New Arcade Fire Songs Debuted Saturday Night

Liking what I've heard so far from Arcade Fire's new album, Reflektor, due out Oct. 29. This concert special aired after Saturday Night Live this weekend, and features a few new songs and cameo's from Bono and celeb/comedians. Here Comes the Night is awesome!

Lay Flat

A logo I just completed for Finch Paper. It will go on packaging and sell sheets.

Sage Cattabriga-Alosa: Skier, Artist, All-Around Gnarly Dude

If there's any way to spark your desire to create some art, this would be it. One of the world's sickest free-ride skiers, Alta, Wyoming, native Sage Cattabriga-Alosa, is also a graphic designer who designs the graphics for his line of Atomic skis. I've always liked his work, along with fellow free-ride skier Eric Pollard, who designs the graphics for his series of Line skis.

Sage lays down some of the gnarliest woods lines and can drop a headwall like no other. His designs might be just as stylish as his riding. I love his integration of nature into his work. Check out this video of an art show he put in Seattle featuring his print work, light sculptures, and projections. Oh right, check out some of his skiing too.

What a life. A boy can dream ...

Hence The Trumpet Keep It Real On Debut, "Unique Boutique"

What do you get when you mix a small town, childhood friends, an electric guitar, drums, and a 30-pack of beer? Hence the Trumpet.

 

Hence the Trumpet's raw sound was refined in the dimly lit bars of Fort Edward, NY, a mill town in upstate New York where singer/guitarist Bud Traver and drummer/vocals Cory Burton grew up. The high school buddies amassed a loyal following playing the local bar circuit as The Dust Patriots, and many of the songs on their debut album Unique Boutique were crowd-tested and approved long before the two ventured into the studio. 

 

Traver's unapologetic lyrics and powerful vocals often draw comparisons to Eddie Vedder, while the band's in-your face style is reminiscent of punk/rock troubadours Green Day. The band pulls their inspirations from the aforementioned bands as well as folk/rock acts like Deer Tick and My Morning Jacket, some of which can be heard in their live performances. But, above all else, HTT has a sound all their own. 

Opening track, "Up Here,"  pays homage to struggling mill towns like their hometown, while the catchy tune, "I Got Interest," tells the all-too-familiar story of big dreams hampered by small-town fate and seemingly insurmountable odds. Born as acoustic songs, Traver gives them new life with reverb-soaked electric guitar, while the band's driving rhythm section brings them to soaring peaks. 

While there is room for growth, Unique Boutique’s strong songwriting and impassioned playing in their debut efforet leaves me anxiously awaiting a follow-up. 

Hence the Trumpet is a small-town band with big-time ability, and one watch for sure.

Unique Boutique can be purchased on iTunes and Amazon.

On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/#!/HenceTheTrumpet

Justin Vernon's Natural Voice Rings True on 'Grownass Man'

Based on the reviews, Justin Vernon, of Bon-Iver fame, disappointed the indie establishment with Grownass Man, the debut from his side project; blues/rock trio, The Shouting Matches.

It has almost none of the Bon-Iver signatures that made him famous. Instead, Grownass Manfeatures 10 songs ranging from soul, to fuzzed-out blues guitar solos, to Taj Majal-esque clawhammer southern flavor, and, yes, even a few falsettos, like on the love ballad "I Need A Change" that Vernon delivers with passion and truth.

It's a cohesive blend of ear-pleasing songs on an album that marks a turning point in Vernon's career; an axis that sees Vernon having fun and letting his natural voice ring.

To write this off as an "insincere effort" and "goofing off" is not only unfair to the artists who, obvious in the musicianship, took great pride in the songs; it makes you look biased towards commercial indie music, and thus removes your credibility as a journalist.

We saw Vernon's true character come out during his Grammy speech, and we hear his true voice again with "Grownass Man." No, the album is not a "statement" like the speech was, but it does say one thing: Justin Vernon doesn't have to bend a knee to any label to find fame and happiness.

So go ahead and write this album off, but I wouldn't rush to judgement. Grownass Man has all the makings of a classic and will earn him huge props from music fans.

New Illustration Completed (Finally!)

I wanted to create a something original that I liked enough that I would actually hang it on my wall. I had a vision for a colorful illustration of an outdoor scene. Here's the finished result. 

I can't wait to print it on nice matte uncoated stock and frame it with a nice white finish. 

Contact me if you want one on your wall too! coleman18@gmail.com. 

Logo Crazy

Thought I'd share a cool article on logo trends that seems to be pretty accurate ...

http://www.paperspecs.com/26426/20-logo-design-trends/

These examples will likely be passe by noon. You learn in Graphic Design 1 that the enduring quality in a logo is it's ability to be bold and telling, easily conveying a feel or message intended, while also being pleasing to the eye. Truth is, only the finest designers can achieve this.

Going forward, I predict that the trend will continue to lean toward hand-made, script fonts, and designs with more and more intricate detail so as to set them apart from other brands and services. "Branding" is only getting more and more common, as companies often have a logo for each service they offer. So one thing is for sure: Logos will be everywhere. Let's see what the future holds ...

Gritty Logo

I saw these logos by designer Ben Geier the other day; giving popular record label logos gritty, retro facelifts. I played around with Illustrator and Photo shop to mimic the look. Still some work to do, but I'm getting there .. 

Self Identity

Trying to settle on a masthead/self identity logo. Any favorites??