Polls Category

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Alex Clare - The Lateness of the Hour		Glenn Frey - After Hours
Keane - Strangeland		Silversun Pickups - Neck of the Woods
Storm Corrosion - Storm Corrosion		Tank - This Is How I Feel

According to our AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, Little Broken Hearts by Norah Jones is the best album cover for the week of May 1, 2012. The cover received 34% of the votes cast by our readers. Santigold's Master of My Make-Believe was second with 29%. Rufus Wainwright's Out of the Game was a distant third with 11%.

Art direction for the winning cover is credited to Frank Harkins. Harkins has worked on many album covers for notable artists, including previous albums by Jones, The Little Willies, Train, and Daughtry.

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

B.o.B - Strange Clouds		Carrie Underwood - Blown Away
Marilyn Manson - Born Villain		Norah Jones - Little Broken Hearts
Rufus Wainwright - Out of the Game		Santigold - Master of My Make-Believe

According to our AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, the best album cover for the week of April 24, 2012 is This Machine by The Dandy Warhols. The cover received 32% of the votes cast by our readers. Peter Gabriel's New Blood Live in London was a very close second with 29%. Jack White's Blunderbuss and Torche's Harmonicraft tied for third with 15% each.

The painting for the winning cover is by fine artist Hickory Mertsching. I believe this is Mersching's first album cover. I was not able to find additional credits. There are two versions of the cover. One is the full painting (right). The other is a detail (below). I like both versions. The painting is of such great quality that both work quite well. I hope that we see other album covers by this artist.

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

The Dandy Warhols - This Machine		Jack White - Blunderbuss
LP - Into the Wild		Peter Gabriel - New Blood Live in London
Torche - Harmonicraft		The Wanted - The Wanted Special Edition

According to our AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, the best album cover for the week of April 17, 2012 is Love Is a Four Letter Word by Jason Mraz. The cover was the clear winner with 46% of the votes cast by our readers. Picture Show by Neon Trees was a distant second with 23%. Train's California 37 was third with 15%. 

The design and art direction for the winning cover is credited to Greg Gigen. I was not able to find additional album cover credits for Gigen. It is a cool design. It reminds me of 1960s pop art.

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Dar Williams - In the Time of Gods		Hank Williams III - Long Gone Daddy
Jason Mraz - Love Is a Four Letter Word		Neon Trees - Picture Show
Our Lady Peace - Curve		Train - California 37

According to our AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, Underwater Sunshine (Or What We Did on Our Summer Vacation) by Counting Crows is the best album cover for the week of April 10, 2012. The cover received 54% of the votes cast by our readers. MTV Unplugged by Florence + the Machine was second with 23%. The Strange Case of... by Halestorm was third with 12%.

The winning cover was selected through a competition hosted on the Creative Allies website. It was designed by Ivan Sciberras of Malta.

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Alabama Shakes - Boys & Girls		Bonnie Raitt - Slipstream
Counting Crows - Underwater Sunshine		Florence + the Machine - MTV Unplugged
Halestorm - The Strange Case of...		Monica - New Life

According to our AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, the best album cover for the week of April 3, 2012 is Love Stories & Other Musings by Candlebox. The cover received 44% of the votes cast by our readers. My Head is an Animal by Of Monsters and Men was a distant second with 24%. The Return of the Spectacular Spinning Songbook!!! by Elvis Costello & The Imposters was third with 20%.

Art direction for the winning cover is credited to Dale Voelker. Voelker's business, Digital Lava Graphic Design, specializes in art direction and graphic design of CD and DVD packaging and marketing collateral. Other clients include Jill Scott and Barack Obama.

A theater marquee is certainly not a unique image for an album cover. I can think of a half dozen notable past examples. However, this is probably the best execution of the concept that I have seen. The man standing on a ladder makes it just a bit more interesting than the others. 

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Candlebox - Love Stories & Other Musings		Elvis Costello & The Imposters - The Return of the Spectacular Spinning Songbook!!!
Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday Roman Reloaded		Of Monsters and Men - My Head is an Animal
Rascal Flatts - Changed		Wilson Phillips - Dedicated

According to our AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, Noctourniquet by The Mars Volta is best album cover for the week of March 27, 2012. The cover received 55% of the votes cast by our readers. Sonik Kicks by Paul Weller was a distant second with 23%. Vulnerable was third with 13%.

The winning cover was designed by visual artist and musician Sonny Kay. Kay is known for his photoshop collage art and original designs, which have been used as cover art by Omar Rodríguez-López, The Mars Volta, 311 and many other artists.

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Katy Perry - Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection		The Mars Volta - Noctourniquet
Meshuggah - Koloss		Paul Weller - Sonik Kicks
Shinedown - Amaryllis		The Used - Vulnerable

According to our AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, the best album cover for the week of March 20, 2012 is for the deluxe edition of Madonna's 12th studio album, MDNA. The cover received 56% of the votes cast by our readers. Port of Morrow by The Shins was second with 21%. There was a tie for third between Esperanza Spalding's Radio Music Society and Iron Maiden's En Vivo!, which both received 12%.

The art director for the winning cover is long-time Madonna collaborator Giovanni Bianco. Bianco worked on Madonna's two previous album covers (Confessions on a Dance Floor and Hard Candy) and several book projects.

Editor's Note: I have been asked why sometimes I choose to feature the deluxe edition cover rather than the standard one. Typically, I use the cover that the record label has chosen to use as the primary cover for their publicity efforts. Sometimes they use the deluxe cover. 

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Please note that several of this week's albums will not be released until March 26.

