Urban Outfitters Samplers

In case you didn't already know, Urban Outfitters gives away free 20+ song compilations (called LSTN) every week on their website via iTunes. There are usually some gems and some throwaways, but def. worth checking out.


- Blogging on my iPhone

Pantone iPhone App.

If you have an iPhone and you do some sort of design, web, art or just want to see beautiful swatches of color, then check out Pantone's iPhone app. The $9.99 download gives you virtually all Pantone swatches in one place, with their codes for design programs. That's not all, you can also take a picture with your iPhone or choose one from your photo library and extract the Pantone colors within the image! From there, you can save the palette to email, send to Facebook, post to My Pantone online, use in a graphics program, etc. There are so many cool things on this app., so def. check it out. You can find more detailed info. here.

Poster Mentioned

I am honored to be mentioned as one of  "25 Amazing Typography and Poster Artists on Imagekind". There are are some very cool posters on the site. Imagekind is a place much like Etsy or Zazzle, where you can sell personal art/creations.

Incredible Vintage PanAm Posters

I came across a recently uncovered collection of  PanAm posters from the 70's that are displayed at MOMA. These posters are beautiful and simply showcase colorful images of destinations along with Helvetica type. I wish that there was a way to own a copy of these because they would look great in a frame. I feel like this is what a travel poster should be.

Casey Burns Poster Designs

I came across a great designer last night named Casey Burns and his specialty is illustrated event posters. I love the hand-drawn style of his designs and they each have a unique retro feel. His personal site is great and works perfectly with the overall style of his works. In addition, he creates posters for some great live acts such as Spoon, The Rapture, Bon Iver etc. The concert posters are for sale at the above link.

WIRED Magazine

I am sure that you have heard of WIRED before, but possibly not subscribed. As a technology magazine, it is not only full of great articles, but it contains (in my opinion) the best graphic design of any magazine out there. These guys just get it right. The beautiful graphic elements mixed with great typography and interesting pieces, allow them to really stand out from other tech-geek periodicals. I highly suggest subscribing, especially when the prices are so low due to the poor climate for magazines (and all print media) right now.

History of The Business Card

I found a nice  article on the history of business cards. It is interesting to learn that the business persons "calling card" goes all the way back to the 16th century! There are some great looking antique designs and some mid-century retro cards as well. You can never underestimate the importance of personalized design on the link between you and a potential client.

Apple + lala

Apple recently purchased lala music service and the speculation is that they will eventually use this to integrate everyone's iTunes Library for online listening. At this time, it is still lala and def. worth signing up because you can upload your entire Library and the site will match your songs with their 8 million song digest, so all your tunes are essentially online to play from any internet connection at any time.

New Blog Name + Theme

I have changed the name and direction of this blog. The new name is "Graphically Informed" and I am going to mostly focus on design/art with bits of music peppered along the way. Check back often!

Free Vampire Weekend Video - iTunes

Make sure you download the free "Cousins" video on iTunes this week. It is a fast-paced, low-budget video that fits nicely with the song.

Aisle One Design

I often check out the  Aisle One website for graphic design inspiration because the author has a great approach to overall design, with minimalism being a major concern. The site gathers beautiful minimalist creations from all over the world.

In addition, the author is a strong believer in using grids to create balanced designs. He has authored another site dedicated to the concept of grids in graphic design. There are many resources covering everything from basic to very in-depth calculated grids.

Mad Men

I bought the first season of Mad Men yesterday. The show is brilliant from the writing to costume/set design and period recreation. I also enjoy the historical context and references to social issues that were prominent around mid-century America. The advertisements discussed on the show, are often real, such as the "It's Toasted" coined phrase for Lucky Strike cigarettes. We learn that the world of advertising gives viewers/listeners what Don Draper says all people want: "to be happy" and reassured that "what they are doing is right". This is often a mask for the real underbelly of daily life as it is explored throughout the show.

Field Notes

In an age of increasingly more digital mediums, it is nice to find a company that appreciates classic  minimalist design in the tangible form of pen/pencil on paper. I recently picked up a few small graph paper booklets from Field Notes and they are beautiful with a comforting boyscout mid-century feel.  I love the inside cover with sections for personal information and options to offer a "handsome reward" if found. The back inside cover offers a comprehensive list of uses for the booklets in a somewhat comedic tone. It is most often true that less really is more.

Indie Concert Posters

One of my favorite event poster websites is  The Small Stakes. These guys create incredible indie music concert posters and they are available for limited edition sale. I highly recommend them as a bookmark and suggest checking back often for the perfect gift and/or addition to your own personal collection.

