Friday, November 21, 2008

Awesome Photoshop Tutorial


This is a great photoshop tutorial on how to create awesome half-tone gig poster imagery. Check it out at:

http://psdtuts.com/tutorials/photo-effects-tutorials/design-a-high-impact-gig-poster-suitable-for-screen-printing/



Underated Band of the Week: Sunny Day Real Estate

This weeks criminally underrated band: Sunny Day Real Estate. In 1994 an album came out that changed the lives of many people - that album was "Diary", and it's quality remains undiminished. The first two songs on the album - "Seven" and "In Circles" are incredibly powerful - the rhythm section of Nate Mendel (bass) and William Goldsmith (drums) are one of the best in rock history, and on the two opening songs that power is on brilliant display. A couple years later Sunny Day came out with "The Pink Album" (as fans call it due to the plain pink packaging), which is one of the best albums of the 1990's. Jeremy Enigk's lyrics are difficult to decipher as they bob and weave with the angular musical formations. There is something so very heartbreaking about every moment of this album, a tender, fragile, beauty that exists even in the most intense raging squalls of guitar. This record was, and is, incredibly meaningful to me - it seemed to pull emotions from me that I hadn't realized were there.

Sunny Day broke up after "The Pink Album", then got back together for a couple more records and a live set, all of which were great. In 2000 the band released their final album, "The Rising Tide". I saw them on that tour, and they put on one of the best shows I have ever seen in my life - tight, explosive, moving. I went to the show with my good old friend Tim Horenziak, who has a kind of bizarre sense of humor asked Jeremy Enigk a surreal question which prompted security to rush the band away. This was really, really funny and a moment I will never forget.


Anyway, here is a live clip from that same tour. Enjoy.