Esperanza Spalding - Radio Music Society		Iron Maiden - En Vivo!
Lionel Richie - Tuskegee		Madonna - MDNA (Deluxe Edition)
Overkill - The Electric Age		The Shins - Port of Morrow

According to our AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, We All Raise Our Voices To The Air (Live Songs 04.11-08.11) by The Decemberists is the best album cover for the week of March 13, 2012. The cover received 30% of the votes cast by our readers. Requiem for the Indifferent by Epica was second with 22%. There was a three-way tie for third between Omerta by Adrenaline Mob, Giants by The Stranglers, and Sounds from Nowheresville by The Ting Tings.

The winning cover features a black and white detail of a photograph (above right) by Portland, Oregon photographer Jason Quigley. Quigley wrote about the cover on his blog.

The Decemberists released a live album this week, and I'm thrilled to have several of my photos featured on the front and back of the record, as well as all over the insides. I had the privilege to shoot their 2 night stand at Edgefield last August, at the end of their massive world tour and the beginning of the dreaded "indefinite hiatus". The following shots are the ones you'll find in the album art (in living color!), but if I have time I hope to share some outtakes sometime soon. Huge thanks to Jeri Heiden at Smog Design for the beautiful layout and design.

Source: http://photojq.com/blog/text/13465372

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Adrenaline Mob - Omertá		The Stranglers - Giants
Epica - Requiem for the Indifferent		One Direction - Up All Night
The Decemberists - We All Raise Our Voices to the Air		The Ting Tings - Sounds from Nowheresville

According to our AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, the best album cover for the week of March 6, 2012 is Bruce Springsteen's Wrecking Ball. The cover received 39% of the votes cast by our readers. The soundtrack album for Dr. Seuss' The Lorax was second with 21%. There was a tie for third place between Love at the Bottom of the Sea by The Magnetic Fields and Todd Snider's Agnostic Hymns & Stoner Fables, which both received 14%.

Art direction for the winning cover is credited to Dave Bett and Michelle Holme. Last month, Bett and Holme were the winners of the GRAMMY for Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package for Springsteen's The Promise: The Darkness on the Edge of Town Story.

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Andrew Bird - Break It Yourself		Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball
The Magnetic Fields - Love at the Bottom of the Sea		Todd Snider - Agnostic Hymns & Stoner Fables
Various Artists - Dr. Seuss' The Lorax		Michael Giacchino - John Carter

According to our AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, the best album cover for the week of February 28, 2012 is Pink Floyd's The Wall Immersion Edition Box Set. The cover art used for this 2012 release received 38% of the votes cast by our readers. Robert Glasper's Black Radio was second with 22%. Lyle Lovett's Release Me and Roses by The Cranberries tied for third with 13% each.

Art direction and illustrations for this package is credited to British cartoonist and illustrator Gerald Scarfe. Scarfe collaborated with Roger Waters on the sleeve design. The cover features a collage of cartoons created by Scarfe for the 1979 project. I received a couple of complaints about including this album cover in the poll from readers who felt that it was "recycled" or previously released artwork. However, it is a new package. That it won this week's vote does not surprise me.

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Celtic Thunder - Voyage		The Cranberries - Roses
Lyle Lovett - Release Me		Pink Floyd - The Wall Immersion Box Set
Robert Glasper Experiment - Black Radio		WZRD - S/T

According to our AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, the best album cover for the week of February 21, 2012 is Reign of Terror by Sleigh Bells. The cover received 36% of the votes cast by our readers. Breakfast by Chiddy Bang was second with 24%. Some Nights by fun was third with 20%.

I was not able to find credits for the the winning album cover design. It features a photograph of a pair of dirty white Ked's spattered with blood. It looks like a crime scene evidence photo to me. 

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Chiddy Bang - Breakfast		fun - Some Nights
Galactic - Carnivale Electricos		Lambchop - Mr. M
Sleigh Bells - Reign of Terror		Sinéad O'Connor - How About I Be Me...

According to our AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, the best album cover for the week of February 14, 2012 is Animal Joy by Shearwater. The cover received 33% of the votes cast by our readers. Arrow by Heartless Bastards was a close second with 29%. Amos Lee's As the Crow Flies was third with 19%.

The winning cover was designed by Mark Ohe. Ohe has a long list of credits as a designer and art director that goes back to 1980. He has worked on album covers for Pavement, Foetus, Guided by Voices, Robyn Hitchcock and many other artists.

I don't know what kind of animal is featured in the photograph. It looks like some kind of bear, but the legs are a bit small in relation to the paws. It could be digitally manipulated. It looks like it is a photograph of a mounted specimen rather than a living animal.

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Amos Lee - As the Crow Flies		Band of Skulls - Sweet Sour
Abel Korzeniowski - W./E. Music from the Motion Picture		Lee DeWyze - What Once Was: Songs from 2006-2010
Heartless Bastards - Arrow		Shearwater - Animal Joy

According to our AlbumArtExchange poll, the best album cover for the week of February 7, 2012 is Le Voyage Dans La Lune by Air. The cover received 43% of the votes cast by our readers. Van Halen's A Different Kind of Truth came in second with 24%. Die Antwoord's TEN$ION was third with 19%.

Le Voyage Dans La Lune is a new score for director Georges Méliès' 1912 classic science fiction film. The cover art features a colorized version of one of the most recognizable images from the film, the Man in the Moon with a rocket sticking in his eye (right). The graphic design for the cover is credited to Laurent Pinon.

I am not surprised that this album cover won by such a wide margin. It is an image that has delighted people for 100 years. I think the only thing I would change for this album cover would be the red blood dripping from the moon's eye. Everyone knows that the moon is filled with green cheese!

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Air - Le Voyage dans la lune		Die Antwoord - TEN$ION
The Fray - Scars & Stories		Paul McCartney - Kisses on the Bottom
Roberta Flack - Let It Be		Van Halen - A Different Kind of Truth

According to our AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, Making Mirrors by Australian recording artist Gotye is the best album cover for the week of January 31, 2012. The album cover received 36% of the votes cast by our readers. Lana Del Rey's Born to Die was a close second with 32%. There was a tie for third between Darrell Scott's Long Ride Home and Leonard Cohen's Old Ideas, which both received 11%.

