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40 Images That Are So Cool And Unusual They Could Totally Work As Album Covers
They say that an image is worth a thousand words. And we tend to think that’s true. But how many quality rock and pop songs could you write with all those words?
The ‘Images That Could Be Album Covers’ Twitter page is a fabulously funky social media project that does exactly what it says on the tin, without any frills. It documents photos that are so unusual and artistic that they could easily be used to make some jaw-dropping album covers.
We were interested to learn more about what makes photos artistic and unique, as well as how to help potential album covers get people's attention, so we reached out to professional photographer Dominic Sberna, a fan of both music and album artwork. You'll find Bored Panda's interview with him below.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
FunesElMemorioso 2 years ago
Must be "skull of butterflies" the lost alice in chains-album after "jar of flies"
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#2
foryouwhynot IB 2 years ago
Never really noticed how close life is to lie…
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J R 2 years ago
Wonderwall, sorry, that song was amazing to me as a middle schooler! I love(d) it!
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#3
ItzANYa_FORGER 2 years ago
I really had to check to see if someone posted a comment like this
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Pro photographer and music-lover Dominic, from Ohio, shared some of his thoughts with us on what makes some photos particularly artistic and what people can do to make their album covers stand out from other competitors, visually. From his perspective, what can and can't be considered artistic really depends on the person looking at the photo or cover. There's a lot of subjectivity involved!
"I'd say anything abstract and out of the ordinary would fit the bill here. If it disrupts a lackadaisical scene or is not of the norm of anything, I'd consider that an artistic approach or even avant-garde if you will," he told Bored Panda.
"Lighting, framing, all of the elements of a good composition would typically be thrown out the window to make something 'artsy.' But, on the other hand, maybe they need to be confined to that," he stressed that there's a lot of what people consider to be art will depend on their subjective experiences and opinions.
#4
Robert T 2 years ago
It is not bad photoshopping, it is three images photoshopped together that were taken at different times of day.
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#5
🥔SaltyPotato🥔 2 years ago (edited)
I'm getting Nirvana vibes for some weird reason. Or Van Halen. Idk. Some sort of rock band.
Luna Crow 2 years ago
To me this looks like it would be an album of evil circus music
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Liz the Wanderer 2 years ago
All popular liberal media sites have an army of down voters now. You can watch upvotes disappear.
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Kenny Kulbiski 2 years ago
I know they're just wood but somehow I still feel bad about the horses.
#6
Bubbles and sparks 2 years ago
They are brought back in their color with Photoshop, a fairly easy trick 😊
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According to photographer Dominic, in order to get your audience's attention in this day and age, you really need to do something to make you stand out from the crowd.
"If you fall in line with the norm, you'll be hard to be noticed. By doing something different than your peers, you'll stand out. Another way to get noticed is to make your work THAT MUCH better than others. Keep plugging away and take your work to the highest level," he explained. However, no matter what happens, focus on what really matters: your creativity and meeting your own standards.
"Most importantly, do what you want to do and don't crumble to the pressure of your peers. So long as you're happy with the art that you're creating, that's what matters the most. No amount of money can create happiness within yourself as an artist. It is extremely important to take care of yourself by being true to your own artistic vision."
#7
Ozymandias73 2 years ago
And black lightning struck. As it descended upon the earth, at the end of the bolt appeared a feline black as night with eyes as bright as the sun.
#8
tuzdayschild 2 years ago
I could be wrong, but I think it's the exact shape because it's a picture of a seagull. And, you know, that's how seagulls look.
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Jessica J. 2 years ago (edited)
Well, there aren't any words...just pictures.
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🥔SaltyPotato🥔 2 years ago
This is too perfect. I feel like this was fake and perfectly placed.
#9
Anna Łubiarz 2 years ago
Yep, it was cool. Unfortunately, since it got so much coverage, the city decided it was not good publicity, and got it trimmed. Nice and proper.
Phyzzi 2 years ago
It's too bad, the ugly part of this picture is the drab concrete building to the right.
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GreythatEnby 2 years ago (edited)
Looks like Mari, specifically the image that made Sunny make Something. (Omori)
The ‘Images That Could Be Album Covers’ account is a great niche on Twitter that combines art, humor, photography, and a love of music in a fun and engaging way. If you’ve taken a quality picture (or found an unusual one online), feel free to send the founder of the page a direct message—your image might even get featured in their feed.
