New and Notable Category

When I saw the artwork for the forthcoming album by electronic music duo The 2 Bears, I was intrigued enough to look them up on YouTube. I am very glad that I did. Their single Work is a great '90s retro number that I can't quit listening to. The video is very interesting, too. It features meat, sausages, phallic balloons and a couple of older bearded guys getting shaves. I've never seen anything quite like it. The album is scheduled to be released in the U.K. on January 30, 2012 and in the U.S. on February 7. It is currently available for preorder through Amazon.com and iTunes.

The soundtrack for the upcoming film The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is scheduled to be released in digital formats on December 9, 2011 and on CD on December 27. Preorders can be made on the official soundtrack website and Amazon.com. The digipak version includes three CDs and a six-panel insert. A limited edition autographed deluxe version that includes vinyl and a USB drive is being sold for $300.

The cover art for the soundtrack (below) is a simplified version of the movie poster (right). The various covers and inserts for the packaging shown on the website are a bit more interesting than the white silhouette being used for the primary artwork. It is certainly not as compelling as the movie poster. One difference between the poster and the album cover that bothers me quite a bit is that what is obviously a nose ring on the poster looks like a glob of snot hanging from the girl's nose in silhouette. It really is a bad design mistake. I'm going to call her "the girl with the booger nose."

As a promotion for the album, a six-track sampler is being made available as a free download. The sampler is also included with preorders made through the official website.

Kate Bush has posted an interesting video called "Mistraldespair" to YouTube. It is described as the official animation for a segment from Misty, a track from Bush's new album 50 Words for Snow. The album was released last week.

The video features a snowman that is literally melted by the passionate touch of a woman. It is definitely a new take on the traditional Frosty tale. I usually like music videos that tie in to the theme of the album cover. However, the video is really quite depressing. It is not what I imagined when I saw the cover.

Here are 10 new holiday albums for 2011. They are presented in no particular order. All are currently available for purchase.

Posted by: zeefritz		Posted by: zeefritz
Posted by: zeefritz		Posted by: zeefritz
Posted by: zeefritz		Posted by: zeefritz
Posted by: Tim Barron		Posted by: ron spencer
Posted by: zeefritz		Posted by: zeefritz

Lady Gaga has released a live holiday EP. It is available as a digital download from iTunes and Amazon.com and features four tracks, including a version of the holiday classic White Christmas.

A new album from actor, author and recording artist William Shatner was released last week. Seeking Major Tom features Shatner doing his inimitable spoken word versions of popular songs with musical assistance from musicians such as Peter Frampton, Lyle Lovett, Johnny Winter, Brad Paisley, Steve Miller, Sheryl Crow, Wayne Kramer, Dave Davies, Zakk Wylde and others.

A video for Shatner's version of Bohemian Rhapsody has gone viral on YouTube with over a half million views. The video features an unpackaging demontration for the CD at the end. It is the first time I have seen anyone do that. Those of you who are more interested in marketing and package design than Shatner's reading of Queen's lyrics may want to forward to the last few seconds.

I was just looking at the cover art for all of the new Christmas albums that are soon to be released and it made me quite depressed. Halloween is less than two weeks away and it seems that the Halloween novelty song may be becoming a thing of the past. Then, The Superions released the music video for their song Batbaby! and my day was instantly brighter.

Leave it to bandmates Fred Scheider, Noah Brodie and Dan Marshal to come up with the campiest Halloween project in years. I have already written about the fabulous artwork for the EP that was created by Greek illustrator George Doutsiopoulos. Now there is a hilarious music video, too. The video was written by Michael O'Quinn and Fred Schneider and directed by Michael O'Quinn.

The holiday season is right around the corner and I am very glad that I am able to write about a Halloween album cover before the flood of Christmas albums appears. I was beginning to think that for the music industry Halloween was a forgotten holiday this year.

The Superions is a band featuring The B-52s frontman Fred Schneider, keyboard and electric drum player Noah Brodie, and programmer Dan Marshall. Larst year, they released a holiday album called Destination... Christmas! This year, they have recorded Batbaby!, a Haloween-themed EP. The EP is scheduled for release on September 13, 2011.

The artwork for the EP was created by Greek illustrator George Doutsiopoulos. It features a creepy vampire bat infant who is holding a baby bottle full of blood. It is a wonderful illustration that instantly conveys the message that the EP will be just as humorous as The Superions' previous recordings. I hope we see more album art from Doutsiopoulos.

A new cover of Coldplay's The Scientist is getting quite a bit of publicity for Chipotle and their non-profit Chipotle Cultivate Foundation. The single is featured in a stop-motion animation video called Back to the Start that is intended to bring awareness to the issues of sustainable agriculture, family farming, culinary education, and innovation.

The cover art for the single is a still from the video, which features cute little pink pigs and other characters. If this seems like an unlikely project for Willie Nelson, you must watch the video to see how well it works.

The Bandana Splits are a doo-wop trio with both a retro look and sound. Their debut album, Mister Sam Presents the Bandana Splits, is scheduled to be released on August 30, 2011.

The album cover and the music video for the trio's debut single, Sometimes, both have a 1940s theme that is reminiscent of The Andrews Sisters and similar WW II-era artists. We have seen this kind of 1940s retro act before. However, The Bandana Splits seem to have taken it to another level.

Walt Disney Records is scheduled to release Muppets: The Green Album on August 23, 2011. The album is a musical tribute to the Muppets, featuring 12 fan favorite songs reinterpreted by current artists. Appearing on the album are bands such as OK Go, Weezer, The Fray, Alkaline Trio, My Morning Jacket, as well as solo artists like Andrew Bird, Matt Nathanson and Amy Lee.

The album cover features a typographic design of Kermit the Frog composed of the names of the artists that contributed to the project. The design has a 1960s psychedelic look to it and Kermit is instantly recognizable.

Muppets: The Green Album is being released in advance of Disney's new comedy film The Muppets, which is coming to theaters this Thanksgiving. The soundtrack for The Muppets will be released by Walt Disney Records on November 22, 2011.

Songs included on Muppets: The Green Album are:

1. The Muppet Show Theme - OK Go
2. The Rainbow Connection - Weezer and Paramore vocalist Hayley Williams
3. Mahna Mahna - The Fray
4. Moving Right Along - Alkaline Trio
5. Our World - My Morning Jacket
6. Halfway Down the Stairs - Amy Lee
7. Mr. Bassman - Sondre Lerche
8. Wishing Song - The Airborne Toxic Event
9. Night Life - Brandon Saller of Atreyu and Billy Martin
10. Bein' Green - Andrew Bird.
11. I Hope That Something Better Comes Along - Matt Nathanson
12. I'm Going to Go Back There Someday - Rachael Yamagata

Coldplay's new single, Every Teardrop is a Waterfall, was released yesterday. The track is now available on iTunes and at Amazon.com, except in the UK where the track will be released tomorrow. The song can be previewed on YouTube and it is also streaming on the band's website.

The song was produced by Markus Dravs, Daniel Green and Rik Simpson. Brian Eno is credited with "Enoxification" and additional composition. The song contains compositional elements of Peter Allen's 1976 song I Go To Rio, written by Peter Allen and Adrienne Anderson. The writing credit for Every Teardrop is a Waterfall is listed as Berryman / Buckland / Champion / Martin / Allen / Anderson.

The cover art for the single is disappointing for a Coldplay project. It is simply a photographic detail of graffiti with 1970s-style typography.

Leftover Cuties - Paces to Go (2011)

Posted by: Aequi

Leftover Cuties - Game Called Life EP (2009)

Posted by: Aequi

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.

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.

The forthcoming album by electronic music duo YACHT is Shangri-La (right). It is scheduled to be released by DFA Records on June 21, 2011. It is YACHT's fifth studio album and their second on the DFA label.

To promote the album, the first single Dystopia (The Earth is on Fire) has been made available as a free download. The song is NSFW, so keep that in mind when previewing it. The lyrics contain the word "motherf***ker" and it could cause an embarrassing office moment.

The cover art for the single is quite an bit more elaborate than what is currently being used to promote the album. It looks like a creepy postcard from Hell or something. YACHT's previous album, See Mystery Lights, was also quite plain. So, I do not think they are aping the trend of "minimalist" album art.

My Chemical Romance has released #SINGItForJapan, a charity single to benefit the victims of the disasters in Japan. The title of the song is a Twitter hashtag, a word or phrase followed by the # symbol or hashtag that is used to mark keywords or topics in a tweet. I think this may be the first time that a Twitter hashtag has been used at the title of a song.

The band has create a special website for the project. The details are described as follows:

My Chemical Romance has always shared a special connection with Japan.  The food, the culture, the energy, the people...Since our first show there, we knew it would be a place we would keep coming back to.

