Exclusive Freebie: Custom Designious Vector Pack

This is a free vector set from Designious.com. I found the link via BittBox.com. There are additional vectors included in the pack that aren’t displayed here. Here’s a description of the project from Alex over at Designious:

Now this is what I call democracy at work. A week or two ago, Alex and I opened up our ears and let the votes roll in about what kind of vectors you wanted the most. Originally, we were going to choose just one genre for the vector pack, but instead, we decided a ‘variety pack’ was in order. So here they are folks, the exclusive vector pack from Designious that you all voted for. The pack includes everything you see below but here’s a quick list: buildings, cute animals, floral, seamless retro patterns, seamless boroque patterns, and musical instruments. A big thanks goes out to Alex and the Designious team for their generous contribution to the community, and props on some mad vector skills :)

» View and download the full vector pack

Most Popular Posts on Cardeo Design Blog for 2008

#1 Cardeo Minimal WordPress Theme
The free Minimal theme has been my most popular post and WordPress freebie for 2008. Make sure you go download it, if you haven’t already.

#2 Cardeo Minimal Website Template
So you guys like Minimal websites eh? The #2 post for 2008 is a website template based on the Minimal WordPress Theme. Also a free download, go and get it!

#3 How To Create a Single Image CSS Navigation Matrix
This is a tutorial on how to create an image based navigation with only CSS and 1 image. Check out www.apple.com or the demo to see this baby in action.

#4 Cardeo Mini WordPress Theme
This is another free Minimal WordPress Theme that is available for download.

#5 Free Christmas Vector Pack
This was the second of two vector packs I released in 2008. It was a great success and I plan to release more free vector packs in 2009!

#6 How to Add a Twitter Badge to Your Website
This tutorial is a quick explanation on how you can add a custom Twitter badge to your own website.

#7 Cardeo Public WordPress Theme
Public was the second free WordPress theme released in 2008. Like the most of my themes, it features a minimal layout, twitter integration, and flickr photostream integration.

#8 Barack Obama T-Shirts
2008 was the year of Obama. I tried to do my little part by designing some shirts and selling them on zazzle.com. I plan to donate the proceeds of the sales once a check is requested.

#9 Free Music Vector Pack
The first of two free vector packs I released in 2008. A rock n’ roll theme for all the Cardeo readers.

#10 Cardeo Standard WordPress Theme
Last but not least, my first WordPress theme. Cardeo Standard is a free theme based on Swiss graphic design and typography

Matt Mays & El Torpedo – Terminal Romance
Another great release from Matt Mays. It’s nice to see some good Canadian rock n’ roll artists again.
Pick it up from Amazon.ca: Matt Mays & El Torpedo – Terminal Romance

The Loved Ones – Build & Burn
My favorite Fat Wreckords band released their 2nd full length album in early 2008. Little more of an americana feel on this one, but great none the less.
Pick it up from Amazon.ca: The Loved Ones – Build And Burn

Guns n’ Roses – Chinese Democracy
Finally! The long awaited GNR record finally came out this year. A few really great songs here, a few good, and a few not so good. I’d definitely recommend pick it up.
Pick it up from Amazon.ca: Guns N’ Roses – Chinese Democracy

Sam Roberts – Love At The End Of The World
Another great release from a Canadian Artist.
Pick it up from Amazon.ca: Sam Roberts – Love At The End Of The World

Hanoi Rocks – Decadent, Dangerous, Delicious

This is a 2-disc greatest hits package from one of my favorite bands. If you like Guns n’ Roses, you will love Hanoi Rocks. Some of my favorite tracks are: Malibu Beach Nightmare, Lightnin’ Bar Blues, and Tragedy.

The Lawrence Arms – Oh Calcutta!

The latest release from this Chicago band is bar far their best. Dueling vocals and amazing song writing are the strengths of this group. Check out the following tracks: The Devil’s Takin’ Names, Cut It Up, and Key To The City.

