Last updated May 15th, 2013
 

 

New Album Package
May 15th, 2013

 

 

New Poster
April 30th, 2013
(another one of my fabulous Tribute Shows at Hugh's Room.)

Coming up on Friday June 21st, 2013

 

 

 

New Poster
April 23rd, 2013

 

 

 

New T-Shirt Design
April 23rd, 2013

 

 

New DVD Package
April 9th, 2013

 

 

New Poster
April 7th, 2013

 

 

 

New Album Package
April 6th, 2013

 

 

New Poster
April 6th, 2013

 

 

 

3 New Posters
March 23rd, 2013

Actually 3 variations on one poster.

This first one is the Street Poster for Sam Martin's upcoming soon-to-be-annual Roots Extravaganza!

 

 
New Poster
March 23rd, 2013

These next two are variations of the poster that will be printed in a Limited Edition silk-screened posters that will be available for sale at the show!

 

 
New Poster
March 23rd, 2013

The second poster that will be printed in a Limited Edition silk-screened posters that will be available for sale at the show!

 

 
New Poster
March 17th, 2013

 

 

 

New Poster
March 14th, 2013

 

 
 

New Promo EP Package
February 19th, 2013

 

 

New Poster
February 10th, 2013
(another one of my fabulous Tribute Shows at Hugh's Room.)

 

 
 

New Poster
February 4th, 2013

This is a poster for a fabulous Music Showcase at the upcoming

25th International Folk Alliance Conference

 

 

My 2013 Promo Brochure Cover
February 1st, 2013

 

 

New Album Package & Poster
January 29th, 2013

 

 
 

 

 

New Album Package
January 28th, 2013

 

 

not so New Album Package
January 17th, 2013

This was a promo EP cover I did for my friend Grier Coppins (Taxi Chain, Rare Air) in the fall of 2011 and forgot to put up online. Better late than never.

 

 

New Album Package
January 17th, 2013

 

 

New Folk Alliance 2014 Conference Logo/Motif
January 15th, 2013

This my 17th year working with the International Folk Alliance

After six years in Memphis, Tennessee the conference is moving to Kansas City, Missouri

I really enjoy the challenge of coming up with a completely different conference logo/motif every year.

Scroll down a wee bit to see this years 2013 motif.

It's an homage to the classic Sgt. Peppers Album Cover.

 

 
 
New Poster
December 14th, 2012
(another one of my fabulous Tribute Shows at Hugh's Room.)

 

 
 

New Album Package
Decemberr 12th, 2012

 

 

New Calendar / Live Show Program (combo)
December 10th, 2012

 

 

New Album Package
November 27th, 2012

 

 

New Album Package
November 18th, 2012

 

 

New Poster
November 11th, 2012
(another one of my fabulous Tribute Shows at Hugh's Room.)

 

 
 

New 12" Vinyl Record Packages
October 25th, 2012

I loved creating this art.

In late February, 2012, former Pere Ubu synthesist Allen Ravenstine and current synthesist Robert Wheeler, two legendary figures of Cleveland's punk rock scene met at Grant Avenue Studio to discuss and demonstrate the EML modular synthesizers that have been an integral part of the Pere Ubu sound for almost 40 years. The interviews will be part of the upcoming film: I Dream of Wires: The Modular Synthesizer Documentary. The impromptu jam session that followed marked the first time the two have ever played together.

This meeting resulted in hours of playing and experimentation which has been edited and mixed down by Bob Doidge and Bill Blakeney to be released as two discs named Farm Report and City Desk.

For advance promotion of these two CDs and as a nice little treat, Blue Jet is releasing these two advance 12" 45rpm singles as High-Quality vinyl records.

The art is a bit deceptive. What you are looking at are solid cardboard sleeves with no hole in the center and no vinyl peeking out... this is the art as i created it faking the look of old Edison recordings.

Early Edison Recordings and gear are a tremendous visual inspiration to these two great artists and it was a blast reproducing this vintage looking sleeve art for them.

