Sep
20
Kick-Ass packaging of the Week: Animal Collective’s ‘Merriweather Post Pavilion’
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No, it is not moving and yes your eyes are still fine. This is the cover image of Merriweather Post Pavilion, the 8th studio album of Animal Collective.
The much-anticipated and now celebrated album boast trippy cover art inspired by the work of Japanese psychologist Akiyoshi Kitaoka. Kitaoka has created heaps of incredible visual illusions that seem to move.
The concept is simple and not over-the-top but it definitely grabs attention. Plus, this is definitely a conversation starter! This album can even help you score some chicks.
You: Hey, check this out. It’s moving!
Hot Chick: No it isn’t dumb ass!
You: No…it’s really moving!
Sep
17
PACK EXPO 2009
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Attend PACK EXPO 2009 on October 5-7 at the Las Vegas Convention Center to find all the packaging and processing business solutions you need to compete in today’s challenging marketplace. Highlights include:
- More than 1,600 exhibits showcasing the latest industry trends and technologies.
- Keynote presentations delivered by top retailers from SuperValue, The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company and Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market.
- The Conference at PACK EXPO featuring more than 50 expert-led sessions
Register before September 25, 2009, and save!
Take advantage of advance registration fees for PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2009, and save 50% compared to on-site prices. And book your housing early to secure low rates at top hotels.
Sep
16
After upstaging Taylor Swift at the VMAs, I can’t wait to find out what will become of Kanye West’s career. Kanye made numerous apologies and stated he would “take some time off” to reflect – But he will instead join Lady Gaga for the “Fame Kills” tour starting this fall. Will the outburst affect his ticket sales? I can’t wait to find out!
A PD for a major urban mainstream radio station said, “This isn’t an urban tour — urban audiences can be a bit more forgiving than mainstream audiences are. I can see him going on stage and people booing him.”
On the other hand, Ebro Darden, PD for New York radio station Hot 97 (WQHT) said “people who genuinely like Kanye won’t be affected. Tickets for his GaGa tour go on sale in a few days and I’m sure people will be in the building.”
Sep
16
I stumbled upon Alex Cornell’s Wes Anderson Film Festival works and I love his style. His works really standout that I just can’t not feature him in our blog! Luckily, I had the chance to interview this talented young graphic designer from San Francisco.
Could you tell us something about yourself?
I am 24, about to turn 26 (we skip 25 where I’m from to avoid the stress). I am currently living in San Francisco, getting my MFA in design, working and writing for ISO50, freelancing, and running an intermittent solo music career. I went to Duke for my undergrad and studied psychology. I don’t recall doing much work, but I think I may have just forgotten about it with expert use of selective memory. Most of my time at school was spent playing guitar and singing in a band called Running Lights.
What and who are your influences?
For me, first and foremost would be Scott Hansen (ISO50). Before I even knew what graphic design was, I was following Scott’s work. Scott is able to move between both music and design, and create incredible work in both fields. As these are the same two creative arenas I find myself in, he has always been a major source of inspiration and someone to look up to. Otherwise, I would say I am influenced by the design
of Build or Non-Format, the writings of Michael Beirut, and the irreverence of Stefan Sagmeister. And the entire country of Japan. Also John Mayer – I probably built the entire first couple versions of myself around what I thought John Mayer might do.
How do you work on a concept? I try and think about: A) what hasn’t or isn’t being done, B) what would make me laugh, C) what would be the worst possible idea, and D) what is practical (and/or what I can make practical in short order). I will usually just sit and think for about 30 minutes and try and think of ideas. Usually, this is enough to grab some concept but not anything visual. The visual brainstorming is a lot harder and usually takes way more time. This process begins alone, like my conceptual brainstorm, but ends up with me surrounded by piles of books, movies, etc. Each and every time I begin a new project I am frozen with fear that I won’t be able to think of anything good. Every single time.
I really like your works for your hypothetical Wes Anderson Film Festival . Could you tell us about it?
I made the materials for the hypothetical festival over the course of a 15-week semester. Much of the finished product work was completed in a short amount of time, once I had nailed down a visual style and look/feel (after about 4 weeks). It was a fairly smooth process of development actually –much more so than I had become accustomed to. I really enjoyed being able to wield a certain amount of weirdness and randomness throughout the project. For example, I had a lot of fun titling every piece of the project something very long and unusual. There was no single name for the festival because this seemed tired and expected. Instead, each time the brand is encountered, there is a different (but equally) bizarre headline.
That’s a well-polished work for a class project. I will ask you questions that we ask all our designers. To you, what makes a good package?
A good design must be intuitive and simple, first. After that, if it can also be strange, beautiful and exciting than you have a great success. This balance is very important. I also gravitate towards packages implementing really tactile materials. There are magazines that I read because I like the way the pages feel. I force myself to enjoy the content as well so I can hold the paper longer.
Well said. Now, what makes a bad package?
If it attacks you, like clamshell packaging, this would be a good indicator of a “bad” package. Also, bad graphic design can ruin even the best physical package designs.
