Fucked Up - David Comes To Life Double Lp

Fucked Up recently released their 3rd Lp on Matador Records, and from a graphic perspective, they remained true to their well established aesthetic. pretty much every one of their many singles and LP's feature a large front cover image floating within a minimal white boarder with the type hanging out on the top of the panel (not ever to mingle in with the art, but simply to identify it). it's a pretty straight-forward and unassuming layout idea for a record cover, and if they had only done it once it probably wouldn't have made much of an impression on anyone. it's through the repetition of this idea over the span of their enormous catalog of records that has created a commanding visual identity that is impossible to ignore.

i have to say, i really like the concept photography they created for this layout... the main image they used for the cover and the inside gatefold is credited to their bass player Sandy, which is pretty impressive considering the intricate level of detail found within this scene and the fact that i had no idea she was a photographer. there is a pretty big list of models credited for this photo and a whole lot of action happening happening in here...

i'm actually not a huge fan of this back cover. the image is a little underwhelming and the type feels way too large considering how boring the typeface is.

since this is a double Lp, the record jacket is a gate fold! i fucking love gate folds.... and when you open up the cover you have the image that was used for the cover as a full spread and uncropped. the "David Comes To Life" posters in the background were a nice touch...

inside the sleeve there is a huge 24" x 24" fold out poster insert. these are 1 color, 2 sided professionally printed posters on a glossy paper. on this side, we have a naive pencil illustration with some text of a poem added in. there is a nice balance here between the cleanliness of the type and the sketched graphite it's surrounded by.

on the flip side of the poster is a lyric sheet where the type has been perfectly justified into an ordered grid. they managed to make good use of alternating type faces to create a dynamic visual read. when you consider how much text is running thru this thing, you have to admit it feels really light and airy as a piece...

the A, B, C, and D labels are all the same and somewhat retro looking? i don't think that's what they were intending, but these things kinda remind me of something you would see on a Island Records release from the 70's or something.... do you know what i mean?

in addition to all of that, this record came shrink wrapped with a single sheet false cover inside...

pretty glad that's not the cover they put on the actual record. flip that thing over and there is another poem, nothing too interesting visually though...

Deaf Mutations - Crash The Clubs Ep

got this record as a submission from Ellis of Shitty Limits while they were out here on tour. he recently put out the vinyl release of the Deaf Mutations ep on his label Static Shock Records, which is exciting since this had previously only been available as a very limited cassette tape.

this might be the most legit '81 looking punk record to come out of this decade. i mean, this thing is SPOT ON. if i didn't already know what it was, you could probably tell me this cover had been pulled from the pages of the Killed By Death blog, and i would have to believe you. for the front cover, we have 4 different type faces all mashed together by the power of a very unforgiving copy machine, and then somewhat ironically professionally offset printed on an uncoated and glued record jacket. that "PUNK" label laying across the top right corner is killing me, so awesome....

...it's just a perfect mess. since the front cover is so information heavy, the back panel was left wide open for some lyrics! i should really put the emphasis on SOME since only the A side song lyrics were given. they're off center, off placed, and despite being typed they are blown out to the point of near illegibility. pretty great back cover if you ask me....

the A and B labels are so sterile and orderly in comparison to the jacket that they almost look like test press labels... go big hole or go home.

hit up Ellis over at Static Shock directly for this record, he is a solid dude...

The Shitty Limits - Speculate / Accumulate 12" ep

i grabbed a copy of the new Shitty Limits 12" ep while they were out here on tour back in june. this is the first release of theirs that i have been able to get up on the blog, but really their whole catalog looks solid as far as aesthetics go. for this record cover, they went with what i am guessing is a totally random found image, maybe from some sort of medical catalog or advertisement from the 40's or 50's. regardless of the intended meaning, i like how light this cover feels as an image. there's not a lot of heavy mid-tones to the photo, and when you float it inside that thick white boarder, the whole piece becomes very clean and easy to digest (dare i say "sterile"?)....

these jackets were professionally offset printed and glued on the uncoated side of a glossy sleeve (as in, the inside of this sleeve has a gloss coating and the outside does not) . i really like that this uncoated white retained the "brite-white" appeal of a normal glossy record while still delivering a rough textural quality that's often lacking with normal uncoated sleeves.

the back cover art of this record is pretty much the definition of minimalism. the thing about this style of design is that it takes a lot of confidence to showcase this level of absolute nothingness, so whatever you do with the space it better look sharp. lucky for them, they hit the nail on the head with this panel. it's just a nice clean typeface that has been carefully massaged into the center of the panel, and in this case the quality of the jacket really helps sell this concept with a nod to "hi-art"....

there is also a 1 sided 11" x 11" insert, and man is this thing punk! this is a fully hand written lyric sheet with the song names cut and pasted over top of it. it's sloppy and rough yet looks so good, i just wish you could read the lyrics a little better since they always prove to be entertaining....

the A and B labels are the same, very classic looking layout for a label....

this was released by La Vida Es Un Mus Discos in limited quantity, so don't wait around if you are looking to grab this! also, i think sorry state will be releasing a U.S. version...

Ralph Ep...

HI! sorry for the brief break in posts, i've been pretty busy lately and haven't been able to make time for quality entries..... but i'm back now and have a pretty impressive pile of vinyl to move thru, so let's get started...

i picked up this awesome RALPH ep based solely on the cover art and packaging (or, lack there of). the cover art is a top notch collage framed within a thin black key line. there is a little bit of everything in this image, including what i believe to be part of a Norman Rockwell painting? anyway, i love this thing, it has great attitude and a bit of a sense of humor about itself....

this cover is literally just that, a cover panel. there is no back panel, it's just a 2 sided photocopy on a 80lb card stock, and i have to say it's kinda refreshing! all the info was able to be worked into the back side of the cover and still retain a good balance of negative space. all the type appears to be cut and pasted from a typewriter and layed out on a photocopier.

A and B side labels are blank white with hand stamps, the A side gets a stamp of the band name in a nice bold condensed typeface. i'm always a sucker for a clean font that has been kearned out nice and wide...

the B side gets a stamp of the label name....

this thing is limited to 300 copies according to the Scavenger of Death Records blog, but they still have some for sale if you act quick...

Limp Wrist Poster...

i just finished designing and screen printing these Limp Wrist posters for their LA show tonight. they are 3 colors printed on 100lb cover stock paper and 18" x 24" in size. there are 90 prints in the edition and will be available for purchase this evening at the show....

on a personal note, these posters are Screenin 4 A Change #100! to see the other 99 posers i've done in the Screenin 4 A Change project and get more information, go to my site...

Suburban Nightmare Art Opening...

i was asked to participate in a killer group show here in southern california that focuses on the artists responsible for the past and present aesthetic of the OC punk and hardcore scene. Jesse from the Hibbleton Gallery is acting as curator for this show and has pulled together a pretty impressive roster of artists to display work, so come out and have a good time if you are in the area.... there will be an opening reception this friday night from 6-10pm...

The Artery @ The Lab

2930 Bristol St

Costa Mesa, CA