Noble Beast

Andrew Bird's new album Noble Beast was released earlier this year and so far has yet to disappoint. I'm a big fan and am hoping to attend his show in late February at the Murray theater.

The point of this post is to celebrate perhaps the most creative and interesting song lyrics I have come across in a long time. On the track Anonanimal, Bird creates an enormous play on words from the English language, meanwhile telling a story. And these aren't the typical "play on words" type words; I mean this is like hypercreativity and an overabundance of free time at their all-time high. But I think it's sheer genius. Take a gander:



Lyrics:
I see a sea anemone
The enemy
See a sea anemone
And that'll be the end of me.

While the vicious fish was caught unawares in the tenderest of tendrils
Underneath her tender gills

I will become this animal
Perfectly adapted to the music halls
I will become this animal
Anomalous appendages
A non-animal

Hold on just a second
Don't tell me this one you know
I know this one I know this song
I know this one I love this song
Hold on just a second
Don't tell me this one you know
i know this one I know this song
I know this one I love this song
I know this one

Underneath the stalactites
The troglobites lost their sight
Uh oh

The seemingly innocuous plecostomus
though posthumus
They talk to us
They talk too much

See a sea anemone
The enemy
See a sea anemone
That'll be the end of me
Vicious fish was caught unawares
In the tend'rest tendrils
Underneath her tender gills and

I will become this animal
Perfectly adapted to a music hall
I will become this animal

Anomalous appendages
A non-animal

Buy his new album! And his old ones.

Motrin...?

Apparently this ad sparked a lot of controversy and offended moms the world around. Nothing like a pharmaceutical company shaking things up a bit... Like I've mentioned a few times before, this motion typography trend is huge. I wonder how long it will actually last...

Life in Technicolour II

Love this new(er) version of the song. If you haven't heard it before check it out on the Prospekt's March EP that was released in late 2008. This is one of the more creative things I've seen in awhile. I love the small attention to detail.

Change

We salute you, Mr. President.

(image courtesy of droga5.com)

HBO: Voyeur

So, I've never seen the show, nor do I subscribe to HBO. But this is sweet stuff that ad agency BBDO New York did. This whole stunt wound up being the most awarded advertising sha-bang of 2008. Kudos to BBDO. Check out a small look back video here.

American-made: F-150

Not a big fan of the company, but at least their latest ads are cool. Motion graphic typography is so hot right now

Starbucks

Motion graphics are super in. I'm a big fan of the new Starbucks ads... the newest one is an interesting move by Starbucks in this new age of Obama.


Election day excitement:


Holiday cheer:

NikeID typography motion graphics

I'm proud to have been part of this collaboration. Although I give most credit to Mr. Michael Morris.

Go Cougars.

I like this look

I found this sample of an interesting motion graphic piece the other day. Ironically, I like the still image a whole lot more than the actual motion part. Check it out for yourself here. And here too.

Give a Coke to a stranger

So I didn't know exactly how to go about fulfilling this assignment: Give a Coke to a stranger.

I wish I had a really cool story about how I did some amazing good deed, but I don't. I actually sort of forgot to do it over the weekend, so I had to improvise.

I decided to buy a drink from the vending machine and then search for a deserving potential recipient of the free drink. Well, I didn't have to search very far! As I pulled my drink out of the machine, I turned around to find a nice lady talking on her cell phone. We made eye contact, and I new she was the one. I told her I had a drink for her, and she couldn't have looked more grateful.

She was extremely gracious and I think pleasantly surprised. I think I may just start doing these good deeds more often...

how to create?

I admittedly am a wannabe artist/designer. Not a day goes by that I don't wish I were a "creator" – that is, somebody that creates original things. A creative if you will.

So why do I feel a fear of creating?

The other day I went out and bought a sketchbook, some pencils and a felt tipped pen. Four days later I have yet to crack the book open and attempt to create anything. Why is that? What am I afraid of? My own inabilities? Probably. Maybe it's because I sincerely don't know what I am doing. Maybe not. But seriously, it's llike I'm afraid to touch pen to paper because I think I won't like the outcome. Have you ever felt that way?

In class the other day my professor brought up the idea that our minds are divided into two separate entities: the creator and the editor. Many of us tend to let the editor dominate. We are constantly correcting mistakes and second-guessing ourselves. Why do we do that? Why do I do that? I like how he introduced my mind to this notion of "kill the editor". Set your mind free, and create!

So here's my next question: When I'm in the "creation" phase, how do I just let my mind create? How can I be more creative?

Just some things to think about...