 

 

New Promo EP Package
October 17th, 2012

 

 

New Album Package & Poster
October 6th, 2012

 

 
 

 

New Poster
September 18th, 2012

 

 
 

A BLAST FROM THE PAST!
Designed 7/1998

Posted September 13th, 2012

 I designed this poster to accompany the Rant and Roar album.

If you are Canadian you've probably never seen this album or poster as it was an American only release.

It was a "best of" combo their first two big albums "Up" and "Play" – two albums I was also fortunate enough to design – to introduce them to an American market.

 

 
 

New Poster
September 9th, 2012

 

 
 

New Album Package
September 9th, 2012

 

 
 

New Album Package
September 1st, 2012

 

 
 

New Album Package
July 11th, 2012

Click on the cover to see the penny illustrations that has landed Dave and the Canadian Mint in the press.

 

 
 

2 New Posters
July 9th, 2012

I was delighted when Massey Hall called and asked me to design the new street posters for their upcoming 2012/13 season.

I was particularly thrilled when they said they wanted it in a "Hatch Showprint" style... meaning looking like classic letterpress.

(Hatch Showprint is a century old letterpress printing shop right on Music Row in Nashville... I've been... it was better than sex!)

I am a huge fan of letterpress art and over the last 10 years have come to create a lot using this style for posters and projects.

I have developed a reasonably accurate and seamless way of creating organic looking letterpress digitally.

... and I love doing it.

These posters were used in the background of this "Vanity Fair" style photo-shoot (below) featuring an eclectic assortment of performers from this upcoming season.

This photo will be the face of their marketing campaign.

 

 

 

A BLAST FROM THE PAST!
Designed 6/2005

Posted July 19th, 2012

 After finishing the two Massey Hall posters above I remembered this bit of "digital letterpress" i'd created for the Hillside Festival years ago

What you are looking at is the "posterbase."

After creating this "background" it was sent to Hillside's graphic designer who added all of the text as well as dozens of logos etc.

Generally I really don't like to work this way... I prefer to see a project through to the end so if my name is on it I am completely responsible for how looks.

I didn't know that when I started this project and had my little baby ripped from my arms (waah waaaaah) before I was done.

Unfortunately, though I am a friend of the festival, I never received any samples either printed or digital which is why you are looking at the posterbase only.

I do love how it turned out so... witness another of my letterpress-style projects, naked though it is!
 
 

 
 

 

New Poster
July 5th, 2012

Jaron is the craziest and most talented fiddler I've heard since the late great Oliver Schroer!

And that's saying a lot! Always electrifying... NEVER boring!!!

 

 
 

New Album Package
June 16th, 2012

 

 
 

New Poster
June 16th, 2012
(another one of my fabulous Tribute Shows at Hugh's Room.)
 
 
 

New Poster
June 8th, 2012
(yet another one of my Tribute Shows.)

 

 
 

New Album Package & Poster
June 8th, 2012

 

 
 

 
 

New Album Package
May 18th, 2012

 

 
 

New Album Package
May 4th, 2012

 

 
 

New Album Package
April 29th, 2012

okay... here's the story

This is the cover for the new Scott McCord CD. it's called "Scott McCord & the Bonafide Truth"

Throughout the process we came to love the drama of the image so much (it's iconic and memorable)

that we are trying something a bit wacky. No name or title on the front... just image

The band and the title will be on a sticker on the right of the cover that will be thrown away with the shrink wrap.

Yay!... I'm happy.

ps: Scott McCord & the Bonafide Truth are not to be missed live!

I did this a few years ago with another of my favourite package designs.

Taxi Chain's "Glimmer of Light" CD (below)

At the time we felt the same way. We liked the drama so much and the image was so strong we stickered it instead of printing the title on the package.

These designs are 4 or 5 years apart and have nothing to do with each other...

but looking at it now I notice that the only two packages I have ever just stickered coincidentally have remarkably similar colour schemes.

