Self-reference is a dangerous game in the world of music. Rockstars have typically never been shy about their rockstardom — in fact, the concept of rockstar as self-appraised sacred cow has been around since the genesis of the rock genre; even before Bo Diddley asked the crowd, “Who do you love?” (and provided as laundry [...]
r/AlbumArtPorn (SFW)
26 March 2012 by Leave a Comment
Something a little different this week… I have just discovered r/AlbumArtPorn, a safe for work subreddit that’s gratuitous only in the sense that it’s purely stacks and stacks of album covers. It’s also part of the glorious SFW Porn Network, which has provided me with procrastination fodder for an indefinite amount of time. Objects! Objects! [...]
Ty Segall
12 March 2012 by 1 Comment
Of all the psych/garage revival acts around today, I would venture to say that Ty Segall is my favorite, not because he necessarily executes his music in a way that is exceptionally scuzzy — though it is plenty filthy — but because Segall is a songwriter that is perpetually inching towards refining his sound and [...]
Packaging: Good/Bad/Horrifying
1 August 2011 by Leave a Comment
Artwork aside, there are good ideas and bad ideas for album packaging. Don’t get me wrong – I get it: an album is a work of art, and works of art are supposed to push the boundaries from time to time. Raise questions. Challenge ideals. Get you thinking. Packaging, along with artwork, is often the [...]
Radiohead – The King of Limbs
26 February 2011 by Leave a Comment
Here’s a fun exercise for you: take any Radiohead album, play the first 30 seconds of the first track, and glance at the cover art. That feeling you get encapsulates the feel of the entire album instantly. A few examples below: The Bends leads with “Planet Telex” – a swirling void of reverb and pulsing [...]
Joy Division – Plus Minus (+ -)
6 December 2010 by 1 Comment
Sleevage has a new post about the brand new box set just released of Joy Division’s singles, re-released with original artwork. One of the most interesting parts of the JD legend is the amount of musical influence the band managed to cover in such a minuscule window of time (1976-1980) and the range in which [...]
Guest Post at Fleur-de-Violette
24 October 2010 by Leave a Comment
(Note: link leads to external site)
Art vs. Content
21 October 2010 by 1 Comment
I just found this interesting article at MBV.com that gives a pretty good argument in favor of the new wave of major record labels. Here’s an excerpt: Anxiety about this model seems to be bubbling up — and understandably so. Yes, it’s great that we are no longer holding musicians to untenable and economically disastrous [...]
Wire - Chairs Missing
David Byrne & St. Vincent - Love...
Bonnie Tyler – Faster Than…
Johnny Cash - At Folsom Prison
Pulp — Different Class