The account was created all the way back in September 2017, and it’s still active to this day. New photos get posted nearly every day, and the account’s 68.7k followers enjoy it a bunch! They love the energy and quirkiness that the pics exude. It’s also some inspiration for future pop stars to start working on their own album covers.
#10
Thomas Dickson 2 years ago
'Thunderclap' sounds like a nickname for someone with an aggressive VD.
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Kenny Kulbiski 2 years ago
Yeah, I'm having a hard time believing this one. Cool though.
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#11
Pedantic Panda 2 years ago
Was thinking of Krusty also but kudos on the full name.
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Mendy Konikov 2 years ago
Seemingly this is from the Jewish holiday of Purim where it is customary for Jews to dress up in costumes (among other things).
Jaaawn 2 years ago
I was always a doctor in a long white coat with a stethoscope lol
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Julie Snelling 2 years ago
I love this photo it's like the kid has said I want to go to synagogue (or wherever they are) in my clown outfit and they've said ok rather than have a big argument.
glowworm2 2 years ago
I think this is Purim, which is a traditional Jewish holiday that normally falls somewhere in the month of March where costumes are worn.
Helen Davies 2 years ago
Wear your costume, he said. But uncle Herschel could have been a bit more specific!
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RajunCajun 2 years ago
so you want to act like a clown in temple, we will dress you up and make you one.
David H 2 years ago
THis looks like Purim, a Jewish holiday (coming up)where children dress up in Costume (been going on since 350BCE or so), and that is what we see with the clown outfit kid. Holiday with singing, dancing, and giving out gift baskets of food. The seating style makes me thing this is the Purim Tisch, a celebration in Hasidic circles with music and food. The dignitaries of the community sit at the table in the middle, everyone else in bleacher style seating. They pass around food through the crown after the Grand Rabbi takes the first bite of each course. Then there is singing and dancing, while the men in the bleachers hold hands and jump up and down. Adults dress in formal sabbath clothing (hence the fur streimel hats and the bekeshe overcoats). Usually the kids have their own area on the side, and at the end they have the kids dance on the center table while everyone claps, but this kids father seems to have sat him next to him, give then sulky look, probably was misbehaving.
glowworm2 2 years ago
I think it's Purim, a Jewish holiday that is celebrated a lot like Halloween in that costumes are worn.
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BoredPandaSucks 2 years ago
there was something in another post about robots to cure unhappiness say bleep bloop and repeat. F•k that just look at this photo!
As more and more people start using the internet and social media, it becomes increasingly more difficult to stand out with your content. It forces creators to adapt and think creatively about how they can best get everyone’s attention.
Some social media projects choose to cast a wide net and post a little bit about everything. Their goal is to be as relatable as possible and appeal to a very broad audience. Others, however, home in on a single niche that they enjoy and focus specifically on that and that alone. The strategy used will vary from creator to creator. It’s always best to do something that brings you joy, not just something that nets you the most popularity. There’s a need to find a balance between the two.
#13
Maggz Bennett 2 years ago (edited)
Out, je regret plusieurs choses ( apologies for my GCSE french, half remembered from 30 years ago!)
Agnes Jekyll 2 years ago
I'd love to hear the lyrics for "I wish you'd bathe more, please don't fire me"
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#14
#15
Sofia 2 years ago
I am not sure but this is made on purpose. They paint their horns with reflective paint so you can avoid accidents
Amanda Mazon-Smith 2 years ago (edited)
It's true they did this with reindeer in Finland, however, it didn't actually look like this. This shows it as glowing in the dark but it was reflective paint and also on their fur. But this particular photo was created by a visual artist and isn't an example of something in real life. He said he was inspired to create this based on the story of the Finnish authorities painting the reindeer with reflective paint.
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The Original Bruno 2 years ago
It's definitely not what Europeans call an "elk" (moose). Since the sign makes me think it's in Europe, it probably is a red deer, but if that was in America, I'd guess it's a species of deer we usually call an "elk." Our "deer" are usually smaller (white-tailed deer, mule deer), closer to what Europeans call "roebucks."
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Amanda Mazon-Smith 2 years ago (edited)
It's true that in Finland they did paint reindeer with reflective paint at one time, but this is not a photo of real life and was created for a story that went viral back in 2021. It was made using 3D software by visual designer Vasjen Katro.
Similarly to photos on social media, album covers also need to stand out from the crowd. It’s quite a challenge when everyone’s doing the exact same thing: trying to seem as unique as possible. Somehow, you need to make your cover pop! You might have the best music in the world, but it won’t get people’s attention unless you know how to market it, both online and in the real world.
