"Global Village Coffeehouse" aesthetics: C/D?

Inspired by the discussion of the latest Vampire Weekend album cover

This covers the late 80's - early 90's aesthetics combining vague ethnic signifiers with rudimentary computer graphic design tools.

I think even at the time this looked really ugly, but there's definitely something about its cheesy coziness that makes it ripe for nostalgia.

vague ethnic signifiers are a dud but rudimentary computer graphic design tools are absolutely classic

It feels SO familiar... yet I can't find the cover it reminds me of !

I was just about to say "oh of course it looks like..." but all the LPs I'm looking at aren't it. It's a big LP from the early 90s, and I've seen it many times before.

ILX's collective intelligence will find the answer to this frustrating quest !

The orange stripe down the side and the circular type is giving me Neville Brody style top notes.

I was just about to say "oh of course it looks like..." but all the LPs I'm looking at aren't it. It's a big LP from the early 90s, and I've seen it many times before.

THIS EXACT SAME THING happened to me. I thought it was a Jesus Jones or Ned's Atomic Dustbin cover and it wasn't but it was something LIKE that.

Maybe it was just a t-shirt? I'm picturing a design on a shirt (maybe it was a record too though).

I was thinking of this but not sure it fits the bill ... the music, though

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:PlanetDrumCD.jpg

Made me think of the Nation Records logo (y'know, Transglobal Underground and that crowd), maybe a comp on that label, but it's not all that similar really.

I'd swear the earth globe is some 90s clipart.

Not the same same, but https://www.depop.com/products/fzapata-escape-reality-universal-studios-hollywood/

Not mad on Bride Father of The as a title tbh.

I used to go to this coffee shop a lot, the name definitely fits here but the graphics are a bit more late 90s cheesy:

http://polarbearhockey.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/oneworldcafe.jpg

strongly associate this style with being in church in the 90s

Terrible album cover - reminds me of Soho's 'Goddess' from 1990:

https://goo.gl/images/6NPyKM

The cover for the single for Edie Brickell's What I Am came to mind when looking at the Vampire Weekend cover, but all that really has in common is a drawn round thing on white background.

Small World Coffee in Princeton NJ is my go-to for this aesthetic

http://www.smallworldcoffee.com/_assets/img/common/printHeader.png

Still using it in 2019 but this logo & type definitely dates back to the 90s or, for all I know, farther

That Vampire Weekend cover doesn't really take the 90s aesthetic far enough imo, winds up just looking very generic

sorry if large, this one is a local example for me:

https://scontent-ort2-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/10169444_10152316743742520_88410142_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&_nc_ht=scontent-ort2-2.xx&oh=4a13c5d3166b95bf7f345bf0ba29a2d3&oe=5D0D7D0E

Small World Coffee in Princeton NJ is my go-to for this aesthetic

http://www.smallworldcoffee.com/_assets/img/common/printHeader.png

― Guayaquil (eephus!), Monday, March 11, 2019 10:46 AM (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Dude are you from the princeton area? That is my spot

Or *was*

I like this aesthetic. I think it will become my new aesthetic. The Brooklyn country gentleman thing has gotten tired.

I used to go to small world coffee a lot -- Princeton trips were a regular thing from Rutgers. The PREX-Hoagie Haven-small world trifecta. Maybe also throw in a bookstore or two.

Can trade in my red wings for tevas

There is only one bookstore left there. It’s this aesthetic too somewhat. I used to work there.

definitely associate this aesthetic with coffee shops that existed in the 90s

some plants around, a counter where you order or someone might take your order if they're out dropping drinks off at tables. big chalkboards listing fresh beans

The green new deal needs a look imo. This might be it

Excited to see ezra’s outfits on the new tour

I was searching "earth day shirt" to try and find the urtext for this.

Excited to see ezra’s outfits on the new tour

http://www.undertheradarmag.com/uploads/article_images/vampire-weekend-harmony-hall-video-pancakes-ezra.jpg

i mean

https://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_500/MI0000/040/MI0000040206.jpg?partner=allrovi.com

different but there's something there

There's the whole line of Putumaya comps that were always displayed at bookstores, global-village type stores, and so on.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_5XYiqHni398/S72054Z5MOI/AAAAAAAADGg/v23yWYDi87c/s1600/41EXKD6MBKL._SL500_AA300_.jpg

https://www.oneofthethree.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/1993-09-19-San-Francisco-WOMAD-flyer.jpg

Future Zone: A Virtual Village

http://www.sandygarnettstudio.com/files/4514/2232/7992/1992HordePosterw8.jpg

don't know why my image is broken; here's the link: http://www.sandygarnettstudio.com/files/4514/2232/7992/1992HordePosterw8.jpg

did u all see this exchange, amazing:

We're just waiting for the Global Hypercolour tee shirt

— Jesus Jones (@jesusjonesband) March 7, 2019

I'd forgotten Big Head Todd. They were kinda big, weren't they, though they closed out the era.