Smoke or Fire – Above The City

This album was a bit of a hidden jem for me. I heard the band on a Fat Wreckords comp and decided to buy the album. Possibly the best $15 I’ve ever spent – or maybe not but still damn good and worth picking up. Best songs are: California’s Burning, Filter, and Delawhere.

Izzy Stradlin – River

I’m kind of surprised I didn’t put this #1 as Izzy Stradlin is probably my favorite musician of all-time. Since his departure for Guns n’ Roses in 1992, Izzy has continued to release a steady stream of amazing material. It’s tough for me to pick one album but this is a great place to start. My favorite tracks are: River, Far Below Me Now, and Jump In Now.

The Loved Ones – Keep Your Heart

My brother turned me onto this band after his band toured with them a few years back. This is by far my favorite album of 2006, bonus points for great artwork. Top tracks include: Suture Self, Player Hater Anthem, and 100k.

Matt Mays & El Torpedo – Self-Titled

Canadian Content! Matt Mays was another artist I was lucky enough to stumble upon. His band is probably my favorite Canadian group at the moment. If asked to describe him, I’d probably say he is a less commercial version of Sam Roberts. His latest album Terminal Romance is also worth picking up. Some of my favorite tracks are: St. George’s Lane, Time of Your Life, and Travellin’.

Screeching Weasel – Weasel Mania

This is a must for anyone interested in what pop-punk sounds like when it is done right. These guys were one of the originators and still one of the best. This is a greatest hits album with 34 tracks on it! It’s hard to pick favorites but here you go: Hey Suburbia, I Wanna Be a Homosexual, and My Right.

Huey Lewis & the News – Greatest Hits

Is my age showing? Whatever! Huey Lewis rules! This is his latest greatest hits record and it’s great if you wanna kick back and reminisce with some great 80′s rock n’ roll. Best tracks include: The Heart of Rock n’ Roll, If This Is It, and Hip To Be Square.

The Bronx – The Bronx

Feeling lazy, need a little motivation? Just throw this record on, it will get you motivated. It’s definitely the hardest record on this list, and it will get you rocking in all the right directions. Oh and bonus points again for an awesome cover. My top tracks are: Heart Attack America, White Tar, and They Will Kill Us All.

Teen Idols – Self-Titled

Another awesome pop-punk from back in 1998, before the mainstream explosion of the genre. Straight ahead, fast, catchy, melodic punk rock – just the way I like it. My favorite tracks are: Come Dance With Me, Porno Shop, and Lovely Day.

The Facebook Blog

If you’re like me you are addicted to facebook. Reading their blog is a great way to keep up to date on new features on the social media giant.
The Facebook Blog

Get Rich Slowly

If you need help managing your money, like me, Get Rich Slowly is a great resource. There are daily posts with tips on how to properly manage your cash flow.
Get Rich Slowly Blog

Hockey Trade Rumours

Okay I know the website design is not the best but there is some great content on this website. If you are a hockey nut like me, this is a great source for trade rumours.
Hockey Trade Rumours Blog

Last.fm Blog

As I’ve mentioned before, Last.fm is my current favorite music website. Their blog is a great place to keep up on new features on the website.
Last.fm Blog

Last Nights Party

This is a photo blog that must be seen. One of my favorite websites right now.
Last Nights Party Photo Blog

Mac Rumors

This is a great website for all the Mac lovers out there. Daily rumors on new products and what’s going on in the apple world.
Mac Rumors Blog

Punk News

If you are a fan of punk rock this is the best source of news on the internet.
PunkNews.org

Sportsnet

There are two big hockey websites in Canada, Sportsnet and TSN. I prefer Sportsnet because they have a hockey specific feed. The TSN one is good as well but no hockey specific feed! C’mon!
SportsNet.ca

