We're in final mixing and art direction for the new Dingo Sanctuary CD -- our first full-length, all-original album since becoming a trio. I'm trying to get everything finished up and ready for distribution before we master the project next month in Austin, and I'd like everyone's opinions on which of these CD covers you like, if any. We've pretty much narrowed the art direction down thematically, and are now trying to decide on one of the following nine:
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The New CD Cover: Opinions?
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I need to go on FB and listen to your stuff to get a feel for your sound, but I've always assume is was kind of a classic rock and roll style.
To me all some scream coffee house music, Six Pence None The Richer type stuff
To me all some scream coffee house music, Six Pence None The Richer type stuff
Yes, we have a Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, ZZ Top kind of vibe. We wanted the art to convey the feel of older covers in the days before everything was done with computer graphics. In fact, I had the cover of the first Black Sabbath album and the cover of Led Zeppelin IV in mind while I was designing these.
Three songs from the upcoming album are on our MySpace page:
http://www.myspace.com/dingosanctuary
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Duke
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#3, top right is the one that speaks "Sanctuary" and maybe "Salvation" most to me.... But not muddy, nor Dingo
I don't know if I am understanding everything or not, and I hope i don't offend. But none of them say. DINGO SANCTUARY or MUDDY WATER SALVATION to me. Am I being too literal? I see water in 5 of them. Well 6, the one in the middle (pretty face) appears to be in a fog, now that I look closer I think may be swimming/walking in water, but it doesn't appear muddy, nor do I get salvation. Is the intent to have the cover convey the album title, the name of your band, something else entirely or none of these things?
Which one do I like best.... #6 the middle row right, I like it a lot!
I don't know if I am understanding everything or not, and I hope i don't offend. But none of them say. DINGO SANCTUARY or MUDDY WATER SALVATION to me. Am I being too literal? I see water in 5 of them. Well 6, the one in the middle (pretty face) appears to be in a fog, now that I look closer I think may be swimming/walking in water, but it doesn't appear muddy, nor do I get salvation. Is the intent to have the cover convey the album title, the name of your band, something else entirely or none of these things?
Which one do I like best.... #6 the middle row right, I like it a lot!
The title track is a song called 'Muddy Water Salvation', and will actually provide some context, but we haven't released the song just yet. I like all the opinions so far, though. Just speak your minds. I appreciate it, and it'll help me decide whether or not we should even use this motif.
I'm with you, though -- the semi-bound angel's wing is my favorite, too.
Also, a direct reference to the band name and title track name is not the express intent. Sometimes a loosely related or seemingly unrelated piece of art can actually get more attention, because some people will want to "figure it out", so to speak.
I'm with you, though -- the semi-bound angel's wing is my favorite, too.
Also, a direct reference to the band name and title track name is not the express intent. Sometimes a loosely related or seemingly unrelated piece of art can actually get more attention, because some people will want to "figure it out", so to speak.
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FJRSTAR
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#2 top row is my favorite one also.
Tim, they all look great, but to me #1 (top left) conveys that feeling of an older album......despite what Poser says....
Hope you have great success with your album.
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Top row center - with second row right as a close second.
+1. The real question is which one, if any, speaks to your target audience in a way that they'll pick it up off a shelf/table and give it a second look. Artistically, they're all pretty cool. The Sabbath and Zepplin covers may have worked in that time/place, but would they work today? How would you define your target audience?
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#4 or #7. The girls are far too wholesome for a rock band CD cover. All that's missing in the first one is Fabio. It looks like a romance novel. 
charrito
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#6 and #9 for me.
I love these types of covers...check out www.rataweb.com.ar. A lot, if not most of their covers are done this way.
I love these types of covers...check out www.rataweb.com.ar. A lot, if not most of their covers are done this way.
aggie81
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The first two evoke memories of early '70s cover art - ergo, I like them a lot. Genesis albums of that era (Nursery Cryme, Foxtrot) used a similar technique.
It's hard to fault number 2. I'll be watching for it at Barnes & Noble. Glad I was able to solve that dilemma for you.
It's hard to fault number 2. I'll be watching for it at Barnes & Noble. Glad I was able to solve that dilemma for you.
RTScott
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I apologize if I sound harsh but they are all kind of a miss to me. If I was perusing the CD section and saw any of those covers none of them would make me want to pick the CD up and give it a look.
And I am a fan of the 70's album cover....Kansas, Genesis and the like but none of these really do it for me.
And I am a fan of the 70's album cover....Kansas, Genesis and the like but none of these really do it for me.
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2 & 6.
Ok, so I went back and looked at the cover of the first Black Sabbath album and the cover of Led Zeppelin IV just to get a frame of reference to what you were after. The Black Sabbath album is definitely very dark in content tone compared to what you have put up here and is more in line with what I'd expect having listened to your music. Most of the albums you have posted are too light and airy and clean. In fact, the only one that comes close to the tone I'd expect is the bottom right, but it's waaaay to busy.
