Noteworthy album covers of 2013

There's a Quietus review here-
http://thequietus.com/articles/11621-george-pringle-gulfo-dei-poeti-review

Might be wrong about this, but I've noticed since vinyl sales have picked up that big, busy, slightly-psychedelic album art seems to also be making a resurgence. There must be a difference for artworkers when creating something for vinyl or CD markets?

― a beef supreme (dog latin), Tuesday, November 26, 2013 7:53 AM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

it's like, if i'm going to shell out for something on vinyl, and i'm trying to pick between two albums but can't decide, often it's the artwork that's the deal maker.

― a beef supreme (dog latin), Tuesday, November 26, 2013 7:56 AM Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Hmmm, I dunno how true it is (there could be lots of other reasons for the popularity of psychedelic imagery right now) but I could almost imagine that simply seeing more things on vinyl might encourage an artist to imagine their work in that nice large format, and go ahead and include details that they might otherwise not have. But then I think that the worst era for album art was probably the height of the CD years. Even stuff that I imagine doesn't sell that much on vinyl has been looking a lot better lately (big pop albums and stuff).

bring back longboxes imo

http://i.imgur.com/NuSC4zr.jpg

I had all but two of those (Cure and Smiths) cut out and taped to my door in high school.

http://nnatapes.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/NNA069.jpg

kewl

a nice festive one for you:

http://www.erasuresnowglobe.com/img/erasure-snowglobe-album.jpg

Can't remember whether it was posted or not but shittiest cover of the year is... Cut Copy?

gotta be black flag

Yeah, Black Flag and then Cut Copy.

oh how could i forget the flag?

Bleed the patriarchy

http://i4.sndcdn.com/artworks-000058227456-wwwq40-t500x500.jpg?b09b136

http://gp1.wac.edgecastcdn.net/802892/production_public/Album/23443/album_image/e10acafa67d52fec117725b29b4da475f109a00a.jpg

FACT did their best and worst lists btw:

http://www.factmag.com/2013/12/07/the-30-best-album-covers-of-2013/
http://www.factmag.com/2013/12/07/the-30-worst-album-covers-of-2013/

http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0164/9352/products/spin050_Vastum_COVweb_1024x1024.jpg

^ can't stop looking at that bat

feel like i wanna wave back

meant to add the vastum cover the other day, but forgot. so great! was bummed by the comparatively dull imagery on the vinyl version, but turns out it has a poster of that ghastly thing inside (uncropped art, no text).

the artist, paolo girardi, also did the covers for this year's power trip and inquisition albums (among a ton of other stuff, busy dude). think i might have posted the former somewhere way upthread...

man, FACT's best 30 are almost as bad as their worst 30. baffling choices, most of them.

fact sure doesnt like r&b/hip hop

For those of you who liked the Deafheaven cover.

http://pitchfork.com/news/57800-deafheaven-selling-sunbather-font/