While in the UK, we received news of the events unfolding after the massive earthquake. It affected us in a profound way. Moved by the terrible tragedy in Japan, and inspired by our fans, we set to work on #SINGItForJapan, a re-imagining of SING.

Dozens of musicians donated their time and talent to help bring this song to life. To complete the video, thousands of fans across the world submitted video, artwork, and pictures to show their love and support.

Using classic Japanese themes in the orchestration, we hope we have honored and paid tribute to the people of Japan. All of our proceeds from the sale of this recording goes directly to the American Red Cross.

Thank you for all of your support.

Ray

The artwork for the single is being sold as a t-shirt through the Warner Bros. online record store. The single is currently available for download on iTunes and will be released on Amazon.com on April 26, 2011.

Peter Murphy's forthcoming album is his first solo album in seven years and the first since the permanent dissolution of Bauhaus in 2009. Produced by David Baron, Ninth (right) is scheduled to be released on June 7, 2011.

The album's first single, I Spit Roses, is sure to please Bauhaus and Murphy fans. It is darkly melodic and perfect for those melancholy evenings when dance and pop music are irritatingly optimistic.

The cover art for the album features a black and white photograph of Murphy dressed as what appears to be a "hear no evil" mime. I actually like the cover for the I Spit Roses (below) single quite a bit more. It features a colorized photograph of Murphy without the make up. I really like the background effects.

Universal International Music has just released a classical music album to benefit the victims of the recent disasters in Japan. Classics for Japan - Music for Healing includes 20 tracks by various artists and composers. The record labels providing the tracks are donating all or a portion of the proceeds to the Japanese Red Cross.

Singer/songwriter Josie Cotton is one of many artists who have the distinction of being labeled one of the Top 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders Of The 80s by VH1. Her 1982 single Johnny are You Queer? is listed as #81.

Contrary to her status as a one hit wonder, Cotton has recorded six studio albums and her singles He Could Be the One and Jimmy Loves Mary-Anne have made the charts, just not the Billboard Top 40.

Cotton's most recent album is Pussycat Babylon. It was released late last year and a music video for the song See the New Hong Kong was posted on YouTube in February. The cover art for the album features a youthful photograph of Cotton wearing an illustration of an Asian headress and long, black fingernails.

Lady GaGa's country version of her smash hit single Born This Way was made available on iTunes today. Born This Way (The Country Road Version) created a stir when it was posted on YouTube last week. It has already received over a million views on YouTube and the reviews on iTunes have given it an almost perfect five-star rating.

A portion of the proceeds from sales of the single will be donated to the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN), an organization created to eliminate discrimination against gay and lesbian students in schools.

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

Lady Gaga debuted the music video for her latest single Born This Way today. The video includes an introduction with music that many Alfred Hitchcock fans will recognize as the opening theme from the classic Hitchcock thriller Vertigo. This could be a vwery clever cross promotion by Universal, who owns both the rights to Vertigo and Lady Gaga's record label.

For those who are interested, The original soundtrack for Vertigo was composed by Bernard Herrmann in 1958 and reelased on Mercury Records. It included most of the major musical cues from the film but represented less than half of the complete score. The track used in the Lady Gaga video is the first on the album, Vertigo Prelude and Rooftop.

Vertigo OMPS (1958)

Born This Way (2011)

Parzival is a Seattle singer-songwriter whose current album, Postmodern Love was released in November 2010. A music video for the song Portland Never Worries was recently posted on YouTube and I think it is worth watching. It was directed by Denis Lemeshchenko and (disclaimer) features glimpses of a lovely young woman who I know personally.

The album cover for Postmodern Love is an excellent example of why a professional portrait photography is an important part of promoting a recording artist. The young artist is immediately recognizable from the music video. The background color enhances his eyes and the styling is perfect.

The music video for the second single from the latest album by Australian electronic band Cut Copy debuted last week. The video for Need You Now was directed by Keith Schofield and has an Olympics theme, with athletes from various sports participating in a torch relay.

The music video is as puzzling as the cover art for the band's current project. The album, Zonoscope (right), features an illustration by the late Japanese artist Tsunehisa Kimura. The cover art first two singles from the album, Take Me Over and Need You Now (below), are simple abstract parintings. They are an odd contrast to the Kimura work,

The cover art seems to have even less to do with the singles themselves. There is certainly no connection between the theme of the Need You Now video and the cover used for the single. The entire project seems to be a hodgepodge of themes and creative concepts. The only thing wrong with that is the possible consumer confusion. Quite a bit could have been done with other Kimura works. It is too bad they seem to have switched gears with the singles.

The first studio album by The Cars is scheduled to be released on May 10, 2011. Move Like This is the first new album from the band in 24 years. It includes all of the original members except the late Benjamin Orr, who died of cancer in 2000.

A music video for one of the tracks called Blue Tip was posted on YouTube a couple of days ago. It sounds very much like the band's classic 1980s sound.

I was somewhat disappointed that both the album cover and the music video features only silhouettes of the band. I suppose that they feel the music will be more marketable to young people if they don't reveal the age of the band.

Also, the album cover does not look like a classic album cover from The Cars. Where is the illustration of a leggy woman? There's no car. There's nothing really clever about it. I guess the band members spend their leisure hours in the garden these days. This album cover should have pulled out all of the stops. Instead, it is more like a cover for Better Homes and Gardens.

Posted by: zeefritz

Poly Styrene, the frontwoman of the 1970s punk band X-ray Spex, returned to the music scene last year with the release of Black Christmas, a song inspired by an Christmas killing spree in Los Angeles. It was recently announced that a solo album titled Generation Indigo will be released on April 5, 2011.

A music video for the first single from the album, Virtual Boyfriend, has been posted to YouTube. It is scheduled for release on March 28th.

Many people remember Paul Hardcastle as the English musician and producer who topped the charts in the mid-80s with 19, a song about the young soldiers who served in the Vietnam War. Hardcastle went on to release many electronic and smooth jazz albums. His most recent is a compilation titled Desire. It was released on February 1, 2011 and incudes the song Valentines, which features the vocals of Hardcastle's daughter Maxine.

The cover art for Desire is appropriate for a Valentine's Day gift. It features a single red rose on a red velvet drape. If you haven't yet figured out what to get your sweetheart, here's one idea.

Billy Gardell is an American actor and comedian who recently had a one-hour comedy special titles Halftime air on on Comedy Central. The album version of Halftime is sceduled to be released on February 8, 2011.

While the title and cover art suggest it, the material presented on the album does not have a football theme. Gardell is a Pittsburgh native and obviously a Steeler's fan. I wonder how the album will sell in Wisconsin.

The press release for the forthcoming album by Black Devil Disco Club (aka Bernard Fevre) is perhaps one of the most incomprehensible I have ever attempted to read. Since the album cover art (below) is pretty cool, I will try to decipher it anyway.

There is no release date given for the album, which is titled Circus. According to the press release, it will feature Nancy Sinatra, Claire Evans of YACHT (I think), Afrika Bambaataa, and several other interesting artists.

The single My Screen is available as a free download. You can use the widget posted below to receive a link via email. There is also a music video for the song on YouTube.

Another single called In Doubt featuring CocknBullKid (right) also features an interesting illustration as cover art. I do not have any information about the art direction. However, the album covers from the Lo Recordings label are always unique.

When recently I heard actress Jane Lynch tell Conan O'Brien that the cast of Glee was going to be performing Michael Jackson's Thriller, I thought that it was very exciting news. Then, I found out that they are actually doing a mash up of Thriller and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Heads Will Roll (right). That is quite different from a straight up Glee version of Thriller.

The music video for Heads Will Roll is a tribute to Thriller, featuring a dancing werewolf who dismembers the band in a glittery bloodbath. I don't know if that kind of imagery will figure into the upcoming Glee episode.

The cover art for the Thriller / Heads Will Roll single is the typical Glee Season Two slushie. I was hoping for something similar to the Madonna and Rocky Horror artwork that has been used for special releases in the past.

Blessed, the forthcoming album by three-time Grammy winning singer-songwriter Lucinda Williams, will be released in three different packages. Each of the three configurations will feature a different cover based on a common theme. The album is scheduled to be released on March 1, 2011.

The album packages will include a standard CD and digital album, a deluxe CD set and digital album that will include a disc of bonus material titled The Kitchen Tapes, and a deluxe LP/CD combo.

Each of the covers features a photograph of people holding a sign with the word "blessed" written on it. My favorite cover has to be the one for the LP/CD combo package. Those long fingernails that the woman is sporting make the cover quite a bit more interesting than the other two.

British singer-songwriter Anna Calvi was recently selected as one of the top 15 most promising new artists for the upcoming year by the BBC's Sound of 2011. She has been compared to both PJ Harvey and Siouxsie Sioux. Her self-titled debut album is scheduled to be released on January 25, 2011.

