TheDopeFiend :: Your Daily Fix

Bandsintown

The other day I wrote about the event listing website Eventful. Today I discovered a similar website (with an oddly similar logo) that looks just as good, if not better. Bandsintown, like Eventful, links up with your Last.fm and personalizes your account according to the artists you listen to. Although Bandsintown has most of the same features as Eventful, I like the overall user interface better. One thing it seems to be lacking is a section for adding favorite venues, if that were added it would have pretty much everything I would want in an event listing website.

Edit: I got an email from the guys over at Bandsintown and they said more features, such as adding favorite venues are in the works. They also wanted to clear the air about the logo similarities so there was no confusion. Here is a screenshot of Eventful's logo when they first launched a year ago. And it looks as though Bandsintown launched their site in 2006.

Labels: events, music, web

Eventful

In the past I have been rather skeptical of most event and concert community websites. They never seem to keep good track of the smaller, less mainstream shows and venues. However, Eventful has quickly changed my opinion. The website's integration with many other tools is the best part. Eventful not only allows you to track your favorite local venues and the shows that are playing there, but it does a great job at customizing your profile to search out artists that you like. Eventful will even search you Last.fm profile and iTunes library for the music you listen to and then search for those artists playing in your area. You can also demand artists that you would like to see in your city, join community groups and discussions and add your favorite venues and artists to your watch list.

And for those of you with an iPhone of iPod Touch be sure to check out Eventful's iPhone application.

Labels: music, technology, web

200 Nipples

Behind the clever name of the t-shirt website 200 Nipples is also what could be a rather clever idea. This clever idea works like this - 100 limited edition tee designs are made available for purchase on the site (explaining the name 200 Nipples). The cost of the 100 tees begins at $1 and goes from there to $100. For example: t-shirt #1 is $1, t-shirt #2 is $2, t-shirt #3 is $3 and so on all the way to 100. The sooner you visit the site the cheaper you will be able to purchase the design for. The problem with the concept is finding a design cool enough for someone to want to fork out $40-$100 for. The design on the site at the moment is a design I wouldn't pay anymore than $10 for. So in order for this to work I think they are going to have to get some amazing designs by some very highly regarded designers. I like the concept though.

[via: Yewknee]

Labels: fashion, shopping, t-shirts, web

Kitsune Noir Desktop Wallpaper Project

When you spend as much time in front as your computer as I do you tire easily of your desktop wallpapers. In addition to using the application I previously mentioned, Desktoptopia, I also eagerly await the weekly release of the desktops on Kitsune Noir's Desktop Wallpaper Project. The project features super talented artists such as Mopa, Ryan Cox and Kelsey Brookes every week to produce designs and illustrations that are used for Desktop Wallpapers. All of the designs are free for download and available in almost all resolutions and even for the iPhone and PSP.

Labels: design, technology, web

I Vote For Art

I love simple online tools that do their job well, especially when they allow you to make a little extra dough using your creative talents (ie. the amazing t-shirt site Bountee). The new Australian site I Vote For Art would fall into this category. I Vote For Art is simple, it allows you to easily buy and sell art and support small independent artists. Artwork is voted upon by users of the website, the most voted being featured on the homepage and towards the top of the artwork pages. Pieces must be submitted and accepted before posted to the site, and judging by the work so far the site's management has a pretty good eye.

Labels: art, design, technology, web

iPartee

No, despite what it sounds like iPartee is not another random overpriced accessory for the iPod. It is in fact a website designed for people who want a one-stop-shop for party events. In a nutshell this site allows you to plan events and share info with friends, share and promote your events, see what events your friends plan on attending, post photos of events and of course gives you widgets to share this info on your site. One feature I would see using a lot on this site is the venue guide. Whenever I visit another city I find myself browsing tons of useless websites trying to find what is going on where. If iPartee catches on I could see it being a great tool to browse venues and events in unfamiliar cities. In the sea of cool websites popping up these days it's a bit hard to stand out from the rest, but if iPartee manages to do so it could be great.

Labels: community, party, social, web

In Love With Bountee

Strait to the point here... Bountee is the coolest website I have come across in a long time. This says a lot because I visit hundreds of sites a day, and spend an embarrassing amount of time in front of this LCD screen. Bountee gives you the ability to design and sell t-shirts in the simplest and easiest way possible. There is no voting necessary in order to have your design printed. You make it. You sell it. You get paid! I love that everything has been done in the simplest way possible and gives the designer the power. You determine the price (anything above the base price), the color of shirt, the placement of the design, everything. After your design is created and uploaded Bountee does the rest, taking care printing, ordering and shipping. I plan on putting this website to use ASAP!

BONUS
CrownDozen and Bountee have teamed up to bring you 3 free t-shirts a week throughout all of December! Head over here for the details.