 
 

New Album Package
April 22nd, 2012

 

 

New Album Package
April 18th, 2012

 

 
 

New Album Package
March 29th, 2012

 

 
 
 

New Album Package
March 26th, 2012

 

 
 
 

New Album Package
 This a RE-DESIGN of a package I did for Blackie & the Rodeo Kings in 2010.
The record company saw a great opportunity to re-release the album.
So Colin led the boys back into the studio along with "Queen" Patty Loveless and recorded two new tracks.
Then it was given to me to "snazz" up the package

click here to see the original down below

February 12th, 2012

 

 
 
 
 

***A BLAST FROM THE PAST!
Designed June2006

February 12th, 2012

 I was asked to donate a design for this fund-raising album with an All-Star line-up of great musicians
who recorded or donated tracks to help and support their dear friend John Allan during his fight with cancer.
I was honoured to be asked and happy to be a part of such a loving gesture.

 

 
 
 

New Motif/Logo for the 2013 International Folk Alliance Conference

A "Folk/Roots" Homage to Sgt. Peppers

January 19th, 2012

It's been great doing graphic design for Folk Alliance International over the last 16 years.

Creating something different each year for their annual conference without repeating visual themes has been a challenge and a lot of fun.

In 2013 the Folk Alliance makes a brief stop in Toronto for it's 25th conference.

I wanted to come up with something special for the 25th. A design that would stand-out and make people talk, look at it repeatedly and see something different every time, even get an emotional reaction.

For almost 20 years I have designed albums or designed for music. One of the holy grails of album design has always been The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's cover (by celebrated artist Sir Peter Blake) and for a long time i've wanted to pay homage to it in an appropriate fashion and voila… I found it. A celebration of Folk/Roots royalty from artists to managers and everyone in between.

It was a monumental task but I loved it every step of the way. Many deserving people, living and dead, in the spotlight or behind the scenes, some friends, some aquaintances, some clients, some strangers, legends and near-legends, all worthy of being honoured made their way into the mix.

Obviously it would be impossible to include everyone that should be so honoured and i did my best to cover a large demographic but everyone is going to notice deserving people who aren't there.

My hope would be that everyone gets a kick out of who IS there.

Enjoy. Michael

 

 

 

Click here to blow this image up for greater detail.

 
 
 

New Poster
January 19th, 2011

 

 
 
 

New Poster
January 9th, 2011
(yet another one of my Tribute Shows.)

 

 
 
 

New Album Package
December 20th, 2011

 

 
 
 

New Album Package
December 18th, 2011

 

 
 

2 New Album Packages
December 15th, 2011

I'm always so happy to do work for the EMF (Electronic Music Foundation)
Over the years they have allowed me to design for some of the greats...  the giants and legends of new & electronic music from Cage & Xenakis to Foss & Ferrari.
Here are 2 new Cage projects.
 
 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 

 
 

New Album Package & Poster
December 12th, 2011

Drew's Red House Records debut

 

 
 

 
 
 
 

 
 

Brand New Logo
December 6th, 2011

Jonathan Holiff has recently finished a wonderful documentary about his father Saul Holiff who was Johnny Cash's long-time manager.
Saul, based out of London, Ontario was the force-of-nature who took Johnny from county fairs to Carnegie Hall through all the hell and insanity tnat was Cash's career.
It's an amazing and compelling story.
Please check out this documentary if and when you get a chance.
Follow the progress and release date here:

http://www.johnny-and-saul.com/Cover.html

This is a logo design for film-related merchandise. T-shirts, caps, mugs etc.

I was very happy to be a small part of the project.
 
 

 

 
 
 
 

 
 

New Poster
November 30th, 2011
(yet another one of my Tribute Shows.)
 

 

 

 
 

New Poster
October 26th, 2011
(yes... it's yet another one of my Tribute Shows. I produce about 5 a year @ Hugh's Room in Toronto)
 

 

 

Here's some blatant self-promotion

I'm shaking up the line-up a bit for the new year. But the same eclectic, electric and exciting tribute shows

Friday, January 6th, 2012 - Carole King Tribute

Friday, March 9th, 2012 - Randy Newman Tribute

Saturday, June, 23rd - 2nd annual Johnny Cash Tribute

Friday, August 31st, 2012 (Labour Day Weekend) - Pink Floyd Tribute... yes... Pink Floyd

Friday, November 24th, 2012 - 7th annual Tom Waits Tribute
 
 

 

Brand New Logo
September 23rd, 2011

My lovely friend, Miles Wilkinson - Toronto-born/Nashville-based producer/engineer/mixer (emmy lou harris, guy clark)- has spent many years traveling atound the U.S. and Canada
to festivals, concert halls and various musicvenues recording some of the best live roots/americana/canadiana music out there.

