Gamil Design worked with YepRoc and the rockin’ Reverend Horton Heat to create a deluxe package for the latest album, “Laughin and Cryin’ with the Reverend Horton Heat.” The package features a speedometer design with interchangeable faceplates and includes two CDs and a bonus shot glass – which results with you either laughin’ or cryin’. This limited edition can be bought at YepRoc!

Last year, we had the pleasure of working with Stefan Sagmeister to realize the deluxe CD package for David Byrne & Brian Eno’s album: Everything That Happens Will Happen Today.

It was truly a labor of love, as we here at Gamil Design are big fans of both David Byrne and Sagmeister, Inc. We were elated to find this video posted by Topspin CEO Ian Rogers with his personal unveiling of the deluxe CD package as it arrived at his home.

Also check out the interview with designer Stefan Sagmeister and his description of the concept behind the unique deluxe package design.

Nice show at the (smoke free) Cat’s Cradle last night. Robyn Hitchcock was joined by Peter Buck (REM) on guitar, Bill Rieflin (REM) on drums and Scott McCaughey (Minus 5/REM) on bass – all known as the Venus 3. The group is supported by our friends at Yep Roc.

It’s beautiful, in color AND it opens and closes! I would assume it sounds good but, really, who cares?
Vestalife will be launching it at MacWorld this month. “Stay tuned.”

via MocoLoco

Yes, for once, NC is getting some major attention in a national election campaign, and being described as a battleground state! Not only are Obama, Biden, McCain and Palin all regularly visiting us, but we’ve got famous people entertaining us where the only price for admission is listening to a li’l plug for a candidate.

Today, James Taylor played a free concert in Moore Square in downtown Raleigh. It was a beautiful day and a perfect mid-day lunch excursion. And despite the minimal advertising and notice given, he played his music and his “Vote Obama” message to a full crowd.

Thanks, Dan, for the pix!

What’s the definition of an inspiring and fun graphic design project? Designing the CD for a band you know and love!  We’ve had the joy of working with The Kickin’ Grass Band for all 3 of their albums, Backroads, On the Short Rows, and their latest self-titled release.

This project was especially unique because KG moved into some new musical territory, blending Americana-style melodies with Bluegrass instrumentation. We wanted the design to reflect that “rootsy” nostalgic feeling, but mix it with the contemporary personality of the band. The digipak construction we used from Disc Makers gave us the right textural feeling, is cost-effective and is more ecologically sensitive than a standard jewel case.

click image for larger view

Designing the package was also super fun because we got to work with our friends,  Superfan Records. Their description of our work:

“Gamil Design was called in to turn the band’s unconventional vision into cover art that is whimsical-yet-edgy. It’s the perfect calling card for a release that’s anything but ordinary from start to finish.”

First, a primer: SPARKcon is a festival celebrating and nurturing the local creativity of Raleigh and the Triangle region of NC. It’s 100% volunteer… everyone involved runs entirely on enthusiasm, passion and talent, with a bit of support from some wonderful sponsors! This past weekend was the third year for SPARKcon, and it showcased all sorts of talent communities, including breakdancers, yogis, craftspeople, spoken word artists, hoola hoopers, music of all kinds, art, film, fashion and more.

FashionSPARK is an outdoor runway show which featured 13 local fashion designers’ work, as well as fabulous hair and makeup by local stylists. The show was beautifully directed by Allison Beale.

fabulous hair by Jesse and Carla of Marigold Parlour, makeup also by Marigold, fashion by Domino

woodland nymph fashion by Domino

doggy designs by Montage

fashion by Lllavender, hair by Salon Blu

fashion by Metallic Spiral, styled by Marigold Parlour

fashion by Marie Cordella, styled by Atomic Salon

The SPARKcon website is in a constant state of being updated. Check it for more pictures, designer info and links.

rolling stones logo

This is a story about how student designers rarely make money from their work…they do it for the exposure. This is also a story about how designers rarely make money from designing for the music industry…they do it for the love of the band and the fun of the project…and the exposure.

But 38 years after the project was completed, John Pasche finally saw some real money from a logo design he did as a student in 1970: the lips and tongue icon for The Rolling Stones.

John Pasche was a student at London’s Royal College of Art when he created and sold the design to The Rolling Stones for 50 British pounds in 1970. The Stones used it first on their Sticky Fingers album of 1971. In 1972, they expressed their appreciation of the logo by giving Mr. Pasche another 200 pounds.

The logo, though, could have easily faded into obscurity after the Sticky Fingers album. It was The Stones branding savvy that kept the icon alive. They have used it continously and consistently ever since, making it one of the most recognizable music icons in the world.

That branding savvy, combined with Pasche’s savvy (or luck) to keep the original artwork in pristine condition, allowed Pasche to sell the original work to the Victoria and Albert Museum for 51, 375 British pounds ($92, 500 US) last week.

I guess you never really can throw anything away if your a designer, because theiir’s a chance you will make some money off of it before you’re dead.

BBC Story

Ron Liberti's interpretation of a film poster for DYSP

Died Young Stayed Pretty, directed by Eileen Yaghoobian, is a documentary about rock posters and their designers, some of whom are Raleigh natives, artists featured in a Designbox Rock Poster Show 5 years ago called StuckUp (Casey Burns, Ron Liberti and Dale Flattum), and one is even a Designbox alum (Dale Flattum). WOOHOO! We’re famous!

“This unique documentary examines the creative spirit that drives these indie graphic artists. They pick through the dregs of America’s schizophrenic culture and piece them back together. What you end up with is a caricature of the black and bloated heart that pulses greed through the US economy. The artists push further into the pulp to grab the attention of passersby, plastering art that’s both vulgar and intensely visceral onto the gnarled surfaces of the urban landscape.” (from the film synopsis)

The film will have it’s world premiere at the Montreal World Film Festival on August 29.

See the film site for a full description, stills and video trailer as well as more artist posters.

Similar to the SparkCon concept in Raleigh, this event in Charleston looks like it, too, combines the fringe scenes of art to redefine creative culture. This was created by local artist Scott Debus, Gustavo Serrano of B’Zar, Olivia Pool of ART Magazine, and Ambergre Sloan of Charleston’s Most Unique. Very inspirational. Check out the video. It’s so cross-pollenatin’ … Thanks to graffiti artist Bart Cusick for the heads up.

 Kulture Klash