March 2011 Archives

Churchwood - Churchwood (2011)

About an hour ago, I noticed a tweet from Gibson Guitar that asked, "Is this the most famous album cover in history? (If not, what is??)" The tweet included a link to an article on the Gibson website about the making of the cover for The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (below right).

The headline reads "The Making of the Most Famous Album Cover" and the article concludes "For a band that have their share of instantly recognizable album covers, this one might be the most iconic."

While I agree that the cover for Sgt. Pepper's is famous and iconic, I do not believe that it is the most iconic album cover in history. It is not even the most iconic album cover in The Beatles' discography.

I believe that the cover for Abbey Road (below) is the most famous and most iconic by The Beatles. It is undoubtedly the first that comes to mind when you ask people to name a "famous album cover by The Beatles" — try it.

Both album covers have been copied and parodied countless times. However, Abbey Road still compels tourists to the location where the photograph was taken. Many people today cannot even name most of the celebrities on the Sgt. Pepper's cover.

I also believe that there are many album covers that can be regarded as the "most iconic" simply because young people continue to display it on their bedroom walls. You can walk into any college dorm today and see a poster of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon (below). The Beatles? Not so much.

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 cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Britney Spears - Femme Fatale		Los Lonely Boys - Rockpango
Mary Mary - Something Big		Radiohead - The King of Limbs
Whitesnake - Forevermore		Wiz Khalifa - Rolling Papers

The cover art and released date for the debut album by classical crossover vocalist Jackie Evancho was revealed via new release today. The nearly 11-year-old artist gained international attention during her 2010 appearances on the U.S. talent show America's Got Talent. The album, Dream with Me, is scheduled to be released by SYCO/Columbia Records on June 14, 2011.

According to our weekly AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, the best album cover for the week of March 22, 2011 is Angles by The Strokes. The cover received 48% of the vote. Dust Bowl by Joe Bonamassa was second with 35% and Jennifer Hudson's I Remember Me was a distant third with just 9%.

The winning cover features a painting by the late Belgian artist Guy Pouppez, who died in 1993. The subject of the painting is the Penrose stairs, which is also called the impossible staircase. I wrote about the Penrose stairs in a previous article about this album cover.

As usual, I will post the poll featuring the album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases this evening. This week's covers include Britney Spears, Radiohead, Whitesnake and a couple of surprises.

The world of Japanese pop music is often one big WTF?! experience. There are many genres based on thing like anime and seemingly kinky schoolgirl fantasies that are difficult for Westerners to understand or appreciate.

S/mileage is a group that is fairly typical. Their name is said to be an amalgamation of the English words smile, mileage, and age, which together is supposed to mean the age of smiles. Yeah. Right.

The cover art for the group's forthcoming single Koi ni Booing Bu! is especially creepy. Not only are the members dressed up in pink satin schoolgirl outfits, they are wearing furry pig ears and noses. While the girls are made up to look as if they are about 12, they are all over the age of 16. WTF?!

Below are 10 noteworthy album covers that were posted to the AAX gallery last week. They were selected simply because I found them to be interesting or a valuable addition to the gallery. They are listed in no particular order.

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Posted by: zeefritz		Posted by: Scott

Wacky! What is it with octopuses on heads? My first "Wacky Album Cover of the Evening" was Omar Rodríguez-López's 2010 album Cizaña de los Amores. This was followed up with the photographer and artist Herbert Ritts and his work "Djimon with Octopus, Hollywood, 1989".

The Japanese indie band Qomolangma Tomato have also used a cephalopod mollusc as headwear in their cover art, this time, I assume, as camouflage.

The girl in the cover below doesn't look very camouflaged to me. Cool name for a band though! Say it really fast three times.

Qomolangma Tomato - Camouflage (2009)

Posted by: Aequi

Today is Leonard Nimoy's 80th birthday. To commemorate the birth of the legendary actor, director, poet, musician and photographer, here is an album art flashback to 1967. That was the year that Nimoy's debut album, Leonard Nimoy Presents Mr. Spock's Music from Outer Space, was released by Dot Records.

The record features songs by Nimoy, sound effects, instrumentals, and science fiction-themed spoken word narration. Autographed copies of the original LP (right) are highly sought after by Star Trek fans. Nimoy made many public appearances to promote the album and unsigned copies of the LP can usually be found on eBay.

The album was re-released on CD in 1995 by Varèse Sarabande Records with additional tracks from Nimoy's second album, Two Sides of Leonard Nimoy.

The cover used for the reissue is basically the same as that of the original LP, with the Dot logo, catalog numbers and stereo banner removed. New copies of the CD are listed on Amazon.com at prices ranging from $85 to $180. Beware of poor-quality bootlegs if you're inclined to purchase it.

As Japan recovers from the devastating earthquake and tsunami that struck on March 11, many of the world's top recording artists have responded with a benefit album. The 38 tracks include some of today's biggest hits, featuring an exclusive remix of Lady GaGa's Born This Way, original versions of katy Perry's Firework, Bruno Mars' Talking to the Moon, Adele's Make You Feel My Love and much more (see complete track listing below). All proceeds from the album will go to the Japanese Red Cross.

The action-fantasy Sucker Punch is opens in written both conventional and IMAX theatres today. The film was written by Steve Shibuya and Zack Snyder and directed by Snyder. It features an ensemble female cast that includes Emily Browning, Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone, Vanessa Hudgens and Jamie Chung.

Ads for the movie state that most of the songs used in it are "reworked classics that help explain what motivates each character's drive to survive." The soundtrack features three tracks performed by Emily Browning and six by Skunk Anansie, Bjork, Emiliana Torrini and other artists. One of the Browning tracks is a cover of Eurythmics' Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This). I must admit that I am afraid to listen to it. It would be difficult to improve on the original.

Canadian pop singer Alyssa Rubino was recently featured in an article on Billboard.com as rising young star. And by "young" they mean 12 years old. That's right. She isn't even a teenager and she's performing dance club material.

Listening to Rubino's single Keep on Dancing, most people would assume that she is an adult. She certainly doesn't sound like a little girl. The cover art for the single features the young singer wearing a pair of blue Ray Bans. It is not an inappropriate image. However, it does not prepare the listener for the grown up sound of the music behind it.