Bittersweet you could say

i feel like keith haring was a big influence on this aesthetic.

this is bringing back lots of "going to the houses of friends with aging hippie parents in the early 90s" memories...

also my uncle's recycling/green office supply company totally rode this wave:

https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1014234044777676800/ryWkJk0z_400x400.jpg

The globe art of this era wreaks havoc on the Canadian arctic.

would not be totally shocked if big head todd could still draw comparable live numbers to vampire weekend

"jam band adjascent" + "a couple huge 90s alt rock hits" is a powerful combo in the U.S.

http://i66.tinypic.com/2z54nlw.jpg

Chagall seems like an influence here too, in addition to haring

Also idk if this was linked yet. Good analysis of why these looks might be coming back

this shit is what gives me righteous fury

I typed a thread a while ago on how the obsession w/ graphic design aesthetics of the 80's and 90's among young designers today is a cry of rebellion against... THIS https://t.co/JBZSvz3z7g

— 〽️ax krieger's big mood (@MaxKriegerVG) February 14, 2018

Wait, so Jesus Jones and I BOTH think the Vampire Weekend cover is reminiscent of Jesus Jones aesthetic but there's no actual Jesus Jones album cover that looks anything like it? Weird.

Sorry here is the for real og thread

I theorize that the rise in popularity of all sorts of pre-2008 visual designs, from "vaporwave" to synthwave to anime futurefunk to memphis milano to "global village coffeehouse" to y2k to "mcbling", is a cry of rebellion against the modern state of consumer graphic design

— 〽️ax krieger's big mood (@MaxKriegerVG) December 28, 2017

See also:

Just found out the wonderful @ScienceMuseum logo designed by @johnsonbanks has been replaced with a simple typeface. From Burberry to Yves Saint Laurent, brands are doing this and IMO it's a shame and a copout. So, coining a #portmanteau for this: brand + brand+ blah = #blahnd. pic.twitter.com/yAy9Jwg5tT

— Irene Hoffman (@ihoffman) March 7, 2019

This Canadian celtic-tinged college folk-rock thing:

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51huzAlcbRL._SX425_.jpg

Nice! Got some globes in various positions, a terrible font, elongated torsos, equitable gender representation...

The print edition of the New Yorker 3/11 (lol) is plastered with this aesthetic

Vw and the ny’er being synced up seems about right ...

xp - when you think about it we all live in this house called planet earth

There's a Facebook group simply titled "Global Village Coffeehouse" that has loads of examples, for fans of the style. It's not quite the same but the "Shiny Happy People" video reminds me of this aesthetic--maybe the similar vibe of "earthy multicultural positivity".

Not the same vibe, but speaking of that era's design, also worth a look is the "Factory Pomo" group, which compiles this style:

https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-GNeiWPpVzEc/WAQwxqEMzYI/AAAAAAAAEcs/ekVCMisKDzg8MS8VAAt_7fNJ_3nmvDMcACLcB/s1600/front..jpg

Thank you, blatherskite! I'm pretty sure that the album cover I'm thinking of would fit more comfortably into the Factory Pomo genre. I joined the group and there are definitely a lot of earth/nature symbols in there too, but in a markedly different style than the Global Village Coffeehouse stuff.

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51EVX1G902L.jpg

London, Ontario's own!

The one I was thinking of was

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00000IPKN.01.LZZZZZZZ.jpg

which wasn't as similar as I thought.

not global village coffeehouse or factory pomo really.

Saw a good example of GVC at my mom's house the other day. It was basically a flat metal sculptural form of the woman in this print. My mom said she bought it in Sedona lol.

https://d2w9rnfcy7mm78.cloudfront.net/3980706/original_04f9ea5e120ee6e319a4e217b2cd0b8a.png

I lived in flagstaff in the late 90s and Sedona was like peak gvc then but with bobus kokopelli everywhere

This feels like it fits in with this aesthetic.

https://cps-static.rovicorp.com/3/JPG_500/MI0002/790/MI0002790545.jpg

I have an album in my collection called The Planet Sleeps. It's a collection of lullabies from all over the world. It's really nice! It was released in 1997 (on compact disc only), and it fits this aesthetic to a T:
https://i.imgur.com/m1p45TR.jpg

happy earth day :)

https://images.app.goo.gl/Mc1Lg2q65ooExs3QA

http://aggieinthecity.files.wordpress.com/2009/04/earth20day205r2.jpg

Feel like the opening titles to Northern Exposure are the purest distillation of this aesthetic: the theme tune already sounds like a Vampy Weeks pastiche.

https://youtu.be/hKDzDA-jgRs?t=83

lol good call

I got strong vibes from this plate someone left in the breakroom sink:

https://i.imgur.com/EdccsaY.jpg

I imagine this plate magically adds sun dried tomatoes to anything you put on it.

smells like fiddlehead ferns

Feel like the opening titles to Northern Exposure are the purest distillation of this aesthetic: the theme tune already sounds like a Vampy Weeks pastiche.

