This is an Outrage.

 Would you just look at these? It's amazing what these fake artists will do? Releasing cover album after cover album. Just because you change the style up doesn't mean they are creative people. What really winds me up is the fact that all of these ludicrous LP are being sold, that's right guys these records are being sold by Oxfam online. I am aware that makes them second hand and that someone else may have already covered this. I don't know what else to say. Hammond Organ versions of The Fall? who wants to hear that really. I don't know. I wish these posers would release some original material... RANT OVER!

New Look is the NME Part 2

 In part one, I addressed the my humble opinion on the "new" NME. and one other thing I will like to add;

The is what #NME used to be the #NewMusicalExpress featuring the legend #JohnPeel

A photo posted by James Alexander Reay (@jamuggins) on Oct 8, 2015 at 12:22am PDT

Anyway now I am going to get to the point. (yep it only took a post and a half). In the latter half of my time at NME, I had a look at taking the NME look / redesign NME into my own hands. I was told by one of the other interns that they look cool. I rotated the logo because the new magazine doesn't have to fight for shelf space. I made a bar out of this vertical logo to add all of the features too.

I had a limited typeface choice at NME so landed on Tahoma as the most suitably different typeface to sharp sans (the key font of the old design). I took the effort to make all the features relevant to the time, the redesign would come out and that was a few weeks ago here are the first four issues...give em a click to check them out etc etc etc

Write Down Wednesday: It all feels different

What a pretenious title that is, isn't it? intentionally vague as to trap you into reading my blog. Have I got you hooked? I hope so because you people are busy. Well as you know (or should by now) this is my last year of university as I am scared. Scared for the afterward, the real world & the grade I am going to get. Of course I am that's only natural. But that is not what this is about. I am addressing in the pretentious title the circumstances I am in.

First year was a load of rubbish; met the core of my current friendship group but had to put up with a load of rubbish from half of the 11 people that I shared with. Second year; was better, had a box room but had to put up with rubbish everywhere because people couldn't take bins out when they were full and what's worse is at the end of the year; I needed reinforcements to tidy up the mess my other housemates left. I hope I never have to do that again. It was, to use a smiths album title, "Rank".

Oh, the bins full, better put more rubbish on top of it until someone else empties it. #Doyouevenstudent

A photo posted by James Alexander Reay (@jamuggins) on May 1, 2015 at 4:11am PDT

Excuse me, while I dry my used lasagne pot. #Doyouevenstudent

A photo posted by James Alexander Reay (@jamuggins) on May 1, 2015 at 4:10am PDT

Now this year, is different, I am content. I am over the worst of my mental health issues (sorry to keep bringing that up), I have a massive room and I don't think my work is rubbish (heck, some of it I love). But there is one thing really bugging me. I miss home, my family mainly. and my beautiful girls (dogs). It appears the first two years I was happy to be free but it reaches a point when you wanna make a record (cheap plug for my new solo album project) or a hug or conversation about music (with DJ MAR) or just gossip over a cuppa while putting up with Jezza (Mother), and you can't. My parents drive me insane sometimes but most of the time, they are awesome.

New Look is the NME Part 1

NME, New Musical express, the magazine responsible for my late 00's music obsession. I lived breathed the word of it because it was gospel. I am sure that is blasphemy and as of writing this is a Sunday so oops. Anyway it was all good and the the 10's came along and the awesomeness dropped a little bit although it did have a good start with a beautiful redesign and one of my favourite photos.

The next redesign was nice but was not what I was used to so felt to different to get attached and the content felt so watered down to you could take a bath in it. and now it looks mega modern (rather attractive) but instead of just watered down journalism and opinion it is filled with adverts. Worse than that it has "celebrities" in it's pages. Alt journalism meant you had an obscure indie band on the front. (see above or just google NME and you will see what I mean.) I understand some decisions had to be made to make the free version viable but this...

...is not NME. Just because it says it is doesn't mean it is. The spirit is dead. The ideals are long gone. "Indie" is dead, long live independent music.

Youth, depression and Northern

Youth Focus NE must love me, I came up with an idea/concept for some mental health promotion and they let me follow it through within their brand guidelines (colours and typefaces). I also granted them the freedom to use them as and when they want too. All of the photos are free to use for both home and commercial use which is lavely to hear, as I won't be sued. So that's all good.

I do this for charities and more often than not for mental health charities because of my connection with them. There needs to be more awareness of the mental health of young people. One of my up and coming Write Down Wednesdays is a post written for a Young Minds zine/blog because prior to my experience with it, I knew depression was a think just didn't think it could happen to me.

Smint of the Times

the first project back from the summer was on Smints. Smints! We thought as a class thought it was a naff idea but with limited scope and limited time, we had to come up with it quickly.

