Was talking to the guys from Stereogum today about a design project and they sent me a link to Drive XV, the 15 year Tribute to REM’s Automatic For The People. I remember when Automatic For The People originally came out, it was really something unique at the time, one of my favorites. So apparently Stereogum has designers sort of re-imagine the cover art for the tribute albums and I thought this one came out quite well. Really like the type treatment and minimal approach. You’ll notice that it vaguely follows the form of the original. Bonus: name those fonts
Design aside, the Shout Out Louds’ tribute to Man On The Moon is superb, have a listen below. I hear some Paul Simon Graceland in that chorus, anyone else?
Was at the beach today listening to Schneider TM’s "Zoomer". It was a beautifully sunny day here in San Francisco, made it a little easier to cope with the reality of being home. The cover of this album is pretty interesting, well designed overall, the collage works to good effect, but I think a bit more time could have been spent on the type treatment.
Ever since my friend Erin introduced me to Arcade Fire back when their first album came out I’ve been a huge fan. Unfortunately I have yet to see them live, but I’ll make that a priority this year. Here’s a mellow selection for a mellow London morning. Love the lyrics.
Been listening to Apparat’s latest a lot during this trip, really nice stuff. It’s always amazing to me when a producer breaks out with quality vocals.
Ulrich Schnauss’s "A Strangely Isolated Place" is one of my favorite albums but my favorite track of his is actually a remix of Sia’s "Breathe Me". Sit back and enjoy, the fireworks begin at around 3:26.
Xiu Xiu’s "Fabulous Muscles" was certainly one of my favorite albums from 2004. This particular song is just simply amazing, I once started a remix of it but never finished; chalk that up on the to-do list for when I get home. Jamie Stewart’s style is so intense and this song is no exception; he’s been accused of being over the top or too melodramatic in his songwriting but it’s just right if you ask me. I think he’s now based out of San Francisco which makes it all that much better (There are very few Bay Area bands that I really enjoy). Hope this finds you well, greetings from Amsterdam.
I find myself listening to less and less "electronic" music these days so it’s rare that I find new tracks I really enjoy. I remember being pretty blown away by this album when it first came out and I keep going back to this track in particular. I really wish I knew what this song was about though, such great lyrics but a bit confusing when you try to piece it together. Anyone have any ideas?
As for the cover art, it’s nice and clean and i like the use of Avant Garde in this context. Sadly, AG is becoming less and less appealing to me unless used very carefully.
Broker / Dealer is a San Francisco based duo now recording for Ghostly International. They also seem to be one of the most under appreciated bands I know of. They released their debut album "Initial Public Offering" in 2003 on Asphodel (SF) and it seems to have stayed just a bit below the radar ever since. I have been loving this album since that time and it’s been a big influence on my own music over the years. Not unlike the Field record, I have found this album serves as a great backdrop for the vibe of Tokyo. Here’s a couple tracks to whet your appetite.
Been listening to Apparat’s latest a lot during this trip, really nice stuff. It’s always amazing to me when a producer breaks out with quality vocals. 