Can someone start a twitter campaign to get them to cover it?

place in Raleigh literally called “Global Coffehouse Village”, was this a known fact and I was just i. the dark? And yes, the logo is extremely predictable.

Someone posted this on Twitter and it's bugging me that I can't identify it. Disclaimer: it may not be an album.

Twitter, What is this and where is it from? Its doing my canister in pic.twitter.com/3cj91qXFKc

— SfH (@simonfromharlow) May 31, 2019

one of the first replies says saved by the bell and it does look identical to the aesthetic in the opening credits for that

looks like generic late-'80s Trapper Keeper art, could be from anything

it's definitely a tv show.

actually it appears it's a thing that's spread on whatsapp in the uk and might be a bit of a pain in the arse thing without a real answer (it's apparently not saved by the bell, may just be some generic patter than brings to mind that style)

tweeter you quoted has deleted the tweet due to finding this out

"and that sense of upper-middle-class 'global village' syncretic fusionism that I think really begins in the 80s"

Seriously no one ITT is bringing up Rusted Root, the Everything, or Dave Matthews?

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/e9/25/38/e92538aeee4d8f3d58ad2f35bbb6f532.jpg

I saw a car this week with 2(!) of those stickers^^

i'm a huge fan of this band but this is way over the top

https://merch.ambientinks.com/collections/purebathingculture/products/earthling-tee

reminds me of duckman for some reason

Feel like this set of Big Thief merch really captures the vibe.

GUYS GUYS ITS HERE ITS SO BEAUTIFUL pic.twitter.com/UvOBmfJHU8

— BalaPatty💫⭐️ (@BalaPattySZN) November 19, 2020

New website for the Consumer Aesthetics Research Institute:
https://cari.institute/

that website is amazing!

this doesn't seem like a particularly good example of Global Village Coffeehouse (though it is listed a such), but this was actually the Nintendo website homepage at one point??! Insane

https://images.are.na/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJhcmVuYV9pbWFnZXMiLCJrZXkiOiIxOTg2NjI5L29yaWdpbmFsXzUwYzAxZTE0OGFjOTc1ZWE3YzU0MmQyNzAxMTU0MDE3LnBuZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6MTIwMCwiaGVpZ2h0IjoxMjAwLCJmaXQiOiJpbnNpZGUiLCJ3aXRob3V0RW5sYXJnZW1lbnQiOnRydWV9LCJ3ZWJwIjp7InF1YWxpdHkiOjkwfSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo5MH0sInJvdGF0ZSI6bnVsbH19?bc=1

Fantastic, so many looks from the 90s/2000s that I recognize but could never articulate as an aesthetic. Googie-Lounge Kitsch gives me vivid flashbacks of my Disney World vacations as a child in the early 1990s, particularly the MGM/Hollywood Studios park.

As a general FYI, you can still see surviving examples of actual Googie here in L.A.

that website is great, though i'm a bit disappointed in how lopsided it is towards more recent stuff. hopefully that will change.

this was actually the Nintendo website homepage at one point??! Insane

Definitely not, it appears to be their annual shareholder's report.

wow that website is the real fuckin deal

xp Deflatormouse, idk, looks more like a website to me. But maybe not their public-facing homepage? Letter to Shareholders looks more like a link, and why would it say "Nathaniel's Fun Factory" on the letter to shareholders?

but yeah now that I think about it, why would it say 1999. maybe you're right. still confusing, beyond the very confusing branding

its the website for the shareholder report - found it on wayback

def gonna get baked and look at that site tonight

Yes sorry shareholder report *in website form*

Nintendo homepage ca. 99 is here:
https://web.archive.org/web/19990427192531/http://www.nintendo.com/home/index.html

I like this but how many of these "aesthetic categories" are basically just riffs on Memphis Milano

this doesn't seem like a particularly good example of Global Village Coffeehouse (though it is listed a such)

It does to me. Earth with a childlike hand-drawn face on it, warm colors, sun/moon imagery -- all of that feels very GVC.

I kinda want to live inside "Corporate Tech Laser Grid"