can bad album artwork ruin an album? how much difference to a record does quality design make to you? some artists seem to carve out a little world for themselves to live in where the art plays a big part in making the music seem all the more vivid.
maybe it's because i'm a graphic design student but i'm downright more likely to download an album if the cover art is unquestionably ugly. similarly, i'm more likely hold onto stuff without hocking it on ebay if it looks superb. thoughts?

the good:
jesse ledoux's stuff (shins, pedro the lion etc)
carson ellis' illustration/design for the decemberists
beck - mutations (incredible tim hawkinson installations)
most pavement/malkmus albums
hope of the states - the lost riots

the bad:
clap your hands say yeah - s/t
the new pornographers - in general, but twin cinema especially
franz ferdinand - all of it
dogs die in hot cars


also, for anyone who digs handmade releases, have a look over www.keeprecordings.com - everything in the catalogue is typically handmade, numbered and signed. really nice work.