I really like the designs of both her album cover (below) and the cover for her single Jezebel (right). They definitely look like something Siouxsie would have used back in the 1980s. I listened to several tracks from the album that are posted on YouTube and I think the comparison to Siouxsie is more accurate. You can listen to the song Desire below.

The cover for the single has more of a Vampira goth look to it. The album cover uses a gold chain to spell out Calvi's name. It has a very cool, romantic feel. Thanks to AAX user Aequi for recommending Calvi for the blog.

The music video for P!nk's single Fuckin' Perfect was released today. I know that I just wrote a couple of days ago that I am effin' sick of songs with the f-word in them. However, I am going to make an exception for this song.

The music video deals specifically with bullying and suicide. The somber message certainly does not go with the cover ar for the single, which shows a happy, smiling
P!nk.

Swedish pop duo Roxette will be releasing their first studio album of new material in ten years on February 11, 2011. The music video for the first single from the album, She's Got Nothing On (But the Radio) was posted on YouTube last week.

Roxette has had four #1 singles in the U.S., The Look, Listen to Your Heart, It Must Have Been Love and Joyride. Dangerous and Fading Like a Flower both reached #2 and Dressed for Success peaked at #14.

The duo continues to have a large group of dedicated fans. It will be interesting to see if the new album is a hit with them.

The cover art for the single (right) and the album both feature a newspaper collage look. I was not able to find credits for the art direction.

The cover art reminds me of the style used by Duran Duran a few years ago. I suspect that this is a clever way to avoid using a full-sized portrait that reveals the age of the artists. However, the duo is shown clearly in the music video (along with several fresh-faced models).

The forthcoming album from singer-songwriter Amanda Palmer is called Amanda Palmer Goes Down Under (right). It is scheduled to be released on February 1, 2011. The album is a collection of both live and studio recordings.

The first single from the album is currently available as a free download. The music video was recently posted on YouTube and it is causing a bit of controversy. That is because the song is about Palmer's vagina. I am not joking. Apparently, the map of Tasmania is shaped like the female pubic region.

I suppose the title of Palmer's album is a double entendre. The cover features a photograph of a woman with a passport shoved down her crotch.

The cover art for the single is far less subtle. However, you have to watch the video to get the full impact. I have to give Palmer points for sticking to a theme.

While searching for something to write about on a very slow album art news day, I found an article on a blog called Super Punch about a forthcoming CD package that has been designed to look like a Little Golden Book. A Cautionary Tale is the debut album by the electronic/indie band The Pauses. It is scheduled to be released on March 8, 2011 by New Granada Records.

According to the article, the cover and package design was created by graphic artist and illustrator Travis Lampe. The concept reminds me of the cover for Daisies of the Galaxy, the 2000 album by Eels, which features a similar illustration. The Eels album did not include the entire Little Golden Book concept, just the illustration that resembled those used on these types of books.

The entire package is delightful and very interesting. It is great to see a concept taken to the extreme. Lampe is a very talented illustrator. I am certain that I have seen his work before. The band's official website is a must see.

Currently, a track from the album called Go North is available as a free download from the New Granada website. The MP3 does not include album art, so you will need to snag it from the AAX gallery.

In doing a Google search, I discovered that this CD package is getting quite a bit of coverage from blogs and news websites. That should serve as an example of what an innovative and creative design can do for a new artist. As far as I'm concerned, this design is far superior to the recent Kanye West album art that was created by artist George Condo. In additon, the band did not have to create a fake censorship controversy in order to get noticed.

I hope that any singles that may be released from this album continue the "Little Golden Book" theme. I doubt that the artist would have any difficulty coming up with additonal illustrations that are equal to the album cover.

The music video for Ricky Martin's new single The Best Thing About Me Is You has been posted on YouTube. It is currently available as a digital download from iTunes and Amazon.com. The song will appear on Martin's forthcoming album Musica+Alma+Sexo (right), which is scheduled to be released on February 1, 2011.

The English language version of the single features the vocals of Josh Stone. The Spanish language version, Lo Mejor De Mi Vida Eres Tú, features Natalia Jiménez.

The music video features children, diverse couples, and Martin with an equality symbol painted on his chest (I hope it is painted on anyway). It is a happy tune with a positive message about love and equality. It may be just what we need right now. 

According to the Pet Shop Boys official website, tickets are now on sale for the first run of performances of The Most Incredible Thing, a new ballet choreographed by Javier De Frutos to original music by Pet Shop Boys' Neil Tennant and Chris lowe with orchestrations by Sven Helbig. The ballet will be performed at the Sadler's Wells Theatre in London, from Thursday, March 17 to Saturday, March 26, 2011.

A double-CD of the music, produced by Pet Shop Boys and Sven Helbig, is planned for release by Parlophone on March 7, 2011. It is currently available for pre-ordered from the Amazon UK store. I am not sure whether or not the artwork posted below is final.

Every now and then, I come across cover art that is so strange that I have to find out more about the artist. Recently, that was the case with a single called Redhead by Zowie Knox.

The artwork is a photograph of a butcher's case, with various cuts of meat and a saw. I tried to find out soemthing about Zowie Knox, but I was only able to find long, rambling biographies on what appeared to be the artist's Facebook and MySpace pages.

Since I didn't have a magic decoder ring or whatever is needed to decipher the information I found online, I decided to search YouTube for a music video. There are two posted for the single. You can watch the one I think is the most interesting below.

One of the biggest selling albums in the UK right now is by singer and musical theater star Alfie Boe. The album was released last week and is currently one of the top ten bestselling albums in the Amazon UK store.

A promotional video for the album was posted on YouTube yesterday. It features comic actor Matt Lucas, who contributed to the album. 

I am not wild about the cover for this album. Quite a bit of the photograph is nothing more than the coat Boe is wearing. It looks more like an ad for London Fog than an album cover.

New Year's Eve is the first single from the forthcoming eleventh studio album by rapper Snoop Dogg. The album, Doggumentary Music, is scheduled to be released on March 8, 2011. The single features singer Marty James and was released as a digital single on November 5, 2010.

The music video for the title single from Duran Duran's new album All You Need Is Now was posted on YouTube yesterday. The single (right) was released as a free download on iTunes last week. The album is available in digital format only beginning today. A CD release is scheduled for early next year.

The album went straight to the top on the download charts in the UK, US, and Canada earlier today. The album is currently in the #2 spot on the U.S. iTunes album chart.

The artwork for the album cover carries through to the All You Need Is Now music video. Many are comparing the song to the band's 1982 hit Rio.

While writing about Jack Black's forthcoming movie Gulliver's Travels this morning, I stumbled on an article about a new holiday recording and animated video by Black and Jason Segel. The song is a parody of the classic TV special duet of Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy by Bing Crosby and David Bowie. The video is featured on the website CollegeHumor.com and the website's YouTube channel.

The animation is very well done and creative. I liked the song and decided to download it from iTunes. What I discovered there was an unexpected horror (at least for an album art lover). The cover art that is being distributed with the digital download (right) is about the worst imaginable.

Not only is the image ugly, it is over compressed. To top it off, it doesn't even have the correct title of the song!

I am always unhappy to see poor-quality artwork used for recordings. When there is a video or other elements of the project that have great illustrations or photography, it is even more upsetting.

I can't imagine why an image from the cartoon was not used for the cover art. Perhaps there was a dispute over paying the animator a fee. Whatever the reason, the result is an inferior product.

In any event, I decided to use this as an opportunity to play creative director and create my own version of the cover for  Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy. It only took about an hour to create an image that will look much better in my iTunes cover flow.

I decided to make my version of the cover look like an aged 7" single sleeve. I used a screen grab from the video for the illustration and some cool retro fonts from Font Diner. Just imagine what could be done using actual images from the original animation.

Viva Elvis is a Las Vegas show by Cirque du Soleil that features dance, acrobatics and live music as a tribute to the life and music of Elvis Presley. The show is currently running at the ARIA Resort and Casino.

An album of the show's musical numbers (right) is available as a standard CD, special limited edition CD and a vinyl LP.

I single featuring remixes of the Presley classic Suspicious Minds has also been released. It includes four tracks and as of this date and time is available on Amazon.com for the discounted price of $1.99. At 50 cents a track, it is a bargain.

A music video for the single was posted on YouTube last month. It is basically a light show with sillouetted characters portraying Elvis and female dancers.

The new single by British electropop musician Frankmusik (a.k.a. Frank Turner) is The Fear Inside. It was released yesterday and is available for download from Amazon.com and iTunes.

The cover art for the single features a black and white photograph of the artist in a scene from the music video, which debuted earlier this month. The cover art is an excellent representation of the theme of the song and the video. Regular readers know that I am always pleased to see creative coordination between the various elements of a project. This is an excellent example.

Album Art Exchange user Aequi recommended the single Wherever We Are by Southern California electronic music trio Human Life for our latest New and Notable feature. The single is the group's second. It was released on November 15, 2010.

