).
While the cover art for the album is stunning, with Monáe decked out to look like the famale robot from Fritz Lang's classic film Metropolis, the cover for the single uses a different concept.
Appropriately, the cover resembles a propaganda poster, with a slick street art look (below). Unlike several other recent covers that used popular street artists to create album covers (like Madonna's recent Mr. Brainwash cover), using this kind of illustration works for this single.
When I saw the music video, I was immediately reminded of the video by Eurythmics for the song Julia from the 1984 soundtrack. Like Annie Lennox, Monáe appear with bare shoulders as the camera records tight closeups of her lip syncing the song.
According to our AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, the best album cover for the week of August 3, 2010 is Arcade Fire's The Suburbs. Croweology by The Black Crowes came in second and Lady Gaga's The Remix and King of the Beach by Wavves tied for third.
The Suburbs was released with eight different covers that are each a variation of the same design concept. I hope that eventually all eight will be scanned and added to the AAX gallery.
Check back later this evening to vote on the best album cover from among this week's new music releases. This week's picks include albums by Black Label Society, Eli "Paperboy" Reed, Mike Posner, and a couple of surprises.
Yesterday, Weezer revealed an unusual album cover that features a photograph of Hurley, a character from the TV series Lost. That made me wonder what other TV series characters could be featured on album covers for a similar result. Turtle from the HBO series Entourage immediately came to mind.
So, here is my latest Album Cover Mash Up. Weezer's Hurley meets the Entourage soundtrack album.
If you want to participate in the AAX Album Cover Mash Up, all you have to do is follow these rules:
I will publish mash ups as I receive them. I will not guarantee that your mash up will be published (but I'm not going to be too picky).
Weezer has revealed the cover of their forthcoming album. Hurley features a photograph of actor Jorge Garcia who played the character Hugo "Hurley" Reyes on the TV series Lost.
The cover was revealed today on Spinner.com along with overlays of the photograph for fans to use to create their own versions of the cover. My attempt to create (right) features Weezer frontman Rivers Cuomo and Garcia at an anti-marriage equality rally held by the National Organization for Marriage. I just couldn't resist getting political.
The overlays can be found on Spinner.com. I am sure that there will be many creative images submitted to the comments section of the article. Weezer did a similar promotion for their last album, Raditude.
Hurley will be released on September 14, 2010.
There Goes Rhymin' Simon is the third studio album by singer and songwriter Paul Simon. It was released in 1973 and included two of my favorite Paul Simon songs, Kodachrome (right) and Something So Right.
The reason I chose to make There Goes Rhymin' Simon an Album Art Flashback today is the news report that the very last roll of Kodak's Kodachrome film has been turned in for processing.
Professional photographer Steve McCurry requested the final 36-exposure roll and took a National Geographic film crew along to create a one-hour documentary about the last roll of the legendary color film. They traveled from New York City to southern Asia, while McCurry trained his lens on a number of carefully chosen subjects.
At this time, we do not have superb high quality versions of either the There Goes Rhymin Simon album art or the Kodachrome single in the AlbumArtExchange.com gallery. Both covers have graph paper backgrounds, which is an early use of a concept that became popular in later in the decade.
Posted by: brianfos 
The music video for the single Alone by British pop singer Dan Black recently premiered on MTV.com. The song is from Black's recent album ((UN)) (right). ((UN)) was released in the U.K. in July 2009 and in the U.S. in February 2010.
The cover art for the Alone single features a collage made from photographs of Black. It reminds me of the recent covers for Eliza Doolittle. The artwork continues the concept used on the album cover, with an image of Black shattering into pieces. I am not sure what that is supposed to symbolize, but it is nice to see the theme carried over to the cover art for the associated singles.
The single was originally released in 2008 in the U.K. and is scheduled for release in the U.S. on August 31.
Sigur Rós frontman Jónsi (a.k.a Jón Thor Birgisson) recently released the second music video from his recent solo album Go. The video is for the song Animal Arithmetic.
I wrote about the album cover back in March. Animal Arithmetic has not been officially released as a single. Today, Joe Jervis of the popular blog Joe.My.God. pointed out that the song is a likely candidate for a remix EP. Check out the video and judge for yourself.
The latest viral video from The Gregory Brothers features the Auto-Tune vocals of a man named Antoine Dodson. Dodson was interviewed by local media in Huntsville, Alabama about a suspected rapist who crawled in through his sister's bedroom window. As a result, he became an instant YouTube sensation.
The Gregory Brothers have just released an iTunes version of the Bed Intruder Song. It features cover art by web designer and graphic artist Shelli Langdale.