For the last 3 years he has been developing a radio show to syndicate to american public radio (PBS) and after working with a crack team of radio profesionals
and hiring two of the best hosts working today (yours truly got to "voice-audition but didn't make the cut), he is a hairs-breadth away from hitting the air.

here is my logo for his brand new, wonderful, live-music radio show:

Troubadour Sedan
"Takes you where the music's playing"
 
 

 
 
 
 

Just for fun... take a peek at the logo that didn't make the cut.
Miles was looking for an americana kinda flavour which you will see that the rejected logo has in spades.
The chosen logo has more of a roadhouse sign kinda flavour which suits the tone of the show perfectly.

The one that didn't make it
 

 
 

New Album Packages
September 10th, 2011 - September 1st, 2012

Finally complete as of September 1st, 2012 this a series of 5 newly remastered, redesigned and repackaged "essential" Stan Rogers Albums
being released by Borealis Records

Stan fans rejoice! The improvement in sound quality is amazing! And I'm honoured to have been a part of this project.
 

 

 

 
 

 

 
 

 

 
 

 

 
 

 

 
 

Album Package - Redesign
August 29th, 2011

Originally released 6/24/2002 as a jewelcase, now converted to a cardboard digipak.
 
 

 
 
 

 
 

New Album Package
August 26th, 2011
 

 

 

 
 

New Poster
August 10th, 2011
 
 

 

 

 
 

New Poster
August 8th, 2011
(this is one of my Tribute Shows I produce @ Hugh's Room in Toronto)
 

 

 

 
 

New Album Package & Poster
August 3rd, 2011
 

 

 

 

 
 

New Poster
August 1st, 2011

(This is my 3rd 18" by 24" "merch poster" for Blackie.
We print them on a heavier-than-usual-poster card stock to make them one-of-a-kind art pieces which they sell by the boatload at shows & festivals.
 
 

 
 
 

 
 

New Album Package
July 28th, 2011
 

 

 

 
 

New Album Package
June 27th, 2011
 

 
 
 

 
 

New Logo
June 1st, 2011
 

 
 
 

 
 

New Album Package
May 20th, 2011
 

 
 
 

 
 

A BLAST FROM THE PAST!
Designed 6/2002

Posted May 20th, 2011

 going through my own digital archives i recently stumbled upon this and i had to laugh.
this is a poster designed for my lovely friend the late oliver schroer... high priest of freak fiddle!
i designed some 14 albums and countless posters, promo etc for my innovative fiddle-pal and it was always a blast as we
have the same highly skewed sense of humour.
oliver was the man who warmly welcomed me into the
great canadian roots music and festival scene i am currently so passionately involved in.
 
 

 
 

 

New Album Package
May 8th, 2011
 

 
 
 

 

New Album Package
April 27th, 2011
 

 
 

 

New Poster
April 27th, 2011
(this is one of my Tribute Shows I produce @ Hugh's Room in Toronto)
 
 

 
 

 

New Album Package & Poster
March 21st, 2011
 

 
 

 
 

 

New Album Package
March 10 th, 2011
 

 
 

 

New Album Package
February 28th, 2011
 

 
 

 
 

A BLAST FROM THE PAST!
Designed 5/2001

Posted February 20th, 2011

 going through my own digital archives i recently stumbled upon this and i had fogotten all about it.
this is a poster i designed for the Fifth anniversary of Borealis Records, the best damn folk label in Canada.
They just celebrated their Fifteenth Anniversary!... here's to another fifteen!
(yes that is MY mouth in the squeezy "Q")
 
 
 

 
 

 