The cover art is interesting because it features a couple walking arm-in-arm on a beach at sunset. However, the music video for the song is something entirely different. The video is a romance between two attractive young women. They are shown falling in love, breaking up, and getting back together again and kissing at the end.

While my desrciption may seem a bit tawdry to some, the music video is far from a cheap porn fantasy. It is very tastefully done. It makes me wish that a still from the video had been used as the cover for the single. The image of the characters from the video are certainly more memorable than the couple in the water at sunset.

Posted by: Aequi

Here is the music video for the new Erasure charity single that I wrote about a few days ago. A Little Respect (HMI Redux) was released last week.

Proceeds from the single are being donated to The Hetrick-Martin Institute (HMI) and the True Colors Fund. Home of the Harvey Milk School, the Hetrick-Martin Institute is the nation's oldest and largest LGBTQ youth service organization, providing a safe and supportive environment to all young people, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity so that they can achieve their full potential. The True Colors Fund was co-founded by Cyndi Lauper to advance LGBT equality and to raise awareness about and bring an end to LGBT youth homelessness.

The single features a youth chorus from the Hetrick-Martin Institute who also appear in the music video, which was directed by filmmaker Jason Stein.

The music video for the Michael Jackson and Akon duet Hold My Hand was released yesterday. The single was released on November 18, 2010. It is from the forthcoming posthumous Michael Jackson album, which is scheduled to be released next Tuesday.

The Unconventionals have released the video for their holiday single, Long Distance Christmas. The song is currently available from iTunes and Amazon.com as a digital download.

The cover art for the single features the singing group in a cartoon winter wonderland. The music video includes clips of fans and a couple of surprise cameos by celebrities.

Robbie Daw at Chart Rigger tips us to the premiere of video for The Killers' fifth annual holiday Product RED campaign charity single Boots -- which was directed by Jared Hess (Napoleon Dynamite). The video is available exclusively on the Starbucks website as part of their 12 Days of Sharing holiday campaign.

For every viewing of this exclusive performance by The Killers on Dec. 1, 2010 Starbucks will contribute 5¢ U.S. to the Global Fund to help fight AIDS in Africa. So pass this gift along to your friends and loved ones this holiday season, and see just how good it feels to give.

Visit the Starbucks Website

Love Me or Let Me Go, the debut single by teen pop singer Avery was released last week. The music video has been a hit on YouTube for several months, resulting in a recording contract with Universal.

The one thing that struck me about the cover art for the single is that Avery looks much older in the video. She is 16 and the cover art makes her look like she's about 12 or 13. Perhaps that is intentional. I don't know what is up with the dog in the matching outfit. It seems to beg ridicule.

Today, teen pop star Justin Bieber released the music video for his forthcoming single Pray. The single is scheduled to be released on December 14, 2010.

The cover art for the single does not feature a photograph of Bieber. I believe this is the first time a Justin Bieber cover has not included the scowling face of the young artist. Instead, it features an illustration of hands folded in prayer and the word "pray" written several times. I do not have a credit for the artist who created it.

The music video is a montage of Bieber visiting sick kids in hospitals, homeless people and soldiers away from home. I hate to draw this comparison, but it reminds me of the videos that Michael Jackson used to make about his charity work.

American hip hop group Black Eyed Peas have released the music video for their single The Time (Dirty Bit). The song is the first single from group's sixth studio album The Beginning, which is scheduled to be released on November 26, 2010.

The single samples (I've Had) The Time of My Life, which was originally performed by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes in the 1987 film Dirty Dancing.

Next Tuesday, British electronic music group Human League will release their first new single in over 10 years. Night People is the first single from the group's forthcoming album Credo, which is scheduled to be released in March 2011.

The single will feature remixes from Cerrone, Mylo, Emperor Machine and Villa. The music video for the song will be released on the same day. Let's hope the album cover is more interesting than that of the single.

Pop singer Kylie Minogue has released the music video for her forthcoming single Better Than Today. The single will be released as a two-part CD on December 14, 2010. It is the third single from her current album Aphrodite.

The music video for the forthcoming single Take 'Em Up by DJ and electonic musician Shit Robot (a.k.a. Marcus Lambkin) has been posted on YouTube. The song is from his debut album From the Cradle to the Rave, which was released on September 21, 2010.

The song features vocals by Nancy Whang who known for her work with The Juan MacLean and LCD Soundsystem. The video uses psychedelic effects applied to clips of Whang wandering around a neighborhood in Brooklyn. It is actually much more entertaining than it may sound. The single is currently available as a free download from RCRD LBL.

The cover art for the album features a "robot" face constructed from sound equipment. I have seen versions of the cover with the "Shit Robot" name applied with a bright green sticker. The cover art is credited to Timothy Saccenti. Saccenti's website is definitely worth checking out.

I do not know much about Aeroplane other than they are an electronic music duo from Belgium. I just discovered their EP Superstar (below). The EP was released back in September and includes three tracks, a radio edit, an extended remix, and a great version of the song featuring Chromeo that is in rotation on my iPod.

The cover art for the EP gives the viewer absolutely no idea that the song is a very cool retro disco dance number. Aeroplane's album We Can't Fly was released shortly after the Superstar EP. It has very similar artwork. I think it is supposed to be the view from the window of an airplane.

The music video for the new single Together by Pet Shop Boys has been posted on YouTube. Remixes will be available in the U.S. on December 7, 2010 as a two part CD set. The remixes will also be available as digital downloads.

The forthcoming third single from the second studio album by electronic band Crystal Castles (right) is Not in Love featuring The Cure's Robert Smith. The single is scheduled to be released on November 22, 2010.

Fans of The Cure are certain to like this track. A version of Not in Love also appears on the album (referred to as Crystal Castles II), but it does not feature the vocals of Robert Smith.

The cover art for the single is a detail of the creepy graveyard photograph used for the album. It is a tightly cropped close up of the zombie-looking girl's face. The image has also had a video effect applied to it. It reminds me of when the scenes in Dawn of the Dead cut to people watching news coverage of the zombie invasion on TV.

The debut single from Internet sensation Greyson Chance is scheduled to be released on December 14, 2010. The song is called Waiting Outside the Lines.

Chance was offered a recording contract shortly after the video of him playing piano and singing Lady Gaga's Paparazzi went viral on YouTube. A music video for the single is currently in production.

The music video for the first single from Susan Boyle's holiday album The Gift (right) has been posted on YouTube. Lou Reed's Perfect Day may seem like an odd choice for a holiday album, but you just have to listen to this track to realize that it is a true masterpiece.

It has been reported that Reed helped conceptualize the video, which is dark and brooding and increases the impact of the bittersweet lyrics. This is has much of a pleasant surprise from Boyle as her cover of Wild Horses. At this point, I would like to see Snoop Dogg fulfill his fantasy of recording a track with Boyle doing vocals.

This is certainly going to be the top-selling holiday album of 2010. The more traditional tracks are wonderful, too.

Frequent David Guetta collaborator Chris Willis has just released a music video for his single Louder (Put Your Hands Up). The remixes have been playing in clubs for a couple of months and one is featured on the forthcoming dance compilation Clubland 18 (right), which is scheduled to be released in the U.S. on November 16, 2010.

I've been listening to the remixes on my iPod for a couple of weeks. It is a great song to listen to while working out and I am sure it gets people out on the dance floor. It is exactly what one would expect from a dance track.

However, the music video is really something else. It is like a cross between Britney Spears' schoolgirl routine and Janet Jackson's industrial dance choreography. Enjoy!

The Key of Awesome is a weekly musical comedy show on YouTube that spoofs celebrities, pop-culture and Internet memes. The show features Mark Douglas and other performers.

The latest parody is music video and digital single that pokes fun at pop singer Ke$ha's We R Who We R. When I first saw the cover art for Ke$ha: Trying 2 Hard in the AAX gallery, I thought that it was an actual Ke$ha single. Perhaps it was the gold glitter and the tacky cartoon font that had me fooled.

The TV show Glee is set to have yet another number one single with their cover of Katy Perry's Teenage Dream featuring new cast member Darren Criss.

Criss is a 23 year old actor and singer-songwriter who also has a solo EP called Human (right) available on iTunes and Amazon.com. I am sure that the EP will experience a sales boost from from the Glee single.

The scene featuring Criss leading a prep school acapella group in the performance of Teenage Dream was leaked online a couple of days ago. The episode is titled Never Been Kissed and there has been speculation as to who may be doing the kissing. The episodes center's around the show's gay teen character Kurt.

The cover art for the single is a variation of the "slushie" cover that has been used for season two singles. Like the hand making the "L" for loser from last year, the image is getting a bit tired.

