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.
According to our AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, the best album cover for the week of May 24, 2011 is Brilliant! Tragic! by Art Brut. The cover received 33% of the vote. Coming in at a close second was Pala by Friendly Fires with 27%. Amon Tobin's Isam was a distant third with 15%.
The winning cover was designed by British cartoonist and illustrator Jamie McKelvie. McKelvie has done work for both Marvel and DC. He gained celebrity in the world of comics through his Phonogram series collaboration. Examples of his work can be viewed on his website.
Come back later this evening to vote for the best album cover from among this week's new music releases. The preselected covers include Death Cab for Cutie, Eddie Vedder, My Morning Jacket and a couple of interesting surprises.
American rock band 311 revealed the cover art for their 10th studio album, Universal Pulse, via their official Facebook page last Friday. Because the beginning of Memorial Day weekend is not usually the best time to issue any kind of news release, this very interesting album cover has not yet received much media attention. The album is scheduled for release on July 19, 2011,
The Facebook post included a quote from 311 vocalist Doug "SA" Martinez:
Visual artist Sonny Kay designed the cover and cd package, featuring a 12 page booklet! Album cover attached, feel free to share your thoughts. SA chimes in, "I absolutely LOVE the artwork!!! Dopest cover we've ever had."
Sonny Kay has designed dozens of remarkable album covers, most notably for guitarist Omar Rodríguez-López. His unique Photoshop collage album covers have been featured here in the past. Kay's official website is definitely work a look. There is quite an extensive Flash gallery of his work.
Shirli, Austin, Stuart, Ryan and Mike (aka the Leftover Cuties) release their debut album Places to Go today. The title track is available as a free download from their website if you join their mailing list. And if you want to know more about the band, they have put together a nice little video called Meet the Leftover Cuties.
Their single Game Called Life is used for the opening theme of the TV series The Big
C, starring Laura Linney and Oliver Platt. Another track, Through It
All, was recently featured on Justified, starring Timothy Olyphant. Both of these songs are on the Game Called Life EP.
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.
The long awaited sequel to Noah's Ark: Cows is here. No bull! Or rather, lots of bull. Below are seven examples of bovine inspired album covers depicting bulls. Not cows and not steers (castrated bulls). We can tell this because they are all big muscular beasts with pointy things on their heads (no, not the ears), some being pitted against matadors, and in the case of Dude Ranch and 0816, we can "see" they're male, if you know what I mean.
Ry Cooder was ranked 8th on Rolling Stone magazine's list of "The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time." A 2010 ranking by Gibson placed him at #32. He is a music legend whose work has spanned five decades, and at age 74, he's still producing the goods.
Bootsauce - Bull (1992)
The White Stripes - Conquest (2007)
Canadian rock band Bootsauce made their own bull out of all-sorts for the cover of their third studio album and The White Stripes went with their trademark black, white and red color scheme for their single Conquest. It was the third single from the albumIcky Thump, and was released as a series of 7" colored vinyl singles, each with a trading card featuring famous matadors El Sloth, El Bianca Rosa or El Perdador. The song is a cover version, originally written by Corky Robbins and popularized in the 1950s by Patti Page.
Blink-182's second album, Dude Ranch, depicts a bull with the band's name branded on it's rear end. The art was painted by Lou Beach. The packaging is decorated by images of the band as cowboys and the gatefold features a painting stating "Greetings from the Blink-182 Dude Ranch" as a parody of Bruce Springsteen's Greetings from Asbury Park, N.J. The Dude Ranch cover reminds me a lot of Pink Floyd's Atom Heart Mother, which depicts Lulubelle III's (that's the cow's name) rear to the fore whilst she looks back at the camera.
Bull Angus - Bull Angus (1971)
Bligg - 0816 (2008)
Bull Angus, a psychedelic rock band, used a giant bull angus in their self titled album. The cover design is by Dan Clyne. Angus' brother, Black Angus, ended up as dinner at the Black Angus Steakhouse as punishment for being bad. Marco Bliggensdorfer, known as Bligg, is a rapper from Switzerland. His album covers feature black and white photography of animals and birds. His album 0816, which depicts a magnificent brute of a beast, reached #1 on the Swiss charts.
UK New Wave band ABC's second studio album, Beauty Stab, depicts a painting by Keith Breeden of a bullfight. On a side note; Martin Fry, listed as the only active member on Wikipedia, used to write a fanzine, before his ABC days, for the band Vice Versa called Modern Drugs - those were the days (*sigh*).
Alice Cooper is releasing what appears to be one of the most elaborate box sets of the year. Old School 1964-1974 is scheduled to be released on June 20, 2011. The set is packaged in a 12" square box that is designed to look like a school desk.
The package is based on the cover for the 1972 album School's Out, which opened up like a desk to reveal the contents. The original album cover was designed by Craig Braun. Braun is also responsible for designing the famous Rolling Stones Sticky Fingers album cover with Andy Warhol.
The set is currently available for presale on Amazon.com and Alice Cooper's official website. It follows the growing trend of combining both CDs and vinyl in one package. The Limited Edition is individually numbered and includes many extras that will appeal to fans.
Features include:
Four CDs that include exclusive demos, rehearsals, rarities, live performances, interviews and more
DVD with over two hours of footage, including new and candid conversations with the band and never-before-seen archival clips
12" LP bootleg of the 1971 Killer tour live in St. Louis
Replica of a rare 7" single by The Nazz
A deluxe 60-page book written by Lonn Friend, featuring previously unreleased photos
Special extras including reproductions of original ticket stubs, tour program, set list and five art prints of rare poster designs and illustrations
Five Golden Tickets have been hidden in Old School box sets worldwide for a very special VIP concert and meet-and-greet with Alice
The Beehive hairstyle is also known as the B-52 (after the bulbous nose of the B-52 Stratofortress bomber), which also happens to be the name of an American rock band. Gee, what are the chances they'll come up in this topic! The beehive style of lacquered big hair was developed in 1960 by Margaret Vinci Heldt, but really originates from the earlier bouffant. Essentially, its a big pile of hair on top of your head - just think Marge Simpson or Russell Brand if you're confused.
