Subtitled The Sound Of Fonts, TypoLyrics is a rare 200 page hardback publication created by Slanted, the Basel-based typography blog and magazine. Stylorouge's Mark Higenbottam was interviewed for the book by Jan Kiesswetter, alongside other interviews with Dirk Rudolph, and Seattle's Invisible Creature. 
The main body of the book features famous, and some not-so-famous lyrics as illustrated in type by an array of typographers from around the globe.
To find out more about TypoLyrics go to: www.slanted.de

Livan will release a new 7 track EP in preparation for a one-off support gig with US stadium rock-gods Aerosmith later this month. The 40,000 capacity outdoor gig is the Karaiskaki Stadium in Athens, Greece where Livan has been building a growing fanbase through airplay of several songs from their last album 'Happy Returns'. Stylorouge have photographed and designed the sleeve (Rob O'Connor and Aaron Munday respectively) and produced an EPK for use by their US record company.
See an excerpt from the EPK in the video player.

Dublin's first lady of rockabilly, Imelda May, has been keeping Stylorouge busy lately with a campaign for her June single release, Psycho, and video clips which are being produced in preparation for the arrival of her second album, Mayhem. The May double-header live show with legendary 72 year old "queen of rock 'n' roll" Wanda Jackson at Kilburn's Luminaire was filmed for inclusion in a forthcoming two-part EPK being directed by Rob O'Connor for Stylorouge.
A special promo-pack edition of the Psycho single and album sampler has been designed by Mark Higenbottam. The '50's-filtered photography was by Chris Clor. Check next month's news for an update on the album sleeve which is under way as we speak.
Watch Imelda perform Tainted Love live in the video player.

A retro look was required by new singer/songwriter Lucinda Belle for the sleeve and campaign for her much publicised debut album My Voice and 45 Strings, and Stylorouge have obliged (with pleasure). Lucinda wears a number of hats; singer, songwriter, orchestra leader, pin-up, entrepreneur and procurer of one of the most attractive contracts to be offered by Universal/Island in many years.
Orders for the album pre-release have already been pouring in since the buzz began to build about Lucinda at the end of last year, and her charismatic breakfast TV appearance earlier this year brought a deluge of traffic to her website (which is also currently getting a Stylorouge overhaul courtesy of Michele Rossi and Aaron Munday). Her new single, Dodo Blues also features an Aaron design, with photographs by Ralph Mecke.

One of the world's best loved bands Crowded House launch into a major world tour this month, to promote their forthcoming new album Intriguer. Titled after a fictitious character who haunted the band's songwriting and recording of the project, the album has been packaged at Stylorouge by Sharon Chai with front cover illustration by bass-playing founder member Nick Seymour. The album rolls out in various formats including 12 inch vinyl and 'deluxe' double disk version which includes a DVD of video content. Stylorouge has produced the animated screen graphics for the DVD interface and a neat range of merchandise including a lavish tour brochure covered in x-ray film style.
View the DVD interface graphics in the video player.

The debut single from new artist Kirsty Almeida, Spider, is released by Decca this month, accompanied by a Stylorouge campaign which includes the sleeve and the final two episodes of a five-part web video series. Kirsty's band have been gigging hard in the run-up to the festival season, during which they will be playing throughout the UK. The debut album from Kirsty, Pure Blue/Green, is set for release in August.
Watch the latest episode of the web clip series in the video player.

Among the online projects recently undertaken by Stylorouge is a website for the eccentrically named duo 'I Am One Project'. Currently building a growing fanbase and community of contributers, Oli and Jamie met on their first module as music technology students at Westminster University and have continued working together ever since, recording with prolific producers and playing live with up to 8 piece bands. They have taking crowds by storm with their unique mix of Hip Hop, Grime, Folk and Soul.

www.iamoneproject.com

Following on from last months news, the Port Isaac's Fisherman's Friends album entered the UK album charts on the week of release at a remarkable number 9! The success of the album has thrown a media spotlight onto british traditional music, and the fishy friends have become everyone's favourite new folk act, with a string of summer festival dates lined up for them, including Trowbridge and Cambridge, and a third single "South Australia" set for release in June. Stylorouge have built the band's new website. Check it out for details of where you can catch them live.
http://portisaacsfishermansfriends.com

The annual Music Week Awards recognized Jon Turner of Island Records this month for the campaign celebrating 50 years of the once independent trailblazing company. Stylorouge created the various visual assets of the campaign for Jon and are happy to bathe in a little shared glory. We send our heartfelt congratulations to him and look forward to Island 100!

