Recommended Books

Cover Art By: New Music Graphics

(2008) Adrian Shaughnessy

In the age of the MP3, a record's sleeve or CD's cover is an often overlooked part of a recording. Yet the art that girds an album has the potential to be a critical part of the experience a recording creates as a whole. Toronto band Hooded Fang commissioned Honest Ed's sign painter Dougie Kerr to create the cover and liner notes for their latest album for instance, and in doing so tapped into the kitchy familiarity of one of the city's best loved landmarks. Likewise, Andy Warhol's images for the covers of the Rolling Stone's Sticky Fingers or the Velvet Underground's The Velvet Underground & Nico are as associated with these bands artistic legacies as many of their songs.
In his book Cover Art By:, Adrian Shaughnessy showcases the work of 31 artists whose album art transcends mere packaging for a CD, and instead compliments or even augments the artistry of the music it contains.

Start & Run Your Own Record Label: Winning Marketing Strategies for Today's Music Industry

(2009) Daylle Deanna Schwartz

Do you love music, and long to be part of the scene, but the idea of getting up on stage just isn't your thing? Why not start your very own record label then! Industry insider Daylle Deanna Schwartz's comprehensive guide offers tips on getting your label off the ground, finding the financing to keep it afloat, signing the artists you want, and getting their recordings out to the adoring masses. 

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