Amy Winehouse is a big "beehiver", so much so that it's almost become her trademark, along with drug addiction. But boy oh boy can she sing. The single Back to Black, released in 2007, from the album of the same name, released in 2006, shows off her hair best. The song was covered by Glee in season two by Naya Rivera's character Santana Lopez.
The B-52's (their music company is called "Boo-Fant" Records) formed in 1976 and comprised of Kate Pierson, Keith Strickland, Fred Schnieder, and brother and sister Cindy and Ricky Wilson. Sadly Ricky passed away in 1985. The band released their seventh studio album Funplex in 2008. Cindy and Kate were well known for wearing their iconic bouffant and beehive wigs. On a side note, the apostrophe was dropped from the band's name in 2008.
The B-52's - The B-52's (1979)
The B-52's - Wild Planet (1980)
Beyoncé Knowles's hit single Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It), from her third studio album I Am... Sasha Fierce, shows "Sasha Fierce" in silhouette and sporting a bouffant or beehive. The song was inspired by Knowles' and Jay-Z's secret marriage in April 2008.
Beyoncé Knowles - Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It) (2008)
The legendary Dusty Springfield (nee Mary O'Brien) was known for her trademark beehive, usually peroxide blonde. Dusty in Memphis was her landmark album and included the hit Son of a Preacher Man. Simply Dusty is a 2000 4-CD box set featuring over 90 digitally remastered tracks and includes specially commissioned tributes from Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Carole King, Neil Tennant and Paul McCartney.
Dusty Springfield - Dusty in Memphis (2000)
Dusty Springfield - Simply Dusty (1969)
The Ronettes, a 1960s girl group from New York, consisted of lead singer Veronica Bennett (later known as Ronnie Spector: she was married to Phil Spector from 1968 to 1974), her sister, Estelle Bennett, and their cousin Nedra Talley. Their debut LP includes 5 hit singles, two of which, Be My Baby and Walking in the Rain, are ranked #22 and #26, on Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The girls personify the popularity of the beehive in the '60s.
The Ronettes - Presenting the Fabulous Ronettes Featuring Veronica (12") (1964)
And lastly, I just have to mention Chrissie Hynde from The Pretenders. In the band's music video for the 1979 single hit Brass in Pocket, Hynde portrays a waitress in a "greasy spoon" and she has, you guessed it, a beehive hairdo. The three male customers in the video are members of her band. It was the seventh video played during MTV's launch on August 1, 1981. (Video Link).
The Tree of Life is a dramatic film written and directed by Terrence Malick, and starring Brad Pitt, Sean Penn and Jessica Chastain. The film premiered at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival and won the prestigious Palme d'Or (Golden Palm) award for best feature film of the competition. It opened in limited release in U.S. theaters yesterday.
The soundtrack for the film was composed by Alexandre Desplat. It was released by Lakeshore Records this week and is available on CD and as a digital download from iTunes and Amazon.com. Lakeshore Records has posted a preview of the soundtrack on YouTube. After listening to it, I had to buy the album. It is one of the best scores that I have heard this year.
The art direction for the album is credited to John Bergin, art director for Lakeshore Records. It is the perfect album cover for the soundtrack. It is a square version of the teaser poster for the movie (right). I think the cropped image actually has much more impact than the poster.
If you are a collector of notable soundtrack albums, The Tree of Life should definitely be on your list. I have not been able to stop listening to it. I think this one deserves an Oscar nomination.
Rick Nielsen, lead guitarist, backing vocalist and primary songwriter of Cheap Trick, is well known for many things. He likes and has many custom-made guitars from Hamer Guitars. He wears a flipped up old style ball cap. And he uses a black and white checkerboard motif on his clothing.
This checkerboard pattern has permeated pop culture. Take a look at Cheap Trick's website (link above) and check out (pun intended) the site background as well as images of live performances. Those patterns are everywhere. And they're on shoes, called Checkerboard Vans, inspiring many artists and covers and especially made famous in the 1982 movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Below are some examples.
Fast Times at Ridgemont High Music from the Motion Picture (1982)
The single Rise Above 1 from the new Broadway musical Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark was released this week. The song showcases Reeve Carney, who plays the role of Spider-Man in the production. It also features performances by its composers Bono and The Edge from U2. The single is available as a digital download from iTunes and Amazon.com.
The entire original cast recording (right), featuring 14 new tracks co-authored by Bono and The Edge and was produced by frequent U2 collaborator Steve Lillywhite. The album will be released on June 14, 2011, the same day the show is scheduled to officially opens on Broadway at the Foxwoods Theatre in New York City.
The cover art for the single (below) features a photograph of Carney, unmasked in his Spider-Man costume. The theater newcomer is a handsome young man. I am certain that we will see his face on an album cover in the near future.
Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment, has released the first four box sets of their The Complete Albums Collection. The new product line for serious music fans and enthusiasts is available exclusively through PopMarket.com beginning this week.
Launching with comprehensive boxed sets of original album catalogs by The Byrds (above), Sam Cooke, Stan Getz and Return To Forever, The Complete Albums Collection series will showcase new releases throughout the year, offering music fans and collectors the chance to own classic discographies on CD (with many out of print and rare titles) in 5x5 minijacket reproductions of the original album cover art, a stand-alone booklet with discographical information and photos, all housed in a beautifully packaged clamshell box.