Because the cover for Making Mirrors has a very interesting story, I am very happy that it came in first. According to a review, the cover art was created in Photoshop by Gotye, using a painting by his father that he found stored in his parents' barn. "Making Mirrors" is the title of the original work.

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Darrell Scott - Long Ride Home		Gotye - Making Mirrors
Leonard Cohen - Old Ideas		Lana Del Rey - Born to Die
Metallica - Beyond Magnetic		Ringo Starr - Ringo 2012

According to our AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, the best album cover for the week of January 24, 2012 is Human Again by Ingrid Michaelson. The cover received 46% of the votes cast by our readers. The Bob Dylan tribute album Chimes of Freedom was in second place with 21%. Area 52 by Rodrigo y Gabriela and C.U.B.A. was third with 11%.

The winning cover features a painting by artist Joe Sorren. Sorren's website at joesorren.com includes a very cool virtual tour of a gallery exhibition of his work. I highly recommend checking it out. You will be able to see the scale and quality of his work.

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Ingrid Michaelson - Human Again		Kellie Pickler - 100 Proof
Rodrigo y Gabriela and C.U.B.A. - Area 52		Tim McGraw - Emotional Traffic
Various Artists - 2012 Grammy Awards		Various Artists - Chimes of Freedom

According to our AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, the best album cover for the week of January 17, 2012 is Further Explorations by Jazz trio Chick Corea, Eddie Gomez and Paul Motian. The cover received 33% of the votes cast by our readers. Ani Difranco's Which Side Are You On? was a close second with 28%. There was a tie for third between Future This by The Big Pink and A Different Kind of Fix by Bombay Bicycle Club, which both received 17%.

The winning cover was created by graphic designer Marc Bessant. Bessant has designed many noteworthy album covers and is probably best known for his work for Peter Gabriel. His description of the Further Explorations cover below is from his blog.

I started by looking at some of Paul Motians earlier work, especially the ECM sleeves (which are always so damn good) as i really wanted to get an aesthetic of atmosphere just like those. The triangle is obvious i suppose, a shape of three equal sides forming a whole made perfect sense considering the line-up. Then I waited for a cold, foggy day and smudged the shape with my thumb on the studio window, giving the viewer a glimpse of what lay beyond, perhaps encouraging them to 'explore further' (you see what i did then!). Very happy with this one.

Source: http://www.marcbessant.com/artwork/further-explorations/

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Ani Difranco - Which Side Are You On?		The Big Pink - Future This
Bombay Bicycle Club - A Different Kind of Fix		Chick Corea / Eddie Gomez / Paul Motian - Further Explorations
Girls' Generation - The Boys		Kathleen Edwards - Voyageur

According to our AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, For the Good Times by The Little Willies is the best album cover for the week of January 10, 2012. The cover received 36% of the votes cast by our readers. Give Us Rest by David Crowder Band was second with 29% and Snow Patrol's Fallen Empires was third with 25%.

Art direction and design for the winning cover is credited to Frank Harkins. The artwork is by Marie Roberts.

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

David Crowder Band - Give Us Rest		The Little Willies - For the Good Times
Nightwish - Imaginaerum		Rebelution - Peace of Mind
Snow Patrol - Fallen Empires		Yo Gotti - Live from the Kitchen

My choice for the best album cover of 2011 featuring an illustration is Panic of Girls by Blondie. The artwork used for the cover is a surrealist painting by Dutch artist Chris Berens.

The cover was voted the best for the week of September 13, 2011 in our AlbumArtExchange Blog poll. It received 35% of the votes cast by our readers.

In July 2011, I published a recap of the 25 album covers that were selected as the best of the year by our readers up to that time. Now that 2011 is over, here is the complete list. It is comprised of all 51 covers voted the Best Album Covers for the Week in our weekly poll.

Later this week, I will post my selections for the Top Ten Album Covers of 2011, Best Album Cover Illustration and Best Album Cover Photograph.

The covers below are presented in chronological order. As always, you can click the image to see a larger view.

     

According to our AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, the best album cover for the week of December 27, 2011 is Meat Loaf's Hell in a Handbasket. The album cover received 48% of the votes cast by our readers. Ever After by Marianas Trench was a distant second with 19%. The Landing by Iron Saviour was third with 14%.

The winning cover features all illustration depicting Earth as a ball of human skulls. It is very fitting for the title of the album and for Meat Loaf in general. I do not have credits for design and art direction for the project.

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. The last week of the year always consists of imports and odd U.S. releases. These are the last album covers for 2011.

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

Devin Townsend Project - Contain Us		Iron Saviour - The Landing
Marianas Trench - Ever After		Meat Loaf - Hell in a Handbasket
One Direction - Up All Night		The Saturdays - On Your Radar

According to our AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, New Album by the Japanese experimental band Boris is the best best album cover for the week of December 20, 2011. The cover received 77% of the votes cast by our readers. That is such a landslide, the covers in second and third place really don't deserve to listed. 

The album was actually released in Japan back in March. It was made available as a digital download earlier this month. The CD and LP versions were released in the U.S. by Sargent House on December 20.

I was not able to find credits for the art director and the artist who created the cover. If anyone knows the details, feel free to post a comment.