Tonight the American Idol contestants sang Motown hits. The performances were much better than what we heard last week. The compilation album and individual singles are available now on iTunes.

The artwork for this week's album and the singles have been uploaded to the AAX gallery.

Killian Wells is a young pop singer and songwriter from New York City. His single, Psycho, was recently released on iTunes. It follows V.I.P., which was originally released in 2009 and remixed and reissued in 2010.

In 2008, Killian was one of the first among celebrities such as Blake Lewis, Kathy Giffin and Pete Wentz to become part of photographer Adam Bouska's NOH8 Campaign. Killian was photographed with duct tape over his mouth (right) in response to California's Prop 8, which stripped gay and lesbian couples of the right to marry.

In 2010, Killian was nominated for two OUTMusic Awards for his single V.I.P., OUTStanding Dance Song and NEXT Generation Talent Search Contest  OUTStanding Original Song.

Many of the blog articles and online comments I have read compare Killian to Ke$ha. That is probably based on the bright colors and glittery images presented in his music videos, rather than his vocal talents.

The official music video for Psycho features 2010 Playboy Playmate of the Year and Celebrity Apprentice star Hope Dworaczyk. It was directed by Bec Stupak.

The cover art for the forthcoming Glee album Glee: The Music Presents The Warblers was revealed via news release by Columbia Records today. The album is scheduled to be released on April 19, 2011.

The cover features the blue prep school blazer with red trim that the members of the all-male glee club wear on the hit TV show. The Warblers have become so popular that there are rumors of a Glee spin-off featuring them. Their version of Katy Perry's Teenage Dream was a huge hit. The tracks on the album are listed below.

Tracklist 

1. Teenage Dream (Glee Cast Version)
2. Hey, Soul Sister (Glee Cast Version)
3. Bills, Bills, Bills (Glee Cast Version)
4. Silly Love Songs (Glee Cast Version)
5. When I Get You Alone (Glee Cast Version)
6. Animal (Glee Cast Version)
7. Misery (Glee Cast Version)
8. Blackbird (Glee Cast Version)
9. Candles (Glee Cast Version)
10. Raise Your Glass (Glee Cast Version)
11. Somewhere Only We Know (Glee Cast Version)
12. What Kind Of Fool (Glee Cast Version)
13. Do Ya Think I'm Sexy? (Glee Cast Version)

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 cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Adam Lambert - Glam Nation Live		Chris Brown - F.A.M.E.
Green Day - Awesome as Fuck		Joe Bonamassa - Dust Bowl
Jennifer Hudson - I Remember Me		The Strokes - Angles

Just about filed this under Déjà Vu, what with the cute little dressed-up kids, both looking upwards for parental guidance, and both holding dangerous materials. They even both have the same blasé and resigned facial expressions, although the junior Blue Meanie looks like he might lose it any minute.

Anyway, here they are together under Strange Connections for obvious reasons. Imagine an alternative rock-grunge-ska-core band called "The Pretty Blue Reckless Meanies" with an album titled "Light Me Up and Kiss Your Ass Goodbye". Or "Kiss Me Up and Light..." (just kidding!). Brilliant! Get Cowell on the phone...

The Pretty Reckless - Light Me Up (2010)

Posted by: zeefritz

Blue Meanies - Kiss Your Ass Goodbye (1995)

Posted by: zeefritz

According to our weekly AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, the best album cover for the week of March 15, 2011 is Several Shades of Why by J Mascis. The cover was the hands-down winner with 53% of the vote. Passive Me Aggressive You by Naked and Famous was second with 20%. And for the first time, there was a four-way tie for third place.

The winning cover was created by illustrator Marq Spusta. Spusta has recently redesigned his website. It is definitely worth a look. He has posted his designs for the J Mascis tour poster.

Check back this evening to see which album covers were preselected from this week's new music releases and vote for your favorite.

Toy Story 3 = Awesome! is a song of Facebook by The Australian Voices, an choral ensemble based in Brisbane, Australia and founded in 1993 by Graeme Morton and Stephen Leek to promote Australian composers. Stephen Leek retired in 2009, and a new Artistic Director and composer, Gordon Hamilton, was appointed.

"One of the coolest, nerdiest, funniest music videos
doing the cyber rounds..." - Sydney Morning Herald

It's not THAT funny, but it is different and entertaining. You be the judge. You may find yourself ROFLYSST (rolling on the floor laughing, yet somehow still typing) as Bill Bailey once sang in his Internet Love Song from the Dandelion Mind tour (video included below). The Facebook Song focuses on Internet pop culture, languages and the addictive memes and viral concepts that are attaching themselves to every facet of human life. "With references to everything from Oscar nominees like Toy Story 3 and The Social Network, to emerging memes like "awkward trout" this piece is part celebration and part social commentary."

And if you're wondering what ROTFLSHMSFOAIDMT stands for, watch the video. As for me, I just want to be a Jedi ;-)

Toy Story 3 = Awesome! (2011)

Posted by: zeefritz

One of the few disappointments I experienced during the run of the HBO series Big Love was when they changed the theme song from God Only Knows by The Beach Boys to Home by the British band Engineers. The series finale made up for that by concluding with a cover of God Only Knows by Natalie Maines. The song is currently available as a digital single from iTunes and Amazon.com.

According to a NY Daily News artcle, a New York City teen claims that he was the baby who appeared on the late rapper the Notorious B.I.G.'s 1994 debut album Ready to Die.

One of hip hop's longest running mysteries may be solved - and it's a pretty B.I.G. deal.

A high school senior who grew up in the Bronx says he's that chubby-cheeked kid on the cover of "Ready to Die" - the acclaimed debut album by slain rapper, Notorious B.I.G.

"Every time people find out they ask me if I got a lot of money out of it," Keithroy Yearwood, 18, told the Daily News.

Source: NYDailyNews.com

Electra is an alternative rock band based in Tel Aviv who released their debut album Heartbreaks for Fools last year. I stumbled on their cover of Donna Summer's I Feel Love that they posted on YouTube yesterday and I can't stop listening to it.