01. Tunecore.com

Tunecore is possibly the most important website independent bands need to be aware of. Tunecore is a website built for artists by artists. It allows any band to upload and sell their music online with a number of retailers like: iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, Napster, Emusic, and many more. There is a one-time registration fee per album. As well, there is a yearly storage fee for each album. The thing that makes Tunecore so great is the fact that they take none of your sales royalties from any of your albums. As well, they are a great one-stop-shop for a number of related products for musicians. If you only check out one link on this list, make sure it is Tunecore.
Sign Up for a Free TuneCore Account

02. Myspace.com

Myspace was the originator for allowing indie bands to promote themselves online. They have fallen to the wayside a little bit in the past year due to all the new competition. However, they recently announced a new program to allow artists to sell their music through the website which might help put them back on top. Myspace is still the place to be if you are an indie band looking for exposure online.
Register your band profile today at Myspace.com

03. Last.fm

Last.fm is currently my favorite online music website. In the past year, they have put a major push on growing their business and they are setting themselves up to be the new power-house music website on the net. I’m particularly fond of their downloadable player that integrates with iTunes and returns excellent music recommendations. Last.fm already has a program in place that allows bands to sell their music online through the website.
Register your band profile today at Last.fm

04. Facebook.com

About a year ago, Facebook introduced pages to the general public. With the new Pages app came the ability to create a band page for your group. The design and functionality of the band pages is up to par with what you would expect from Facebook. One of the best features is the ability to setup an event/show and invite all your friends. You also have the ability to stream music on your page and link to online stores like iTunes where fans can buy your music.
Register your band page today at Facebook.com

05. Virb.com

As a designer, I love, love Virb.com. Their layout is in my top 5 for favorite websites. Besides being aesthetically pleasing, it is also extremely easy to use. If you are familiar with CSS, you can customize your page to your hearts content. The only knock on Virb.com is that I don’t think it is as popular as other websites like last.fm and myspace.com. However, I’m a true believer in taking the effort (and 10 mins) to setup an account profile on every music related website out there. You never know where your fans are going to come from. Virb.com also gives you the option of streaming music and directing your viewers to an outside online store to purchase your music.
Register your band profile now at Virb.com

06. PureVolume.com

PureVolume.com is similar to Virb.com in that it is a visually appealing website, but I’m not sure if it has as many users as sites like Last.fm. Even though it shares many of the same features, it is still worth creating a profile. When someone types your band name into google, you want as many relevant links to pop-up as possible. A good way of doing this is registering a band profile at as many of these websites as possible.
Register your band profile now at PureVolume.com

07. AmieStreet.com

If you are new to selling your music online, AmieStreet.com is a great place to start. Their pricing model is based on plays and downloads. When you first add your music, the cost will be fairly low ($0.05 per song). As people listen and purchase your music, the price of your album goes up. This can be a great tool for competing with other bands and musicians. It allows you to see how your online promotions are working as the price of your song(s) move up. I would definitely recommend this service to unsigned indie bands.
Register your band profile now at AmieStreet.com

This brings my first music based post to an end. Was this information useful? I know it’s a little bit outside the scope of the website, but it is a subject that I care about. I’m hoping there is an audience within our web community that also cares about building their band without the help of record labels. Please let me know your thoughts. Also, if you have a minute, please check out my band at oneyedjacks.ca. You can also check out my solo material on facebook.com. If there is an audience for this type of post, I’ll be happy to write future posts on other ways you can promote your band online.

Free Music Vector Pack

This is the first in a series of Free vectors and vector packs that cardeo will be offering. For this pack, I pulled together some vectors I’ve been working on over a long period of time. Please download and feel free to use them for anything you like. If possible, please give us a back link if you use any of the artwork on your website. There’s a donate button below if you want to show us some love.

Free Music Vector Pack Download

Formats:

• Illustrator CS3 eps
• Illustrator 8 eps

Vector pack preview

If you find this vector pack useful, please consider buying me a beer :)

Cardeo Music Vector Pack by Matt Lambert is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Canada License. Based on a work at cardeo.ca. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available at http://cardeo.ca.