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?

Howdy All,

We thought it would be good to compile a ‘Best of 2007′ list before February hits (when we’re REALLY into 2008). The idea was to list things that were new to us in 2007 (though not necessarily new IN 2007). The list!

Andrew Smith-

Food:
Christos’ Falafel

John Ringhofer-

Music:
- Hansadutta, ‘The Vision’
- Beethoven, ‘Late String Quartets’
- The Motifs, ‘Away’

Books:
- Jason Roberts, A Sense of the World: How a Blind Man Became History’s Greatest Traveler
- Alan Moore, The Watchmen
- Barry Miles, Many Years From Now
- Ellis Jones, The Better World Shopping Guide

Films:
- Robert Bresson, Balthazar
- Bong Joon-ho, The Host

Restaurant:
-Herbivore, now in Berkeley!

Activities:
-Routinely falling asleep to quiet records
-Playing bass for The Curtains
-Sitting on the couch in the morning at the precise moment that sunlight enters the window (favorite)

Dan Zimmerman -

Reading:
- Teilhard de Chardin at the Jersey Shore

Recording:
- with Daniel Smith and other amazing familyre folk

Playing out:
- with Tony Jones and Joshua Stamper

Watching:
- Robin Z’s brilliant kitchen design take shape

Rediscovering:
-cherished Golden Age of American Rock’n'Roll 1954-1963
-Jackson Pollock
-Charles Burchfield and the way my own painting is evolving

-Dylan, always Dylan

Seeing:
- I’m Not There in Princeton with Robin
- first Broadway show (Spamelot) with Robin, Michael, and Elizabeth Z

Talking:
- to Robin about the marvelous memoir writing process

Joshua Stamper -

Music:
- Robert Wyatt, Rock Bottom; Ruth is Stranger Than Richard; Shleep; Cuckooland

Films:
- Thomas Riedelsheimer, Touch the Sound (documentary about percussionist Evelyn Glennie)

Books:
- Anton Chekov, Lady With Lapdog and Other Stories

Food:
- Monk’s Burger
- St. Bernardus Abt. 12

Places:
- Collingswood, NJ

Elin Smith -

Music:
- Margo Guryan

Food:
- Black olives on pizza

Book:
- Vera Henriksen, Dronningsagaen

Yarn:
- Baby Alpaca

Glaze:
- “Metallic Awesomeness”

New friends:
- Josh & Kory

Anita Santiago -

Films:
- Grey Gardens
- Tears of the Black Tiger

Books:
- Andy Warhol, The Philosophy of Andy Warhol

TV:
- Madmen

Online:
- etsy
- wardrobe_remix
- jezebel

Ted Velykis -

Music:
- Calypso music (especially the Lion)
- Pascal Comelade, The Oblique Sessions

Books:
- Lord Berners, A Distant Prospect

Films:
- Marco Ferreri, La Grande Bouffe

Concepts:
- The concept of entrepreneurialiizationalism and it’s sweet reward

Ken Fabianovicz -

Event of the Year:
- The birth of my son.

2nd best event of the year:
- Joshua Stamper joining the Sounds Familyre Famile.

Music (in no particular order):
Robert Wyatt, Comicopera
- Blues Control, Blues Control
- Yeasayer, All Hour Cymbals
- Ben + Vesper, All This Could Kill You
- Dirty Projectors, Rise Above
- Burial, Untrue
- Nick Lowe, At My Age
- Trolleyvox, Your Secret Safe/Luzerne
- Jens Lekman, Night Falls Over Kortedala
- The Return of Siltbreeze Records, Times New Viking; Sapat; Pink Reason
- Von Sudenfed, Tromatic Reflexxions
- Tinariwen, Aman Iman
- Rob Crow, Living Well
- Panda Bear, Person Pitch
- Ortolan (demos)
- Brenda Ray, Walatta
- Wooden Shjips, Wooden Shjips
- Skream, Skream!
- Meg Baird, Dear Companion

Reissues:
- The Return of STAX Records!
- Jim Ford, The Sounds of Our Time
- Bobb Trimble, Iron Curtain Innocence and
Harvest of Dreams-Reissues on Secretly Canadian
- Rhys Chatham, multiple reissues on
Table of the Elements
- Tully, Sea of Joy Soundtrack
- Yatha Sidhra, A Meditation Mass
- Loren Connors, As Roses Bow: Collected Airs 1992-2000
Dorothy Ashby - Rubaiyat of Dorothy Ashby
- Henry Flynt & Nova’ Billy, Henry Flynt & Nova’ Billy
- Richard Crandell, Oregon Hill ; In the Flower of Our Youth
- Keith Hudson, Reissues on Pressure Sounds
- Everything on the Dust-To-Digital label
- Philip Cohran, Singles
- Telegraph Ave, Telegraph Ave
- Trees Community, The Christ Tree
- Lee Hazelwood, Reissues on Water Records & Rhino Handmade
- Moussa Doumbia, Keleya
- Noah Howard, The Black Ark

What’s on your ‘Best of 2007′ list? Feel free to leave a comment!