I Feel Love is the b-side of their single Dawn of Summer (right). Both songs and several others are available as free downloads on the band's official website. I highly recommend the remix version of I Feel Love.

The digital version of the album is currently available on Amazon.com for only $5.99. It features 12 great tracks with a retro 1980s rockabilly sound and some surprising surf guitar.

The Dandy Warhols - Welcome to the Monkey House (2003)

Posted by: Frostikk

Katy Perry - Hot n Cold (2008)		Chris Rea - God's Great Banana Skin (1992)
James Laid (1993)		Lou Reed & The Velvet Underground Best of (1995)

The Velvet Undergound - The Velvet Underground & Nico (1967)

Posted by: zeefritz

The science fiction comedy film Paul opened in U.S. theaters today. Directed by Greg Mottola it stars and was written by Simon Pegg and Nick Frost. The film opened in the U.K. in February and was number one at box office there in its first weekend. Actor Seth Rogan is the voice of the title character. I have heard the film described as "E.T. gets high."

The soundtrack features 22 tracks, including the score by David Arnold and songs by Marvin Gaye, Bill Withers, Todd Rundgren, Electric Light Orchestra, The B-52s and others. The album will not be released in the U.S. until April 5, 2011. It is also one of those soundtracks that force online consumers to buy the entire album.

The artwork for the U.S. and U.K. releases are very different. The film poster for the U.K. features Pegg and Frost and Rogan's animated alien character. A square version of the poster was used for the U.K. soundtrack (right).

The U.S. version uses a school bus-yellow background and the Paul character alone. Perhaps they felt that Pegg and Frost are not recognizable enough to American audiences. The U.S. version also has a different type treatment for the title.

Going Out in Style is the seventh studio album by the Irish-American punk band Dropkick Murphys. It was relased on the band's Born & Bred Records label on March 1, 2011, just in time for St. Patrick's Day.

To promote the new album and celebrate the holiday, the band has posted a playlist of YouTube videos. The playlist includes videos from The Pogues, The Chieftains, The Mahones and several surprises.

The cover art for the album is worth a look. It was made to look like a green leather cover with a crest that features symbols for music, sex, religion and alcohol. Of course, there is a shamrock in the center.

The band will be playing at the House of Blues in Boston tonight.

I received an email this evening from a reader who was looking for "the album cover with a woman sunbathing on a beach while a nuclear power plant burns" — he did not know the artist or title of the album. I immediately knew that the album was The Crystal Method's Tweekend.

Obviously, the interest in this particular album cover stems from the current nuclear crisis in Japan. I do not intend for this blog article to be insensitive to those who are currently suffering. However, this particular cover is likely to come to mind when people are watching news coverage.

Released in 2001, Tweekend is the second studio album by American electronic music duo The Crystal Method. The album featured the popular lead single Name of the Game, which has been used for several soundtracks and TV commercials. Many people remember the music video for Name of the Game due to a featured character with a giant nose for a face.

The art direction and digital imagery for the album is credited to Larimie Garcia. Considering recent events, the album cover is probably much more shocking than it was when the album was released.

There were some great performances on American Idol tonight, Unfortunately, there were some clunkers as well. It is a good thing that iTunes is offering both a compilation album featuring the studio version of tonight's performances and individual singles.

As I predicted last week, the album cover for the Top 12 compilation is the same as last week, with the eliminated contestant removed. What I did not expect is the addition of red outlines on the text and the photographs. Perhaps there will be a new color each week.

You can check out the artwork for the singles in the AAX gallery.

The single Cardiac Arrest by electronic band Teddybears has been released with pop singer Robyn replacing Mapei, who provided vocals for the version that appears on their album Devil's Music. The single was released yesterday and is available on iTunes and Amazon.com.

The cover art for the single features the band in their signature bear costumes with creepy glowing red eyes. This is one strange band. However, the song is really good and very fast paced. It should wash Rebecca Black's Friday right out of your ears.

Pop singer Rebecca Black is the latest viral YouTube phenomenon, with her music video Friday up to almost 10 million views as of this afternoon. The song was recently made available as a single on iTunes and Amazon.com and is moving up the sales charts.

In spite of her popularity, Black is getting harsh reviews. She has been called a "one hit wonder", "the worst singer ever" and the "Black plague" (a joke that references "Bieber fever"). She must, however, have some appeal in order to have received so many views in a little over a month.

The video seems professionally produced and Black definitely has star qualities. The cover art for the single features her standing in front of a background that looks quite a bit like the cover of the new Arcade Fire album.

The Naked and Famous are a five-piece band from New Zealand. Their single Young Blood is featured as the Free Single of the Week in the U.S. iTunes store this week. The song was released in June 2010, and debuted at #1 on the New Zealand charts. The first artist to do so in over three years. Their album Passive Me, Aggressive You followed in September.

Young Blood picked up the Silver Scroll for Song of the Year in the 2010 APRA Awards. Previous winners of this prestigious award include Missy Higgins (who I mentioned in my last post), Kasey Chambers, Ben Lee, Alex Lloyd and Powderfinger.

The Naked and Famous - Young Blood (2010)

Posted by: zeefritz

The song has been featured in a number of television series, including Covert Affairs, Chuck, Gossip Girl and The Almighty Johnsons, not to mention as a promo for the UK series Skins. Oh, I almost forgot; and in the trailer for the Disney movie Prom. Another of their singles, Punching in a Dream, was recently featured in The Vampire Diaries.

The video, directed by Joel Kefali & Campbell Hooper, has "the quintet leaping into water, skating, running, dancing around sparklers, and beating up cars in a display of deliberately youthful, nostalgic imagery with front-woman Alisa Xayalith wailing longingly over melancholy, bass-driven synth pop." If you love the FREE single, BUY the album.

