FOT Forum

FOT Community => General Discussion => Topic started by: Spoony on December 22, 2008, 01:22:14 PM

Title: Best Album Covers of 2008
Post by: Spoony on December 22, 2008, 01:22:14 PM
Enough of the music, let's talk shop, artsy-folk.

What are your favorite album covers of 2008. I always have an eye out for this (my job and all), and there's a grammy handed out for it every year, so weigh in, FOT's.

I just saw Neko Case's new album cover, and although it isn't defining 2008 (and I'm seeing some no-no's), it cracks me up and I'm kicking this off with it. I'll come up with some more serious picks in a bit...

(http://anti.com/dispatch/_depot/title/35186f6811899e1b6d346b0535aff9c0.jpg)
Title: Re: Best Album Covers of 2008
Post by: Big Plastic Head on December 22, 2008, 01:37:59 PM
That is a great Neko Case cover. Man, I went through my 2008 albums and most of them were pretty bad. But I think this is my favorite from albums that I bought...

(http://www.bigplastichead.com/images/one_offs/calexico_carried_to_dust.jpg)

As far as albums I don't have...hmmm...I will have to check.
Title: Re: Best Album Covers of 2008
Post by: jbissell on December 22, 2008, 01:43:50 PM
Gentleman Jesse
(http://i41.tinypic.com/2cxf6s8.jpg)

Shearwater - Rook
(http://i42.tinypic.com/eb4odh.jpg)

While Tha Carter III was disappointing, I still like the cover (the cover for his latest mixtape where he's an angel holding a baby in that river of blood is just batshit)
(http://i44.tinypic.com/fmnno0.jpg)

I'm not sure about that Santogold cover, most of the time it seems terrible, but every once in a while I kinda like it.
Title: Re: Best Album Covers of 2008
Post by: Emily on December 22, 2008, 01:57:17 PM
(http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m47/hippocatgeek/LL.jpg)

Liquid Liquid - Slip In And Out Of Phenomenon (Domino)
Title: Re: Best Album Covers of 2008
Post by: iAmBaronVonTito on December 22, 2008, 02:08:16 PM
i will always like this album cover.  its fun.

(http://www.victimoftime.com/media/images/BarbaraGoner.jpg)

given the heartsick lyrics harlan can be prone to (but never too depressing to listen to), i love this cover.

(http://www.victimoftime.com/media/images/HTB.jpg)

the imagery made of all these horses unicorns in my mind before i realized they were merely horses.

(http://www.audioscribbler.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2008/08/2192251561_50024654b3.jpg)

normally, the band on the cover of their own album doesnt appeal to me (i'll always buy the album anyway).

(http://www.joshuadysart.com/journal/archives/the-black-keys-attack-and-release.jpg)

i dont care what anyone says, i love this santogold cover.  its hilarious.

(http://skipreport.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/06/santogold.jpg)

and i never know if i should find this funny or offensive or both or neither.

(http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh32/universalmusic_dotcom/The%20Roots%20Listening%20Session1/Rising_Down_Cover.jpg)

Title: Re: Best Album Covers of 2008
Post by: Spoony on December 22, 2008, 02:15:13 PM
Liquid Liquid - Slip In And Out Of Phenomenon (Domino)

That's amazing.
Title: Re: Best Album Covers of 2008
Post by: Dan B on December 22, 2008, 02:50:42 PM
(http://agitreader.com/img/futures/nobunny.jpg)
Title: Re: Best Album Covers of 2008
Post by: emdasher on December 22, 2008, 05:09:29 PM
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51gsvEyd7IL._SS500_.jpg)

Ximena Sarinana - Mediocre

Love the album and the cover. She's like the Spanish-language version of Feist, but with better songs and superior vocals. And she's 10 years younger.
Title: Re: Best Album Covers of 2008
Post by: <<<<< on December 22, 2008, 05:16:07 PM
(http://www.ant-zen.com/graph/ant-zen-act218-x3.jpg)
Title: Re: Best Album Covers of 2008
Post by: iAmBaronVonTito on December 22, 2008, 05:19:37 PM
i want to make posters of album covers without any info, just the cover art.  thats what this thread makes me want to do.
Title: Re: Best Album Covers of 2008
Post by: <<<<< on December 22, 2008, 05:19:42 PM
(http://www.recordandtapetraders.com/Portals/21/staffpicks/CDMelvins.jpg)
Title: Re: Best Album Covers of 2008
Post by: Jack from Arkansas on December 22, 2008, 10:23:43 PM
(http://cdn.stereogum.com/img/thumbnails/posts/pe-of_montreal-skeletal_lamping.jpg)Of Montreal
(http://celebucrap.typepad.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/08/30/that_lucky_old_sun.jpg)Brian Wilson.
Title: Re: Best Album Covers of 2008
Post by: cleveland jonah on January 02, 2009, 01:12:23 PM
i liked the passion pit cover a lot...
Title: Re: Best Album Covers of 2008
Post by: Spoony on January 02, 2009, 01:56:19 PM
Say what you will about these two, but this album cover is a graphic paradise.

