We’re pleased to present this behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the Sounds Familyre logo from Daniel Smith. Enjoy!

This is my first rough SF sketch. I was thinking about horns and sound making machines.







Here’s a quick sketch of some lily’s. I was really interested in the fleur-de-lis and it’s symbolism of the number three and purity. And look, the two together makes a heart at the top… lovely.







Another double lily sketch with the text. Blue ball point pen is classy… but backwards text?







So here’s first attempt at the lyre direction. It’s a small U-shaped harp that to me symbolized the emphasis on “the song.”







Two more lily/lyre failures.







Now it’s really taking shape. Check out the white out edits. The lily’s are there, the text looks good, and there’s those nice wheat stems at the bottom.







I’m trying to sweetly fit in the info. Feels weird still.







The wheat had to go. Right now it’s got curly tips but it’s gonna change.







Yuck, this version looks terrible, but it’s the first incorporation of the SF text. Oh look! This is when it had a D. “copyright” image. “D.” stood for Danielson.







Oh sweet, it’s done. Pink and brown is nice and everything flows just right now. Logo’s done, now what about the music?

We’d like to thank you for the pleasure of sharing ‘A Familyre Christmas - Vol. 1′ with you all. It was an exciting project, and so much fun to have everyone involved.

If you missed the download window, don’t despair. There is a high likelihood it will be made available again next Christmas season, along with Vol.2!

The complete track listing for Vol.1:

1: ‘Christmas Eve Nite’ - Danielson
2: ‘For There Is Born A Child’ - Lenny Smith
3: ‘Plant A Little Fir Tree’ - Half-handed Cloud
4: ‘Dayspring From On High’ - Soul-Junk
5: ‘Pat-A-Pan’ - Leopulde
6: ‘In The Bleak Midwinter’ - Dan Zimmerman
7: ‘Lo, How A Rose E’er Blooming’ - The Singing Mechanic
8: ‘We Wish You A Merry Christmas’ - Sufjan Stevens*
9: ‘What Child Is This’ - Rachel and Jon Galloway
10: ‘I Wonder As I Wander’ - Woven Hand
11. ‘Christmas Is A Holiday’ - Ben + Vesper
12. ‘Immanuel’ - Joshua Stamper
13. ‘O Holy Night’ - Elin

*Recorded with Daniel, Elin, Lilly, and Ida at
the NJ Recreation Rm over Thanksgiving Weekend (2007).

Have a wonderful 2008, folks!

Love,

Everyone at Sounds Familyre

New Year’s Resolutions for 2008!

Daniel Smith:
1) Early mornings.
2) Organize.
3) Blog.
4) Breath deep.

Elin Smith:
1) Answer e-mails.
2) Make more calls.
3) Walk more.

John Ringhofer (Half-handed Cloud):
1) Locate a Boxer dog in the neighborhood that I can visit.
2) Consider one exceptional situation/crisis outside of my ordinary life to pray for each day.
3) Learn how to edit home movies with computer software.
4) Spend less time on emails (is this bad?).
5) Eat more chocolate (dark!).
6) Find Rafter Roberts and draw diagrams of all the stretches he knows that I don’t yet.
7) Walk through each day perceiving.

Lowell Brams (Asthmatic Kitty):
1) Organize my office and keep it that way.
2) Exercise regularly and lose 30 lbs.
3) When confronting a difficult situation, ask myself “What would John Ringhofer do?”
4) If that doesn’t work, “What would Lenny Smith do?”

Dan Zimmerman:
1) Make sense of the mess and mess with what makes sense.
2) Get rid of more clutter and embrace more ambiguity.
3) Reach into the past and mix it with the present.
4) Celebrate my lovely wife. Dance together.
5) Get out of the basement more. Play out. Stretch.

Joshua Stamper:
1) Eat more carrots. They’re good for teeth and eyesight.
2) Don’t turn on the computer until AFTER 9am.
3) Spend more time outside, especially in the winter.

Rachel Galloway:
1) Create what I love.
2) Live in the joy of the now.
3) Remember who I am.
4) Have a grateful heart.

Ted Velykis (Leopulde):
1) Ted resolves to act his age, NOT his shoesize and to quit smoking (again).

Michael Kaufmann (Asthmatic Kitty and Unusual Animals):
1) Learn to throw a punch.
2) Give better hugs.
3) Juggle four objects.

Were you aware that the tradition of making New Year’s resolutions has been around for hundreds of years? We thought it would be interesting to include a resolution that’s “old school” (as the youth would have it).

Here’s one from colonial American preacher and theologian Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758):

Resolution #9 (out of seventy): To think much, on all occasions, of my own dying, and of the common circumstances which attend death.

And on THAT note, good luck with your resolutions, everyone, and Happy New Year!

A landmark, 50-SONG, 3-CD set tracing the history of our country through new versions of culturally significant songs interpreted by contemporary artists. Envisioned by Janet Reno, this set includes a track performed by our very own Danielson! Also performing are the likes of Andrew Bird, John Mellencamp, Devendra Banhart, Martha Wainwright, Bettye LaVette, Tim O’Brien, The Black Crowes, Old Crow Medicine Show, Janis Ian, The Blind Boys of Alabama, The Wilders, Elizabeth Cook, The Del McCoury Band, and many, many more…

Click below for more information!