Thanks a lot for sharing your talents and brilliant mind, Alex. We can’t wait to see more of your designs. Keep it up!
Sep
11
One Crazy Invention!
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It’s a CD Jewel case but it acts like an Ipod therefore I am calling it CD-pod. Imagine the confusion you will give to your seatmate on the subway as you rock out with your… CD case. This invention is CRAZZZZY! Just thinking about the people’s puzzled faces makes me want to buy it right now!
This awesome invention was made by Moldover. He has designed a CD holder out of a custom circuit board that has the all the CD information (including track titles) written out in circuitry! But that would just be a novelty unless the circuit board was actually functional in some way. Well, it IS! It’s a light-sensitive theramin! (You know, those “musical instruments” that look like television antennas that alter frequency based on how far away your hand is. They’re used a lot in cartoons and Flaming Lips albums.)
So not only can you actually make music with your CD packaging, but it comes with a headphone jack built in so you can do so without bothering the person next to you on the subway! Awesome!
The deluxe circuit board version is $50 and available at Moldover.com.
Some may say this is overly done and is trying too hard. But come on, isn’t that what we should be doing? Besides, this is just too good to pass up. I ‘m sure you are as curious about it as I am.
Check out this video pitch he made himself:
Sep
10
Recording Companies Are Suing The Ellen Degeneres Show
Filed Under Distributor News, Industry News | Leave a Comment
Some of the world’s largest recording companies are suing “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” claiming producers violated their copyrights by playing more than 1,000 songs during the “dance over” segment of the show without permission.According to the suit filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Nashville, the defendants said they didn’t “roll that way.” Scott Rowe, spokesman for the show’s Telepictures Productions, wrote in an e-mailed statement that the company has been working with the record labels for months to resolve the issue and remains willing to resolve it on “amicable and reasonable terms.”
Rowe said the issue does not involve DeGeneres, who on Wednesday was named as the fourth judge on TV’s “
Plaintiffs include Arista Music, Atlantic Recording Corp., Capitol Records, Motown Record Company, Sony Music Entertainment, Virgin Records America and Warner Bros. Records.
Sep
10
New Business Models
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Whenever someone criticizes the music industry for their stubborn refusal to accept new business models (and the subsequent pressure on governments and ISPs to police the end users because the industry is not making as much money as it used to), the question that inevitably pops up is: what are these new business models?
In fact, we’ve been highlighting them for years. Well-known artists like Radiohead and Nine Inch Nails have paved the way for a new era of music business by trying out innovative new ways to engage the consumer. Letting the consumers choose the price for an album is one model that worked; offering goods that can be infinitely duplicated (music) for free and tying it to scarce goods (vinyl records, t-shirts, collector’s items etc.) is another.
I think this works simply because Radiohead is already a very established superfamous band and that the fans will support them whatever business model they choose. I doubt if this trick will give much difference to the struggling new artists. But the whole point is that, the musicians and the people in the music industry should embrace different kinds of mediums and have the courage to try inventive strategies to market their music. This is a challenge to the artists, and a greater one to the indie musicians.
Sep
9
Disc Makers Music Seminar
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If you’re in the Atlanta area on Wednesday, September 16 at 7:00 pm, come join Disc Makers for our latest music seminar featuring guest speaker JaWar. JaWar is a Motivational Speaker, Author & Business Consultant. He speaks and consults on personal achievement, Internet marketing, monetizing (making money online) your Internet presence, SEO (search engine optimization), book publishing and the music business.
The seminar will be held at the Sam Ash Music Store (2999 Cobb Parkway, Atlanta, GA 30339) and will cover issues such as using social media the right way, branding you for revenue (earning money), optimizing your online “presence” and much, much more!
Attend this if you are in the music industry and you plan to market your music online.
Register here.
Sep
8
Kick-Ass Packaging of the Week: Flight of the Conchords
Filed Under CD Packaging, Uncategorized | Leave a Comment
Flight of the Conchords’ Bret and Jermaine officially made the crossover from TV stars to rock stars via this full-length self-titled album. If you still haven’t seen them on HBO, one youtube video can definitely convince you that these guys are awesome cool. The pair is seriously funny and is definitely worth every penny and time. Aside from the content of this album, you will also fall in love with the stunning package especially if you are into paper stuff and saving mother earth. The case is made of hard paper that has a gorgeous colorful illustration and pop-up artwork. Awesome!
Sep
8
Jay-Z’s much-hyped new album, The Blueprint 3, will be released today, Sept. 8.
This will mark Hova’s (the name that rapper,Jay-Z calls himself since he considers himself the “God” of rap) third album following his alleged retirement in 2003 and the third installment in his critically-revered Blueprint series. The Sept. 11 release was originally planned to fall eight years to the day following the 2001 release of Blueprint.
The album, produced by Kanye West, will feature the already chart-topping single “Run This Town” with West and Rihanna. It hit number one in the UK Singles Chart this week, marking Jay’s first UK single in the top spot, according to MTV UK. Clearly he has won over the oft-pop-dominated UK music world, as he is scheduled to support Coldplay at their Wembley Stadium show later this month.
