Gregarious

The xx is a new band out of England who have absolutely exploded onto “the scene” this year.  Their album, xx, has reached the top ten of numerous important-music-people’s “Best Albums of ‘09″ lists.  As awesome as their music is (listen to the track below) I’d rather talk about the band’s branding.

How amazing is that album cover?!  So simple and effective.  And once you’ve heard the record, it makes even more sense.  It perfectly describes The xx’s stripped down, minimalist “dub step”(my friend Billy at coolthanks.net tore me a new one for calling The xx “dub step”) sound that exists somewhere between alternative rock and r&b.  In an age when the physical artifact of an “album” is quickly disintegrating into our ever-shrinking, pixelated futures; this iconic album cover is equally effective as a 1″ by 1″ icon on my iPod as it is on an 18″ by 24″ gig poster.

Below are some examples of covers of The xx’s singles and remix albums.  Each is an equally iconic extension of The xx’s brand.  Even when they perform live, the table that holds the equipment of the band’s dj/drum machinist is fitted with two large white glowing x’s on a black background.  The xx is a great example of how a strong brand can be used to create a truly enveloping experience for any product, be it an object or music.