Singer and songwriter Lucy Schwartz has just released the music video for Graveyard. The song appears on Schwartz' new album Life in Letters, which is currently available though iTunes and Amazon.com. (The iTunes version has three bonus tracks.)

The video is very good. However, I really just want to rave about the album cover a bit. It features an underwater photograph by Mallory Morrison. Morrison specializes in this kind of underwater photography and her work is some of the best of this genre that I have seen.

There are several other photographs by Morrison on Schwartz' official website (above right). I imagine that it must have been difficult to pick one for the album cover. They are all fantastic.

The music video for Mariah Carey's Christmas single Oh Santa! has been posted on YouTube. It is available as a digital single and on Carey's holiday album Merry Christmas II You, which was released today.

The cover art for the single featured Carey in a short, sequined red dress and performing on a stage of paper snowflake cutouts.

The cover for the EP Fuzz by Ursula 1000 (a.k.a. Alex Gimeno) is one of my favorites of 2010. The EP was released on October 5, 2010 and is available on iTunes and from Amazon.com.

There is information about a picture disc version (right) on the Ursula 1000 website. You will also find a free download of a megamix of the EP. Unfortunately, I was not able able to find any credits for art direction and graphic design.

The EP includes four tracks. The first, Hey You!, features Fred Schneider of The B-52s and The Superions doing vocals. If you like the The B-52s, you'll like this track. It has a little Hawaii 5-0 theme and the classic disco "oo oah oo oah" sound in the mix.

The cover art is purple and green shag carpeting that has been used to create the title of the EP. It is brilliant in its simplicity.

A few weeks ago, I wrote about a 3D music video from Kelis and wondered if it was the beginning of a trend. Now, there is another 3D video from Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker featuring The Cool Kids for their single Jump Down.

The new Jackass 3D movie is a big hit in theaters right now. So, using 3D as a marketing gimmick is not a bad idea. Unfortunately, the only thing the Jump Down video has in common with Jackass 3D is Barker's tattoos. It consists of footage of Barker playing drums and The Cool Kids (who look more like middle-aged dudes to me) posing and making hand gestures. The cover art for the single isn't anything to write home about either.

The first single from Annie Lennox's forthcoming album A Christmas Cornucopia (right) is Universal Child, which was released worldwide on iTunes this week.

The royalties from the sale of Universal Child will be donated to The Annie Lennox Foundation, in order to raise money for projects supporting and educating women and children in Africa with HIV/AIDS.

Sadly, the cover art for the single that is being distributed by iTunes is very bad. It is full of JPEG artifacts and the top of the image has been cropped off. Hopefully, a better image will be uploaded to the gallery in the near future.

A Christmas Cornucopia is scheduled to be released on November 15, 2010.

Parlophone has posted a short teaser for Together, the forthcoming single by Pet Shop Boys, on YouTube. The single will be released on November 29, 2010. It will also be included on the new greatest hits compilation Ultimate Pet Shop Boys (right).

The 2-CD collection will include 19 of the duo's biggest hits, including West End Girls, It's A Sin, What Have I Done To Deserve This?, Domino Dancing, Go West, Se A Vida, New York City Boy, Home And Dry, Love Etc., and the newly recorded single. A special edition version with a bonus DVD of previously unreleased performances from the BBC and a 2010 live performance at Glastonbury will also be available.

The the Together single is being released as two CDs. I assume that the cover art for the second CD will likely be similar to the one shown below, except with a different gradient behind the type.

German synthpop band Alphaville is back with a new album called Catching Rays on Giant (below). It is scheduled to be released on November 19, 2010. It will be the band's 10th studio album.

I Die for You Today (right) is the album's first single. It will be released on October 22. Several remixes have already been posted on YouTube.

The covers for both the album and the single are great. Unfortunately, I have not been able to find a credit for the artist. The band's website is one of those Flash site's that looks pretty but is impossible to navigate. If anyone has more patience, please feel free to do some research and let me know.

My favorite version of the single sounds as if it may include a Madonna sample. However, I am not really sure about that. You can give it a listen below.

Gimme Some Truth is a new 4-CD collection of John Lennon's music featuring 72 tracks divided into themed collections: Borrowed Time: Life Lessons; Roots: The Rock 'n' Roll Beginnings; Working Class Hero: The Polotical Side; and Woman: Love Songs.

The slipcase box includes liner notes outlining the four themes by music journalist Anthony DeCurtis of Rolling Stone. The booklet also features photos, drawings, and hand-written lyrics. The promotional video below displays the various features of the Gimme Some Truth package as well as several others that were released to commemorate Lennon's 40th birthday.

The album cover photograph was taken by the famous rock photographer Iain MacMillan and the art direction is credited to Yoko Ono. It also features a version of the drawing Power to the People by John Lennon.

Today, R&B singer-songwriter Kelis posted a 3D music video for her song Scream on her official website and on YouTube. The song is from her current album Flesh Tone, which was released in May 2010.

This is the first 3D music video that I can think of from a major recording artist. There have probably been others, but it is an interesting gimmick nonetheless. If you have a pair of red/blue 3D glasses, the video is worth checking out.

AlbumArtExchange.com user Jeff72 tipped me off about a new UK electronic duo that is generating a lot of attention by keeping their faces hidden. Their forthcoming self-titled debut album (right) is scheduled to be released in the UK on January 24, 2011.

The duo's single Love Get Out of My Way was released in the UK on August 30 and a promo video has been posted on YouTube. As with the album cover and the cover of the single, the duo's faces are not shown in the video. Instead, the video features characters wearing masks. This looks as if it is going to be an ongoing PR gimmick.

Those who choose to follow Monarchy's Facebook page by clicking the like button will receive a free download of another single called The Phoenix Alive. It is a 320 kbps high quality MP3 that is definitely worth downloading.

In 1962, Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol, a musical adaptation of Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol, became the first animated holiday special ever produced specifically for television. It ran on TV during the holiday season for many years and became a favorite of several generations along with other animated classics like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Frosty the Snowman.

On November 2, 2010, the soundtrack for the program will be made available through Vivendi Entertainment as a digital album. One of my favorite musical numbers from the show is We're Despicable (Plunderer's March), which includes the memorable lyric, "We're rep-re-hensible. We'll steal your pen-and-pencible."  Check it out in the video posted below.

The album has been given fresh new cover art that features Mr. Magoo and the Tiny Tim character from the cartoon. The program is available on DVD and for download on iTunes.

The music video for Shakira's new single Loca was posted on YouTube yesterday. It is from her forthcoming album Sale el Sol (The Sun Comes Out), which is scheduled to be released on October 19, 2010.

The cover for the single ties in with the music video. Shakira is shown rollerskating and dancing around in a gold bra and pants. Call me crazy, but I like it!

The latest single by the Armand Van Helden and A-Trak collaboration Duck Sauce is called Barbra Steisand. It is scheduled to be released on October 10, 2010.

The cover for the single is a parody of Guilty, the 1980 collaboration album by Streisand and Barry Gibb (right). They have even matched the typography from the orginal artwork perfectly. I love this kind of stuff!

The music video for Barbra Steisand was posted on YouTube last week. It features a Streisand impersonator and some cool New York City street performances.

I have to admit that I am developing a craving for Duck Sauce.

Joe McElderry, the season six winner of X-Factor, recently revealed the cover for his forthcoming debut album Wide Awake (right). The album is scheduled to be released in the U.K. on October 25, 2010.

While the album cover features a simple black and white portrait of the young pop singer, the cover the first single is quite a bit more interesting. The cover for Ambitions (below) shows McElderry leaping over a stone wall. The single is scheduled to be released on October 10. The official music video debuted online last week.

The video shows McElderry dancing in what appears to be several flash mobs. His lipsyncing is a bit off in spots, but the song has quite a bit of energy and the choreography is creative.

Related articles:

• It's Joe McElderry's "Ambitions" Video (chartrigger.blogspot.com)
• It's Joe McElderry's 'Wide Awake' Album Cover (chartrigger.blogspot.com)
• X Factor Champ Joe McElderry Drops Ambitions Video! (perezhilton.com)
• Joe McElderry Has 'Ambitions' (pinkbananaworld.com)
• Queer music Friday - Joe McElderry (bilerico.com)

One of the hottest remixers of 2010 is unquestionably Starsmith (a.k.a. Finley Dow-Smith). The British record producer and musician has created remixes for Katy Perry, Marina and the Diamonds, Lady Gaga, Mika, N.E.R.D., Robyn, The Saturdays, and many other popular recording artists.

Last week, the music video for the first track from Starsmith's forthcoming two-song single Give Me a Break/Knuckleduster was posted on his official YouTube channel. Give Me a Break is a remix of the 1980 disco classic by The Ritchie Family.

The music video includes some interesting visual effects. Unfortunately, this is another case in which the cover art doesn't coordinate with the video. While I like the cover, it simply is not part of the type of unified project I like to see. The single is scheduled to be released in the U.K. on October 18, 2010.