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Boris - New Album		Common - The Dreamer / The Believer
Of Monsters and Men - Into the Woods		Roscoe Dash - J.U.I.C.E. EP
Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - Soul Time!		Young Jeezy - TM:103 Hustlerz Ambition

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Anthony Hamilton - Back to Love		Jackie Evancho - Heavenly Christmas
Nero - Welcome Reality		Rammstein - Made in Germany
Tori Amos - Night of Hunters Sin Palabras (Without Words)		Various Artists - Please, Please, Please: A Tribute to The Smiths

According to our AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, the posthumous Amy Winehouse album, Lioness: Hidden Treasures, is the best album cover for the week of December 6, 2011. The album received 28% of the votes cast by our readers. Undun by The Roots was second with 25%. There was a tie for third between El Camino by The Black Keys and Chevelle's Hats Off to the Bull, which both received 16%.

The album cover is noteworthy for featuring a photograph taken by musician and photographer Bryan Adams. It is one of several taken a few years ago by Adams for a charity promotion.

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Amy Winehouse - Lioness		The Black Keys - El Camino
Chevelle - Hats Off to the Bull		Korn - The Path of Totality
The Roots - Undun		Robin Thicke - Love After War

According to our AlbumArtExchange Blog poll Kylie Minogue's Aphrodite Les Folies Live in London is the best album cover for the week of November 29, 2011. The album cover received 32% of the votes cast by our readers. Adele's Live at the Royal Albert Hall came in second with 25%. The Singles Collection 2001-2011 by Gorillaz was third with 18%.

The winning cover features a collage of images from Minogue's spectacular live show that was produced under the creative direction of fashion designer and theater director William Baker. The show features costumes designed by Dolce & Gabbana. While the artwork may seem to be a complete fantasy, it actually compares closely to many of the live photos of the production on Baker's official website.

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Adele - Live at the Royal Albert Hall		Hot Chelle Rae - Whatever
Trey Songz - Inevitable		Gorillaz - The Singles Collection 2001-2011
Kylie Minogue - Aphrodite Les Folies Live in London		Various Artists - Sons of Anarchy Music from Seasons 1-4

According to our AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, The Muppets Original Soundtrack has been voted the best album cover for the week of November 22, 2011. The cover received 50% of the votes cast by our readers. Kate Bush's 50 Words for Snow was second with 26% of the vote. Mary J Blige's My Life II... The Journey Continues (Act 1) was third with 15%.

The winning cover is a cropped version of the movie poster by Walt Disney Studios. The poster shows the actors' feet, which makes it clear that they are standing and holding back the crowd of Muppets. The album cover looks more like they are laying on a pile of Muppets. I think the cropped version is actually more appealing.

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases (the albums listed were released on November 21). They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

James Durbin - Memories of a Beautiful Disaster		Mary J Blige - My Life II... The Journey Continues (Act 1)
Lady Gaga - Born This Way: The Collection		Various Artists - The Muppets Original Soundtrack
Rihanna - Talk That Talk Deluxe Edition		Kate Bush - 50 Words for Snow

According to our AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, the best album cover for the week of November 15, 2011 is Lady Gaga's Born This Way The Remix. The cover won with 32% of the votes cast by our readers. Nickelback's Here and Now was second with 27%. Take Care by Drake was third with 23%.

The winning cover features a candid photograph by Nick Knight that was taken after a bucket of goo was dumped on Lady Gaga during a photo shoot. The photo of the actual goo dumping was used as the cover for Born This Way The Collection, which was released at the same time.

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases (several of the albums will not be released until November 21). They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Big Time Rush - Elevate		Daughtry - Break the Spell
Drake - Take Care		Lady Gaga - Born This Way The Remix
Nickelback - Here and Now		Rihanna - Talk That Talk

According to our AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, the best album cover for the week of November 8, 2011 is A Foot In the Door (The Best of pink Floyd). The cover received 55% of the votes cast by our readers. Mac Miller's Blue Slide Park was second with 18%. The self-titled album by Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds was third with 14%.

The winning cover was designed by the great Storm Thorgerson. It features a student dresssed in the traditional academic dress and rushing to class on a floor made of Pink Floyd album covers. It is a great concept for a greatest hits compilation.

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

David Lynch - Crazy Clown Time		Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds - S/T
Keith Jarrett - Rio		Mac Miller - Blue Slide Park
Pink Floyd - A Foot In the Door The Best of Pink Floyd		Rush - Time Machine Live in Cleveland 2011

According to our AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, the best album cover for the week of November 1, 2011 is Ceremonials by Florence and the Machine. The cover received 70% of the votes cast by our readers. Lulu by Lou Reed & Metallica and Balls Out by Steel Panther tied for second with 11%. Long Live the King by The Decemberists received 7%.

The winning cover features a photograph of Florence Welch by Tom Beard. Art direction for the project is credited to Tabitha Denholm. It is clear why the cover won this week's poll by such a landslide. The photograph is a work of art and Welch could not look more stunning.

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

The Decemberists - Long Live the King		Florence + the Machine - Ceremonials
Lou Reed & Metallica - Lulu		Susan Boyle - Someone to Watch Over Me
Steel Panther - Balls Out		Wale - Ambition

According to our latest AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, A Very She & Him Christmas by the duo comprised of M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel is the best album cover for the week of October 25, 2011. The cover received 29% of the votes cast by our readers. Audio Video Disco by Justice was a close second with 23%. There was a tie for third between Brian Wilson's  In the Key of Disney and John Prine's The Singing Mailman Delivers, which both received 16%.

The winning cover features a photograph of Ward and Deschanel by Autumn de Wilde and a retro design by Kate Harmer. This is a good example of why using a talented photographer and a simple design often results in a striking album cover. There isn't anything that beats us over the head with a Christmas theme. It isn't too cute, which would be a temptation with anything related to  Deschanel.

