Joe,
This is a cool idea for a battle
!
I am trying to go by the rules but hit a snag. I went to the Flickr page but the 3rd image was not downloadable. I had to refresh the page a couple of times to find one that was. I picked the third one from that page even though the first image was far better for the random subject chosen by Wikipedia. The other problem is that this is a color photo. Do I change it to greyscale or leave it exactly as I found it?

ChrisL

Joe,
Another question: In your specs, you say the image must be 600px wide by 400px tall, albums are typically square though so should this battle bee 600 by 600?

ChrisL

Dimension? 400x400?

(Genre: Nordic Jazz)

Here's Mine. I hope it's alright.

This is a great idea!

I'm at work and am limited to my system fonts, but was too tempted not to give it a shot anyways:

The problem with using the 'interesting photo' page is that you tend to get photos that are too damn nice to mess with. ;o)

That said, I'm really digging Miss Tiffany's entry. Nice!

nah, you did the right thing! You had the guts to mess with it and I think it turned out great. I was too timid so just slapped minimal type on top my photo. ;o)

Granted, if you ever worked with the band GUS Reporter System, you'd know what complete *@#&#$^ they can be when you go messing with their photos.

"Fans of Eriastrum's 2005 debut, Eriastrum Solves All Your Problems, will recognize the same buzzy electronic beats and hypnotizing loops of remixed vocal folk music, but ultimately Protects You From Age suggests that the Belgian two-man operation may be running out of ideas."

"On their first album to be released outside of Japan, charming trio Dream Pop serve up a pop confection that is a guilty pleasure. The English lyrics may be poorly translated and mispronounced, and even nonsensical at times (e.g., the title cut, or the bouncy "Do When You, But Think Before"), but with hooks this catchy who can take issue?"

Deep and full-of-longing and ardour Mediterranean ballads but translated into stilted English with too many phrases lost in translation.

What a wonderful game!

Imo, Tiffany's cover couldn't be improved upon. That is classic. As a long-time jazz fan, I'd say it is about as good as anything I've ever seen. If I had that CD, I would frame it and hang it on the wall.

Well, this makes a great fontplay exercise. What fun! I love the image and the guy's name. A soccer player in France, if I recall correctly.

I set myself two extra conditions:

5. Use only a typeface I had never used before and had generally ignored.

6. Spend no more than 15 minutes.

(I just noticed that Faiyaz got the same picture. I like his rotated, lightened version: it's more interesting than mine, because it is harder to decipher.)

This would be the soundtrack to accompany the dutiful and patriotic nationalistic love-making reserved for German Santa's and the citizens who portray them.

NO SLACKING OFF!

This is much too fun

Symphonic Speed Metal prodigies & identical triplets: Lars, Uli & Dennis McKinley from Canton Ohio break new land speed records and the hearts of their swooning fans with new heavy rock takes on Debussey's Nocturnes and Richard Strauss's Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche tone poem as well as revolutionary inroads into new diacritic use not previously available until the introduction of OpenType.

OK just one more.

Riding the popularity of the Balkan new wave (including such bands as Gogol Bordello, Balkan Beat Box and Beirut), Dolná Streda lovingly reinterprets the folk songs of her native Czechoslovakia with a rockin' new sound!

Patty,
I'm loving your Balkan write-up :-)

ChrisL

I decided I'd give it a go.
Weirdest band name ever!

Someone shoot me now, I can't stop...

Loving this thread.

One more. My wikipedia link was to an actual cd called (the ep).

Celtic experimental electronic—like Mouse on Mars with more trees.

j a m e s

>>>I like the List of Asteroids...great name for a novel.
Not such a great name for a band, it's ridiculous...
List of Asteroids/145301-145400

Maybe not such a great novel name now!?!
:(

Some great stuff going on.
I reall like jupiterboy's one.

Also Jos, could you tell me what typeface you used in your last one?

I thought band names had to be ridiculous, Sean. :-)

What makes a good band name is quite subjective and often a matter of personal opinion. I've seen research that indicates the more absurd or ridiculous the name, the more effective it is for the band (and the record company too).

Currently there is a fashion for abstract and incongruous band names, many of which are "found" names, found on the internet in much the same manner as we are doing now. The random approach. Dada and surrealists of course practically invented the idea of incongruity in serious art, or at least they are credited with championing it.

One time about fifteen years ago I came up with a good name for a band but it was too far ahead of the time -- Carpet. I offered it to half a dozen bands here in Melbourne and not one of them was game enuff to take it. Musicians---they think they're so radical and avant garde. I've worked on PR for a dozen acts, and just about all of them were conservative when it came to business and marketing. Chicken!

j a m e s

Wow james that was an essay (wanna write my thesis), I have to agree the stranger the name the better the band! I think sean got lucky!

Carpet... I can just see the album cover now! brillant!

Great resource, thanks Jos!

I thought band names had to be ridiculous, Sean. :-)

When I showed this thread to a friend, he told me on a recent camping trip they got to conjuring up band names. He thought his entry was the best, "Roadkill Junkies". Their first album was named "Crows on the Highway". I think eventually I'll have to make that into a cover.
; )

Kind of related! In ireland there were recent graduates of my college who named their company darling, just so they could answer the phone and say "hello darling"...

Here's my second one!

Its to cold to do my thesis and this is way more fun! (damn addictive typophile)

Don't worry sean, i think james might take me up on my offer!

'nother one. 12oz. Mouse was a missed opportunity.
Football clubs make good band names.

j a m e s

I'm at a loss for what kind of music this would be...

A conversation about this exercise resulted in this, although not part of the challenge.

Aw jeez, this was too bloody good (unbelievably serendipitous photo/album title) not to include. I'll stop now I promise.

Where there's butter there must be JAM. Irie.

I think I have sharondipity as a talent handicap of sorts.

Oh, alright then, one more.

What's with the "insert Image" command? Is it me or the whole world?

ChrisL

What’s with the “insert Image” command? Is it me or the whole world?

Ahh its all in your head man ;) But I did have the same problem as you when trying to download a picture from flickr if thats any consolation.

Some of these are great - could very well be real bands!

Patty,

That really works!

ChrisL

folkadelic alt-goth