Here is a good example of why it is important for a recording artist to have a professional cover for a single. Marsha Ambrosius is a former member of the British R&B duo Floetry. Hope He Cheats on You (With a Basketball Player) is the first single from her forthcoming solo album Late Nights & Early Mornings. The single was released last month. I do not have a release date for the album.

I just happened to come across the single while browsing new releases on Amazon.com. I liked the look of the cover art, so I gave it a listen. I really like Ambrosius' voice. I will keep an eye out for the album.

The new season of the FX comedy series It's Always Sunny in Philadephia is scheduled to begin on September 16, 2010. This week, the soundtrack album for the series was released on iTunes. It features the show's theme song Temptation Sensation by Heintz Kiessling and 18 other quirky tracks.

Sadly, the Auto-Tune version of the season six trailer is not on the album. However, you can enjoy it in the YouTube clip posted below.

Posted by: zeefritz

Yesterday, I wrote about the cover of the forthcoming album by Kings of Leon (right). Come Around Sundown is scheduled to be released on October 19, 2010.

The first single from the album is Radioactive (below). It will be released on September 14 and the music video for the song was just posted on YouTube today.

The cover for the single looks as if it may be a detail of the photograph used for the album. It is a rather muddy image that doesn't provoke much of a reaction. The title of the single is "Radioactive" and I don't think the close up of ocean waves really ties into that. Maybe I'm wrong.

There are lots of great images in the music video. It is too bad that they didn't shoot a few stills and use one for the cover of the single.

Not Giving Up on Love by producer Armin van Buuren and English singer-songwriter Sophie Ellis Bextor was released on August 20, 2010. It is both the second single from Van Buuren's fourth studio album, Mirage, and the third single from Ellis Bextor's fourth studio album, Straight to the Heart.

The cover for the single makes good use of Ellis Bextor's gorgeous legs. It has been quite a long time since I have seen such a short skirt still look classy. Ellis Bextor proves that it is possible to look very sexy and not look cheap. The photograph is simply stunning. There are no gimmicks, no bondage gear, and no freaky Lady Gaga costumes.

I wish that graphic artists would quit using drafting tape as a design element. I have seen two covers lately that have tape all over them. One is by The Ponys (right) and the other is for Please Don't Let Me Go, the debut single by former X Factor contestant Olly Murs (below).

The single is currently number one on the U.K. charts. It is scheduled to be released in the U.S. on September 7, 2010.

In spite of the drafting tape, the photographs of Murs that appear on the cover are quite good. They show an attractive young pop singer in a way that introduces him to the members of the public who don't watch X Factor.

The single has a very retro sound. Robbie Daw of Chart Rigger compares Murs to Rick Astley and Jason Donovan. Personally, it reminds me more of Travie McCoy's Billionaire.

Surfer Blood is an indie rock band from West Palm Beach, Florida. Their debut album, Astro Coast, was released in January 2010.

The checkerboard shark image that appears on the album cover is both interesting and repulsive. Regular readers know that I think a photograph of the artist should always grace the cover of a debut album. First impressions are important and Surfer Blood will always be remembered as for a gaping, bloody shark's mouth.

The band has been compared to Weezer (who incidentally appeared on the cover of their debut album). The music video for their song Floating Vibes is obviously an attempt to create a quirky Weezer-like video.

To Paris with Love, the new remix EP by Donna Summer, is in heavy rotation on my iPod. It is currently available only on iTunes. It includes eight tracks and two-page a digital booklet.

The artwork that comes with the iTunes tunes downloads has quite a bit of JPEG compression. I have repared the image using the digital booklet and it is a improvement that many will want to see in their album flow.

I found a cool fan-made video for the song on YouTube. I don't know how long it will be allowed to remain online. Check it out. I think this is one of the best songs Summer has recorded in years.

Norwegian electronic music duo Röyksopp have released the music video for their single The Drug. The single was released in the U.K. on August 8, 2010.

The music video is just as disturbing as the cover art for the single. It was filmed in the ruins of Detroit and involves three pretty mall rats trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic world.

The Bruno Mars single Just the Way You Are is currently number two on iTunes, right behind Katy Perry's Teenage Dream.

The cover for the single has been designed to look like an old worn LP sleeve. This has been a popular concept for the last two years. It still works if it is combined with a decent design. I like the Bruno Mars cover. However, I don't think the artificial aging contribes very much to the cover.

Elektra Records has posted a promotional video for the single on YouTube. That is something that I would like to see more of from record labels.

Cee Lo Green has released the music video for his new single Fuck You. The cover art for the single (below) has been censored. However, I have created an uncensored version (right) for those of you who don't mind four-letter words in your music collection. Just click the image to get the larger version.

The video will be controversial not only because it contains the f-word. It features a young boy lipsyncing to the lyrics. I can only imagine what some of the reactions will be.

Ignoring the language, the video is great. It features a trio of classic Motown backup singers in green satin gowns and a 1960s diner. The art direction is fun and hip. It is like a combination between Happy Days and Little Shop of Horrors.

It is difficult to believe that there are adults who aren't old enough to remember that 1999 used be the year that many people thought would be the last before the end of the world. An entire generation grew up hearing Prince sing about partying like it's 1999. The title track of the 1982 album (right) was released 17 years before the year 2000 was supposed to spell doom.

Today, the year 2012 is the year that many believe will be the last. So, I have been wondering how long it would be until someone made a song that would serve as the party anthem for the impending apocalypse.

Recently, British singer and songwriter Jay Sean released the single 2012 (It Ain't the End) featuring Nicki Minaj. It certainly doesn't compare to the Prince classic, but the idea is pretty much the same.

The cover art for the single features Jay Sean walking on a rooftop. I would have like to have seen Minaj on the cover, too. She's a beautiful woman with an interesting look.

If you're the type who gets depressed seeing Christmas decorations going up in shopping malls in October, you can imagine how it feels for me to start seeing holiday CDs in August. Every year, holiday music seems to come out earlier. This year is no exception. There are already several that I have been waiting to share here on the AlbumArtExchange blog for weeks.

One of the most interesting is Destination... Christmas! by The Superions. The band was formed four years ago by Fred Schneider of The B-52s, Noah Brodie and Dan Marshall. They had an Internet hit with their single Who Threw That Ham at Me? early this year.

Destination... Christmas! is scheduled to be released on Fanatic Records on October 26, 2010. The first single from the album will be Fruit Cake! (above right). This looks like it may be the Christmas novelty album of the year.

Both the album and single have great artwork. The design is credited to Brian Fraley. This is the kind of album art that makes you want to buy a CD. The furry cartoon type is unique and clever. I have never seen anything quite like it.

Let's say that you are a publicist for a new Brooklyn-based British indie rock band. The band has an attractive lead singer and the publicity photos that have been taken of the band demonstrates that they are very photogenic. In fact, the singer can be compared to a young Chrissie Hynde.

Now, let's go one step further and consider what the cover of the band's debut album should look like. Keep in mind that the album cover will introduce the band to tens of thousands of people who have never seen them before.

Would you allow that band to distribute their debut album with the cover art below?

Not only is this album cover for Deluka's You Are the Night hideous, it uses the same art that was used on a previously released EP. They simply added the title in pink neon and Photoshopped it to look as if it were left out in a storm. It is perhaps the most mucked up album cover of the year.

The band is very good. I think they have a mature rock image that would sell quite a few albums. You Are the Night is scheduled to be released digitally on September 21, 2010 and as a physical album on October 12. I hope that they reconsider the cover art.

Sometimes it can be painful to watch a band try to change its image. British pop band McFly recently posed nude for a magazine (right) and by the look of the cover for their latest single, it looks like their going glam. The quartet appear on the cover of Party Girl with gelled hair, futuristic costumes and lots of Adam Lambert-style eye makeup.

I guess boy bands go through a midlife crisis when they reach age 25 or so. The sound of the new single is quite a bit different as well. The music video was posted online a few days ago.

Party Girl will be released in the U.K. on September 5, 2010 and available in the U.S. on September 14. It will be included on the band's forthcoming album, which is scheduled to be released in November.

Go-Go's co-founder and solo artist Jane Wiedlin has released a new single. Big Gay Ice Cream Song was written to be the theme song for New York City's Big Gay Ice Cream Truck, which combines traditional soft-serve ice cream with imaginative toppings such as wasabi pea dust, Nilla Wafers, Dulce de Leche, olive oil and sea salt, and other rotating offerings.

The first single from Grinderman 2 (right), the forthcoming album by Nick Cave's Grinderman is scheduled to be released on September 6, 2010.

The music video for the single was posted on YouTube last week. Directed by John Hillcoat, the video contains some wild images. Some parts of the video reminded me of the old Hercules movies from the 1960s, with Nick Cave and friends dressed like mythical Gods and shooting lightning from their eyes.