You not only need fantastic music and awesome lyrics, but you also have to have a catchy band name, a great title for your album and songs, and, of course, an album cover that wows the crowds. It’s a lot of work, no matter if you're going for a photo or a painting!
#16
that weird wallflower 2 years ago
Ok, now I need to become a music artist, just to make an album and song called “Light Side Of the Moon”
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Abgr Xenda 2 years ago
please applause 👏 to the traffic lights, it was able to recognise the moon correctly
Ozymandias73 2 years ago (edited)
You can't stop the moon, it yields for no one and keeps on going.
#17
Ronstantin 2 years ago
Is there also a message "hidden" further down? Something with "on for you" (O N 4 U)?
#18
D Lee the artist 2 years ago
"Sto- All your RAGE!", here, for the low cost of $9.99 a Month! **Not liable for lost, stolen, flooded, ect, ect, items.
Some of the things that you could keep in mind when crafting an album cover include the subject matter and how it relates to your music, how you frame everything, and what colors you use. Some color combinations are likely to stand out more than others and might fit thematically far better with your work and ‘image’ than others. Play around with them and see what works best.
But no matter how important the photo is, you shouldn’t ignore the word part of the cover! You ought to think of words as part of the entire visual ensemble. Consider how the size of your album name, the kerning (that’s the spacing between the letters), and the font you use might all affect how your intended audience thinks and feels.
#19
Tiny Dancer 2 years ago
This is just too sad, it's giving me "The Neverending Story" vibes. Artax! Great, now I need a tissue.
SomePeopleCallMeMaurice 2 years ago
This is one of the eeriest, boggiest, most chilling photo I’ve ever seen. I have to go take a hot bath now. With bubbles.
#20
Austin Sauce 2 years ago
I’m thinking either Dark Link from Zelda or a terrible Peter Pan sequel
David Hopkins 2 years ago (edited)
Nice but the shadow is not the girl's. Look at the right arm and it's shadow.
#21
Jessica J. 2 years ago
They work part-time at the dry cleaners and are tired of people's stupidity.
Niels Boehm 2 years ago
How do I flip cold water inside out? And how do I hand wash it? *confused* 😅
The questions that you should be asking yourself are about the type of message that your album cover is sending. Is your album title legible, clear, and brief? (Or, alternatively, if you want to be chaotic, unclear, and long-winded, are you creating exactly the atmosphere you want to?) In essence, you want to get your message across to your audience.
Opt for a font that’s instantly readable, otherwise, you’re leaving people confused and they’ll move on to the next album at the music store. That swirly script you love might look fancy, but can anyone actually read the name of your band?
#22
fair_weather_rose 2 years ago (edited)
Why do you think I became a vampire? I've been trying to eat all the stupid humans who are destroying our planet! Sadly, a lot of them are rich and can afford lots of security...
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Mamabanana 2 years ago
Judging solely by the hairstyle and clothing of the guy in the image, this was taken several decades ago. Nothing's improved...
#23
Captain Bagel 2 years ago
A song about how a person lost themselves and their loved ones while working to achieve success. They worked their a*s off forgetting everything and everyone around them until when they got stuck and weren't able to mine forward that they looked down to figure out what they did wrong and realized that they had given up too much for their dreams.
#24
Shayne Randlett 2 years ago
Skeleton farm. This year's crop is coming in nicely - should be ready just in time for Halloween
Luke Wensley 2 years ago
Imagine being the astronaut: walks into crypt; accidentally reawakens the bone army
Something else that you should really keep in mind is reaching out for help. You might have designed the most perfect album cover in the history of commercial music. Or… at least that’s what you tell yourself. However, everyone needs an editor, no matter what industry they work in.
Show your album cover to a few friends whom you can trust to be open and honest with their opinions. Get in touch with some industry professionals to see what they think. Heck, ask someone to proofread what you’ve written! It’s better than realizing that you’ve made a silly grammar mistake once you’ve printed a thousand covers.
#25
Ashen Brooks (They/Them) 2 years ago
this could actually be my album cover because the songs are about how people think im okay but really im not
Robert Seals 2 years ago
Carelessly driving careful. Album name to go with the cover, probably modest mouse.
