A la Masum Khan.
Jamie
Sunday 31 October 2010
Thursday 28 October 2010
I went walkin' with Ma.
Jamie
Cool piece of DOOVD Design.
Jamie
Friday 15 October 2010
BATMEEEN.
I did spend a good hour writing a post about the latest Batman 3 news of Tom Hardy being cast as 'the villian', and how it would be a bad move if he turned out to be 'The Riddler' which is the biggest rumour going round. I mentioned that Joseph Gordon - Levitt would be more suited to the role.
But then it dawned on me.
The more I wrote about how Tom Hardy isn't suited for 'The Riddler' role (He's a great actor don't get me wrong, I was going on a purely superficial note, he doesn't look at all like the typical evil genius archetype) the more I grew to the idea of him being 'The Riddler'. It's a genius idea! Remember how everyone was quick to dismiss Heath Ledger as the Joker because he was good looking and generally a goody-too-shoes but when photos came out with him in make up as the Joker everyone was very quick to change their opinion (Myself included). Tom Hardy is very good at playing intense characters, imagine the same intensity he portrays in films like when he was in Star Trek and Bronson, and put that on top of 'The Riddler' character whose constant need to out smart Batman is his driven nature. Now on top of that, imagine slapping on that purple bandana thing across his eyes and slicking back his hair, in that green one-piece suit, with an evil smirk and a crazy laugh. He'll be immense!
So I've come to the conclusion he'll probably play 'The Riddler' and I'll be happy with that. Although if these other rumours of JGL being cast too in the film, I reckon he'll be Robin. Who's with me on that?
Also, as a back up, if Tom Hardy doesn't end up playing 'The Riddler', my money is on him playing Dr Freeze. Mainly because he always (Okay only about 3 times) plays a bald guy and does it very very well. You know you can see it too... Also another good shout would be the villian Clayface, a good looking actor mutated into the all forming all shaping Clayface. Hmm.
TTFN
Jamie away!
But then it dawned on me.
The more I wrote about how Tom Hardy isn't suited for 'The Riddler' role (He's a great actor don't get me wrong, I was going on a purely superficial note, he doesn't look at all like the typical evil genius archetype) the more I grew to the idea of him being 'The Riddler'. It's a genius idea! Remember how everyone was quick to dismiss Heath Ledger as the Joker because he was good looking and generally a goody-too-shoes but when photos came out with him in make up as the Joker everyone was very quick to change their opinion (Myself included). Tom Hardy is very good at playing intense characters, imagine the same intensity he portrays in films like when he was in Star Trek and Bronson, and put that on top of 'The Riddler' character whose constant need to out smart Batman is his driven nature. Now on top of that, imagine slapping on that purple bandana thing across his eyes and slicking back his hair, in that green one-piece suit, with an evil smirk and a crazy laugh. He'll be immense!
So I've come to the conclusion he'll probably play 'The Riddler' and I'll be happy with that. Although if these other rumours of JGL being cast too in the film, I reckon he'll be Robin. Who's with me on that?
Also, as a back up, if Tom Hardy doesn't end up playing 'The Riddler', my money is on him playing Dr Freeze. Mainly because he always (Okay only about 3 times) plays a bald guy and does it very very well. You know you can see it too... Also another good shout would be the villian Clayface, a good looking actor mutated into the all forming all shaping Clayface. Hmm.
TTFN
Jamie away!
Wednesday 13 October 2010
Friday 8 October 2010
12 Albums.
I was going to do a 'Top 10 albums of all time' but not only is this incredibly hard - to choose favourites and the hierarchy of them, it inevitably raises debates of taste with some narrow minded people refusing to accept the fact that you like 'The Darkness' (That didn't mean to sound catty but I think you get the jist of what I mean).
Anywho, the following list is of 12 albums that, for me, I can always come back to listen to, triggering memories and events, as well as shaping my musical taste and my creative side to some extent. A favourite hobbie of mine used to be to lie on my bed, listen to an album on my CD player with the volume quite loud, drawing away in my sketchbooks.
They're not in any particular order at all, that would be way too hard. I'll say a bit about each and have a hyperlink so you can sample the album if you haven't come across it already.
1) Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II - This was the first Zeppelin album I ever listened to, Dad got it for me when I was about 11 I think? It was immense with 'Whole Lotta Love' being the opening track which I did recognize instantly from the old Top Of The Pops intro. Solid album with 'Moby Dick', 'Living Loving Maid (She's just a Woman)' and 'Bring It Home' being my favourites, the rest of them are really good too don't get me wrong. I've always come across people saying 'Led Zeppelin IV' is the best album, but for me this is the best by far.