This month sees the launch of The Music Lives On, a most unlikely of 'best of' albums , incorporating, well, the best of the colliery bands from around the country. Released by First Rule records through Universal/Island, the sleeve was designed at Stylorouge, who commissioned ace illustrator Martin Hargreaves to give the release an authentic 1930's travel poster style.
Not to be outdone,the Fishermen of Cornwall are similarly celebrated, by the 9 strong vocal group Port Isaac's Fisherman's Friends who launch their third album next month – as the name suggests, not Fishermen themselves, just good friends. Stylorouge have designed the cover and also their new website which will be ready to trawl through next month. Photography by Steve Schofield, Art direction and design by Mikkel Lundsager Hansen and Rob O'Connor. The website was designed and built by Michele Rossi.

www.portisaacsfishermansfriends.com

Currently in post-production are Stylorouge-produced clips for West End star of We Will Rock You and Witches, Kerry Ellis, EPK and promo for Notting Hill based neo-punk rocker Livan, and an episodic web mini-documentary for new Decca signing Kirsty Almeida. Kirsty's new album will be released later in the summer, but check out the first part of her story in our video player.

The Design community joins forces to raise funds for victims of the Haitian earthquake. This initiative is led by Maltese Art Director Derek Fenech, the brief; to create a visual message to victims of the earthquake, giving words of hope and encouragement. Stylorouge's Mark Higenbottam has designed an optimistic poster to be sold on the Letters to Haiti website along with works by other artists and design agencies, including Elmwood, Jonathan Barnbrook , Si Scott, Dietwee and Tomato. Proceeds to go to Aid agencies working in Haiti.

Congratulations to Steve Knightley and Phil Beer as Show of Hands win Best Original Song and Best Duo at the BBC 2 Folk awards.The title track of the album, Arrogance Ignorance and Greed, has been released as a single with the traditional song, The Keys of Canterbury as a 'B side'. This success has kept Show of Hands busy, promo wise, including an appearance on BBC TV's Breakfast Time. Single sleeve design by Mark Higenbottam for Stylorouge , photography by Rob O'Connor.

25th February saw another successful night for Cancer Research UK as they raised over a quarter of a million pounds at their annual Sound and Vision auction of photography and music-related art at London's Abbey Road Studios. Robert Plant, Beth Neilson Chapman, David Gray and Newton Faulkner gave guest performances during the evening.
Lots donated by Stylorouge included a portrait of Sir Paul MacCartney by Sharon Chai and the mind-bogglingly intricate "Gig Map" designed for the Blur tour brochure by Sarah Foley with Piero Zagami. Once again, Stylorouge sponsored the event by designing the marketing materials.

Stylorouge have directed and produced a video clip for Arrogance, Ignorance & Greed, the new single by folk/roots favourites Show Of Hands, just in time for the 2010 BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards, for which the band have been nominated in two categories. They are up for Best Duo, and Arrogance, Ignorance & Greed itself, written by Steve Knightley, is in the running for Best Original Song.
The awards take place on February 1. The video clip was directed by Rob O'Connor and produced for Stylorouge by Trevor Rogers. Jamie Gibson was the editor. The performance part of the promo was shot at Gibson Guitars in London's West End prior to the official launch of the band's new album (of the same name). See the clip on our video player.
www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/events/folk-awards-2010/nominees/

The Royal Mail will have been delighted with the media exposure during the first few days following the launch of the Classic Album Sleeves stamp issue. Alongside interviews with fellow sleeve/stamp designers George Underwood (David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust) and Peter Saville (New Order's Power, Corruption & Lies), and Pennie Smith (photographer of The Clash's London Calling), our own Rob O'Connor has been registering his own thoughts about Stylorouge being honoured as one of the 10 sleeve designers selected.
You can hear Rob on features from BBC's 5Live (Nicky Campbell and Shelagh Delaney) here and 6Music (Matt Everitt and Julie Cullen) here..

The Royal Mail are issuing a set of stamps under the banner of Classic Album Covers, devoted to ten of the most iconic British album cover designs. Stylorouge are proud to be included with their sleeve for the 1994 Parklife album by Blur.
Stylorouge's Creative Director Rob O'Connor began a long and fruitful relationship with the band with their debut single "She's So High"
in 1990. O'Connor went on to create many memorable sleeves for the band, initially with Stylorouge designer David Calderley, and later, after Calderley left for the States, with Chris Thomson. Between them they produced the now iconic sleeve image for Parklife, Blur's third and probably most enduring album. "The sleeves we designed for Blur captured an attitude that seemed just right for the time" says O'Connor, "they were always playful – more a wry observation of British visual culture than flashy design. We're delighted and flattered to see our work celebrated in this way. Having always wanted to design a stamp, this appears to have been a lazy route to achieving that ambition"
The full list of 10 designs to be issued on January 7 includes The Clash's London Calling, New Order's Power, Corruption and Lies, Rolling Stones' Let It Bleed, Primal Scream's Screamadelica and David Bowie's The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust.

Watch a video interview here.