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases (several of this week's albums were released on October 24). They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Brian Wilson - In the Key of Disney		Coldplay - Mylo Xyloto
John Prine - The Singing Mailman Delivers		Justice - Audio Video Disco
Kelly Clarkson - Stronger		She & Him - A Very She & Him Christmas

According to our AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, the best album cover for the week of October 18, 2011 is The Best of 25 Years by Sting. The cover received 36% of the votes cast by our readers. Chris Isaak's Beyond the Sun was second with 22%. The Great Escape Artist by Jane's Addiction was third with 19%.

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Jane's Addiction - The Great Escape Artist		Everlast - Songs of the Ungrateful Living
Chris Isaak - Beyond the Sun		M83 - Hurry Up, We're Dreaming
My Brightest Diamond - All Things Will Unwind		Sting - The Best of 25 Years

According to our most recent AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, the best album cover for the week of October 11, 2011 is Biophilia by Björk. The cover received 53% of the votes cast by our readers. Ryan Adams' Ashes & Fire was a distant second with 19%. Peter Gabriel's New Blood was third with 14%.

The photograph used for the cover is by the Dutch fashion photographer duo Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin. The design and art direction is by M/M Paris. 

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Björk - Biophilia		Erasure - Tomorrow's World
Evanescence - Evanescence		Mayer Hawthorne - How Do You Do
Peter Gabriel - New Blood		Ryan Adams - Ashes & Fire

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

DJ Shadow - The Less You Know the Better		Paul McCartney - Paul McCartney's Ocean's Kingdom
Feist - Metals		Indigo Girls - Beauty Queen Sister
Mutemath - Odd Soul		Scotty McCreery - Clear as Day

According to our AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, the best album cover for the week of September 27, 2011 is The Hunter by Mastodon. The cover received 33% of the votes cast by our readers. There was a three-way tie for second place between Blink 182's Neighborhoods, Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon Immersion Box Set, and Wilco's The Whole Love.

Art direction for the winning cover is credited to Donny Phillips. The illustration was created by Casey Howard.

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Blink 182 - Neighborhoods		Chickenfoot - Chickenfoot III
Mastodon - The Hunter Standard Edition		Pink Floyd - The Dark Side of the Moon Immersion Box Set
Switchfoot - Vice Verses		Wilco - The Whole Love

According to our AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, the best album cover for the week of September 20, 2011 is Night of Hunters by Tori Amos. The cover ran a close race race with Heritage by Opeth. Night of Hunters ended up with 31% of the vote. The Opeth album received 28%. Patton Oswalt's Finest Hour and the self-titled album by SuperHeavy tied for third place with 13% each.

The winning album cover features a photograph of Amos credited to fashion and beaty photographer Victor De Mello. De Mello is primarily known for his work in fashion magazines. He has also exhibited collections at galleries in Paris, Geneva, New York and London.

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Demi Lovato - Unbroken		Opeth - Heritage
Patton Oswalt - Finest Hour		SuperHeavy - SuperHeavy
Tori Amos - Night of Hunters		Tony Bennett - Duets II

This week's poll was an unusually close race. The Dream Theater cover was ahead for several days. Come back this evening to see if the album covers from this week's new music releases will be as close or if there will be an obvious winner in the bunch.

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Alice Cooper - Welcome 2 My Nightmare		Dream Theater - A Dramatic Turn of Events
Blondie - Panic of Girls		Anthrax - Worship Music
Lady Antebellum - Own the Night		Primus - Green Naugahyde

Come back this evening to vote for the best album cover from among this week's new music releases. There are some interesting covers this week from artists such as Blondie, Primus, and Dream Theater. 

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Grace Jones - Hurricane		Hugh Laurie - Let Them Talk
Pistol Annies - Hell on Heels		The Rapture - In the Grace of Your Love
Various Artists - True Blood Volume 3		Thrice - Major/Minor

According to our AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, the best album cover for the week of August 30, 2011 is Black and White America by Lenny Kravitz. The cover received 48% of the vote. Girls, Guns and Glory by Sweet Nothings was second with 26%. Lil Wayne's Tha Carter IV was a distant third with 13%.

Art direction for the winning cover is credited to Mathieu Bitton. The photograph was taken by Kravitz' late father, American filmmaker and NBC TV news producer Sy Kravitz. It is a photograph of Kravitz as a child. While the peace sign and the words "peace" and "love" may appear to have been added using Photoshop, Kravitz explained that is not the case in an interview with Rolling Stone:

The picture was taken by my dad when I was in the second grade, I believe, in the schoolyard of P.S. 6 on 82nd Street and Madison Avenue. There was a sort of school bazaar going on, and my mom had a little booth where she was painting kids' faces.  I found that photo about six months ago, and it was reaffirming to me. 

Source: Rolling Stone

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Beirut - The Rip Tide		Girls, Guns and Glory - Sweet Nothings
John Doe - Keeper		Kittie - I've Failed You
Lil Wayne - Tha Carter IV		Lenny Kravitz - Black and White America

According to our AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, the best album best album for the week of August 23, 2011 is Muppets: The Green Album. The compilation featuring various artists such as Weezer, OK Go, and My Morning Jacket performing songs made popular by the Muppets received 46% of the vote. I'm With You by Red Hot Chili Peppers was second with 31%. One Spark by Gabe Dixon was a distant third with 12%.

The album is currently ranked #1 in sales in the Children's Music and #24 in Pop by Amazon.com. The album cover features "typographic portrait" of Kermit the Frog. This type of design using typography to create a face became a popular online trend a couple of years ago. As shown by the typographic portrait of Jimi Hendricks (right), the technique works well for portraits of musicians. It was only a matter of time until it was used for an album cover. Having it used for Kermit is a surprise.

The images that result from this technique have a 1960s psychedelic feel to them. However, it is certainly easier to create these images on a computer rather than doing them by hand the way that artists did during the psychedelic era.

I do not have a credit for the art director and graphic designer for this album cover. The album was released by Walt Disney Records, so that is understandable. Disney rarely credits individual graphic designers.

