Something I have been sweating over at my job recently is the idea of artwork and if “kids” (or your typical consumer) even pay attention to a layout these days (or even buys a hard copy of the record to begin with). I do my best to find the most compelling, talented artists to visually represent bands when it comes to their record artwork. Yet I am sometimes left with a feeling of emptiness when I see it in stores next to records that in my opinion, look god awful.

Not to mention – I really encourage bands to get a bit more in depth with their lyrics, perhaps even including explanations of songs – similar to, for example, a band like Rise Against. It’s not that bands should all be political or have something poignant to say (even though that is a different conversation entirely), but they could at least give music fans something to chew on beyond plastic and paper.