2) The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Electric Ladyland - Oh he has to have a Jimi album doesn't he! How typical! Shush. Have you listened to this album?! Amazing album, truly is. My Dad had this one back from day so I used to ask if I could listen to it, run upstairs and be amazed by the 'talking' guitars and just raw passion of it. Phwoar.
3) Foo Fighters - One By One - If an album could describe an age in my life, this would be my 16th for sure. This first got my attention when I saw the video for 'Low' with Dave Grohl and Jack Black which came on a a Creative Review DVD - great video, so dark and funny, hadn't quite seen a music video like it before. So I bought the album based on that song, and to my amazement it was just full of rockin' songs, their best album by a mile.
4) LCD Soundsystem - LCD Soundsystem - A few of you that know me well will know I really like LCD. Or more recently, I've getting annoyed at all the 'Hipsters' starting to like them
just because it's 'cool'. I hate you hipsters! LCD is all about layering in my opinion, building upon a slow tempo and adding another layer of music onto the next, not in an obvious manner either, that's the great thing it's very subtle. Throughout all their songs, repetition is a key element (as is with most songs out there but hear me out) this is how they're able to build their layers and progress from from one tempo to the next, creating a rhythm and manipulating it. More popular songs such 'Daft Punk Is Playing At My House' and 'Tribulations' have a great bass-y and electro feel to it. Very uncommon style to hear of when they first came and only a few have been able to mimic something similar. Also, on top of all this with the unconventional vocals of James Murphy makes for memorable tracks, just because they're so different.
5) Stereophonics - Just Enough Education To Perform - A really nice album with a bunch of their classics before they got 'over-rocky' in my opinion. The song, 'Mr Writer' is really under-rated as one of their bests I think, it's really different from a lot of their stuff because it's a bit more dark. Although everyone does enjoy 'Have a nice day' and 'Good to be out'.
6) Franz Ferdinand - Frank Ferdinand - This was another album where I came across their music videos first then bought the album. 'Take Me Out' is an amazing video and I remember being awe-struck at the creative effort that had gone into it, really stood out from the rest with it's clever use of animation. Plus it was a tune, the whole album is, and I do agree, they definitely made girls dance to indie music. I also think that they have always been ahead of their time. I've been listening to their albums again recently and I do think they could of easily come out now and still be a hit. Great second album too, it's almost like a narrative, a story does flow from song to song. Owh they should release another album.
7) Juliana Hatfield - Only Everything - Another from the 'Dad collection', an American singer/songwriter, had a couple of albums out and was quite popular for the US Indie scene in the early 90's. I started listening to her when I was about 15, I really liked the punk attitude of the guitars and her voice ( I don't mean like proper punk, just a slight edge to it, ya know?). It's enjoyable and it was great at the teenage angst stage. I do feel 15 when I listen to this album. Time traveling album!
8) Gorillaz - Gorillaz - I remember this coming out when I was in Year 7 (so when I was about 12). 'Clint Eastwood' was an amazing hybrid of a song and yet again I was amazed at the music video animation and this Cartoon band who were designed by the legend that is Jamie Hewlett, I loved it. I remember for an Art project we had to design a theatre poster a la Toulouse Lautrec and I did mine for Gorillaz. I still have it, it's behind me as I type this. Although the album is fairly good I think I was more in love with the idea of cartoon characters coming to life to make songs, with my vivid imagination just taking over. In a way I wish Damon Albarn didn't make himself known through them, I liked the mysterious element of knowing it was him singing, but it wasn't him, it was 2D of Gorillaz. As soon as he made it more obvious it was him, it became about him. Like 'Damon Albarn and Friends'. So it became his elaborate project, and he has taken it far by all means and done well with them, making a theatre production, various other projects and solid albums, the newest, 'Plastic Beach' is pretty good. I just get too attached to my cartoon characters!
9) Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory - I actually first listened this via my younger brother, his friends were getting into 'Papa Roach' and 'Linkin Park' so he got their latest album, and it was unlike anything I've heard before in terms of mixing genres of music. Great rapping over heavy and melodic tunes, it's just clever music.
10) The Killers - Hot Fuss - Pioneers in 00's Indie rock music, developing from Franz Ferdinand in the sense of making music that could be danced to and be good, enjoyable rock music too. I think they've only be labelled as 'Indie' because it's not full on rock, which is fair enough but a some-what misleading tag for them if you ask me. Another album where all the sings are great, powerful songs with memorable lyrics (always good really isn't it?). Almost said ballad-eque there but that could be exaggerating a bit there! Hopefully you know what I mean. Plus Brandon Flowers is quite the cool chap. Although no the new solo stuff, just sounds like Killers Mk. II and not in an exciting way.