The Naked and Famous - Passive Me, Aggressive You (2010)

Posted by: Joybrata

Enik - I Sold My Moon Boots to a Girl from Greece (2011)

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 cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Naked and Famous - Passive Me Aggressive You		Steve Martin and The Steep Canyon Rangers - Rare Bird Alert
J Mascis - Several Shades of Why		New York Dolls - Dancing Backward in High Heels
Travis Barker - Give the Drummer Some		Rise Against - Endgame

In January, Social Distortion released Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes with a unique album cover design concept. The cover was made to look like a Little Golden Book. It features a gold-color spine that resembles those of the popular children's books that many of us grew up reading.

Last week, Orlando band The Pauses released their debut album, A Cautionary Tale. The album cover also featured the gold binding of the Little Golden Book. The packaging for the album includes a little storybook and recreates the look of the books.

Now, we have a third album with a Little Golden Book theme. The forthcoming album Fishin' for Woos by Bowling for Soup is scheduled for release on April 26, 2011.

I think this concept is pretty much played out for 2011. Otherwise, I may be experiencing a quadruple déjà vu moment.

Social Distortion - Hard Times and Nursery Rhymes (2011)

The Pauses - A Cautionary Tale (2011)

Bowling for Soup - Fishin' for Woos (2011)

Megan Washington, who performs under the name Washington, has to be one of Australia's hottest new artists right now. Her debut album, I Believe You Liar, is now certified platinum in Australia, and she was the 2010 recipient of the ARIA Awards for Best Female Artist and Breakthrough Artist. She also performs her catchy upbeat song Cement in a new Dell Computer advertisement (which can be viewed here on her website). She reminds me a lot of Missy Higgins; short hair, catchy tunes, piano and guitar playing. Missy Higgins, incidentally, won ARIA's Breakthrough Artist in 2005.

A 2011 release of How to Tame Lions EP goes on digital sale on March 15, 2011. To coincide with the launch, her U.S. introduction will be marked by three very special SXSW gigs (starting March 16th), opening for Kaki King on tour, and headlining two shows (March 21 in New York City at Mercury Lounge and March 29 in LA at the Bootleg Theatre).

Washington - How to Tame Lions EP (2011)

Posted by: zeefritz

According to our weekly AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, the best album cover for the week of March 8, 2011 is The Hills Are Alive, the debut album by instrumental quartet Brooklyn Rundfunk Orkestrata (BRO). The cover received 30% of the vote. Lasers by Lupe Fiasco was second with 25% and Collapse Into Now by R.E.M. was third with 15%.

I was not able to locate credits for the art dierctor and photographer for this project. However, I do know that the stunning mountain top photograph and album title are not arbitrary. The group was given approval and permission from the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization to reinterpret the songs from the iconic musical The Sound of Music. Lay ee odl, lay ee odl, lay ee odl-oo!

Come back this evening to vote on your favorite album cover from among this week's new music releases. There are a couple of exceptional covers this week. You won't want to miss them.

This is the first installment of a new category that I have wanted to start for quite a long time. It is a showcase of interesting album covers that were uploaded to the AlbumArtExchange.com (AAX) gallery the previous week. Every Monday, I will post ten album covers. There is no specific category or genre. They are simply album covers that caught my eye while browsing the gallery.

For a larger view of the album covers posted below, click the image and visit the AAX gallery.

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Beastie Boys revealed the cover for their forthcoming album Hot Sauce Committee Part Two on their official website today. The album is scheduled to be released on May 3, 2011.

The cover art included the following caption:

Since the dawn of time, and perhaps even before, there was a silent order who were tasked with a mission. They held their secret tightly. On may 3rd the HOT SAUCE COMMITTEE PART TWO will be unleashed on the general public. Hold fast ye heathens.

We've seen quite a few of these square pixel designs lately. I think it is more appropriate for an electronic music artist than Beastie Boys.

It was recently announced that Capitol/EMI is set to release The SMiLE Sessions by The Beach Boys sometime later this year. The material included in the collection was recorded in 1966 and 1967 for the album SMiLE, which was supposed to follow the band's 1966 release, Pet Sounds (right). 

The sessions were ultimately shelved and The Beach Boys' SMiLE was not released. After speculation about the release of the album for several years,  original Beach Boys Al Jardine, Mike Love, and Brian Wilson have worked with Capitol/EMI to compile a new collection, The SMiLE Sessions. It is scheduled for worldwide release this year in multiple physical and digital configurations.

The promotional artwork that has been distributed for the collection via news release is a simple typographic image, using a early 1960s-style retro font. I hope that the final artwork for the collection is more sophisticated. The promotional image looks like something from a Frankie and Annette movie.

Now before anyone gets excited and comments that some of these can't be cows because they have horns, I'll just say that some cows can have horns, depending on the breed, it's just that they are usually de-horned for safety reasons. Additionally, the word cow can mean a domestic bovine of either sex and any age. And if the album title contains "cow", then it belongs here. Bulls will be covered in the next Noah's Ark installment.

I've chosen a selection of interesting, funny, famous and varied covers. I've ignored the hundreds of generic mainly American album covers with cowboys and herds and boring big cow faces licking the camera type shots. Instead, I have cows in a car, cows in "action", a cow diagram for butchers, a confused cow, a cow's rear end ... and some udder... err... other ones.

Gotthard - Made in Switzerland: Live in Zürich (2006)

Posted by: anetode

Martini Ranch - Holy Cow (1988)

Foo Fighters - For All the Cows (1995)

I'd never "herd" of State Cows before (pun intended), but I dig the cover for their self-titled album. That 1957 Chevrolet Bel-air (or so my reliable car enthusiast sources tell me) isn't going anywhere fast by the looks of the front right flat tire. In fact, I think the whole lot of them, including the dog, are just pretending to be cruising down a highway.

State Cows - State Cows (2010)

Posted by: Aequi

Aerosmith's 11th and Bloodhound Gang's third studio albums both prominently feature udders, cleverly making fun of the albums' titles. The cover art for Bloodhound Gang below is for the "Edited" version, and the full title is Hooray for Boobies. The appropriated named Get a Grip, also features Aerosmith's logo as a cattle brand, while the back cover is fully taken over by another similar branding image.