For a limited time, The Complete Album Collection line will also be available at the PopMarket Pop-Up retail store, located in Manhattan on the former site of mythic rock club CBGB's at 313 Bowery.
Having trawled though almost two thousand suggested album covers for "The Nude Series" (gee life is tough), here is the first in the series -- bare bottoms!. Now, I appreciate a nice bare bottom as much as the next man (or woman), but only as long as it's done tastefully. So, without further ado, here are twelve delightful derrieres, brilliant buttocks, perky posteriors, tasty tushies, awesome asses and beautiful behinds. OK, I'm running out of alliterative synonyms... on with the show... err... article.
Robert Palmer - Pressure Drop (1975) Now On - Tomorrow Already (2008)
For more information on arguably the most famous album cover featuring a naked behind, Robert Palmer's Pressure Drop, please check out Fritz's excellent Déjà vu: Now On vs. Robert Palmer. It's nice to know that Now On went the extra mile and used three different models. Good for them. And us.
The Strokes - Is This It (2001) (Non-US version)
Mark Pritchard & Om'Mas Keith Wind It Up (EP) (2009)
American rock band The Strokes'
debut album cover, by Colin Lane, features a photograph of a woman's nude bottom and hip, with a leather-gloved hand suggestively resting on it. The model was later revealed to be Lane's then-girlfriend. In what was purely a band decision, an alternative cover of a microscopic close-up of particle collisions was used for the American market. The Strokes' 2003 biography mentions the fear of objections from America's conservative retail industry and right-wing lobby as reasons for the artwork's alteration. And now my "other" favorite (Akercocke's is the other), the deliciously green "tattooed" smoothie presented by electronic music producer Mark Pritchard and hip hop artist Om'Mas Keith. It's so different! And green! I want one!
The cover of Australian rock band Wolfmother's single White Unicorn is from The Moon's Rapture (1994), by the late great fantasy artist Frank Frazetta. Another of his works, The Sea Witch (1967), graces Wolfmother's self-titled debut album. The 2008 live bootleg Mammoth, continues the tradition with The Mammoth (1973). If you happen to have a Frazetta original lying around, it's worth millions. In July 2010, Conan the Destroyer (1971) sold for US $1.5 million.
Whitesnake - Lovehunter (1979)
The New Pornographers - Myriad Harbour (2007)
The cover art for British band Whitesnake's Lovehunter was created by fantasy artist Chris Achilleos. At the time, the cover was controversial and Achilleos refused to do album covers for many years. The original Lovehunter artwork was stolen in the 1980s and has yet to be recovered. The same concept of a naked woman riding a serpent was used years earlier in Jon Lord's Sarabande. And hey! Guess what? Lord was a member of Whitesnake at the time of Lovehunter. Now with a name like The New Pornographers, you'd expect a bare bum somewhere. They obliged and threw in a spaceman for free. Thank you, you Canadian indie rock band you, that's awesome!
German heavy metal, hard-rock band Scorpions have sold over 100 million albums worldwide and released eighteen studio and four live albums (and 23 compilation albums!). Their first compilation album, back in 1978, continued heavy metal's time honored tradition of female nudity. The Scorpions most famous cover is the very controversial Virgin Killers (1976), which Fritz has written about in great detail here.
UNKLE - Where Did the Night Fall (2010)
Akercocke - Choronzon (2003)
British trip-hop outfit UNKLE's fifth studio album reveals a thong wearing beauty. The album has been released in three versions; standard, limited edition, and a 2011 re-release entitled Where Did the Night Go - Another Night Out, which depicts (tasteful) female frontal nudity (view here). Another exquisite bottom is used on 2010's The Answer EP. The photography for these covers is the result of the collaborative work of Warren Du Preez and Nick Thornton Jones. Akercocke, an English "progressive blackened death metal band" (I have no idea what that means), have what I think is the best of them all on their third album; a gluteus maximus in glorious motion (oh dear, more alliteration).
And one last thought. I'm not sure exactly why it is, but male rears seem to be lacking. They're very rare (homophone intended), so much so that I couldn't find any to use in this article. Is this because it is an unproven design or marketing angle that no one is willing to try. I'm sure there are superb male butt models out there, and I'd love to see someone (Lady GaGa perhaps) break the female dominance of bare cheeks on covers.
American Idol winner Scotty McCreery has the number one single and the number two album on iTunes this morning. While I lost interest in the show a couple of weeks ago, there is no denying that the new American Idol will sell records. We are certain to see his smirking face on many album covers. He's got a great voice, but I found watching his performances to be almost unbearable. His flirty glances at the camera and fake Elvis sneer may have won over the voters, but he creeped me out every time.
Here's a colorful and interestingdéjà vu set. Whilst there are differences between all three, the similarities are striking. Besides the obviously nude women, the covers for both Afghan Whigs' and Bullets and Octane's albums feature a mother and baby, while both In the Mouth of the Young and Tigermilk feature suckling youngsters, even if Belle and Sebastian used a stuffed Sumatran Tiger by the name of Tigger (by the looks of it). Or maybe it's a young Charlie Sheen. I also have to wonder if the baby used by Bullets and Octane doesn't grow up to be a "Fast & Furious" Vin Diesel wannabe.
I like the contrast of colors and music. Red for the alternative rock and soul, yellow for the punk hard rock, and blue for the indie folk pop. I could almost have added Red Hot Chili Peppers' Mother's Milk (1989) to the mix (the model used is the gorgeous Alaine Dawn), but perhaps that's stretching it a little too far. And in Fijación Oral Vol. 1, Shakira is clothed (*sigh*) and the baby isn't having a feed.
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.
