Feature / Music
2009: A Year In Review

Words: Mitchell • Posted pre-2010

Worst Cover Art of 2009

ARTICLE JUMP

Another year, another poor collection of excused for album sleeves. Without any further ado, let's dive in.

Morrissey - Years Of Refusal

Bad Cover Art 2009

This poor kid. Number one, he's in close proximity to Morrissey, which means the grumpy singer probably lambasted the kid for eating non-vegan baby food or something. Number two, Morrissey is touching his gooch. This cover does have the advantage of broadcasting the fantasy that Morrissey's female fans want to imagine: him as the father of their child. Not even Justin Timberlake could get away with that one - kudos.

Capital - Blind Faith

Bad Cover Art 2009

The font on this looks like a Cyndi Lauper record, and the photo makes it resemble a 1983 Irish Nationalist LP consisting of covers of Arthur McBride and The Fields of Athenry.

NOFX - Coaster

Bad Cover Art 2009

Very clever, very postmodern. It still looks ugly as sin, though.

Gallows - Grey Britain

Bad Cover Art 2009

Come on guys, this had potential. You could have had a bleak shot of a grimy council estate somewhere up north, but instead you picked the White Rose of York and a 'grungy' Union Flag. This probably took a Photoshop kid about two minutes to throw together and looks cheap and lazy. Sorry.

Green Day - 21st Century Breakdown

Bad Cover Art 2009

A poor man's Banksy. Next.

Rancid - Let The Dominoes Fall

Bad Cover Art 2009

While you'd be a fool to expect Rancid to do anything surprising or out of character, let's face it: you could have drawn this record sleeve with your eyes closed six months before it came out and you'd have got it spot own, down to Tim Armstrong's fucking cobweb tattoo.

Chickenfoot - Chickenfoot

Bad Cover Art 2009

Are we in 1999 again? The nu-metal backwards letter thing seems to be back. As for using your band's not-very-original logo as the sole artwork for your album: 0/10 for effort.

The Mars Volta - Octahedron

Bad Cover Art 2009

It wouldn't be a SPB bad covers article without a Mars Volta entry, and this one is no exception. Maybe I'm not into psych rock enough to 'get' it, but this looks like the dreams of a six year old on acid.

Death By Stereo - Death is my Only Friend

Bad Cover Art 2009

I don't think any words are necessary.

(Matt)

Related features

Cheap Fix

One Question Interviews • July 14, 2025

Cheap Fix SPB: What’s the most MacGyver-esque workaround you’ve made to connect different bits of equipment? Chad Nichols (guitar/vocals): You'd think with a name like Cheap Fix, we'd be all over this question. But I'm the least handy of the band members, so I've got next to nothing. All my … Read more

Mike Huguenor

One Question Interviews / What's That Noise? • July 8, 2025

Mike Huguenor Tell us about the primary guitars you used making Surfing the Web with the Alien? Read more

Scene Point Blank's Favorites: The Year So Far (July 2025)

Music • July 6, 2025

We're halfway through the year: when did that happen?! Luckily for you, SPB is on hand to share the music we've enjoyed most in 2025 thus far. Read on to hear about the records that have made our top list for this year as it stands, and also some bonus … Read more

Shane Herrell: A Tribute

Music • July 6, 2025

Shane Herrell: Rest In Power(pop) (1980-2025) The Rocker I try to live my life with as few regrets as possible. Sadly I never got the chance to hear my friend Shane Herrell karaoke Thin Lizzy’s "The Rocker." As a singing bass player we don’t have enough heroes. It might just … Read more

Unseemlier

One Question Interviews • June 27, 2025

Mike Assatly (Unseemlier - guitar/vocals) SPB: Do you have a preferred model of van for touring? Assatly: Chevy G-20 Gladiator! It was my first van, I got it from my uncle with 115,000 on it. He got rid of it for a new van because it was "old" and would … Read more

More from this section

Scene Point Blank's Favorites: The Year So Far (July 2025)

Music • July 6, 2025

We're halfway through the year: when did that happen?! Luckily for you, SPB is on hand to share the music we've enjoyed most in 2025 thus far. Read on to hear about the records that have made our top list for this year as it stands, and also some bonus … Read more

Shane Herrell: A Tribute

Music • July 6, 2025

Shane Herrell: Rest In Power(pop) (1980-2025) The Rocker I try to live my life with as few regrets as possible. Sadly I never got the chance to hear my friend Shane Herrell karaoke Thin Lizzy’s "The Rocker." As a singing bass player we don’t have enough heroes. It might just … Read more

Caterwaul 2025

Music • May 13, 2025

Each year in late May, the 4-day party and noise-rock festival Caterwaul takes over multiple venues in Minneapolis. It’s a stacked lineup this year, to put it mildly, with each night’s headliners FACS, Young Widows, Naw, Pissed Jeans, and Uniform -- and that’s leaving a ton of other great bands … Read more