(http://cdn.stereogum.com/img/pe-gnarls_barkley-odd_couple.jpg)
Title: Re: Best Album Covers of 2008
Post by: masterofsparks on January 02, 2009, 03:43:58 PM
I'm not a designer or anything, but I like these:

(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51UPVg4A5cL._SS500_.jpg)

(http://www.worlds-fair.net/images/artists/menahan_street_band/MakeRoadWalking_PRINT.jpg)

(http://weblogs.elearning.ubc.ca/ross/Magnificent%20Fiend.jpg)
Title: Re: Best Album Covers of 2008
Post by: tommyneo on January 18, 2009, 06:54:17 PM
I like The cover of 808s and heartbreak very much.

Reminds me of the Peter Saville sleve for New Order's Blue Monday.
Title: Re: Best Album Covers of 2008
Post by: Pat K on January 19, 2009, 01:15:55 PM
Respect must be paid:

(http://static.rateyourmusic.com/album_images/1881976.jpg)
Title: Re: Best Album Covers of 2008
Post by: Spoony on January 19, 2009, 04:56:07 PM
Pete Seville's one of The Greats when it comes to album design. The running joke in design is how notoriously bad with deadlines he is.

He's gotten really into materials in the last few years, like with Nick Cave's Abbatoir Blues double, which is a shame because packaging in itself is going the way of the dinosaur.
Title: Re: Best Album Covers of 2008
Post by: hugman on January 19, 2009, 05:41:23 PM
where can we see your work, sir spoon?
Title: Re: Best Album Covers of 2008
Post by: Spoony on January 19, 2009, 06:09:14 PM
WHY THAT'S AN EXCELLENT QUESTION!

I don't have an online portfolio. I'll see if I can find links to anything.
Title: Re: Best Album Covers of 2008
Post by: andrew in philadelphia on January 19, 2009, 06:20:42 PM
man man - "rabbit habits"

(http://www.anti.com/dispatch/_depot/title/747154a510db1869d91a0d7a6add41a4.jpg)

boris - "smile"

(http://www.tigernet.no/WebRoot/Tiger/Shops/Tigernet/4898/0CE2/366E/983A/DF68/5286/5705/C2F3/123037.gif)
Title: Re: Best Album Covers of 2008
Post by: Spoony on January 19, 2009, 06:40:04 PM
Here are a couple of album covers from my brief stint as a High-Powered Record Label Art Director. I'm not completely embarrassed by these.

(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61j5phss-PL._SL500_AA240_.jpg)

(http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000N69PAW.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg)

This was a nightmare, from beginning to end, but holey moley, the stories I got out of it....
(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c6/Crossfade_falling_away.jpg)

Great illustrator, Nic Rad.
(http://bighassle.com/management/Nicole_Atkins_Neptune_selec.jpg)

I can't find anything terribly exciting. My division of the High-Powered Record Label Art Director didn't handle very many exciting acts. Although I don't think she's in the good graces of the Show, Nicole and I still stay in touch and her music stands out among the mediocre fare that you'll usually find at Sony.
Title: Re: Best Album Covers of 2008
Post by: masterofsparks on January 19, 2009, 06:59:23 PM
I like those, Spoony (especially the first one). Nice work!

Like I said earlier, I have no visual skills whatsoever, but my wife designed this cover:

(http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00000618L.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg)
Title: Re: Best Album Covers of 2008
Post by: hugman on January 20, 2009, 03:19:07 AM
Nice work, spoony. Thanks for sharing.
Title: Re: Best Album Covers of 2008
Post by: iAmBaronVonTito on January 20, 2009, 09:58:32 AM
nice work, Spoony.

MoS, your lady does have a good eye.