11) Sum 41 - All Killer No Filler - This is probably my proper teenage angst album, so full energy and 'punk' with a 'yeah rock on!' type attitude. This album really sold the idea of America to me for some reason, when I was a young teenager I really wanted to live in America because it seemed so cool at the time in High Schools with all the necessary shinnagens that you would get up to, Sum 41 mainly fueling this for me. Like I said it's a lively album with catchy tunes, anyone who really likes any sort of rock would of love this album when it came out.
12) Velvet Underground & Nico - Velvet Underground - Ha another 'Dad' one, I was about 13 I think and this came about when I heard the opening of 'Venus in Furs' on 'Never mind the Buzzcocks' when they were doing the guess the song bit, when they revealed the real song, I said to my Dad I really wanted to hear the rest. He said he had the album, and brought it to my room upstairs saying "Don't tell your mum you're listening to this" I didn't quite get why he said that at the time. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Velvet Underground and in particular the song 'Venus in furs' written by Lou Reed actually, it's based on a book about sadomasochism, bondage and submission. At that age I didn't quite get that, mainly because I had a habit which I still sometimes do of just listening to the music and not the lyrics at all. But yeah, I caught the REAL meaning behind the song when I was about 15 and I was like "Ooooooooooooh". The rest of the album is really interesting, some creepy songs and some chilled out songs, 'Black Angels Death song' is particularly good.
So yeah, those are probably my favourite 12 albums that I would come back to each time and (touch wood) never get bored of.
TTFN
Jamie
Anywho, the following list is of 12 albums that, for me, I can always come back to listen to, triggering memories and events, as well as shaping my musical taste and my creative side to some extent. A favourite hobbie of mine used to be to lie on my bed, listen to an album on my CD player with the volume quite loud, drawing away in my sketchbooks.
They're not in any particular order at all, that would be way too hard. I'll say a bit about each and have a hyperlink so you can sample the album if you haven't come across it already.
1) Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin II - This was the first Zeppelin album I ever listened to, Dad got it for me when I was about 11 I think? It was immense with 'Whole Lotta Love' being the opening track which I did recognize instantly from the old Top Of The Pops intro. Solid album with 'Moby Dick', 'Living Loving Maid (She's just a Woman)' and 'Bring It Home' being my favourites, the rest of them are really good too don't get me wrong. I've always come across people saying 'Led Zeppelin IV' is the best album, but for me this is the best by far.
2) The Jimi Hendrix Experience - Electric Ladyland - Oh he has to have a Jimi album doesn't he! How typical! Shush. Have you listened to this album?! Amazing album, truly is. My Dad had this one back from day so I used to ask if I could listen to it, run upstairs and be amazed by the 'talking' guitars and just raw passion of it. Phwoar.
3) Foo Fighters - One By One - If an album could describe an age in my life, this would be my 16th for sure. This first got my attention when I saw the video for 'Low' with Dave Grohl and Jack Black which came on a a Creative Review DVD - great video, so dark and funny, hadn't quite seen a music video like it before. So I bought the album based on that song, and to my amazement it was just full of rockin' songs, their best album by a mile.
4) LCD Soundsystem - LCD Soundsystem - A few of you that know me well will know I really like LCD. Or more recently, I've getting annoyed at all the 'Hipsters' starting to like them
just because it's 'cool'. I hate you hipsters! LCD is all about layering in my opinion, building upon a slow tempo and adding another layer of music onto the next, not in an obvious manner either, that's the great thing it's very subtle. Throughout all their songs, repetition is a key element (as is with most songs out there but hear me out) this is how they're able to build their layers and progress from from one tempo to the next, creating a rhythm and manipulating it. More popular songs such 'Daft Punk Is Playing At My House' and 'Tribulations' have a great bass-y and electro feel to it. Very uncommon style to hear of when they first came and only a few have been able to mimic something similar. Also, on top of all this with the unconventional vocals of James Murphy makes for memorable tracks, just because they're so different.
5) Stereophonics - Just Enough Education To Perform - A really nice album with a bunch of their classics before they got 'over-rocky' in my opinion. The song, 'Mr Writer' is really under-rated as one of their bests I think, it's really different from a lot of their stuff because it's a bit more dark. Although everyone does enjoy 'Have a nice day' and 'Good to be out'.
6) Franz Ferdinand - Frank Ferdinand - This was another album where I came across their music videos first then bought the album. 'Take Me Out' is an amazing video and I remember being awe-struck at the creative effort that had gone into it, really stood out from the rest with it's clever use of animation. Plus it was a tune, the whole album is, and I do agree, they definitely made girls dance to indie music. I also think that they have always been ahead of their time. I've been listening to their albums again recently and I do think they could of easily come out now and still be a hit. Great second album too, it's almost like a narrative, a story does flow from song to song. Owh they should release another album.