New Album Package & Poster
February 14th, 2011
 

 
 

 

 

New Album Package
January 21st, 2011
 

 
 

 

New Album Package & Poster
December 20th, 2010
 

 
 

 

 

New Album Package
December 20th, 2010
 

 
 

 

New Album Package
December 10th, 2010
 

 
 

 

New Album Package*
November 20th, 2010
 

This was the Trews new album cover... for about 3 weeks.
 

i was hired to design the new package and after a few weeks of tinkering and playing we ended up here.

i loved it... they loved it... we all loved it. it was approved. i sent out the promo jpgs for marketing etc etc etc

but the band is a VERY democratic band and and as time went by they decided that they had innocently enough led us down the wrong path

as the band decided they didn't like the original photographic concept you see here and decided to scrap everything

and clean house with apologies and respect to andrew macnaughtan (the excellent photographer) and myself they moved on to something else

we all got paid and all is good but if you want to see the album cover they ended up with just google "hope and ruin"

it's an interesting broken glass motif... cool enough but i think it lacks the impact that this one had.

it's just one of those funny music biz stories that happens everyday.

i had a blast though! and the album rocks... the boys sound great!
 
 
 

 
 

 
 

New Posters
November 3rd, 2010

three more posters from shows i put on annually at hugh's room in toronto
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

 
 

New Album Package & Poster
October 22nd, 2010

 
 

 

 

New Album Package
October 21st, 2010

 

Back to Blackie REDUX up above
 
 

 
 

New Poster
October 10th, 2010

this is a christmas show in story and song that james will be touring every december

this is the poster shell he will send out to presenters ti fill in the details
 

 
 

 
 

New Album Package & Poster
September 15th, 2010
 

 
 

 

 
 

New Album Package & Poster
September 10th, 2010
 

 
 

 

 

New Album Package
August 16th, 2010
 

 
 

 

New Logo / Ad Format
July 27th, 2010
 

 
 

 

New Album Package
July 24th, 2010
 

 
 

 

New DVD Package
July 18th, 2010
 

 
 

 

New Album Package
June 28th, 2010
 

 

 

New Album Package & Poster
June 8th, 2010
 

 

 

 

New Album Package
May 21st, 2010
 

 

 

New Logo
April 28 th, 2010
 

 

 

New Album Package & Poster
April 27 th, 2010
 

 

 

 

New Album Package
April 8 th, 2010
 

 

 

New Album Package & Poster
March 24 th, 2010
 

 

 

 
 

New Poster
February 12 th, 2010

(I occasionally present concerts at Hugh's Room in Toronto... this is one)
 

 

 
 

New Poster
December 10 th, 2010

(I occasionally present concerts at Hugh's Room in Toronto... this is another)
 
 

 

 
 

Brand New Package: Born February 12 th, 2010
 

 

 
 

Brand New Poster design: Born Saturday, January 30 th, 2010
 

 

 
 

Brand New Logo / T-Shirt design: Born Tuesday, January 27 th, 2010
 

 

 
 

Brand New Package: Born Tuesday, January 22nd, 2010
 

 

 
 

Brand New Package (and logo): Born Friday, January 18 th, 2010
 

 

 

Brand New Logo design: Born Tuesday, January 5 th, 2010
 

 

 
 

Brand New Poster: Born Tuesday, January 5 th, 2010
 

 

 
 

Brand New Cover: Born Tuesday, January 5 th, 2010
 

 

 
 

Brand New Poster: Born Sunday, January 3 rd, 2010
 

 

 
 

Brand New Poster: Born Saturday, November 5 th, 2009
 

 

 
 

My own brand new Logo / T-shirt for 2010 - B&W and Colour

Born Thursday, November 3 rd, 2009
 

 

 
 
 

Brand New Cover: Born Thursday, October 29 th, 2009
 

 

 
 

Brand New Cover: Born Tuesday, October 20 th, 2009
 

 

 
 

Brand New Cover: Born Tuesday, October 13 th, 2009
 

 

Click here for PAGE 2
to see a few more snazzy projects from 2008/2009