Aerosmith - Get a Grip (1993)

Bloodhound Gang - Hooray for Boobies (1999)

Atom Heart Mother was the fifth studio album from Pink Floyd. The original album cover shows a cow standing in a pasture with no text nor any other clue as to what might be on the record. More cows appear on the back cover, again with no text or titles, and on the inside gatefold. The liner notes give a recipe for whole stuffed camel ... mmm ... stuffed camel. Some later editions have the title and artist name added.

Using a somewhat plain cover was Pink Floyd's way of getting away from all the space rock psychedelic imagery associated with them. The album artwork and photogrpahy was created by Storm Thorgerson who, inspired by Andy Warhol's famous "cow-wallpaper", has said that he simply drove out into a rural area near Potters Bar and photographed the first cow he saw. The cow's owner identified her name as Lulubelle III.

I find it hilarious that the front cover shows a cow's rear, whilst the back cover shows cows front on. Subsequent releases by Pink Floyd included more cow imagery, including Pinkie Milkie and others such as Dark Side of the Moo (a 1986 bootleg recording). The Atom Heart Mother artwork and concept has spawned many, many imitations during it's 40 years - but none come close to the original, free tasty camel recipe and all !

Pink Floyd - Atom Heart Mother (1970)

Posted by: Scott

It has been a long time since my last WTF?! album cover post. Perhaps I'm getting jaded, because not to many album covers make me recoil in disgust these days.

The cover for the forthcoming album by Tennessee trio Those Darlins comes close to providing the requisite amount of revulsion. I was not able to find a decent biography of the band online (not even on their official website). So, I don't know whether or not they are a novelty act or serious recording artists. Do they pick noses or guitars? Maybe I don't want to know.

Generally, I do not write about the cover art for mixtapes. They are often distributed in low quality resolution and do not meet the same professional design standards of most albums. There are, however, many noteworthy exceptions.

This morning, I read a tweet that asked if anyone is concerned that rapper Lil B's new cover art depicts him as Queen Elizabeth and I just had to check it out. Sure enough, I discovered that the cover for Lil B's new mixtape Illusions of Grandeur features a painting of him dressed as Queen Elizabeth I (right).

Known as The Virgin Queen, Elizabeth I was the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. This portrait that appears to be the inspiration for the Lil B cover is known as The Rainbow Portrait. It was painted by an unknown artist circa 1600.

What makes the Lil B mixtape cover unusual is that this may be the first time a male rapper has appeared dressed up as a queen. It is a very interesting choice for a rap artist. The genre is typically not so tolerant of anything that challenges gender roles.

I would really like to know the story behind this cover. Why is Lil B dressed up like Queen Elizabeth I? I am sure his fans will be wondering.

For a limited time, Amazon.com is offering a free download of Ellie Goulding's song Starry Eyed. The song is featured on Goulding's current album Lights, which was released on March 8, 2011.

Get Free Download

Posted by: zeefritz

The computer-animated comedy Mars Needs Moms was released by Walt Disney Pictures in 3D, 2D and IMAX today. Directed by Simon Wells and based on a book of the same title by Berkeley Breathed the film stars both Seth Green and Seth Dusky as the main character Milo. Green did the physical perfomance captured by animation technology Dusky did the voiceover. The animation was created by Robert Zemeckis' studio ImageMovers Digital.

The score was composed by John Powell. The soundtrack album has been released as a digital download from Amazon.com and iTunes. The album cover is a square version of the movie poster. Sadly, it does not show the amazing quality of the computer animation in the film. It is a parody of the famous abdution scene from Close Encounters of the Third Kind (above right).

DNA (Derringer & Appice) - Party Tested Reissue (2011)

Funk legend Bootsy Collins revealed an animated version of the cover for his forthcoming album Tha Funk Capital of the World via Facebook and Twitter this morning. The album is scheduled to be released on May 3, 2011.

While the tweet indictes that no one had yet seen the "actual" album cover, I assume that refers to the animated version. The static version of the cover has been in the AAX gallery for a couple of months. Both the animated and static versions are pretty cool and exactly what fans would expect from Collins.

Michael Grimm, Winner of NBC's America's Got Talent, revealed the album cover for his forthcoming self-titled album via news release today. The album is scheduled to be released on Epic Records on May 17, 2011.

Many people who watched the TV show remember Grimm as "the hat guy" due to his signature Fedora. The album cover features a faded portrait of Grimm with all but the brim of his hat cropped out.

Teenage Bottlerocket is an American punk rock band formed by twin brothers Ray and Brandon Carlisle. (What is it with twins? I've covered so many of them lately.) Together with The Ergs! the band split a two track tribute album under the Suburban Home Records label entitled Under the Influence Vol 4.

Each band did a cover of a song by a band that influenced them a lot. Teenage Bottlerocket did Having a Blast from Green Day's 1994 album Dookie. My last Déjà Vu post covered The Ergs! tribute and cover art, inspired by Devo.

Teenage Bottlerocket - Having a Blast (2009)

Posted by: Aequi

The cover art for Dookie, Green Day's third studio album, is an illustration by Richie Bucher (Sweet Baby, Jüke, Wynona Ryders). In 1989 due to Sweet Baby, Green Day changed their name from Sweet Children to Green Day so there would be no confusion before releasing their first EP 1,000 Hours. The artwork depicts bombs being dropped on people and buildings. In the center, there is an explosion, with the band's name at the top. Lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong has since explained the meaning of the artwork:

I wanted the art work to look really different. I wanted it to represent the East Bay and where we come from, because there's a lot of artists in the East Bay scene that are just as important as the music. So we talked to Richie Bucher. He did a 7-inch cover for this band called Raooul that I really liked. He's also been playing in bands in the East Bay for years. There's pieces of us buried on the album cover. There's one guy with his camera up in the air taking a picture with a beard. He took pictures of bands every weekend at Gilman's. The robed character that looks like the Mona Lisa is the woman on the cover of the first Black Sabbath album. Angus Young is in there somewhere too. The graffiti reading "Twisted Dog Sisters" refers to these two girls from Berkeley. I think the guy saying "The fritter, fat boy" was a reference to a local cop. Source

Green Day - Dookie (1994)

Posted by: Foundation

Dookie produced five hit singles for Green Day, became a worldwide commercial success (it is the band's best-selling album with over 16 million copies sold), and reached number two on the U.S Billboard Charts. Rolling Stone ranked Dookie at #193 on the list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. It also won the Grammy for Best Alternative Music Album in 1995 and helped propel Green Day and punk music into the mainstream.