7) Juliana Hatfield - Only Everything - Another from the 'Dad collection', an American singer/songwriter, had a couple of albums out and was quite popular for the US Indie scene in the early 90's. I started listening to her when I was about 15, I really liked the punk attitude of the guitars and her voice ( I don't mean like proper punk, just a slight edge to it, ya know?). It's enjoyable and it was great at the teenage angst stage. I do feel 15 when I listen to this album. Time traveling album!
8) Gorillaz - Gorillaz - I remember this coming out when I was in Year 7 (so when I was about 12). 'Clint Eastwood' was an amazing hybrid of a song and yet again I was amazed at the music video animation and this Cartoon band who were designed by the legend that is Jamie Hewlett, I loved it. I remember for an Art project we had to design a theatre poster a la Toulouse Lautrec and I did mine for Gorillaz. I still have it, it's behind me as I type this. Although the album is fairly good I think I was more in love with the idea of cartoon characters coming to life to make songs, with my vivid imagination just taking over. In a way I wish Damon Albarn didn't make himself known through them, I liked the mysterious element of knowing it was him singing, but it wasn't him, it was 2D of Gorillaz. As soon as he made it more obvious it was him, it became about him. Like 'Damon Albarn and Friends'. So it became his elaborate project, and he has taken it far by all means and done well with them, making a theatre production, various other projects and solid albums, the newest, 'Plastic Beach' is pretty good. I just get too attached to my cartoon characters!
9) Linkin Park - Hybrid Theory - I actually first listened this via my younger brother, his friends were getting into 'Papa Roach' and 'Linkin Park' so he got their latest album, and it was unlike anything I've heard before in terms of mixing genres of music. Great rapping over heavy and melodic tunes, it's just clever music.
10) The Killers - Hot Fuss - Pioneers in 00's Indie rock music, developing from Franz Ferdinand in the sense of making music that could be danced to and be good, enjoyable rock music too. I think they've only be labelled as 'Indie' because it's not full on rock, which is fair enough but a some-what misleading tag for them if you ask me. Another album where all the sings are great, powerful songs with memorable lyrics (always good really isn't it?). Almost said ballad-eque there but that could be exaggerating a bit there! Hopefully you know what I mean. Plus Brandon Flowers is quite the cool chap. Although no the new solo stuff, just sounds like Killers Mk. II and not in an exciting way.
11) Sum 41 - All Killer No Filler - This is probably my proper teenage angst album, so full energy and 'punk' with a 'yeah rock on!' type attitude. This album really sold the idea of America to me for some reason, when I was a young teenager I really wanted to live in America because it seemed so cool at the time in High Schools with all the necessary shinnagens that you would get up to, Sum 41 mainly fueling this for me. Like I said it's a lively album with catchy tunes, anyone who really likes any sort of rock would of love this album when it came out.
12) Velvet Underground & Nico - Velvet Underground - Ha another 'Dad' one, I was about 13 I think and this came about when I heard the opening of 'Venus in Furs' on 'Never mind the Buzzcocks' when they were doing the guess the song bit, when they revealed the real song, I said to my Dad I really wanted to hear the rest. He said he had the album, and brought it to my room upstairs saying "Don't tell your mum you're listening to this" I didn't quite get why he said that at the time. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Velvet Underground and in particular the song 'Venus in furs' written by Lou Reed actually, it's based on a book about sadomasochism, bondage and submission. At that age I didn't quite get that, mainly because I had a habit which I still sometimes do of just listening to the music and not the lyrics at all. But yeah, I caught the REAL meaning behind the song when I was about 15 and I was like "Ooooooooooooh". The rest of the album is really interesting, some creepy songs and some chilled out songs, 'Black Angels Death song' is particularly good.
So yeah, those are probably my favourite 12 albums that I would come back to each time and (touch wood) never get bored of.
TTFN
Jamie
Tuesday 5 October 2010
Sunday 3 October 2010
'What's going on 'ere?'
This was another T-shirt design I wanted to do, took me quite a while. I have to say as well, doing this digitally was so much easier. I was able to shrink down the sheriff character very easily as originally I did him really big and realized that it didn't look that great. But yeah I'm pleased with the amount of effort I put into this, feels very rewarding! I've been experimenting more and more with my little characters, giving them hair and facial hair in particular, this is solely to give them a personable quality but still hold the principle idea that everyone is the same etc.
Jamie
'Complaint Book'.
This is based on an old idea of when I used to work in Odeon cinema, there was a complaint book that was lurking about, it had never being taken seriously with numerous fake complaints submitted by myself and fellow work colleagues. This is one I did. I thought I would make a digital version of it. It looks alright - I think prefer the hand drawn version in the book, this could be developed further to make it more effective.
Jamie
'Rogue Comma'
Originally this was a design for a T-shirt, but I think it can stand by itself as a design anyway.
Jamie
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