The poll featuring this week's new music releases will be posted this evening. Come back and cast your vote for your favorite album cover.

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases (several of this week's albums will not be released until August 29). They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Barbra Streisand - What Matters Most		Game - The R.E.D. Album
Glen Campbell - Ghost on the Canvas		Gabe Dixon - One Spark
Red Hot Chili Peppers - I'm With You		Various Artists - The Green Album

Come back this evening to vote for your favorite album cover from among this week's new music releases. This week's albums include Red Hot Chili Peppers, Robert Earl Keen, and a Muppets compilation. 

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Ana Popovic - Unconditional		Blue October - Any Man In America
Breaking Benjamin - Shallow Bay		Chimaira - The Age Of Hell
Jeff Bridges - Jeff Bridges		Natalia Kills - Perfectionist

According to our AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, the best album cover for the week of August 9, 2011 is In Waves by Trivium. The cover won with 50% of the vote. Skying by Horrors came in second with 32%. The Jay-Z and  Kanye West collaboration album Watch the Throne was a distant third with 11%, in spite of being heavily hyped as being designed by Givenchy's Riccardo Tisci.

According to the album credits, the art director and designer for the winning cover is Danny Jones. Ben Kim is also credited for design. I was not able to find additional details.

Come back this evening to cast your vote for your favorite album cover from this week's new music releases. This week's selections include albums by Jeff Bridges, Breaking Benjamin, Chimaira and three other artists.

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Ace Hood - Blood Sweat + Tears		Horrors - Skying
Jay-Z & Kanye West - Watch the Throne		Now That's What I Call Music! 39
Glee Cast - Glee The 3D Concert		Trivium - In Waves

According to our AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, the best album cover for the week of August 2, 2011 is Fountains of Wayne's Sky Full of Holes. The cover won by a landslide, with 77% of the vote. King by O.A.R. was in second place with 12% of the vote. John Hiatt's Dirty Jeans and Mudslide Hymns was third with 8%.

The image used for the winning cover is a diorama created by photographer Lori Nix. It is part of a series called "The City" that can be viewed on Nix's website along with her biography and descriptions of her work.

In my newest body of work "The City" I have imagined a city of our future, where something either natural or as the result of mankind, has emptied the city of it's human inhabitants. Art museums, Broadway theaters, laundromats and bars no longer function. The walls are deteriorating, the ceilings are falling in, the structures barely stand, yet Mother Nature is slowly taking them over. These spaces are filled with flora, fauna and insects, reclaiming what was theirs before man's encroachment. I am afraid of what the future holds if we do not change our ways regarding the climate, but at the same time I am fascinated by what a changing world can bring.

Source: http://www.lorinix.net

While this certainly is not the first time that a diorama has been used as album cover art, this is perhaps one of the best examples. The most well-known album cover diorama is probably Jane's Addiction's Ritual De Lo Habitual, which was banned due to controversial content.

As usual, the poll for the best album cover from among this week's new music releases will be posted this evening. I will include albums by Jay-Z and Kanye West, Glee, and several others that may surprise you.

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Fountains of Wayne - Sky Full of Holes		Mariachi El Bronx - Mariachi El Bronx
John Hiatt - Dirty Jeans and Mudslide Hymns		Greyson Chance - Hold On 'Til the Night
O.A.R. - King		Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band - How I Go

According to our AlbumArtExchange blog poll, the best album cover for the week of July 26, 2011 is Rabbits on the Run by Vanessa Cartlton. The cover received 33% of the votes cast by our readers. LP1 by Joss Stone was second with 25%. Back Pages by America was a close third with 21%.

The artwork and art direction for the winning album cover is credited to illustrator, graphic designer and animator Jo Ratcliffe. A portfolio of Ratcliffe's work can be viewed on her website jocandraw.com. Included on the website is an animated version of the cover for the Vanessa Carlson single Carousel.

Come back later this evening to vote on your favorite cover from this week's set of albums. This week includes albums by John Hiatt, Fountains Of Wayne, Mariachi El Bronx and three additional artists. 

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

America - Back Pages		Eric Church - Chief
Joss Stone - LP1		Kelly Rowland - Here I Am
Little Dragon - Ritual Union		Vanessa Carlton - Rabbits on the Run

According to our AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, the best album cover for the week of July 19, 2011 is Universal Pulse by 311. The album cover received 32% of the votes cast by our readers. The Mosaic Project by Terri Lyne Carrington was second with 23%. Time of My Life by 3 Doors Down and the soundtrack for Captain America: The First Avenger tied for third with 18% each.

The winning cover is a fantasy Photoshop collage designed by Sonny Kay, who has designed dozens of album covers for artists such as guitarist Omar Rodríguez-López. Kay's official website features an extensive Flash gallery of his work.

Come back this evening to vote on your favorite album cover from among those preselected from this week's new music releases. Featured artists include Joss Stone, Kelly Rowland, Vanessa Carlton and a couple of surprises.

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

3 Doors Down - Time of My Life		311 - Universal Pulse
Terri Lyne Carrington - The Mosaic Project		Alan Silvestri - Captain America The First Avenger
Cold - Superfiction		They Might Be Giants - Join Us

According to our AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, the best album cover for the week of July 12, 2011 is If Not Now, When? by Incubus. The album cover received 39% of the votes cast by our readers. Within and Without by Washed Out was a close second with 32%. Fly from Here by Yes was third with 23%.

The winning cover is a photograph of French high-wire artist Philippe Petit taken in the 1970s by Thierry Orbach. Art dirction is credited to Sheri Lee and Incubus vocalist Brandon Boyd.

Come back this evening to vote for your favorite album cover from among this week's new music releases. This week features illustrations in a wide variety of styles.