Scissor Sisters revealed the cover of their forthcoming single Any Which Way on their website this week. The single is scheduled to be released on September 20, 2010.
Like the Night Work album cover, the cover for the single is a photograph by the late Robert Mapplethorpe.
The band has been promoting their new album and tour with some very amusing videos on YouTube. The latest one features Jane Fonda, Kylie Minogue, Juliette Lewis and 80,000 drunk English homos.
The soundtrack for the movie Nanny McPhee Returns is scheduled to be released on August 17, 2010, three days before the film premieres. The film is titled Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang outside of the United States and Canada.
The soundtrack was composed by James Howard Newton, who has a long list of film credits. He has also composed the scores for The Last Airbender and Salt.
The trailer features Every Little Thing She Does is Magic by The Police. I do not know if the track will be featured on the soundtrack album.
The cover art for the soundtrack is not simply a square version of the movie poster. It appears that it is an expanded view of the image used for the poster. So, it actually work as a square composition (unlike a few recent covers that we've seen).
When I saw the cover art for LCD Soundsystem's latest single I Can Change, I went to YouTube to see if there was a music video or promotional video for it.
What I found instead was a promotional video for a gallery exhibition at the Tom Dunne Gallery in Darlinghurst, Sydney, Australia called That's Cool, But Can You Make It More Sh*t? The video does a great job of explaining the reason why the cover art for the I Can Change single looks like it is something that was scribbled on a napkin in ballpoint pen.
I believe that the person speaking in the video is designer and creative director Michael Vadino. I'm not sure, because there are no captions. The exhibit features a number of designs by Vadino and his creative agency BUREAU™.
BC Jean is the singer and songwriter who co-wrote Beyoncé's hit If I Were a Boy. Shortly after the song was released by Beyoncé, Roger Friedman of FOX News reported that Beyoncé stole the song from Jean and her co-writer Toby Gad. Jean and Gad did not comment on the reported theft.
Now, Jean is set to release her debut album and a new single, Just a Boy. I do not have a release date for the single or the forthcoming album. However, both are being promoted on Jean's website and her YouTube channel.
The cover for the single features a photograph of the attractive young artist. It is very appropriate for the first single of a debut album, introducing the public to Jean in the best way possible.
The latest single from French DJ and producer Bob Sinclar is Rainbow of Love featuring Ben Onono. The song is from the album Made in Jamaica a collaboration between Sinclar and reggae duo Sly & Robbie (right).
Rainbow of Love was released late last month as a remix EP. The music video features an animated story about a boy and a collection of fantastic creatures, which includes a rooster (I think) in a top hat.
The cover for the single features the artwork from the music video. It is a very elaborate illustration for a single. I think that it is actually better than the cover for the album. It has a very 1960s psychedelic look.
Kim Wilde's eleventh studio album, Come Out and Play, is scheduled for release in Germany on August 28, 2010. The first single from the album, Lights Down Low (right), will be released on August 13.
The album features 13 tracks, including a duet with Nik Kershaw called Love Conquers All. I don't have any information about distribution to the United States.
The cover art for both the single and the album have very flattering photos of the 50-year-old singer. I am hitting the big five-o myself this year, so it is nice to see Wilde looking a beautiful as ever. I like the photography and the logo treatment for this project.
A promotional video with samples of the tracks from the album has been posted on YouTube. It is worth a listen.
A new release from Interscope Records announced today that the music video for Eminem's single Love The Way You Lie, Featuring Rihanna, will premiere on MTV and VEVO this Thursday, August 5, at 9 pm EDT.
The publicity still certainly is interesting. Perhaps Rihanna and Eminem are making a little visit to Chris Brown's house. I wonder what the cover art for the single is going to look like. The cover for the promo single (right) features Eminem having an Excedrin moment.
Perhaps we'll see the final cover art when the music video premieres on Thursday. In any case, I am intrigued. Check back on Friday and I'll let you know what I think.
Below are six album covers that were preselected from among this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the album cover that you believe is the best of the bunch.
Arcade Fire - The Suburbs  |
The Black Crowes - Croweology  | |
Buckcherry - All Night Long  |
Lady Gaga - The Remix  | |
Paul Gilbert - Fuzz Universe  |
Wavves - King of the Beach  |
Indie rock duo No Age has revealed the cover for their forthcoming album Everything in Between, The album is scheduled to be released by Sub Pop Records on September 28, 2010.
The cover features a crumpled up piece of paper with the band's name and the album title on it. The cover was designed by Brian Roettinger, founder of independent record label and design studio Hand Held Heart.
