BRINK Album Art Picks
At BRINK two things that co-exist day in and day out are good design and good music. The first is what we come up with and the latter is what keeps us sane enough to get there. After watching Spinal Tap, one thing rings true - the two come together in the most important of musical marketing artifacts: the album cover. Here are some recent covers that caught our eye.
The Men - Open Your Heart
Coming out on New York-based Sacred Bones Records (Zola Jesus, Psychic Ills), it’s no surprise The Men’s album packaging is pristine. The minimalist, text-heavy design would seem to suggest a classical work is inside. Be warned, The Men are one of the best post-hardcore/psychedelic rock acts out, even if their delicately designed cover artwork suggests otherwise.
Tav Falco’s Panther Burns - Behind The Magnolia Curtain
Technically a re-issue, Behind The Magnolia Curtain works on a rule of design: contrast creates interest. And with that bold sans-serif text, jauntily pressed up against the solid bright red background, one can’t help but be transfixed. And if that fails to get attention - the photography will get you. This cover matches the music inside - vaudevillian mustache twirling with a rock’n’roll backbone.
Fun. - Some Nights
Following the current design rage, Fun.’s Some Nights puts the simple and bold design strategy to good use. With a deep maroon color scheme, atmospheric photography, and bold text - it’s a standard layout, but it gets your attention immediately. Like the Falco album above, this album’s designer utilizes contrast- and it works.
Earth - Angels of Darkness, Demons of Light II
Never say illustration is dead. Drawn up by the inspirational Stacey Rozich, Earth’s latest is a beautiful work of Americana-doom, and the artwork gracing the cover subtly reflects that in its blend of European and Native American folk stylings. The warm colors contrast gracefully with the dark blues of the background, and the watercolor adds an ominous touch. Like Earth’s music, the artwork embodies a sort of primitive heaviness. You can find this album on Southern Lord Records (Burning Witch, Black Cobra), a label that never skimps on design.
-Alexsey Kashtelyan, BRINKtern
NOTABLE WORK ROUND-UP from across the spectrum: graphic, video, collage, photo.
If these don’t inspire you, maybe you should take the rest of the week off.
1- Sofia Coppola’s video ad for H&M for Marni. If the announcement of this special collection wasn’t enough to get women excited, the crisp, stunning photography in this ad will.
2- Artist Colin Pinegar’s 3-D map of friends. Pinegar used a few simple questions to determine where his Facebook friends fit in relation to each other and himself, and then assigned them a hue on a 25 point scale from dark purple (for closest friends) to light pink (for acquaintances). He gave the little busts away to their human doppleganger at his opening if they were in attendance (not surprisingly, more of his purple friends got the souvenirs).
3- Come Closer Club- Invitation and Club Box. The Behance Network presents another winning design. This is an invite for automotive industry club members, to attend a conference where they will discuss color impressions. Minimal with a pleasant pop, just how we like it.
4- Photo collage from freelance art director and graphic designer Nacho Ormaechea. This mixed media designer distorts figures in these street photos with intricate collage work. They are better for it and the colors are great.
5- The Bio Diversity Project from Joel Sartore. This National Geographic photographer is trying to document the world’s biodiversity before some of its most extraordinary looking creatures start disappearing. He already has captured 1800 and the photos are extraordinary.
-Caroline Jackson
Is Kanye West going to be your next boss?
West went on a Twitter rampage this morning, saying he is looking for “architects, graphic designers, directors, musicians, producers, AnRs, writers, publicist, social media experts, app guys, managers, car designers, DJs, video game designers, publishers, tech guys, lawyers, bankers, nutritionists, doctors, scientist, teachers.”
What the hip hop mogul plans to do once he has assembled this mixed bag of professionals but according to one tweet, they will: “dream of, create, advertise and produce products driven equally by emotional want and utilitarian need.”
Have you sent your resume off to contactDONDA@gmail.com yet? You might want to gussy it up first. West sent his job solicitation out to his nearly six million Twitter followers and he said he hopes to “pick up where steve jobs left off.” That’s a pretty hefty goal, even for a man who is undoubtedly at the top of the heap in the extremely competitive rap world.
The video I posted is from a tour of Twitter he did when he toured their facilities and Facebook’, so we know West has done some homework on the social media business.
SIDENOTE: I have been out with an emergency appendectomy. But I’m back! Sorry for the sporadic posting the last month or so.
-Caroline Jackson