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Colbie Caillat - All of You		Incubus - If Not Now, When?
Sublime with Rome - Yours Truly		Theory of a Deadman - The Truth is...
Washed Out - Within and Without		Yes - Fly from Here

According to our AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, the best album cover for the week of July 5, 2011 is Brian Eno's Drums Between the Bells. The cover received 52% of the vote. The Future is Medieval by Kaiser Chiefs was second with 22% and Devil's Music by Teddybears was third with 17%.

The winning cover was created by graphic designer Nick Robertson, who has collaborated with Eno on several previous projects. Robertson has designed many album covers through his design company Wordsalad for artists such as U2, John Cale and Coldplay.

Check back this evening to see which album covers from this week's new music releases were selected for your consideration. This week's poll will be posted by 6 PM PST.

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Brian Eno - Drums Between the Bells		Kaiser Chiefs - The Future is Medieval
Old 97's - The Grand Theatre Vol. 2		Pop Evil - War of Angels
Teddybears - Devil's Music		Unearth - Darkness in the Light

According to our AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, The Harrow & The Harvest by Gillian Welch is the best album cover for the week of June 28, 2011. The album cover received 33% of the votes cast by our readers. When the Sun Goes Down by Selena Gomez & The Scene was second with 25%. Gold Cobra by Limp Bizkit was third with 21%.

The winning cover was created by artist and musician John Dyer Baizley. Baizley has designed album covers for his band Baroness as well as Flight of the Conchords, Black Tusk, Skeltonwitch and many other artists.

Check back this evening to see which album covers were preselected for this week's poll. It is an interesting mix of designs.

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Beyoncé - 4		David Cook - This Loud Morning
Gillian Welch - The Harrow & The Harvest		Selena Gomez & The Scene - When the Sun Goes Down
Dolly Parton - Better Day		Limp Bizkit - Gold Cobra

According  to our AlbumArtExchange blog poll, the best album cover for the week of June 21, 2011 is for the self-titled album by indie folk band Bon Iver. The cover received 70% of the vote, which I believe is a record win for our poll. Weird Al Yankovic's Alpocalypse was second with 17%. There was a three-way tie for third.

The winning cover was created by Minnesota artist Gregory Euclide, who specializes in these unique relief paintings. Euclide's website is definitely worth seeing. He also has a Flickr account where you can see photos of how the Bon Iver was created. It is clear why this album cover won by such a landslide.

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Bon Iver - Bon Iver		Devin Townsend Project - Deconstruction
Jill Scott - The Light of the Sun		Night Ranger - Somewhere in California
Symphony X - Iconoclast		"Weird Al" Yankovic - Alpocalypse

Endeavouring to capture the essence of Joy Division and New Order, both Peter Saville and Howard Wakefield agreed that typography could be the link. They agreed that the Helvetica Heavy Italic from Technique, conveyed the 'look' of New Order, however Joy Division was predominantly uppercase. By merging the two, a TOTAL was created.

The design is a 'nod' to Run2's commercial packaging; while the out-of-register CMYK references the perils of clients printing without proofs, which now-a-days happens all too frequently...

Continue reading...

Check back this evening to see which album covers from this week's new music releases made the cut. There is quite a bit of elaborate illustration in this week's mix of covers.

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Bad Meets Evil - Hell: The Sequel		Black Country Communion - 2
Madeleine Peyroux - Standing on the Rooftop		Joy Division / New Order - Total from Joy Division to New Order
Jackie Evancho - Dream with Me		Neil Young - A Treasure

Come back later this evening to vote on your favorite album cover from among this week's new music releases. Like our Facebook page for immediate notification of new blog posts and to comment on them.

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Above & Beyond - Group Therapy		Arctic Monkeys - Suck It and See
Depeche Mode - Remixes 2 81-11		Iron Maiden - From Fear to Eternity
The Book of Mormon Cast Recording		Peter Murphy - Ninth

Check back this evening to vote for the best album cover from among this week's new music releases. This week we have covers by Death Cab for Cutie, Iron Maiden, Depeche Mode and a couple that you probably won't be expecting.

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Death Cab for Cutie - Codes and Keys		Eddie Vedder - Ukulele Songs
Flogging Molly - Speed of Darkness		Kate Bush - Director's Cut
Various Artists - A Scarcity of Miracles		My Morning Jacket - Circuital

According to our AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, the best album cover for the week of May 24, 2011 is Brilliant! Tragic! by Art Brut. The cover received 33% of the vote. Coming in at a close second was Pala by Friendly Fires with 27%. Amon Tobin's Isam was a distant third with 15%.

The winning cover was designed by British cartoonist and illustrator Jamie McKelvie. McKelvie has done work for both Marvel and DC. He gained celebrity in the world of comics through his Phonogram series collaboration. Examples of his work can be viewed on his website.

Come back later this evening to vote for the best album cover from among this week's new music releases. The preselected covers include Death Cab for Cutie, Eddie Vedder, My Morning Jacket and a couple of interesting surprises.

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Amon Tobin - Isam		Art Brut - Brilliant! Tragic!
Foster the People - Torches		Friendly Fires - Pala
Lady GaGa - Born This Way		Robin Guthrie - Emeralds

This is Lady GaGa week. If her "little monsters" turn out in force, the winner of this week's poll could be the cover for Born This Way. It is going up against a couple of gorgeous covers that I hope won't be ignored in favor of Lady GaGa's crazy Photoshop experiment.

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Seether - Holding Onto Strings Better Left to Fray		Vampires Everywhere - Kiss the Sun Goodbye
Ben Harper - Give Till It's Gone		Hank Williams III - Hillbilly Joker
Moby - Destroyed		Bela Fleck & The Flecktones - Rocket Science

Come back later this evening to vote on your favorite album cover from among this week's new music releases. Next week is the release of Lady GaGa's monster. While we don't have a controversial album cover for a highly-anticipated album this week, there are quite a few nice covers in the mix.