According to our AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, the best album cover for the week of May 17, 2011 is Give Till It's Gone by Ben Harper. The winning cover received 38% of the vote. Destroyed by Moby was second with 29% and Seether's Holding Onto Strings Better Left to Fray was third with 19%.
Unfortunately, I was not able to find a credit for art direction and design for the winning cover. I believe that it may have been done by Matt Taylor's Varnish Studio. However, I do not have any specific details (and I'm too lazy this morning to find out).
The design appears to have a Shepard Fairey influence, using a retro propaganda poster concept. I believe it represents the classic red clenched fist opening up to spread something around the world. Whatever. All it needs to cross over to an embarrassing cliché is rainbow colors.
This is Lady GaGa week. If her "little monsters" turn out in force, the winner of this week's poll could be the cover for Born This Way. It is going up against a couple of gorgeous covers that I hope won't be ignored in favor of Lady GaGa's crazy Photoshop experiment.
Amazon.com is selling the standard edition of Lady GaGa's new album for only 99¢ today. This will probably ensure that Born This Way is the top-selling album of 2011. The discount is a promotion designed to get users to use Amazon's Cloud Player. Those who buy the album will also receive 20 GB of free storage for one year with Amazon's Cloud Drive service.
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.
It looks as if the prediction of The Rapture was false. Otherwise, we would have heard reports about people flying into the sky and rising from the dead. I suppose is possible that the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse have simply taken a timeout to play a quick game of cards. At least, that's what the cover for Muse's 2006 album Black Holes and Revelations seems to suggest.
The cover was created by the legendary graphic designer Storm Thorgerson. It features the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse from the Book of Revelation sitting at a table at the Grand Canyon. You can see their tiny horses on the top of the table.
After my evil sneaky attack on innocent teddy bears last Noah's Ark installment, today we will focus on lovely, ethereal, fairy-like, beautifully-patterned, fluttery butterflies. There are literally thousands of album covers with butterflies out there. Here are just seven interesting examples that grabbed my attention. Welcome to Lepidopterology 101. Please be seated, cellphones off and pencils ready.
Amon Tobin, a Brazilian DJ and electronic music producer, chose a lovely example of the Old World Swallowtail (Papilio machaon) for the digital version of his latest album ISAM. The cover of the physical release also shows the cycle of life, and the Limited Edition is accompanied by a CD artbook featuring images from Control Over Nature by artist Tessa Farmer. The images are thematically related to the music of ISAM.
Emilíana Torrini - Merman (1996)
Emilíana Torrini - Rarities (2010)
Emilíana Torrini loves butterflies.The Icelandic beauty, who sang Gollum's Song in The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, has them plastered (or pinned) all over two of her albums. All the butterflies on her 2010 compilation album Rarities are real specimens except the big black and white one.
Californian indie rock band The 88 furiously cross-bred holometabolous insects by the thousands, blowing their entire budget in one week, but cleverly (and luckily) hit the jackpot with the Eighty-eight Butterfly (Diaethria anna). They almost recouped their loses when the butterfly turned out to be the winning number in that weeks SuperLotto Plus California State Lottery, but alas, they had left the window open. Actually, I made that up. The cat got him.
Freebass - Two Worlds Collide EP (2010)
Jack Prybylski - Out of the Box (2010)
English band Freebass (made up of three bassists), choose (and I'm guessing here) the Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) for their debut EP. I have no idea how the poor blighter is holding himself up. And jazz musician and award winning saxophonist Jack Prybylski (purr-bill-ski) also went for a bright orange, yellow and black, upright butterfly for his third solo release. I'm guessing that if it wasn't "out of the box", it would be pinned down "in the box" as all good entomologists know how to do (please refer to Emilíana Torrini's Rarities above).
And lastly in this installment of butterflies (yes, there will be more), we have the delightful Dog & Butterfly cover art from English rock band Heart's fourth studio album. Dog & Butterfly was also the name of one of the two hit singles from the album. Of note, Side One of the album was the "Dog" rockin' side and Side Two was considered the "Butterfly" ballads side. The illustration is by Fuding Cheng.
In case you haven't heard, many Christians around the world have predicted that The Rapture will take place tomorrow! Here is a countdown to the event in cover art.
The fourth film in the Disney Pirates of the Caribbean series was released to theaters in the U.S., Canada, Italy, United Kingdom and Australia this week. Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides stars Johnny Depp and Penelope Cruz in a tale about a search for the Fountain of Youth. The film is being released in Disney Digital 3-D, IMAX 3D, IMAX and standard format.
The score was composed by Hans Zimmer. The soundtrack also features several tracks by Mexican musical duo Rodrigo y Gabriela. The album includes seven remixes by DJ Earworm, Adam Freeland, Static Revenger and others.
There are two different version of the album cover for the soundtrack. The U.S. version of the cover (below) features a laughing skull wearing the beaded bandana worn by Depp's Captain Jack Sparrow character. The non-U.S. version (right) features the images of the film's stars, with the skull used as part of the title graphic. Both versions of the cover are available in high resolution in the AAX gallery.
Pop singer and actress Selena Gomez revealed the cover for the forthcoming album by Selena Gomez and The Scene via her official Twitter account this morning. When the Sun Goes Down is scheduled to be released on June 28, 2011.
Gomez has once again proven that a young pop star does not have to look cheap or wear S&M gear in order to be sexy. The cover features a photograph of Gomez dressed in a 1920s costume, with a Cleopatra hairstyle dressed with diamonds and pearls. The Art Deco typography and borders are a perfect match for the costume and styling. Gomez reminds me of a young Linda Ronstadt on this album cover. Simply gorgeous!
Beyoncé revealed the cover for her forthcoming album via news release shortly before her appearance on American Idol this evening. The album is simply titled "4" and scheduled to be released by Columbia Records on June 28, 2011.