Grinderman 2 will be released on September 14.

History of Modern is 11th studio album by British synthpop band Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark. It is the band's first album since 1996. The album is scheduled to be released in the U.K. on September 20, 2010 in the U.S. on September 28.

The album cover was conceived by the legendary Peter Saville and designed by the four23 creative studio. It has a very 1980s retro look.

The first single from the album, If You Want It, will be released on September 6, 2010. The music video for the single was posted on YouTube early this week.

Posted by: zeefritz

An interesting music video for the single 4th of July (Fireworks) by Kelis was posted on the Interscope Record's YouTube channel yesterday. The video was created by Michael Schieben using something called the Echnonest API. I have no idea what that is.

However, the video is kind of cool. It features a mosiac made of Twitter avatars, tweets and whow know what else. I'm not a programmer, so my interest in the video is purely for the music and the aesthetics.

The cover art below is for the U.K. version of the single. The U.S. version did not include a photograph of the artist. It was simply test on an elaborate background.

The latest single from rapper Cazwell is Ice Cream Truck. The music video has received almost 1.5 million views on YouTube. The single was released yesterday and is available for download through iTunes and Amazon.com.

The cover art for the single is quite tame when compared to the music video, which features nearly naked male dancers doing the bump and grind. Needless-to-say, the video is NSFW.

Related articles:

• Won't You Meet Cazwell At The Ice Cream Truck? (queerty.com)
• Cazwell's 'Ice Cream Truck' is quite the treat (pinkbananaworld.com)
• Dancing Man Gets Hit By Ice Cream Truck (smokingsection.uproxx.com)

A recent single from Arizona rapper MC Magic is Welcome to Arizona. It is an uplifting rap song about racial equality and the current political situation involving SB 1070 and immigration reform.

The single most recently released by MC Magic is Mrs. Delicious (right). While it is a cool track and I really like the cover art, I want to promote the Welcome to Arizona single instead. There is just something about it that struck me as being socially significant and different from most of the rap music on the market right now.

The single can be purchased online for less than three bucks. It contains the inspirational speech, We are American, the title single, and an instrumental version.

Formed in Glasgow in 1987, The Vaselines released just two singles and one album. The duo split up in 1989, the same week their debut album was released.

Over 20 years later, The Vaselines have recorded a new album, Sex with an X. It was recorded outside Manchester at the Analogue Catalogue studio with guest musicians Stevie Jackson and Bob Kildea from Belle & Sebastian on guitar and bass, and Michael McGaughrin from the 1990s on drums.

The Vaselines are planning to tour the United States in October 2010. Their album is scheduled to be released on Sub Pop Records on September 14.

The a music video for the title single from the album was posted on YouTube yesterday. It features a priest and a nun on a wild excursion (the hilarious public urination scene is certain to be controversial).

Also, the single is currently available as a free download from Soundcloud.

Several remixes of Kylie Minogue's single Get Outta My Way were posted on her YouTube channel today. Get Outta My Way is the second single from Minogue's current album, Aphrodite (right). It will be available on a two track CD, Maxi enhanced CD and 7" picture disc as well as a digital download bundle. It is scheduled to be releaded on September 27, 2010.

The cover art for the single features a mirrored image of Minogue and the strange (and pixelated) font used on the album cover and the previous single, All the Lovers. At least the single doesn't have a pair of black lava rocks in the foreground.

The Bimbo Jones remix is my personal favorite. I have posted the video below.

Today, Elvis Costello revealed the cover for his forthcoming album National Ransom on his official website. The album is scheduled to be released internationally on October 25, 2010 and in the U.S. on November 2.

Like his 2009 album Secret, Profane & Sugarcane (right), the cover illustration for National Ransom is an illustration by American cartoonist and illustrator Tony Millionaire (a.k.a. Scott Richardson). Millionaire is known for his syndicated comic strip Maakies and the Sock Monkey series of comics and picture books.

I like the illustration for National Ransom much more than the previous one. It is much more imaginative. It features a carpetbagger wolf wearing a top hat and tails, fleeing with a bag of money that is burning faster than than the wolf's feet can carry him.

According to Costello's website, the album was produced by T Bone Burnett and features all the members of The Imposters and The Sugarcanes and guests such as Vince Gill, Marc Ribot, Buddy Miller and Leon Russell.

With marriage equality restored in California and couples lining up at city halls all over the state, I thought that the recent single My Reclamation by Sam Harris would be an appropriate choice as new and notable today.

Produced by Kevin Fisher, Todd Schroeder and Sam Harris, the single is an uplifting song with great lyrics. The cover art for the single tells the whole story.

Today, Scissor Sisters premiered the music video for their forthcoming single Any Which Way. The cover art for the single (below) was revealed last week. It is scheduled to be released on September 20, 2010.

According to the band's website, the video was shot over two days in London and directed by Ace Norton.

Posted by: zeefritz

The music video for Janelle Monáe's single Cold War has been posted on the pop singer's YouTube channel. Cold War is the second single from Monáe's recent album The Archandroid (right).

While the cover art for the album is stunning, with Monáe decked out to look like the famale robot from Fritz Lang's classic film Metropolis, the cover for the single uses a different concept.

Appropriately, the cover resembles a propaganda poster, with a slick street art look (below). Unlike several other recent covers that used popular street artists to create album covers (like Madonna's recent Mr. Brainwash cover), using this kind of illustration works for this single.

When I saw the music video, I was immediately reminded of the video by Eurythmics for the song Julia from the 1984 soundtrack. Like Annie Lennox, Monáe appear with bare shoulders as the camera records tight closeups of her lip syncing the song.

The cover art for the Alone single features a collage made from photographs of Black. It reminds me of the recent covers for Eliza Doolittle. The artwork continues the concept used on the album cover, with an image of Black shattering into pieces. I am not sure what that is supposed to symbolize, but it is nice to see the theme carried over to the cover art for the associated singles.

The single was originally released in 2008 in the U.K. and is scheduled for release in the U.S. on August 31.

Sigur Rós frontman Jónsi (a.k.a Jón Thor Birgisson) recently released the second music video from his recent solo album Go. The video is for the song Animal Arithmetic.

I wrote about the album cover back in March. Animal Arithmetic has not been officially released as a single. Today, Joe Jervis of the popular blog Joe.My.God. pointed out that the song is a likely candidate for a remix EP. Check out the video and judge for yourself.

The latest viral video from The Gregory Brothers features the Auto-Tune vocals of a man named Antoine Dodson. Dodson was interviewed by local media in Huntsville, Alabama about a suspected rapist who crawled in through his sister's bedroom window. As a result, he became an instant YouTube sensation.

The Gregory Brothers have just released an iTunes version of the Bed Intruder Song. It features cover art by web designer and graphic artist Shelli Langdale.

Scissor Sisters revealed the cover of their forthcoming single Any Which Way on their website this week. The single is scheduled to be released on September 20, 2010.

Like the Night Work album cover, the cover for the single is a photograph by the late Robert Mapplethorpe.

The band has been promoting their new album and tour with some very amusing videos on YouTube. The latest one features Jane Fonda, Kylie Minogue, Juliette Lewis and 80,000 drunk English homos.

When I saw the cover art for LCD Soundsystem's latest single I Can Change, I went to YouTube to see if there was a music video or promotional video for it.

What I found instead was a promotional video for a gallery exhibition at the Tom Dunne Gallery in Darlinghurst, Sydney, Australia called That's Cool, But Can You Make It More Sh*t? The video does a great job of explaining the reason why the cover art for the I Can Change single looks like it is something that was scribbled on a napkin in ballpoint pen.

I believe that the person speaking in the video is designer and creative director Michael Vadino. I'm not sure, because there are no captions. The exhibit features a number of designs by Vadino and his creative agency BUREAU™.

BC Jean is the singer and songwriter who co-wrote Beyoncé's hit If I Were a Boy. Shortly after the song was released by Beyoncé, Roger Friedman of FOX News reported that Beyoncé stole the song from Jean and her co-writer Toby Gad. Jean and Gad did not comment on the reported theft.

Now, Jean is set to release her debut album and a new single, Just a Boy. I do not have a release date for the single or the forthcoming album. However, both are being promoted on Jean's website and her YouTube channel.

The cover for the single features a photograph of the attractive young artist. It is very appropriate for the first single of a debut album, introducing the public to Jean in the best way possible.

The latest single from French DJ and producer Bob Sinclar is Rainbow of Love featuring Ben Onono. The song is from the album Made in Jamaica a collaboration between Sinclar and reggae duo Sly & Robbie (right).

Rainbow of Love was released late last month as a remix EP. The music video features an animated story about a boy and a collection of fantastic creatures, which includes a rooster (I think) in a top hat.