#27
van voi 2 years ago
I don't know how this could possibly be funny or interesting... This is how people die or get seriously injured when they hit their head. Nobody is excluded from such accidents. FYI
bob cameron 2 years ago
Consider this may be a composite photo ( two separate photos merged into one)
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Ginger Ghost 2 years ago
never sing in the shower, singing leads to dancing, dancing leads to slipping and the paramedics seeing you naked
After asking for other people’s input, you might find that some things that look incredibly cool to you simply confuse others. You might not be getting the message that you want across to others. This means it’s time to get back to the drawing board and refine some of the visuals and the font. Now, that’s not to say that you should completely scrap your ideas.
#29
That Bi Book Lover 2 years ago
Omg same! I was 1 minute late from commenting that! You've been stealing my thoughts recently... ;)
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#30
kitten levels tokyo 2 years ago
All you and this guy need are some headless horses and a driverless coach, and you could live happily ever after!
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Shayne Randlett 2 years ago
Dude's going to have a long, embarrassing walk back when he gets to where he's going and realizes he forgot his head
D Lee the artist 2 years ago
Thank you! I feel the guy's a little underdressed for the occasion.🤯🤯🤕🤯
Load More Replies... Captain Bagel 2 years ago
Could be about losing their head after falling in love and then realizing that she wasnr the one for him.
Captain Bagel 2 years ago
Or about just giving up becuz they are too tired to keep going. So they just let their head fall and gave every dream they had up.
Load More Replies... People have different opinions on art, and you shouldn’t silence your voice. However, the sign of any good artist is that they’re open-minded when it comes to criticism: they take the advice that’s useful and ignore everything else. It’s scary to put your work out there! But it can help you edit your work into something that’s elevated—on a whole other level.
#32
D Lee the artist 2 years ago
Thank you! Would love to see this duck in action ☺️☺️
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Zophra 2 years ago
HEY! I was there when this happened! It was a long time ago - Philadelphia - when the tall ships were also on display!
Momo Skarsgard 2 years ago
Might also be from the time they did it in Hong Kong. Either place must have been super cute to see!!
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Mickysixxx 2 years ago
I saw this big duck in Sydney harbour. I took a photo and these girls that were laying on the grass in front got all offended until I showed them the pic (They weren't in it) and pointed out the big f**k off duck in the water lol they didn't realise it was there, I don't know how they missed it lol
Momo Skarsgard 2 years ago
I'm guessing the giant rubber ducky was in many places other than Hong Kong. I wish I could see it!! Must have been really cool!
#33
Ashen Brooks (They/Them) 2 years ago
Minecraft players be like: STOP LEAVING THE TREES HANGING
#34
#35
Doofenshmirtz Evil, Inc 2 years ago
Not my religion teacher trying to act cool by showing us a video that says "Get your ASH to mass on Ash Wednesday" /j
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Jessica J. 2 years ago
Jesus changed his mind about the whole dying for our sins thing... Can't blame him, honestly...
#36
Kurichfield 2 years ago
Want to use this for my avatar until I stop living this way.
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Jared Robinson 2 years ago
Nope not scared to admit it, more pissed off I don't stop doing it.
Katie Everswick 2 years ago
I was wondering if it was a postcard from Post Secret
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Fidgets McGee 2 years ago
Thoughts: was there any notion of wasting time before clocks were invented? I mean, maybe the wasted time is simply the time our brain and body need to recover and recharge for the very busy times...or following periods of high stress/trauma? I think the factory mentality of the industrial revolution may have fudged us pretty well as a species
That Bi Book Lover 2 years ago
Right??? That'd the first thing I thought! Also, I love BWU's music :D
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#37
Hey Deanie 2 years ago
Quick, he's at 40 up votes... Two more people have to vote up... THEN NO ONE EVER VOTE AGAIN !! (If u know hitchhikers guide to the Galaxy, u know why lol)
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Lyone Fein 2 years ago
I just thought, "bunnies. Bunnies in a field. Bunnies could happen next."
Hey Deanie 2 years ago
I hear Anya's voice singing "bunnies it must be bunnnnies...!!!"
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#38
Brenda 2 years ago (edited)
Help, I need somebody. Help, not just anybody. Help, you know I need someone. HELP. When I was younger, so much younger than today. I never needed anybody's help in any way. But now those days are gone. I'm not so self assured. Now I find I've changed my mind. I've opened up the door. (Beatles fan,yes I am)
#40
#41
#42
T5n 2 years ago
Which song is that from? The phrase seems so familiar but I can’t place where it’s from
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#43
#45
#46
bottomless.abyss.of.bordem 2 years ago
This would be a full bedroom set if we could find a matching DepRESSER
#47
#48
Griff 2 years ago
Looks like a screen cap from Red Dead was tossed in an AI generator to me
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#49
Spocks's Mom 2 years ago
I don't live in Italy, but when this happened, I was obsessed and checking on it daily.