American Idol is doing something different with their weekly studio single this season. All of the songs are being sold as a complilation album and as individual singles on iTunes. The album includes all of the singles at a discounted price.

The artwork features photographs of the contestants with either a blue or gray background. I image that the contestants who are eliminated will be removed from the cover one at a time. We will have to wait until next week to find out.

You can view all 13 of the high resolution single covers in the AAX gallery.

Over the past few days, I have read several online comments from Britney Spears fans about the cover art for the deluxe edition of her forthcoming album. Many were hoping that an alternate photograph would be used. A few felt that a recent publicity photo would be a better choice than the image used for the standard album.

Unfortunately, those fans will be disappointed to see that the same photograph was used for the deluxe album. The only difference is that Britney now has a white box to rest her chin on. The placement of the box is very odd. If there was just a little bit of space between Britney's chin and the box, it would not look so strange. But, we'd still have that greasy weave to creep us out.

Posted by: zeefritz

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 cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Avril Lavigne - Goodbye Lullaby		Jim Norton - Despicable
Bruce Cockburn - Small Source of Comfort		Brooklyn Rundfunk Orkestrata - The Hills Are Alive
Lupe Fiasco - Lasers		R.E.M. - Collapse Into Now

What else can I say other than to throw on your shades, kick back and enjoy the kaleidoscopic, hallucinogenic, super-bright, over-saturated, rainbow-colored cover-art fest about to unfold before your eyes.

WARNING: These images may induce prolonged spells of euphoria to the observer. In such cases of extreme psychedelia, do not panic, become paranoid, or get the munchies. Be groovy and calmly apply one dose of this reality check for adults, and up to three doses for children and teenagers. Do NOT exceed recommended amounts.

Julie Crochetière - Steady Ground (2011)

Posted by: audio20

Munich Syndrome - Electronic Ecstasy (2010)

The Band - Stage Fright (1970)

The B-52s - Cosmic Thing (1989)

Posted by: Scott

Black Moth Super Rainbow - Dandelion Gum  (2007)

Acid Mothers Temple & the  Melting Paraiso U.F.O. - Electric Love Machine / Cosmo Chiva (2002)

Squarepusher - Numbers Lucent EP (2009)

Posted by: Aequi

According to our weekly AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, the best album cover for the week of March 1, 2011 is Different Gear Still Speeding by English rock band Beady Eye. The cover received 43% of the votes. 100 Lovers by Devotchka was second with 26%. Wounded Rhymes by Lykke Li was a distant third with 13%.

The winning cover is an unusual design to say the least. The primary element is a vintage photograph of a little girl (right) that has been floating around the Internet for several years. I do not know the origin of the image.

Unfortunately, I was not able to find a credit for the art director of this project. I would be nice to know why "Doreen taking an alligator ride" was chosen for the album cover.

I hope to have the polls working on the blog by early tomorrow afternoon. Check back then to vote for the best album cover from among this week's new music releases.

The Ergs!, an American punk rock band, together with Teenage Bottlerocket, split a two track tribute album under the Suburban Home Records label entitled Under the Influence Vol 4. Each band did a cover of a song by a band that influenced them a lot. The Ergs! did Blockhead by Devo, off the 1979 album Duty Now for the Future. I will be covering Teenage Bottlerocket's tribute in my next Déjà Vu post.

The Ergs! - Blockhead (2009)

Posted by: Aequi

Duty Now for the Future was Devo's second studio album and peaked at #73 on the Billboard Charts. The colorful artwork was designed by Janet Perr. Besides winning a Grammy Award for the art direction and design of Cyndi Lauper's debut album She's So Unusual, she has also worked with The Rolling Stones, among others.

The American 12" album cover was jokingly dominated by the album's Uniform Product Code (UPC), or bar code. The colorful artwork satirized the new requirements for these bar codes. Until that time, album covers were seen as an entire art form unto themselves. Consequently, the new mandates for UPC codes splashed across every work of album art were a subject of much protest as an infringement upon artistic integrity and an Orwellian symbol of the impersonal modern age. The rectangular image of the band originally came perforated and could therefore be removed from the "offending" bar codes surrounding it. Keep watching for my upcoming Variations on a Theme: Bar Codes article. It's almost ready!

Devo - Duty Now for the Future (1979)

Posted by: zeefritz

Yoko Ono, who recently celebrated her 78th birthday, has just scored her sixth consecutive #1 Billboard Hot Dance Club hit with Move On Fast. Ono has managed to top such performers as Rihanna, Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Taio Cruz, Kylie Minogue, and Jennifer Lopez.

Move On Fast is the latest in an ongoing remix series that employs current DJs to create dance tracks using Ono's previous releases. The song was originally issued as the b-side to the single Now or Never and appeared on her 1972 double album Approximately Infinite Universe (right).

Move On Fast: The Remixes is available as three separate digital green singles (no materials used or abused) on iTunes and at the Twisted Records online store. The singles feature remixes by Dave Aude, Digital Dog, Ralphi Rosario, Richard Morel, Chris The Greek, Emjae, Twisted Sound+Vision, DJ Yiannis, Nacho & Ivan and Timmy Loop.

What is it with pink hair? Not red hair, nor purple, and not orange and not certainly not streaky pinky-ochre-rouge-orangey-purplish dirty mops either. I'm talking about PINK! It seems every so often, someone gets in on the act, and usually at the start of their career. What's up with that? Or is it just for a bit of marketing hype and shock value? I wouldn't be surprised to see Lady Gaga and Katy Perry sporting some soon on covers or in their videos. At least Alecia Beth Moore has an excuse, it's also her stage name, often stylized as P!nk.