Papyrus & Bad Design

If you want to strike fear and shreaking terror on any graphic designer, just mention the font "Papyrus". This is the most overused and poorly designed font on the market. It screams amateur and is no doubt the first typeface that any design school will tell students to avoid like the plague. I stumbled upon a great website that furthers the cause of shining a light on this hideous font. In addition, this coincides with a recent viewing of the film Avatar where I was rolling in my seat as the subtitles were in...Papyrus!! and outlined to boot! (another no no) I can't believe that this made it through production. My design teacher feels that this was most likely Cameron demanding it without knowledge of what he was really doing. Who knows.


- Blogging on my iPhone

New Spoon Music Soon

REMINDER: The wonderful band Spoon will be releasing their latest effort "Transference" next Tuesday January 19. These guys seem to do no wrong and simply remain consistently cool with their version of minimalist down and dirty rock sound. The groups first two singles from Transference, are dynamite, so expect great things.

I stumbled upon a great little  Indie music blog last night. This guy is really on top of things in the world of indie music. If you are a fan, then I would definitely recommend subscribing to this informative feed.

Funny Games

I finally got around to seeing the film Funny Games this weekend. I personally found it to be quite good and intense. This is a dark indie thriller that focuses on the human psyche and the ability of a few among us to commit brutal crimes without remorse. This simple concept is achieved by continued upping of the brutality and "shock factor". There has been criticism about the film focusing on the fact that it is an exact remake by the director of his own film into English. It is unfair to judge the film on this fact because of the superb acting and storytelling that this edition brings unto itself. The poster for this film is one of my favorites from 2009. It is compelling and captures Naomi Watts with a very telling expression. The text is nicely overlaid with the image.

Quality Laughs At Their Expense

I can't get enough of the many great comedy sites that have sprung up all over the web. The great thing about them is that they are reality comedy from the world we live in. It seems that one site spurs the creation of another. I am listing some of my favorites that should be checked daily for quality laughs.

* Fail Blog - The king of postings on idiotic signs, images and general failings of people all over the world. I highly suggest this site as a starting point and essential bookmark.

* Lamebook - The place for all things hilarious from Facebook. People continue to post outrageous updates of highly personal information. This is lucky for us, the reader because it provides hours of hilarity.

* Oddly Specific - A blog dedicated to signs/billboards that are simply funny, ironic or straight to the point.

* Texts From Last Night -  The name says it all. You will find actual text messages from actual human beings that they may or may not remember sending. Very funny.

* People of WalMart - A blog dedicated to the creatures that roam the world's largest retailer. Some of these species may provide that missing link scientists have been needing   .

This is hilarious. Someone created a huge ice sculpture of Al Gore in Alaska. The monument will blow hot air when a truck connects to it. A funny jab at Mr. Green.

Coffee Table Book

A good friend recommended this beautiful book to me (the illustrations and colors are great). It is a collection of timeless lessons and quick bits of advice for men of any age. There is a nice sense of humor to the entire piece and yet it still provides great words of wisdom. Perfect gift or purchase for yourself.

I went to see The Modern Skirts play on New Years Eve and it was a great show. If you haven't checked these guys out, make sure you give it a listen. I love both albums, but their latest "All of Us In Our Night" is such a great catchy indie pop/rock album. Highlights are Chanel, Soft Pedals, Conversational and Radio Breaks.

Urban Outfitters Sale

Urban Outfitters is having their "Sale's On Sale" event and it ends tonight. You get an extra 25% off the already marked-down prices. This might be worth digging around for some hidden gems.

One of my favorite films from 2009 was Revolutionary Road. The film was incredibly acted and had great costume/set design. In addition the 10 minutes that actor Michael Shannon is in the film, earned him an Oscar nod. It is a pretty amazing 10 minutes of acting.

Vampire Weekend

Vampire Weekend announced their tour dates for the forthcoming Contra album (1/12/10).

Inspiration

If you are a designer, artist, or just someone interested in visually pleasing images, then make sure you check out FFFFOUND! blog. This is a site that is continually updated with various designs and art from around the web. In addition, the site is invite-only, so most of it is quality.

Music

I have been on an electronica kick lately and I continue to use iTunes great Genius feature to make nice mixes. The download for this week, comes from Justice and it is a hard-hitting smack in the face. Pure joy.

The First

I felt it was time to create a place for my many interests. I will be including downloads, images and general musings about anything/everything. I guess that the main subjects will be film, music and design. So there you go. Check back.