Midsummer Mixtape

Here's a special mixtape treat from John Madden Sex Tape. It consists of some recent summery favorites, both new and old. Perfect to leave on at work, mellow enough for a BBQ, and upbeat enough for a dance party at the end. One month of summer left, enjoy it.

Download here.

(ultra special alternate album cover with download)

Running Time_48:17

Set list:

Motherly_Shutterbugs

Treasure_Canada

Wild Nothing_Chinatown

Paul Simon_Proof

Ruby Suns_Cranberry

Animal Collective_What Would I Want? Sky

Washed Out_New Theory

Ariel Pink_Round and Round

Bananarama_Cruel Summer

Vampire Weekend_Run

Yeasayer_One

Tanlines_Real Life

El Guincho_Bombay

High Life Gets A Redesign

Mike and I were talking about logos and things of that sort the last time he was in NYC and Miller High Life came up. We both agreed that it was a job well done, and then continued to drink our respective beers which weren't High Life. Still not completely a fan of the beer, but I will say that the new look has suckered me in and I've bought High Life more often since the redesign. Read a short write-up here at the Dieline. Maybe others will follow suit and ditch the glassed over swoosh effect that has taken over for the past decade or so. Doubt it.

Wings+Sails Update

Just a little update for those of you inquiring about the Gold Mold/Smolder split. Packaging is done and done. We're working on getting everything in order online and it will be released sometime next week. It will be downloadable for free and there will some extra goodies in there with the download (remember secret songs?). The cassette will also be available for purchase, and will be well worth your order (again, more goodies. I hate that word now). And to help celebrate this little collaboration between Eric and I, we'll be having a show/bbq at the end of August. It will be at my backyard/basement and will be a night of awesomeness, that is for surely. We have some cool ideas in the works.

Here's a preview and the first track from my side:

Wings+Sails preview by Smolder

Plunder by Smolder

Currently Listening: The Kinks

My mom sent me this link. She's the best.

Currently Listening: New Interpol?

Actually, just Motorama from Russia who sounds like Interpol at their most dance heavy moments. Saying that this album is a good hold over until Interpol's release in September is completely selling them short, but it is making me thirsty for some cold moody Interpol which I think will be perfect once fall arrives. So until then, watch four dudes and a cute russian girl in a sweater hang out in a field, and let the line "I am slow slow slow slow slowly dying" get stuck in your head--I've been singing it for days now.

motorama - alps from no-no-please on Vimeo.

Take advantage of their generosity and download some songs for free here. Well worth your time.

DR001: Smolder, Audrey

I'm proud to announce the digital release of some new material I've been working on. Where as earlier songs were live or composed from early recordings and then spliced and tweaked around, this release is me actually sitting down and recording in front of my computer. Feels good starting from scratch again. I'm not sure if I'm planning on doing another digital release soon, but expect a full album late summer/early autumn. Playing live is also in the works as well.

The first song is called "Audrey" and the second is a cover of "Love Me Tender" by Elvis Presley (which you can think of as the b-side to the single). I don't normally sing and probably won't on future songs (audibly, at least), but I thought I'd give it a try so bare with me. I had the idea to cover this song after hearing it on the radio at 6:00 AM when the sun was coming up and I tried to get that same feeling across in the song. The album artwork is from some old polaroids I found at my grandmas house and the girl in the photos is actually my aunt. I like that there's some meaning behind them as opposed to using an old photo of someone I don't even know. Hope you enjoy it.

Listen and download for free at Bandcamp

(Listening with good speakers or headphones is recommended. There are some low frequencies that don't come across well on laptop speakers.)

Recently found these photos I shot for Color's Rolling Perspective show a few years back. I remember shooting these on my lunch break and then immediately dropping the roll off to get developed and scanned.

I've always been a huge nerd for looking at peoples workspaces and their home office environment. Especially now that I do all my work from home instead of an office, this is even more true. So naturally, when I came across Deskography I was really excited. You can basically spend hours looking at peoples desks, it's dangerous and definitely hasn't helped with my ADD problem I've acquired from working at home.

And speaking of working spaces, I enjoyed this interview with James Teo who works from his home office. I like what he says about morning rituals and how it helps to have "work" and "off-work t shirts."

Space Invader and Shepard Fairey get a nod in the newest Futurama episode. Funny stuff.

My friend Allen sent me this link a few weeks ago and I've been meaning to post it. Grey skate mag is from London and printed their first issue recently. Check their site here, and read a review from Good Old Fashioned Print, here.

Pretty rad stuff.
Also, if you're in NYC, check out the closing reception for Full Bleed.

RSVP here.

Really digging the illustration work of Will Scobie.

Love is like a bottle of gin

What is it about vintage footage and The Magnetic Fields that always go so perfect together? Whatever it is, this is the best that I've seen.

Started dubbing tapes for the Wings+Sails cassette. Tedious to say the least. I'll post a picture of the packaging as soon as I get a few done. The cassette will be available as a digital download as well, but then you won't have the ability to say that you have a really cool blue cassette with really awesome music on it. You can preview all of the tracks at the same time below, which I must say, sounds rad in its own right.

Wings+Sails preview by Smolder

Some recent black & white stuff:

Recently Purchased: Tabu Licorice

I picked up this tin of licorice full on knowing that I wouldn't like it because I generally don't like licorice, but I bought it anyway just for the packaging. Caffe Capri, located down the block from me, has a whole slew of imported products from Italy and this tin has been catching my eye every morning. Now this isn't a new cafe pretending to be euro and selling something over priced and imported just for the sake of it, these people are actually old and Italian and it feels like I'm hanging out with my relatives when I walk in there. Not to mention, they make the best iced coffee ever. But anyway, on to the licorice.

Great logo, color and type all around. Now it's time to open it up.

Turns out you have to twist it to open, and it has an opening just big enough to fit one or two pieces through. Clever.

And just like I thought, I didn't like them. Just not my thing. They look and taste a little like mouse turds, but I still love the packaging.

Edit: Also, just stumbled upon this ridiculously racist Tabu commercial on the YouTube:

Brian Lotti, Memory Screened

Memory Screened has an interview up with Brian Lotti about his new board company, Telegraph. They talk graphics and what the future plans for the company are. Pretty refreshing and more artsy oriented stuff. Sort of reminds me of the more freeform early Stereo graphics. This video is chuckle-worthy as well.

Read the interview here.