I agree that the first one looks like the cover of a romance novel and is way to effeminate for a rock band. If I had to choose I'd go with either 4 or 6, but I'm with STScott in that none of them would really make me pick up the CD off the shelf unless I were specifically looking for your work.
I also had a guy I work with that helps the guys out in the band rivethead take a look and his sentiments were the same. Hope that helps.
I agree that the first one looks like the cover of a romance novel and is way to effeminate for a rock band. If I had to choose I'd go with either 4 or 6, but I'm with STScott in that none of them would really make me pick up the CD off the shelf unless I were specifically looking for your work.
I also had a guy I work with that helps the guys out in the band rivethead take a look and his sentiments were the same. Hope that helps.
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Of the options, I like seven and eight best. Those most remind me of the album covers you're shooting for. Of course when I see a title like muddy water salvation, I picture a bayou, or something Mark Twain would have written about. Of course, I went straight to the bluesman when I saw the album title. Or you could do something like the swamp in ghost rider. I know it's an Aussie lake, but don't remember it off the top of my head.
Kinda like this
Kinda like this
I suppose this isn't helpful...
Tim
TimI sincerely appreciate all the feedback.
With regard to our target audience, our usual crowd is a mix of men and women from 25 to 55. But that said, I'm not in a position where I must be overly concerned with marketing to a specific demographic. As with the first album, concession sales alone will likely push this project into the black within a few months. From there, everything else will be gravy, with the exception of the small, upfront costs associated with iTunes distribution.
To clarify another question asked, yes, these cover designs obviously all utilize paintings by some of the great symbolists and surrealists of the 16th through 19th centuries -- Goyan, Moreau, etc. The upper left design uses Waterhouse's famous 'Lady of Shalott'. I thought such would be obvious, but I still should've pointed it out. My apologies for any confusion.
Regarding the title 'Muddy Water Salvation', there is a chance that if the top middle design is used (which is likely at this point since it seems to be winning in not only this focus group, but two others), we will name the record after another track on the album, 'Dragon to Feed'. This would be more fitting, I think, because the artwork used is one of William Blake's interpretations of the the red dragon in Revelation 12.
One thing I definitely don't want to do is make the cover look too metal, as we are not a metal band. Rivethead's art direction/director was mentioned, and that type of look is definitely not where we want to go. I feel that overly aggressive or esoteric art might draw too many teens, goths, and emo types on rack sales who would likely get the album home and be pissed off at what they had purchased.
One other note for full disclosure: I picked TWT as a place to test this art because I consider you guys and gals to be generally higher in intelligence than the other smaller focus groups we using (neither of which are online, by the way). TWTers tend to work in professional capacities, have good writing and analytical skills, and also tend to be philosophical thinkers. I also had a feeling I would get more negative and constructive criticisms on TWT because there are a lot of people here who fancy themselves as creative types. That's one of the things I wanted, because I hadn't gotten a lot of anything negative thus far.
So as of right now, the top middle piece is likely the cover, but with a different title. I'll be sure to let everyone know how the project concludes, and again, you have my gratitude.
With regard to our target audience, our usual crowd is a mix of men and women from 25 to 55. But that said, I'm not in a position where I must be overly concerned with marketing to a specific demographic. As with the first album, concession sales alone will likely push this project into the black within a few months. From there, everything else will be gravy, with the exception of the small, upfront costs associated with iTunes distribution.
To clarify another question asked, yes, these cover designs obviously all utilize paintings by some of the great symbolists and surrealists of the 16th through 19th centuries -- Goyan, Moreau, etc. The upper left design uses Waterhouse's famous 'Lady of Shalott'. I thought such would be obvious, but I still should've pointed it out. My apologies for any confusion.
Regarding the title 'Muddy Water Salvation', there is a chance that if the top middle design is used (which is likely at this point since it seems to be winning in not only this focus group, but two others), we will name the record after another track on the album, 'Dragon to Feed'. This would be more fitting, I think, because the artwork used is one of William Blake's interpretations of the the red dragon in Revelation 12.
One thing I definitely don't want to do is make the cover look too metal, as we are not a metal band. Rivethead's art direction/director was mentioned, and that type of look is definitely not where we want to go. I feel that overly aggressive or esoteric art might draw too many teens, goths, and emo types on rack sales who would likely get the album home and be pissed off at what they had purchased.
One other note for full disclosure: I picked TWT as a place to test this art because I consider you guys and gals to be generally higher in intelligence than the other smaller focus groups we using (neither of which are online, by the way). TWTers tend to work in professional capacities, have good writing and analytical skills, and also tend to be philosophical thinkers. I also had a feeling I would get more negative and constructive criticisms on TWT because there are a lot of people here who fancy themselves as creative types. That's one of the things I wanted, because I hadn't gotten a lot of anything negative thus far.
So as of right now, the top middle piece is likely the cover, but with a different title. I'll be sure to let everyone know how the project concludes, and again, you have my gratitude.
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typeface of top center is more readable, too. good luck.