The cover for the single features the artwork from the music video. It is a very elaborate illustration for a single. I think that it is actually better than the cover for the album. It has a very 1960s psychedelic look.

Kim Wilde's eleventh studio album, Come Out and Play, is scheduled for release in Germany on August 28, 2010. The first single from the album, Lights Down Low (right), will be released on August 13.

The album features 13 tracks, including a duet with Nik Kershaw called Love Conquers All. I don't have any information about distribution to the United States.

The cover art for both the single and the album have very flattering photos of the 50-year-old singer. I am hitting the big five-o myself this year, so it is nice to see Wilde looking a beautiful as ever. I like the photography and the logo treatment for this project.

A promotional video with samples of the tracks from the album has been posted on YouTube. It is worth a listen.

When I saw the music video for Chromeo's single Don't Turn the Lights On yesterday, I was so impressed with the creepy effects that I had to see what the cover art looks like. Sadly, I was disappointed to find that the cover for the single (right) is just glowing text on a brownish background.

It is a decent cover compared to many that are used for singles these days. At least it isn't one of those generic covers that many record labels use for dance singles.

In this case, not having cover art that ties in with the music video will be detrimental to the sales of this single. Many people will see the video and forget the name of the artist. The thing that they will remember is the spooky floating eyes and mouths seen in the video.

Seeing that memorable image as cover art while browsing iTunes or Amazon.com would remind potential buyers that they liked the song. Not connecting the cover art for a single to the music video is a waste of the selling power of the video.

Of course, many music videos are made until after the single shows some sales potential. That could be the case with this single. However, I have no doubt that the images from the video should be on the cover. Below is an example that I created using the actual cover art and a screen grab from the video.

I had not heard of Christian TV (a.ka. Christian Berishaj) until I saw him on So You Think You Can Dance this week. He performed When She Turns 18, his debut single on the Motown label. It was released late last year and a remix and music video package was made available last week.

I downloaded the remix from Amazon.com. The cover art for the remix (right) features Christian chilling out in a seedy backyard. He is a very attractive guy, which makes it a shame that they went for such a dopey photograph.

AlbumArtExchange.com user Gleeful uploaded the cover art for the single to the gallery. It doesn't even have a photograph of the artist. It is definitely superior to the cover for the remix. However, it is always puzzling when a record label fails to use a photograph of a exceptionally attractive artist for cover art.

Ultra Records has posted the music video for Alex Gaudino's dance single I'm in Love (I Wanna Do It). The single was released on May 25, 2010.

The cover art has a Keith Harring look to it, with cartoon bodies forming the shape of a heart. At least the little figures aren't doin' it.

Wonderful Life is the second single from the forthcoming album Happiness (right) by British electronic music duo Hurts. The album is scheduled to be released on September 14, 2010. The single will be available in the U.S. on August 31.

I love the art direction for this project. The album cover is very nicely done and has contributed to comparisons to Pet Shop Boys. Personally, I think they sound more like Roxy Music.

The cover art for the Wonderful Life single ties in with the music video that was just released. It has a very 1980s retro feel.

The song Secrets by pop duo The Pierces was released on their 2007 album Thirteen Tales of Love and Revenge. The quirky number is currently being used as the theme for ABC Family's new show Pretty Little Liars.

Sisters Allison and Catherine Pierce recently made a music video for the song that can best be described as dark comedy. Throughout the video, the ladies try to murder each other in numerous ways.

Posted by: xDarkAngel2007x

Swim is an album by Canadian electronic musician Daniel Victor Snaith, who records using the name Caribou. Swim was released in April 2010, and I took notice of the album cover at that time.

The photography and art direction for the album cover is credited to Jason Evans. The design is credited to Matthew Cooper and Jason Evans.

The music video for the album's second track, Sun, was posted online a few hours ago. It features a group of mature women who look like they've been experimenting with Ecstasy. You have to watch it to see what I mean.

Stand up comic and actress Margaret Cho has an album scheduled to be released on August 24, 2010. Cho Dependent has an uncommonly good cover for a comedy album.

Like many comics these days, Cho is an unbridled narcissist. Almost everything she does ends up being a wildly inappropriate PR stunt. She's all Cho, all the time. So, it wasn't surprising that I had to do a bit of digging to find out the name of the artist responsible for her album cover.

The artist is Shawn Barber, who is known for his portraits of people with tattoos and tattoo artists. The logo design was done by The Uprising, a design studio in Los Angeles.

I am glad that I did some research on Barber. The FAQ section of his website is worth reading. He has some great insights into what it takes to be a creative professional (and life in general):

Be Prepared to Struggle
The life of a freelance / self employed / gallery artist is not an easy one. It definitely has it's ups and downs. The pros- you can be creative everyday, you can set your own schedule, you can travel whenever you like, you are in control of your day to day, including your future... The cons- inconsistent cash flow, stress of not knowing when work will come, sometimes you have to do work that is less than exciting, no health insurance, bills sometimes get paid late...

Barber's portrait of Cho made a wonderful album cover. I think it compares to the recent album cover by Will Cotton that was commissioned by Katy Perry. I certainly hope this kind of album cover becomes a trend and I would love to see Barber's work appear on more album covers in the future.

Who says album cover art and music videos have to be high budget in order to be creative? Here's something from the folks who bring you Auto-Tune the News. It is a great summer tune that I hope becomes a hit. Enjoy.

A wonderful thing about writing a blog like this is meeting interesting people who I would otherwise never have encountered. One of those people is Jerry Hopkins, who was a member of the 1960s identical twin singing duo Twinn Connexion (right).

Twinn Connexion was signed to Decca and released their self-titled album in 1968. Jay passed away in 2001 and Jerry recently released a new album of remastered tracks that he rediscovered among his brother's belongings.

Being an identical twin myself, I had a personal curiosity about Twinn Connexion and developed an online friendship with Jerry. Today, he is an accomplished artist who lives in Woodstock, New York. He also has great stories to tell about his experience being a recording artist in the late 60s.

Flashing forward to 2010, a new twin duo has appeared on the pop music scene. Like Jay and Jerry Hopkins, John and Edward Grimes are talented young blond boys who are signed to a major record label. They perform under the name Jedward (a combination of their first names).

Jedward has just released a new music video for their forthcoming single, All the Small Things. The song is a cover of the Blink182 hit. Watching the video makes me wonder what things would have been like for my friend Jerry if he and his twin brother had been born a few decades later. John and Edward are obviously free to camp it up and have fun being themselves. It will be interesting to see how far their careers go in this day and age.

Record Collection is the third album by British music producer Mark Ronson. It scheduled to be released in the U.K. on September 27, 2010 on October 5 in the U.S.

The album cover for Record Collection features six album sleeves that have been designed to look like those of real albums, such as Duran Duran's Rio (right) and The Beatles' Yellow Submarine. The sleeves are arranged to create a portrait of Ronson. It is a very creative concept.

The music video for the album's first single Bang Bang Bang was posted on Ronson's YouTube channel last month.

Amanda Palmer's new album has a very long title and a great cover. Actually it is an album of Radiohead covers performed by Palmer on a ukulele and aptly titled, Amanda Palmer Performs the Popular Hits of Radiohead on Her Magical Ukulele.

The good news is that you can purchase the entire album for as low as 84 cents! If you go to Palmer's website, the album is being sold through Bandcamp in mp3, AAC, FLAC, amd Ogg formats. Those purchasing the album are given the option of entering their own price, with 84 cents being the minimum.

The music files include high resolution cover art, too. I was surprised to find a 900 x 900 image in the folder when I unzipped it. I assume the image comes with all file format options.

I love this retro album cover. The fonts are perfect. The photograph of Palmer playing her ukulele is indeed magical. I could not resist buying this album.

International DJ Flore is scheduled to release her first album on July 20, 2010. Raw includes a cover version of Gary Numan's 1979 New Wave classic Cars (right). The track features Shunda K and a music video for it was posted on YouTube late last month.

Cars was named #11 on VH1's 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the '80s and #93 on VH1's 100 Greatest Songs of the '80s. Numan performed the song live with Nine Inch Nails on September 2, 2009 at the Hollywood Palladium as part of the band's Wave Goodbye Tour.

This week, a commercial for DieHard Batteries featuring Gary Numan playing Cars on a keyboard powered by a single car battery and a couple dozen cars.

I am not sure how the recent publicity for the Gary Numan original is going to impact the forthcoming Flore album. Certainly, she had no way of knowing that Gary Numan would be making headlines with his 31-year-old pop song.

I have posted both the DieHard commercial and Flore's music video, which was created by the design firm Lightgraff.

If we were to judge by the album cover art alone, Flore doesn't come close to matching the originality of Gary Numan. The cover of Raw features silouettes of a jungle cat of some sort and a yellow-eyed image of who I assume is DJ Flore. It is nothing to write home about.