Labels: clothing, fashion, t-shirts, web

Mag.nificent

I am a complete sucker for magazines. In fact TheDopeFiend originally began as Mesh Magazine, a printed magazine I was publishing. If you also love the high you get from the smell of a freshly printed 'zine check out Mag.nificent, a blog that features "Magazine culture, obsessively & compulsively documented". This blog covers a huge variety of different magazines and is sure to open you up to more mags to feed your addiction.

Labels: magazines, web

Humble Voice

Social networks are important for self-promotion, inspiration, boredom, and well... networking! Although, it's getting more and more difficult to choose which social networks to join simply due to the number of them out there. If you are an artist, or appreciate artistic work I would recommend checking out Humble Voice. This is a social network and portfolio site that showcases the portfolios of musicians, photographers, writers, videographers and other artists. It seems like a very to-the-point website that has filtered out all the extra bells and whistes, and focused on the essentials. Create and customize your own multi-paged portfolio, link-up with and browse the profiles of other artists. The website is very well built and deserves a huge pat on the back, I just signed up for my account and can't wait to start customizing it.

Labels: design, web

Karmaloop TV

Conventional TV is dead. Conventional advertising is dead. Mediums have changed and so have the companies that have chosen to fully utilize these new mediums to their advantage. Karmaloop TV is a great example of this. Karmaloop has long been a progressive online boutique carrying the freshest urban clothing designs. Rather than simply sticking to only that, they are now adapting and creating web-based TV to promote the culture and audience that supports their online store. Featuring video snippets about people in the fashion, music and art industries Karmaloop TV has hours of entertainment. I am excited to see companies like this adapting and being progressive in this way. Not only are they promoting themselves, but also the culture that helps support their company. Nice work.

Labels: clothing, fashion, music, web

80's Purple

I would be willing to say that over 50% of my clothing is purchased online. I have a few favorite online boutiques that I often check for new goods, one of them being 80's Purple. Nearly every label that 80's Purple carries is purchase worthy. With a great selection of both men and women's clothing, you will find goods from WeSc, GRN Apple Tree, Insight, Boxfresh and more. The prices are that of what you would pay at your average boutique, the selection is acceptional and be sure to check out their eyewear for some awesome vintage sunnies.

Labels: clothing, fashion, web

Well Threaded

When it comes to job posting websites most of them are a joke. Sifting through hundreds of jobs that don't apply to your field, or for boring employers that you have no interest in working for just doesn't work. That's why I am keen on job boards that are very specific to one area of work and type of employer, like Well Threaded. Well Threaded is a job listing website that is specific to the fashion industry. Listing daily postings for various job positions by contemporary brand name employers. Because they are niched into one specific field, Well Threaded has the ability to monitor and be selective about the jobs that are posted. This makes for better results and higher quality job postings.

Labels: fashion, jobs, web

SellaBand

Are you in a band that has wanted to produce an album, but you just don't quite have the means to get it done? Well, if you think you're good enough you may want to check out SellaBand, and website designed to get independant artists and bands enough money to get the music produced. Here's how it works: bands and artists upload their profiles and music fans or as they call them "believers" find artists they really like. Believers then are able to support the bands they like buy investing $10 towards the production of their album, when the artist or band reaches $50,000 (5,000 investors) the money goes towards the production of their album, and the investors receive one of the albums. Have a hard time believing something like this works? A band by the name of Nemesea just raised 50,000 big ones in just 3 months, crazy shit.

Labels: music, web

DESIGNFLOOD

DESIGNFLOOD is essentially the web designer's version of the infamous Hot or Not website (or any of those other rating website people use to try and boost their egos). In this case people post screenshots and links to their websites. This is a great place to find inspiration, or just browse cool websites. However, I am not sure I would ever post a website here. It seems there must be too many design snob members who rate most of these sites much lower than what they deserve. I have checked out many well designed sites so far, and only one has had a score over seven.

Labels: design, inspiration, web, webdesign

INDISTR

INDISTR is making "making it" pointless as they say. The website is the brainchild of Benjamin Gott, co-creator of The Brilliance. The concept of INDISTR is one that I have always known would come about sooner than later. Essentially INDISTR makes it possible for musicians to widely distribute their music, and remain truly independent. The artists have complete control over their music and keep 75% of the earnings. It is what I believe will be the future of music, the death of monsterous record labels reaping the benefits, and true freedom for the musicians. The website is in the pre-launch stage right now, and is said to be launching in 3 weeks, I am excited to see how it goes.

Labels: music, web

Friday, August 22

Bandsintown

Tuesday, August 12

Eventful

Wednesday, July 2

200 Nipples

Wednesday, June 11

Kitsune Noir Desktop Wallpaper Project

Tuesday, June 3

I Vote For Art

Tuesday, March 18

iPartee

Wednesday, December 12

In Love With Bountee

Tuesday, December 11

Mag.nificent

Monday, December 3

Humble Voice

Thursday, November 29

Karmaloop TV

Monday, November 26

80's Purple

Friday, November 16

Well Threaded

Wednesday, February 21

SellaBand

Tuesday, December 19

DESIGNFLOOD

Friday, December 15

INDISTR