The album cover features a photograph of Beyoncé wearing a vest made out of either fur or feathers. I do not have a credit for the fashion styling or the photographer. The photograph looks more like something for a magazine cover. Beyoncé has a rather vacant and detached look on her face. That may be appropriate for an anonymous fashion model. However, it really does not do Beyoncé justice.
Lady GaGa is offering a limited collector's edition of her forthcoming album Born This Way that will include some unique extras. Along with a nine piece 12" vinyl picture disc set, with a hand-etched message from Lady GaGa etched into the vinyl, download of the digital version of the album and custom packaging, the package includes a special "fanwall" mosaic poster and photo ID card.
Those who purchase the set will receive a code that allows them to upload a photograph that will be used to create the poster and the ID card. Both items will then be shipped with the purchase. The set is being offered for pre-order both with and without a t-shirt exclusively on Lady GaGa's official website.
AAX user Gulickson recently had a déjà vu moment that involves an unlikely pair, R&B artist Akon and jazz fusion band Spyro Gyra. The cover for Spyro Gyra's 2007 album Good to Go-Go uses the same image used for the cover of Akon's 2005 single Belly Dancer (Bananza).
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.
Seether - Holding Onto Strings Better Left to Fray
Danish-Norwegian pop group Aqua recently released the music video for their new single How R U Doin? The song is from their forthcoming third studio album, which is scheduled to be release this year.
The cover art for the single is very basic, featuring the group's logo and the song title on an asphalt background. In keeping with the theme, the music video features members of the group driving around in cars on a model set that Chart Rigger describes as something from a 1960s Godzilla movie.
According to our most recent AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, the best album cover for the week of May 10, 2011 is Turtleneck & Chain by the novelty group The Lonely Island. The cover received 29% of the vote. Eye Contact by Gang Gang Dance was second with 23% and the standard edition of Goblin by Tyler, The Creator was third with 19%.
The winning cover features the work of photographer Scott Schafer. Schafer is known for his photographs of famous comedians, such as Steven Colbert, Larry David, Jack Black, PeeWee Herman and many others. It seems that anyone who is a big name in comedy has been photographed by Schafer. Check out his official website to see an amazing portfolio.
Come back later this evening to vote on your favorite album cover from among this week's new music releases. Next week is the release of Lady GaGa's monster. While we don't have a controversial album cover for a highly-anticipated album this week, there are quite a few nice covers in the mix.
Raja, the winner of this year's season of RuPaul's Drag Race, released her first single on May 3, 2011. Diamond Crown Queen is available as a digital download from iTunes and Amazon.com.
For those of you who are not familiar with the program, RuPaul's Drag Race is a competition for drag queens. The winner receives a cash prize and the title "America's Next Drag Superstar" (so far Raja looks like the only winner who may actually live up to it).
The song has a somewhat syncopated industrial sound. That may not be the impression that those who see the cover art may get. Raja is featured wearing her Drag Race crown, with only a skull bracelet as an indication as to what her musical style could be.
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.
The album covers for albums by The Beatles are perhaps the most parodied of all time. The 1991 self-titled debut album by the American rap group Young Black Teenagers is one of several made to look like With The Beatles over the last 48 years.
Young Black Teenagers - Young Black Teenagers (1991)
Martini Ranch is a new wave music collective created by Andrew Todd Rosenthal (a.k.a. Andy Todd) in 1982. The group was comprised of Rosenthal, actor Bill Paxton, and several popular 1980s new wave artists and actors.
From 1986 to 1988, Martini Ranch released two EPs and one album, Holy Cow. The band's sound was compared to both Oingo Boingo and Devo. That is understandable, since three members of Devo contributed to the album.
Music videos were created for the songs How Can the Labouring Man Find Time for Self-Culture? and Reach. James Cameron directed the video for Reach. It is a cowboy-themed production that stars Paxton as a gunslinger and features cameos by Kathryn Bigelow, Paul Reiser, Judge Reinhold, Brian Thompson, Adrian Pasdar, and several other noteworthy actors.
The artwork for the album and the Reach single (right) were created by graphic designer and collage artist Lou Beach. Beach has a long list of album cover design credits for artists such as Neville Brothers, "Weird Al" Yankovic, Blink 182, and David Sanborn. The cover for Holy Cow is similar to Beach's design for Blink 182's 1997 release, Dude Ranch. Both covers feature wacky cattle under blue western skies.
Deface Value is a website created by the folks at Seattle-based Jive Time Records and Project Thirty-Three that posts defaced record sleeves. The sleeves remind me of the things kids used to do to their old Pee Chee folders back in the day. Most have been doodled on with ballpoint pens and markers. There a dozens to look at and together they amount to a rather interesting online exhibit.
The comedy film Bridesmaids opened in U.S. theaters today. It stars Saturday Night Live cast members Kristen Wiig and Maya Rudolph and was directed by Paul Feig. The film appears to be a female version of The Hangover, with a group of women having a misadventure in Las Vegas.
The soundtrack features songs by Blondie, Wilson Phillips, Britney Spears, and several others. The cover art for the album is a square version of the movie poster featuring the cast in their ugly, pink bridesmaids dresses (of course).
Aerosmith frontman and American Idol judge Steven Tyler released his second solo single yesterday. (It) Feels So Good is currently available as a digital download on iTunes and Amazon.com.
It has been announced that the music video for the song will be broadcast during tomorrow's American Idol results show. It follows a couple of music videos by Tyler's fellow judge Jennifer Lopez that were shown on previous episodes. The video was directed by Ray Kay. Kay, who has previously directed videos for Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber and Adam Lambert.
The cover art for the single features a photograph by fashion and entertainment photographer Steve Erle. I do not have a credit for the art director for the project.
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.