P!nk - Missundaztood (2001)

Posted by: zeefritz

Pink can be found on other famous, big-name artists; such as No Doubt's Gwen Stefani (she of the midriff, seen here showing off her abs at the Huffington Post) and Cyndi Lauper. Jeffree Star, an internet celebrity from MySpace who has made a name as an androgynous gender-bending model, also went for pink. And there are so many other artists, that's its impossible to list or show them all. So I'll errr.. umm... 'randomly' choose Skye Sweetnam, whose website loads up showing progress in, wait for it, pink percentages.

No Doubt - Return of Saturn (2000)		Cyndi Lauper - A Night to Remember (1989)
Jeffree Star - Cupcakes Taste Like Violence (2008)		Syke Sweetnam - Sound Soldier (2007)

Onika Tanya Maraj, or Nicki Minaj as she is better known, is also into pink, but in a big way. Almost every album art she is in has her with pink hair (including Lil Kim's latest on which she has been decapitated). She must have shares in the pink factory! Her debut solo studio album is even called Pink Friday. My only problem with all this is that while other artists actually have pink or red or purple dyed hair, Nicki Minaj just uses a cheap wig.

Nicki Minaj feat. Lil Wayne - Roman's Revenge (2010)

Posted by: zeefritz

The Kleptones - Shits & Giggles (2010)

Posted by: Aequi

Grace Jones - Island Life, originally uploaded by savage^.

There are lots of cute LEGO album covers in this Flickr set. I highly recommend checking them out.

Images of scantily-clad women sitting on a cresent moon have been around almost as long as photography. So, it should not be surprising that the concept has been used for several album covers throughout the years.

Singers have been lowered on swings shaped like a cresent moon in burlesque shows and cabarets since the mid-19th century. Countless pin-up calendars have used the concept. The most notable album cover to feature the recording artist on a cresent moon is Donna Summer's fourth studio album, Four Seasons of Love. Released in October 1976, the LP came with a pull-out calendar for 1977 that featured four photographs of Summer. The summer season photo featured Summer in a bathing suit and reclining on the moon. 

Two recent examples of album covers featuring the cresent moon are Sarah McLachlan's Laws of Illusion, which was released last year, and Lungs: The B-Sides by Florence + The Machine. Both are different takes on the classic burlesque performance.

Which one is better? I think the Sarah McLachlan cover looks more like the classic Victorian photographs. The Florence + The Machine cover seems to be inspired by the 1950s stripper acts.

Sarah McLachlan - Laws of Illusion (2010)

Posted by: zeefritz

Posted by: zeefritz

When pop star Jennifer Lopez debuted the music video for her single On the Floor (right) on American Idol on Thursday, many viewers immediately recognized the a sample of the 1989 worldwide smash hit Lambada by the French pop group Kaoma. Lambada featured the Brazilian vocalist Loalwa Braz and was released as the first single from Kaoma's debut album Worldbeat.

Lambada sold over 5 million copies in 1989 and started a woldwide dance craze. It reached number-one on eleven different charts throughout the world and number made it to 46 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song inspired the 1990 feature film The Forbidden Dance.

The music video for Lambada has received over 91 million views on YouTube. With those astonishing numbers, it is surprising that no one had used it in a new pop song prior to Lopez.

On the Floor has climbed to the top spot on iTunes over the last few days and this has created a new interest in Kaoma's original hit. It will be interesting to see whether or not it returns to the charts.

The cover for Saliva's new album Under Your Skin, posted earlier by zeefritz, got me thinking of albums with prominent or strange eyes and eyeballs. So with a little digging, here's a selection for you to vote on.

If you can think of any others, please leave a comment. Green "cat people" eyes, big baby blues, eyes on hands, a bloodshot eye used as a gobstopper, terrified and surprised eyes -- what's your favorite? Get voting. Results will be posted in a week's time.

Giorgio Moroder - Cat People		Kerli - Love Is Dead
Rainbow - Straight Between the Eyes		Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Zero
Saliva - Under Your Skin		Destruction - Release from Agony

The thriller The Adjustment Bureau opens in theaters today. The film was written and directed by George Nolfi and stars Matt Damon and Emily Blunt. The soundtrack was released on earlier this week. It includes the score by Thomas Newman, two songs by Richard Ashcroft, and an extended remix of Sarah Vaughan's Fever by Adam Freeland.

This is one of those soundtrack that is sold with tracks that are only available through purchase of the entire album. Richard Ashcroft's Are You Ready and the Sarah Vaughan track are not available for individual download. However, the Sarah Vaughan track is available separately on the 2005 album Verve Remixed. The Richard Ashcroft song is available as a single.

The cover art for the soundtrack is a cropped version of the movie poster (right). The image loses much of its dramatic impact by having the larger shadowy figure removed.

A shaded "puddle" has also been added to the image, promoting the new song by Ashcroft that appears on the album. It is a very odd placement and it distracts from the figures of the film's stars. It would have been much better to have simply placed the copy in the bottom right corner.

I suppose the odd mix of music on the album could be compared to the disturbing age difference between Damon and Blunt. Why are aging leading men always paired up with actresses who are a generation or two younger? At least it is a bit better than Liam Neeson and January Jones.

Reality TV personality Kim Kardashian released a single yesterday. Jam (Turn It Up) is available as a digital download on Amazon.com and iTunes.

The cover art for the single features a photograph of a mass of hair extensions and coats of body makeup with Kardashian somewhere underneath it all. The most disturbing part of the image is the heavy Photoshopped shading and blurring applied to Kardashian's armpit. What's up with that? Did she have a rash or something?

I usually post the song or a music video to accompany these New and Notable covers. However, the single really isn't worth a listen. She makes Heidi Montag sound good.

Counting Crows frontman Adam Duritz has been conducting an online album cover contest for his solo album All My Bloody Valentines. Fans can visit a special webpage to upload their original artwork and download seven tracks.

Artwork that has been submitted is being uploaded on the official Counting Crows Facebook page. There are already several hundred submissions on display in five photo albums. Of course, there are lots of bloody hearts. However, many of the covers are quite good. Duritz will have a tough time choosing a winner.

The Chuck Taylor All-Stars or Converse All-Stars, also referred to as Chucks or Cons, were first produced in 1917 as the "All-Star". Kelis Jones is wearing a pristine pair of these canvas and rubber shoes on her second studio album cover.

