The Monthlies – Come on Eileen

For about two years now I’ve been working with a fantastic LA based indie/pop band named The Monthlies. Over the past few weeks we’ve been putting the finishing touches on their upcoming EP titled “Horror Flick“, which will include a very cool version of Dexys Midnight Runner’s ‘Come on Eileen’. If you search YouTube for this song you will see that several groups have covered it, but most versions are similar to the original. Not this one!

The Monthlies, in doing what they do best, have put their own unique spin on this 80′s pop standard. I won’t say much about what you’re going to hear other than if you are expecting an updated rehashing of the Dexys version you’re in for a big surprise. We hope you enjoy The Monthlies version of ‘Come on Eileen and please leave a comment below if you’d like to share your thoughts with the band.

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The Monthlies are…
Wes O’lee – Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Jana Bonderman – Lead Guitar
Chris Hall – Bass, Backing Vocals
Nick Miller – Drums

If you like what you hear check out their MySpace page for more songs and a video of their last single, Hip Girl.

The World’s First Album Cover – Alex Steinweiss’ Greatest Hit

From Undependent.com

World's First Album Cover

While there is no shortage of interest in the album cover medium, there’s no obvious web page out dedicated to the world’s first record cover. I’m apparently I’m not the only one looking for it (See: “Anyone have a scan?) I’ve seen scattered images from articles about Steinweiss but I’ve not found anything resembling a Shrine.

Such a noteworthy artifact in the history of mass media screams for its own page. Google returns 300+ results for the phrase “Sgt Pepper’s Album Cover” but nothing definitive for the phrase “First Album Cover.” Here’s my humble stab at such a page.

For the complete history of the album cover and its creator, just hit Wikipedia or pick up a copy of “For the Record.” Alex Steinwess, a then 23 years old designer, convinced Columbia’s suits to create the first true album cover. Until then, 78s were sold in generic sleeves.Recently, I came across an apparently original edition of this album and was able to pick it up for almost nothing. Someone unwittingly dumped it onto eBay for chump change. I mean, if they’d known what they had, I would’ve at least expected the auction to include “World’s First Album Cover!” and a reserve price of $100, $500, who knows? Instead, I picked it up for less than $30.

I have been eager to get it posted for all the graphic designers, media theorists and vinyl enthusiasts out there googling “steinweiss +first album cover.” I wanted to get these images out into the world for broader circulation.

Read the entire article and see more shots of this album cover at undependent.com