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#50
T5n 2 years ago
Same here. The picture makes me mentally hear the sounds that would be accompanying it if I were there
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David Paterson 2 years ago (edited)
Toshiba advert on that building. I recognise this scene. I know someone who took good astronomy photos from this place. Just to see if it could be done with that much light pollution.
#51
#52
Scar Scar 2 years ago
Lol I'm listening to them while looking at these rn!
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#53
#54
#55
the shrimp whisperer 2 years ago
i can hear soad's highway song in my head when i see this pic idk why
#60
#61
#62
Add New Image
What do you think ?
Caro Caro 2 years ago
1/2 Totally off topic but I wanted to post this for all to see. I have emailed the BP staff about the downvoting - suspensions - banning and this is the reply: Hello CaroCaro, Thank you for your email! We have recently made some changes to our community moderation system.Previously, if a comment received 10 downvotes, the comment author was assumed to have violated our guidelines and could face temporary or permanent suspension. However, we have now implemented a more effective approach. Instead of relying solely on downvotes, we have created a report button that allows our team to more easily identify and review comments or posts that potentially violate our community guidelines. This way, our dedicated team of moderators can more effectively and efficiently review all reported comments to identify those that spread hate speech or any other inappropriate content, and take appropriate action to maintain a positive and safe community.
Caro Caro 2 years ago
2/2 Please feel free to review the updated community guidelines: https://www.boredpanda.com/community-guidelines/.
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Ivan Petrov 2 years ago
There is a Twitter account about these. I follow it. Great photography.
Load More Replies... Cassi Lyris 2 years ago
I know some of these are AI generated, but glad they're not another "10 famous cartoon/book characters and how they'd look as real people!" posts.
Kenny Kulbiski 2 years ago
Agreed. I know some of them were manipulated but I still enjoyed them way more than all AITA c**p.
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VonBlade 2 years ago
There is a game where you take a random image from GIS/Bing or Flickr, then click the random article button on Wikipedia for the band name, and the random button on quotationspage for the album title, and you blend those all together to create a fake album. It's a lot of fun.
careless camel 2 years ago
I'd love to see more posts like these, the artsy geek in me is always uplifted at this kind of media
HarperTheCentaur (they/them) 2 years ago
Some of these work and a good half or so of them really don't. I was also pretty disappointed that their was no credit to the artists on the ones that were clearly edited or manipulated in some way.
Caro Caro 2 years ago
1/2 Totally off topic but I wanted to post this for all to see. I have emailed the BP staff about the downvoting - suspensions - banning and this is the reply: Hello CaroCaro, Thank you for your email! We have recently made some changes to our community moderation system.Previously, if a comment received 10 downvotes, the comment author was assumed to have violated our guidelines and could face temporary or permanent suspension. However, we have now implemented a more effective approach. Instead of relying solely on downvotes, we have created a report button that allows our team to more easily identify and review comments or posts that potentially violate our community guidelines. This way, our dedicated team of moderators can more effectively and efficiently review all reported comments to identify those that spread hate speech or any other inappropriate content, and take appropriate action to maintain a positive and safe community.
Caro Caro 2 years ago
2/2 Please feel free to review the updated community guidelines: https://www.boredpanda.com/community-guidelines/.
Load More Replies... Ivan Petrov 2 years ago
There is a Twitter account about these. I follow it. Great photography.
Load More Replies... Cassi Lyris 2 years ago
I know some of these are AI generated, but glad they're not another "10 famous cartoon/book characters and how they'd look as real people!" posts.
Kenny Kulbiski 2 years ago
Agreed. I know some of them were manipulated but I still enjoyed them way more than all AITA c**p.
Load More Replies... VonBlade 2 years ago
There is a game where you take a random image from GIS/Bing or Flickr, then click the random article button on Wikipedia for the band name, and the random button on quotationspage for the album title, and you blend those all together to create a fake album. It's a lot of fun.
careless camel 2 years ago
I'd love to see more posts like these, the artsy geek in me is always uplifted at this kind of media
HarperTheCentaur (they/them) 2 years ago
Some of these work and a good half or so of them really don't. I was also pretty disappointed that their was no credit to the artists on the ones that were clearly edited or manipulated in some way.
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