Apparently idea generation only takes an hour. It took a little longer to come up with my concept but it ended up getting a good grade, a 65 is a good grade. The idea is based on the universal language of road signs and that even non drivers understand some of the at least. It is a campaign aimed at creative people and these people are visual so sought to put two and two together.

Below are the edited versions of the ones that I handed. These are the updated versions, these are less shouty (the originals were all in full caps), there wasn't a reference to link the Smint shape to the road sign shape & I have shrunk the elements on the bottom so they look more cohesive.

It is also a competition on le facebooks for money and prime london advertising space for your advert. I am aware this is technically an advert and I am falling into the trap but money. that is all.

PS  VOTE FOR ME (IF YOU HAVE FACEBOOK) 

Wednesday's Weekly Write Down; Men Plus Lists Equals Happiness

Is any "top" list ever definitive? Can opinion ever be universally accepted that these things are the best of a certain category? It is kinda accepted that men do love a good list, or so I've read, and I am a man who loves lists so yeah I can believe this. My favourite of all the lists, is albums/singles of the year. I ususally buy the NME at the end of the year regardless of it's opinion just to see what I've missed or to complain that Kanye West is too high in the list.

But I have been compiling my own lists for a while now. I did do a best songs of all time disc when my dad did his and been unhappy with most of it ever since. So I bought a little blue book from Sainsburys (other super markets are available and started again. Using the first list as the basis. I also started doing albums in the back the other day too, just for balance. I am more of an album man, but some bands never really suited albums; Pet Shop Boys, Suede & T-rex. Some bands never suited singles, Mainly Pink Floyd, this is true of many others I am sure.

I can hear you're call, "James, we want to see some of them" and It would be silly not too. I am up for an open debate about the merits of each of the songs and albums as long as in conclusion, I will be declared right. Thats just the way it is. Firstly is the singles; you may have to click to enlarge them to read the tunes on there.

Albums I have just started so I only have one page for your viewing pleasure. I think to think of myself as having a vast taste, despite me having a little distaste for country music, Folk music is good in small doses & as far as Dubstep goes I don't think there will be an album as a must go too. I would also like to take this last sentence to say; the album will never die as an idea; there are people who will always like to sit alone in a room, no distractions and just listen for 40+ minutes to some music.

T = tea

The hot drink that I was brought up on, the hot drink I have loved for years & the go to drink of choice when I just wanna chill. But what do you call it? Cuppa or a Cup of Tea? I decided to do some branding for a fictional tea house.

Using the common sense that the capital letter t is said like tea, it's a very simplistic design in that sense. the shadow just seems to bring it out a little more. below is the promo stuff; order book, business cards, menu and poster. I would love just a Tea house, as much as I love coffee too. lots of quaint decorative tea pots of all shapes/sizes and mugs. The best way to drink tea. and Jazz, cool Jazz while you drink perfectly brewed Tea.

Wednesday's Weekly Write Down; Moving On In

This is as you may or may not know is my final year of university and on Sunday I moved into my new student house. Into a room you can swing a cat around in (not that I would want to). It is a beautiful little set of flats above a William Hill (other bookies are available), it feels like it is further away from uni but I am sure it isn't gonna be too bad.

I am a big fan of the odd furniture in the room; a brand new wardrobe, a vintage cabinet with folding doors (who thought that was a good idea), a smoggy two seater sofa, a wobbly computer desk & a solid set of draws that contrast the flimsy nature of the desk. What's most amazing is this is standard in all rooms so they must of got a job lot of each of the units. How do you find groups of such odd furniture I will never know.

It's a double bed two which is massive in comparison to what I am used too so if you don't see me for a couple of days I have gotten lost on my big bed. Just a warning to those who normally see me on a daily basis.

Communication Breakdown; Motown Style

 

 

Imagine doing four different flyer designs for four different events (16 designs in total) and in the end you only really needed to do four different flyers designs for all four events (4 designs in total). That is exactly what happened to my new Client; the Chester Le Street Soul Club. After my message sitting in their inbox for a few months, I got a reply and hurried to make some sexy looking designs to impress.

The client was using templates for flyers and mod based imagery on the facebook page so as a rebrand concept I stripped the colours away and went for high contrast imagery of the soul stars they spin on a regular basis. I had to cover the range of soul music; Stax (Otis Redding/Aretha Franklin) & Motown (The Supremes/Martha Reeves) as well as all of the other various labels who put out Soul (Phillies, United Artists, Atlanic). It's a broad church.

Happy Birthday Dad

 Most of my friends think I am normal but I will tell you one thing my parents don't, every birthday or christmas, they fear my present presentation. It will be wrapped up in newspaper or political propaganda because I think wrapping paper is a scam (paper just to be ripped & binned). They do like a good card though and this is this years card for my dad because he likes them heavily blogged "Swissted" gig posters. However because I make my own cards, I didn't have an envelope to fit it so I sealed it in 2 sheets of card & sellotape.