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Gang Gang Dance - Eye Contact		The Lonely Island - Turtleneck & Chain
ohGr - Undeveloped		Okkervil River - I Am Very Far
Raphael Saadiq - Stone Rollin'		Tyler, The Creator - Goblin

According to our AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, the best album cover for the week of May 3, 2011 is Hot Sauce Committee Part Two by Beastie Boys. The cover received 27% of the votes cast by our readers. Chuckles & Mr. Squeezy by Dredg came in second with 23% and Helplessness Blues by Fleet Foxes was third with 20%.

The art direction for the winning cover is credited to Beastie Boys and Zoe Chan. The illustration was created by graphic designer and filmmaker Mike Mills.

Check back this evening to see which album covers from this week's new music released were preselected for our poll. This week features a rather eclectic mix of covers.

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Beastie Boys - Hot Sauce Committee Part Two		Dredg - Chuckles & Mr. Squeezy
Fleet Foxes - Helplessness Blues		Jennifer Lopez - Love?
Sade - The Ultimate Collection		Stevie Nicks - In Your Dreams

According to our weekly AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, the best album cover for the week of April 26, 2011 is Take Care, Take Care, Take Care by Explosions in the Sky. The winning cover received 35% of the vote. I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive by Steve Earle was second with 23%. There was a tie for third between The Airborne Toxic Event's All at Once and Bootsy Collins'  Tha Funk Capital of the World, which both received 15% of the votes cast.

The winning cover was created by Austin, Texas artist Esteban Rey. According to a 2009 blog article, Rey is a friend of the band and has acted as their tour manager. It is a very interesting album cover. I would not have imagined that an illustration of a door could be so compelling. However, the cover received positive feedback moments after I added it to the AAX gallery.

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

The Airborne Toxic Event - All at Once		Bootsy Collins - Tha Funk Capital of the World
Bowling for Soup - Fishin' for Woos		Emmylou Harris - Hard Bargain
Explosions in the Sky - Take Care, Take Care, Take Care		Steve Earle - I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive

Come back this evening to see which album covers were preselected for this week's poll. We don't have any designed by a legend this time. However, there are some interesting covers in the mix.

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Bob Schneider - Perfect Day		Brian Setzer - Setzer Goes Instru-MENTAL!
Gorillaz - The Fall		Lenka - Two
The Steve Miller Band - Let Your Hair Down		Glee Cast - Glee The Music Presents The Warblers

According to our Album Art Exchange Blog poll, the best album cover for the week of April 12, 2011 is Wasting Light by Foo Fighters. The cover received 46% of the vote. Where Did the Night Fall / Another Night Out by UNKLE was a distant second with 21%. In third place was TV on the Radio's Nine Types of Light, which received 17%.

The photography for the winning album cover is credited to noted rock photographer Steve Gullick. Unfortunately, there is no credit for art direction listed online.

Check back this evening to see which album covers were preselected from this week's new music releases. I think it will be difficult to choose a winner this week.

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Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Foo Fighters - Wasting Light		Jessie J - Who You Are
k.d. lang and the Siss Boom Bang - Sing It Loud		UNKLE - Where Did the Night Fall / Another Night Out
Paul Simon - So Beautiful or So What		TV on the Radio - Nine Types of Light

According to our AlbumArtExchange Blog poll, the best album cover for the week of April 5, 2011 is My Brain Says Stop, But My Heart Says Go! by Christian rock band FM Static. The cover received 36% of the vote. Steady as She Goes by Hot Tuna was second with 23%. There was a tie for third between Cherish the Light Years by Cold Cave and Original Sin by INXS, which both recieved 14%.

According to automotive expert Jeff Stork, the car featured on the winning cover is a 1976 Ford Mustang II Cobra II, a performance version of the Mustang II. The design is credited to Ryan Clark.

Check back this evening to vote on your favorite album cover from this week's selection of new music releases. Artists include Foo Fighter, Paul Simon, k.d. lang and more.

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

Asking Alexandria - Reckless & Relentless		Cold Cave - Cherish the Light Years
FM Static - My Brain Says Stop, But My Heart Says Go!		Hot Tuna - Steady as She Goes
INXS - Original Sin		The Kills - Blood Pressures

According to our weekly Album Art Exchange Blog poll, the best album cover for the week of March 29, 2011 is The King of Limbs by Radiohead. The cover received 48% of the vote. Rockpango by Los Lonely Boys was second with 30%. There was a tie for third place between Britney Spears' Femme Fatale and Wiz Khalifa's Rolling Papers, which both received 9%.

The artwork for the winning cover is credited to Zachariah Wildwood and Donald Twain, which are assumed to be psuedonyms for Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke and artist Stanley Donwood (aka Dan Rickwood). Donwood has collaborated with Yorke on Radiohead's album art and packaging design for many years. In 2002, they won the Grammy for Best Recording Package for the album Amnesiac.

The King of Limbs album is being released in conjunction with a 36-page newspaper called The Universal Sigh (right). Apparently, there was a recent publicity stunt involving members of the band dressed as old-timey newsboys and handing out free copies of the publication.

There is a line that can be crossed between where artwork compliments and helps promote an album and where is becomes a distraction. I think Donwood and Yorke have crossed that line, perhaps with an eye on another Grammy for recording package design.

As usual, I will post this week's album covers later this evening. Come back and vote on the cover you think is the best from among the current selection of new music releases. 

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

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

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

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

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

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

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

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

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

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

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.

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

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

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

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

Below are six album covers that were preselected from this week's new music releases. They were chosen based on Amazon.com sales rank and for their noteworthy album cover designs. Please vote for the cover that you think is the best of the bunch. The winner will be announced next Tuesday.