2001's Just Push Play is the 13th studio album by rock band Aerosmith. It is also the title of the third single from that album. The cover features a gynoid in a recreation of the classic shot of Marilyn Monroe's dress blowing up around her legs from the film The Seven Year Itch (1955).
The cover was designed by Hajime Sorayama (Official Site containing adult artistic/explicit nudity, or Current Site for those under age). His work, Sexy Robot, was published in 1983, and made his organic robotic forms famous.
Autograph was an American glam metal band from the mid 1980s. Back in 1985, their second album That's The Stuff, was released under the RCA label. A different version of the album surfaced later in 1986, featuring a blue cover with slightly different artwork. In 2002, a remastered version of the original red cover album was released by Spitfire Records. This was a clear continuation of the artwork for their first studio album Sign in Please.
Margo Nahas is credited for the artwork or "cover illustration" for Sign In Please and the original red That's the Stuff, while Hajime Sorayama, who has clearly influenced the lot, gets the credit for the 1986 blue version. Jay Vigon and Richard Seireeni (of Vigon & Seireeni) get mentions on all three for either Art Design, Art Direction or Cover Design.
According to our AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, the best album cover for the week of May 3, 2011 is Hot Sauce Committee Part Two by Beastie Boys. The cover received 27% of the votes cast by our readers. Chuckles & Mr. Squeezy by Dredg came in second with 23% and Helplessness Blues by Fleet Foxes was third with 20%.
The art direction for the winning cover is credited to Beastie Boys and Zoe Chan. The illustration was created by graphic designer and filmmaker Mike Mills.
Check back this evening to see which album covers from this week's new music released were preselected for our poll. This week features a rather eclectic mix of covers.
Yes. Teddy Bears ARE real. And that's why GOD loves them and Noah saved them and they're in this category! Now, none of this "namby-pamby", "let's go down to the woods today", little cutesy Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt inspired creatures on picnics in storybook tales with fluffy tails and all things honey. Just say "NO" to Pooh. We want teddy bears with character.
I'm not sure what's up with Estonian Kerli Kõiv (Kerli). Her debut album Love Is Dead, was spooky and creepy, and she was very ghostly, deathly, emo and goth-like to a degree, hanging around in cemeteries with her creepy little doll. Now, after being dropped on her head whilst on the Alice in Wonderland Soundtrack (either that or she drank too much tea at The Tea Party), she's gone all about face in her single Army of Love and carries around a teddy bear and is the sweetest thing ever.
Now don't get me wrong. I absolutely dig her music, and her persona(s). I can't get enough of Army of Love right now, which has reached number one on the Billboard's Hot Dance Club Songs. Whilst the cover above for the Remixes EP shows Kerli holding a teddy bear and her top sports a teddy bear emblem on the left, the official video goes even further. She not only carries a teddy bear around, so do her army, and they use "teddy bear" gas masks.
Muse Uprising (2009)
Camera Obscura Under Achievers Please Try Harder (2003)
Speaking of armies of teddy bears, the cover for Muse's single Uprising, from their fifth studio album The Resistance, shows just that. Don't say you weren't warned -- they're coming for us all. Hide your honey pots. Camera Obscura are clearly holding Reichsführer-SS Teddy Bear, don't let the pink disguise and fake glasses fool you.
Richard Thompson's 2010 album Dream Attic, consisting of live and unedited (no studio dubs) new material recorded on a two week tour of the Western USA, depicts a rather unusual teddy bear. An almost lonely and forgotten toy, in the attic. Or maybe it's a gem to be unwrapped and discovered. Or maybe it hides a horror! All I will say, is that the album entered the British charts in the top 20 album sales on it's release.
It's Like Love You're Too Sweet for Rock & Roll (2009)
Störungstelle I'm Innocent (2008)
It's Like Love, a "harder wave", "punk style" quintet, with such catchy tunes as You Put the Whore in Sorority and Alcohol Brings Out the Bedroom Eyes are clearly using the juxtaposition of a naughty girl and and a good teddy. Störungstelle (Joren Hemeryck, a Begian electronic, drum n bass artist) is clearly doing the same, stating "I'm Innocent" and toting a gun. Clearly these are evil teddy bears and a bad influence. Or is that the other way round?
And lastly my favorite. The first single from The Cranberries' 1999 album Bury the Hatchet, Promises was released in two CD versions. Whilst CD1 depicts a happy looking cuddly toy with arms wide open begging for a hug, CD2 is the exact same image but with the bear going up in flames. The subject of the song Promises, in case you were wondering, is divorce.
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.
This morning, Lady GaGa revealed the cover art for her latest single, The Edge of Glory, via her official Twitter account. She also announced that it will be released tomorrow at 1:00 PM Pacific Time. The single is the third from her forthcoming album Born This Way.
The tweet included a link to a high resolution image and a cryptic message that I suppose Lady GaGa's fans will attempt to figure out. The cover art is somewhat of a cross between the cover for the Born This Way single and the Born This Way special edition album cover. The only thing I can think of to describe the photograph is that it looks like Lady GaGa is in need of the Heimlich Maneuver. Either that, or she looks like a cat coughing up a fur ball.
Uffie (Anna-Catherine Hartley) is an American-born Paris-based underground electronic music artist and fashion designer. Her 2010 debut album Sex Dreams and Denim Jeans was nominated by the French Victoires de la Musique for Best Electronic Album. She also created a 12-piece collection for the denim clothing brand Diesel.
Uffie's latest single is a cover of the 1981 song Wordy Rappinghood by Tom Tom Club (right). The single was produced by French electronic music producer DJ Mehdi and was released on April 18, 2011 through Ed Banger Records, Because Music and Elektra Records.