Kelis - Wanderland (2001)

Posted by: Music Hog

All-Stars regained popularity in the '90s as fans of Nirvana emulated Kurt Cobain. Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello was (and still is) also known for commonly wearing Chucks. U2 guitarist The Edge has been seen wearing All-Stars onstage in recent years. Snoop Dogg has also been known for regularly wearing Chuck Taylors, as well as his associated rapper/friend Wiz Khalifa. Yup. They sure are popular. They're everywhere!

P!nk - Last to Know (2003)		Blue Murder - Nothin' but Trouble (1993)
Hieroglyphics - Hiero Oldies, Volume One (1997)		Towers of London - Blood Sweat & Towers (2006)
The White Tie Affair - Walk This Way (2008)		El Canto del Loco - Zapatillas (2005)

41point9 - Still Looking for the Answers (2011)

"I'm tired of pretending like I'm not bitching, a total fricking rock star from Mars, and people can't figure me out; they can't process me. I don't expect them to. You can't process me with a normal brain."

— Charlie Sheen, TODAY, 2/28/2011

Dear Mr. Sheen,

This is what a bitchin' total frickin' rock star from Mars looks like. You are NOT a bitchin' total frickin' rock star. Not even close.

Sincerely,

Reality

David Bowie - ChangesThreeBowie (1990)

After appearances in ad campaigns for Tommy Hilfiger and Calvin Klein, it is not surprising that the cover for 18-year-old singer-songwriter Sky Ferreira's forthcoming EP is stunning. As If! will be released as a digital EP on March 22, 2011. The lead track, Sex Rules, is currently available on iTunes.

The cover features a very 1980s retro photograph of Ferreira, who is wearing a skimpy t-shirt and jeans. The styling is simple and quite a refreshing contrast to recent covers from young artists such as Ke$ha. I hope this starts a trend. Pretty girls do not need glitter, bondage gear and ugly clothes to look sexy.

The quiff can be either a lock or curl or tuft of hair brought forward over the forehead or one brushed up above the forehead. It is a hairstyle that combines the 1950s pompadour hairstyle, the 50s flattop, and sometimes a mohawk (such as seen sported by Eleanor Kate "Elly" Jackson of La Roux fame).

La Roux - Gold Edition (2011)

Posted by: zeefritz

Another current act associated with quiffs, are Jedward (John and Edward Grimes), an Irish pop rap duo and identical twins. They first appeared as John & Edward on the sixth season of The X Factor in 2009, where they finished sixth.

Under Pressure (Ice Ice Baby) (2010)

Planet Jedward (2010)

Morrissey is the arguably the most famous musical "quiffiseur" (I just made that word up) that I can think of. Whilst the Leningrad Cowboys have taken that and parodied it to the extreme.

Your Arsenal (1992)		Everyday Is Like Sunday (1988)
Go Space (1996)		Happy Together (1994)

The etymology of the word quiff is uncertain but may derive from the French word "coiffe" which can mean either a hairstyle or the mail knights wore over their heads and under their helmets. It may also derive from the Southern U.S. where a quiff was "a puff or whiff of tobacco smoke".

And lastly, the Welsh psychobilly band Demented Are Go were an early exponent of the quiff. The band, formed around 1982, has always argued that their name originated from "Demon teds are go!" (rockabillies are known as teds and psychobilly is often associated with horror), which is in turn an adaptation of the phrase "Thunderbirds are go!" I'm getting a strange feeling about those blue early model Thunderbird caps from the '60s (right).

Demented Are Go - In Sickness & In Health (1986)

Irish recording artist Ronan Keating shared the cover art for his forthcoming eight studio album When Ronan Met Burt via his official Twitter account this morning. The collection of songs written by Burt Bacharach is scheduled to be released on March 21, 2011.

Many artists are now revealing their album art via Twitter and several image-sharing services such as Twitpic. Keating chose to use a service called Yfrog. Unfortunately, I discovered that the Yfrog website launched one of those annoying and possibly dangerous browser hijacks that looks like an anti-virus scan.

The album cover features two images of Keating and a ghost image of Bacharach that would be more appropriate if the composer were no longer with us. Until now, I have only seen this kind of thing done on the covers of tribute albums after the artist has died.

The Wombats - This Modern Glitch (2011)

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 cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Marsha Ambrosius - Late Nights & Early Mornings		Beady Eye - Different Gear Still Speeding
Devotchka - 100 Lovers		Lucinda Williams - Blessed
Lykke Li - Wounded Rhymes		Alexander - S/T

The cover for the forthcoming single Summer Rain by Glee star Matthew Morrison has been revealed. The single is scheduled to be released on March 15, 2011.

Morrison debuted the single yesterday on Ryan Seacrest's KIIS-FM radio show. It is the first single from a forthcoming album, for which the title and release date is yet to be announced.

According to our weekly AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, the best album cover for the week of February 22, 2011 is Computers and Blues by The Streets. The cover was a clear favorite with 57% of the vote. Adele's 21 was second with 23%. Angels of Darkless, Demons of Light I by Earth and Glorious Collision by Evergrey tied for third place with 10% each.

A recent article on the Habitables Architecture blog has the scoop on the distinctive building featured on the winning cover:

'The Streets' are releasing their fifth and final album, entitled 'Computers and Blues', and if you inspect the cover art carefully, out of one of the windows you'll see front man Mike Skinner. The 1960′s student accommodation buildings, distinctive for their ziggurat style appearance were the work of English architect Sir Denys Lasdun, also responsible for the Royal National Theatre on London's South Bank.

Brutalist in its appearance, and compared by some to the works of Frank Lloyd Wright, to Mies Van Der Rohe by others, there is no denying that this building carries with it a certain air of weight and presence. It's imposing, yet through its use as a building for student accommodation no doubts exudes a certain homely charm, at least to those that call it so.

Source: Habitables Architecture

Come back this evening to vote for your favorite album cover from among this week's new music releases. Artists include Lucinda Williams, Marsha Ambrosius, Beady Eye and a couple of surprises.