The design is an interesting concept. I do not believe that I have seen a crumpled up image used for an album cover before. I have seen crumpled textures used before (right). But, this is the first time I have seen a image in which the paper actually appears to be balled up and tossed away. It has a very retro punk look to it. I am sure that it will be imitated in the near future.
According to our AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, the best album cover for the week of July 27, 2010 is Anybody Out There by Rufio. Crazy for You by Best Coast was second and Menomena's Mines placed third.
I am not surprised by this week's winner. A quality illustration almost always gets a large number of votes. I have no information about the artist. I searched the band's various websites and found no mention of who is responsible for the illustration.
The band is using some great promotional materials (right) with the same illustrations. Their websites appear to have custom graphics that coordinate with the album cover. Yet, there is no credit given to the illustrator or the art director for this project. Sadly, this is typical these days.
I sent an inquiry to the band's PR person a few days ago and never heard back. If any readers have information about the illustrator, please let add a comment. The information may be located on the CD booklet (but that is becoming rare).
As usual, I will be posting this week's poll later this evening. I will be featuring album covers by Arcade Fire, Lady Gaga, and four other artists. It should be an interesting collection this time.
Justin Bieber released a video for his single Love Me on YouTube today. The track was released as an iTunes exclusive single as part of the countdown to the release of Justin's debut album, My World late last year. It debuted at #37 in the Hot 100.
Like all of Bieber's other album and single covers, Bieber appeared on the cover of Love Me with a tough guy scowl. It looks as if he's had the longest case of constipation in the history of the music business. I would like to see him smile just once. I mean, what would make a 16-year-old millionaire so miserable?
Iron Maiden is pulling out all the stops to promote their forthcoming album The Final Frontier (right). Today, they announced the release of a computer game based on the album cover concept.
The game can be played at thefinalfrontiergame.com. It is loaded with elaborate animated storyboards and the album serves as the soundtrack.
The game has multiple levels and can be played online. I was actually surprised that it is an actual game that requires some skill to play. It isn't simply a publicity gimmick.
The Final Frontier is scheduled to be released on August 17, 2010. It will be available as a standard or deluxe CD album. A double vinyl picture disc will also be released.
I have to admit that this déjà vu moment is really just an excuse for me to write about the cover of the 1993 album by Crash Test Dummies, God Shuffled his feet. That cover featured a parody of Bacchus and Ariadne, a 16th century oil painting by the great Italian master Titian (right).
The painting, considered one of Titian's greatest masterpieces. Anyone who has taken an Art History class will be familiar with it. It is part of a series of paintings featuring mythological subjects done by the artist for the Duke of Ferrara for the Camerino d'Alabastro - a private room in his palazzo. The painting now part of the collection of the National Gallery in London.
The album cover for God Shuffled His Feet features a recreation of the painting, with the faces of the band members added to the mytholgical characters.
Classic art has been used for the covers of classical music albums for quite a long time. So, it is not really surprising to see a detail of Bacchus and Ariadne used for the cover of an album of concerto composed by 18th century German Baroque composer Georg Philipp Telemann.
Georg Philipp Telemann - Spirituola Concerto Melante (2010)
Crash Test Dummies - God Shuffled His Feet (1993)
The cover for the forthcoming album by KT Tunstall has been revealed. Tiger Suit is scheduled to be released on September 28, 2010.
I must admit that I am somewhat disappointed to see that Tunstall is not wearing an actual tiger suit. Instead, she is shown wearing a striped sweater. Perhaps the album should have been titled "Charlie Brown" instead. Not only is she wearing Charlie Brown's wide-striped sweater, she has an expression on her face that looks like someone pulled the football away or a tree just ate her kite. Good grief!
When I saw the music video for Chromeo's single Don't Turn the Lights On yesterday, I was so impressed with the creepy effects that I had to see what the cover art looks like. Sadly, I was disappointed to find that the cover for the single (right) is just glowing text on a brownish background.
It is a decent cover compared to many that are used for singles these days. At least it isn't one of those generic covers that many record labels use for dance singles.
In this case, not having cover art that ties in with the music video will be detrimental to the sales of this single. Many people will see the video and forget the name of the artist. The thing that they will remember is the spooky floating eyes and mouths seen in the video.
Seeing that memorable image as cover art while browsing iTunes or Amazon.com would remind potential buyers that they liked the song. Not connecting the cover art for a single to the music video is a waste of the selling power of the video.
Of course, many music videos are made until after the single shows some sales potential. That could be the case with this single. However, I have no doubt that the images from the video should be on the cover. Below is an example that I created using the actual cover art and a screen grab from the video.
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