The original version of the song reached the top of the U.S. dance charts 30 years ago. Surprisingly, the Uffie version is not much of a departure from the original. Yet, it still sounds pretty fresh.
The cover art for the Uffie single is definitely an upgrade to the original. The various releases of the Tom Tom Club single did not have anything more than a generic record label sleeve.
This is A Tale of Two Mullets and like Charles Dickens' novel, A Tale of Two Cities (1859), it explores both the good and the evil, the light (Lucie Manette) and the darkness (Madame Defarge). And in this analogy, the metaphoric imagery doesn't stop there; Europe vs America, the early '70s vs the early '90s, rock vs country, adulation vs infamy, a rock star with spiders vs a one-hit wonder, a carefully crafted persona that spawned a cult following vs a man, his guitar and a catchy phrase. The story of these two mullets couldn't be more different.
As you can see from the above selection of album covers (and there are a few more), David Bowie sported a magnificent orange mullet during the early '70s. So iconic was it, together with his alter ego Ziggy Stardust, that it is indelibly engraved and etched in the minds of tens, nay hundreds, of millions of people. It has entered the realms of pop folklore and is adored the world over, transcending cultures, generations, musical genres, continents and even conquered Mars! What more can I say? If you don't know about Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, then you must own a pretty huge rock.
Whilst David Bowie's hair style has changed with the times, his flaming rug and music sure were popular. 1971's Hunky Dory (Platinum UK), 1972's The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars (Platinum UK, Gold US), 1973's Aladdin Sane (Gold US) and Pinups (Gold UK), and 1974's Diamond Dogs (Gold US) were all outstanding music successes and I personally attribute this to his long haired colorful haircut during that period. Okay... his talent had a bit to do with it. And all this during a period the mullet was not popular or fashionable according to Wikipedia: "Often ridiculed as a lowbrow and unappealing hairstyle, the mullet began to appear in popular media in the 1960s and 1970s but did not become generally well-known until the early 1980s. It continued to be popular until the mid-1990s".
Outstanding Bowie! YOU'RE A FLAMMIIN' LEGEND!
Stats: 25 studio albums, 9 live albums, 46 compilation albums, 5 extended plays (EPs), 108 singles and 3 soundtracks. Bowie has also released 13 video albums and 47 music videos. Throughout his career, spanning more than 5 decades, he has sold an estimated 136 million albums. In the United Kingdom, he has been awarded 9 Platinum album certifications, 11 Gold and 8 Silver, and in the United States, 5 Platinum and 7 Gold certifications. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked him 39th on their list of the "100 Greatest Artists of All Time", and 23rd on their list of the best singers of all-time.
Billy Ray Cyrus - The Definitive Collection (2004)
Billy Ray Cyrus - Southern Rain (2000)
William "Billy" Ray Cyrus' mullet, on the other hand, could be said to have lived in infamy. His 1992 debut album Some Gave All, spawned his first #1 US hit. Achy Breaky Heart was his debut single and his signature song. And that was the peak of his career and probably why he has been labeled, unfairly, as a OHW (One Hit Wonder).
It's one of those songs that you either love or hate. And if you love it, you soon get sick of it. It was also responsible for vicious outbreaks of line-dancing. "Wierd Al" Yankovic's parody Achy Breaky Song was actually about his annoyance with Achy Breaky Heart. And if you couple all this vitriolic loathing of the song with cultural imagery of mullet-ed country hillbillies and rednecks -- therein lies the problem, perhaps.
Stats: 12 studio albums, 42 singles, 1 extended play (EP), 7 compilation albums, and 35 music videos. He is a multi-platinum selling recording artist, and has scored a total of eight top-ten singles on the Billboard Country Songs chart. His most successful album to date is the debut of Some Gave All, which has been certified 9× Multi-Platinum in the United States and is the longest time spent by a debut artist at Number One on the Billboard 200 (17 consecutive weeks). Oh, and he gave us Miley Cyrus and Hannah Montana, which cancels every thing else out! :)
The comic book superhero film Thor opened in U.S. theaters today. The film is based on the Marvel Comics character and stars Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Anthony Hopkins, and Stellan Skarsgård. It was directed by Kenneth Branagh.
The soundtrack was released on May 3 and features the original score by composer Patrick Doyle. Thor is the tenth collaboration between Doyle and Branagh. The song Walk by Foo Fighters is featured in the film. However, it is not included on the soundtrack album.
The cover for the soundtrack is a very simple image. It features the film's star Chris Hemsworth holding his big old hammer. The black and white photograph has been accented with a bright red tint added to Thor's cape.
One of the most interesting things about 9/11 was the rush by recording artists to get patriotic songs on the market. Many of the artists donated a portion of the proceeds to 9/11 victims. There were also quite a few people who were simply out to make a profit. People sold everything from flags to commemorative plates.
Even ten years later, I suppose we should expect the death of Osama bin Laden to revive that true American capitalist spirit. And, it looks as if Beyoncé
is the first major recording artist to get a patriotic song on iTunes. She is releasing her cover of God Bless the USA, which was originally recorded in 2008 and not released. The single will help raise money for the New York Police and Fire Widows' and
Children's Benefit Fund.
The Go-Go's have announced the release of a digitally remastered and expanded for a 30th anniversary edition of their 1981 double platinum debut album, Beauty and the Beat. Scheduled to be released on May 17, 2011 by Capitol/I.R.S, the commemorative edition will be available as a double CD package and in two digital versions.
The new collections will feature the remastered original album and exclusive, previously unreleased concert audio recordings from 1981. The remastered original album will also be reissued on pink vinyl with a recreation of the original LP artwork.
