Category Archives: album

WTF Album Covers: Bored Housewife

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Bored Housewife are a lo-fi punk band from Belfast. This album cover for “Too Horny To Sleep, Too Tired To Wank” is definitely a major winner for the band if they have the following goals:

1. To sell NO ALBUMS

2. To actively encourage people NOT TO BUY THIS ALBUM

3. To show the world just how indifferent they are to their own music.

The philosophy that’s always informed a band’s inclusion into the Turntabling WTF Bad Album Cover Hall of Shame is that an album cover has one important purpose–to sell the music and make people interested in hearing what’s on the record, CD, etc.

Sometimes that’s accomplished by making the album mysterious–a solid color field or deliberately non-representational artwork. Sometimes the artwork is so complex that it takes ages to figure out just what the hell is happening on the cover.

And then…there’s crap like this. I gotta hand it to them, they’ve certainly conveyed that the band doesn’t give a toss.  What? That’s NOT what you were trying to say at all? Well, stranger, from a newcomer to your music…

I hate to be the arsehole in the room about stuff like this, I really do. The real tragedy about this particular album cover is that if they had just left off the stick figure and let the cover fly with JUST the grungey cardboard/particle board packaging it would have been 100% more effective.

But I’m just this dumb vinyl junkie, what do I know? Continue reading WTF Album Covers: Bored Housewife →

Turntabling in HorrorHound Magazine #26

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by Joe Wallace

Turntabling readers who are also fans of HorrorHound Magazine will discover a little surprise in issue 26. On pages 50 and 51, you’ll find my article, The Sounds of Argento discussing the Italian Hitchcock’s work with Ennio Morricone, Goblin, and Keith Emerson. It’s the first of a two-part series and I’m very pleased to appear in the pages of HorrorHound, which just celebrated its five-year anniversary.

Issue 26 of HorrorHound hits the newsstand at a great time–HorrorHound Weekend in Cincinnati is November 12-14 and Turntabling will be there with plenty of rare soundtracks, vintage vinyl and many other goodies. Many thanks to HorrorHound magazine for hosting Turntabling–both in print and at the show.

And lest you think I only want you to read HH for the soundtrack info, you should know that issue 26 is crammed full of other goodness including the Psycho retrospective. It’s great to see a modern horror mag that devotes much space to more “modern” films giving Hitchcock his due.

Personally, my favorite parts of HorrorHound Magazine are the regular Video Invasion and Kitley’s Krypt features. Those two alone are well worth the cover price. Grab a copy from your favorite bookseller today and see what I mean.

Continue reading Turntabling in HorrorHound Magazine #26 →

WTF Album Covers: Morrissey Get Rich Or Die Tryin’

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When the PR spin doctors couldn’t live up to the courage of their convictions with the original gun-totin’ 50 Cent image for Get Rich Or Die Tryin’, they took the most spineless, cheesy route possible to save their wretched little movie–they swapped the gangsta thuggin gun visuals for the pic on the left–Curtis Jackson holding a cute little tyke instead.

“Awwww” you say. “Just look at that sweet little kiddo! Curtis Jackson might carry a pistol, but at least he won’t let the kid use it as a pacifier.”

It was shameless. It was corny. It worked. Even though poor 50 Cent had to endure the shame of the sort of spin doctoring usually reserved for Republican senators caught with their hands on the interns, he not only ended up no worse for the wear, he might have actually become a major influence for older, less relevant crooners who can’t…quite…command…the attention of the media and buying public the way they used to.

Case in point: Morrissey, who could be the very very first case of “me too” crossover from alt. rock to hip hop imagery. Is Moz trying to score points with 50 Cent’s audience? Is this the very first “aging rocker versus rap” feud? Perhaps Morrissey and Fiddy will engage in some kind of DJ battle, rap-off or…um, croon-off.

Probably not. But it would be damn amusing if they did. Behold Morrissey’s attempt to cash in on the baby pic image, which is somehow as disturbing as the possibility that he might try to guest-rap on the next 50 Cent single.

Continue reading WTF Album Covers: Morrissey Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ →

Adam and Joe’s Record Store Guide

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I have no idea who Adam and Joe are, but they know their music shops…pretty damn funny, though there are sure to be a few “take me seriously” types reading this who will get offended because they have no sense of humor about their amusing record shop habits. My favorite part of this vid is all the bogus names for electronica genres. “Ambient Nutsack” and “Hardcore German Housewives”…PRICELESS.

Click on the image to view the clip--couldn’t embed it here as the creators don’t allow it, but well worth the time unless you’re one of those dour clubby types nursing a perpetual hangover and nic fit.

–Joe Wallace Continue reading Adam and Joe’s Record Store Guide →