The art direction for the original cover is credited to Ginger Canzoneri, Mike Doud, Mick Haggerty, and Vartan. The design is by Mike Fink and Mick Haggerty. Thirty years later, I think that the ironic nature of this cover may be overlooked by many. The band's lead singer, Belinda Carlisle, is shrinking into the background and all of the ladies have their faces covered. When the album was released, the cover was not at all what fans were expecting. It is a retro design that looks like something that would be used for a girl group of the early 1960s.
For a limited time, you can get a code from Facebook to download 20 songs from Sub Pop records. The Sub Pop Summer Sampler 2011 is being offered as a free download until June 30, 2011.
The album features many popular Sub Pop artists such as Fleet Foxes, J Mascis and The Head and the Heart.
The cover for rapper Pitbull's forthcoming album Planet Pit was revealed online today. The album is scheduled to be released on June 21, 2011.
I am finding it very difficult not to use the obvious pun for this album cover (that it is "the pits"). It almost makes Lady GaGa's Born This Way motorcycle look good. This cover reminds me of something that would be used for a cheap videogame soundtrack. The designer has literally used every Photoshop filter available and that still didn't help.
The cover starts with the weak concept of Pitbull's face superimposed on the back of a sexy woman. It makes her back look broad enough to be NFL tackle. Then, the planet Earth was added as a reflection in Pitbull's sunglasses. The canvas texture and various lens flares are a very unusual and conflicting combination. Tint the whole mess a sickening blue and here we have it.
Sunny Sweeney, from East Texas, is "a country girl who sings in a country band and she plays acoustic guitar". She also "has over 100 pairs of jeans and a weakness for cute boots." Oh my! I'm in dream heaven right now! And hot on the heels of her first big hit "From a Table Away" is her new single Staying's Worse Than Leaving, which debuted at number 60 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs.
Sunny Sweeney - Staying's Worse Than Leaving (2011)
Minneapolis-based singer/songwriter Tim Mahoney (nice website!) got his start with the pop/rock band the Blue Meanies. His 2007 album Stay/Leave contains his composition Theme Song which won the Ray-Ban Never Hide music contest and he was subsequently featured in Rolling Stone Magazine (2007's 40th Anniversary Issue). The album cover features Stay on one side and Leave on the other.
Tom Mahoney - Stay (2007)
Tom Mahoney - Leave (2007)
So obviously these two couldn't make their minds up. Sunny eventually worked out that walking away from a failed relationship is better than the easier option of staying. And Tim sings about guys, girls, sticks and stones, staying, leaving, and more. The Clash once said "Should I stay or should I go?" Good question. Come here Magic 8-Ball...
On last night's episode of Glee, the cast covered songs from the 1977 Fleetwood Mac album Rumours. The episode called Rumours, included versions of Dreams, Never Going Back Again, Songbird (right), I Don't Want To Know, Go Your Own Way and Don't Stop. Also, The Chain was used as part of the background music for the episode.
Rumours is Fleetwood Mac's 11th studio album. It is the band's most successful album, winning a Grammy and charting at number one on both the U.S. and U.K. charts. It also reached the top of the charts in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Netherlands and South Africa. In 1978, Rumours won the Grammy Award for Album of the Year.
The album cover for Rumours The front cover features a photograph of Mick Fleetwood and Stevie Nicks. Both are dressed in Renaissance-style costumes, with Nicks dressed as her stage persona Rhiannon. The photograph was taken by Herbert Worthington. The design is credited to Desmond Strobel and the calligraphy to Larry Vigon.
Many color variations of the cover can be found online. The background can range from a brownish gray to pale yellow. The example shown below is from the first CD release and is probably closer to the original LP than most. Original LPs are typically quite faded or yellow with age.
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.
The cover art for the forthcoming remix single by pop star Katy Perry has created an online buzz. Perry appears on the cover for Last Friday Night (TGIF) Remixes wearing glasses, fake teeth with braces and headgear. It is definitely a departure for the attractive young artist.
A release date for the single has not yet been released and the cover has not been confirmed to be the final, official version. I think the cover proves that Glee has made being a school geek popular.
According to our weekly AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, the best album cover for the week of April 26, 2011 is Take Care, Take Care, Take Care by Explosions in the Sky. The winning cover received 35% of the vote. I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive by Steve Earle was second with 23%. There was a tie for third between The Airborne Toxic Event's All at Once and Bootsy Collins' Tha Funk Capital of the World, which both received 15% of the votes cast.
The winning cover was created by Austin, Texas artist Esteban Rey. According to a 2009 blog article, Rey is a friend of the band and has acted as their tour manager. It is a very interesting album cover. I would not have imagined that an illustration of a door could be so compelling. However, the cover received positive feedback moments after I added it to the AAX gallery.
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.
Lady GaGa posted the track lists for both the standard and special editions of her forthcoming album Born This Way to her Twitter account this morning. She also posted a screen capture from the music video for her single Judas. The video will premier on May 5, 2011. You can click the images for a larger view.
If there are still a few people who doubt that The Beatles' Abbey Road (right) is the most famous album cover in the world, here is video proof. The Abbey Road Studios website features a live video feed of the crosswalk near the recording studio in the city of Westminster, London, England. It seems that every few minutes a group of tourists attempts to recreate the Abbey Road album cover. Some even show up wearing costumes.
The photograph used on the cover of The Beatles' eleventh studio album was taken by photographer Iain Macmillan, who stood on a step-ladder while a police officer held up the traffic. The photograph was taken at 11:30 in morning and it seems that is the time that many people feel will be best for getting the right light and shadows.
It is amazing that, 42 years after the album was released, people flock to the location to take their own Abbey Road photograph. The location is now simply referred to as "The Crossing" and is recognized as one of the London area's top tourist destinations.
Watching tourist brave traffic to get their photographs can be a bit unsettling. If you watch long enough, you may even see a couple of small quarrels between groups waiting to get the best shot.
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