So check this out, GGRP is a sound engineering company that created these do-it-yourself cardboard record players. They then sent them out to creative directors across the US trying to make their presence known… talk about an interesting type of custom business card…While it only boasts a 45rpm music playing capability, the innovation and sheer awesomeness of this record player makes me think my promotional mp3 player is lame.

If you’re the kind of person who can’t stop at just telling people about the music you listen to – whether they don’t “get it,” or they simply haven’t heard of any names you mention and you’re tired of being misunderstood – this shirt allows you to program an included controller with 20 different sound files (10 songs and 10 sound effects) and inflict them upon others at will via the giant speaker on the front of the shirt. The shirt comes with its own stock sound library, but you can replace them with your own sounds or simply plug in your MP3 player. So next time you’re trying to flirt with that cute guy or girl at the bar and happen to drop the fact that you’re in a band, you’d better have a quality demo ready…

[via StreetLevel]

This custom cap is a stylish accessory that will keep Wu-Tang Clan fans happy, even as the group itself sort of fades in and out of existence while its members work on their solo projects. It’s too bad they don’t seem to get along for extended periods of time, because 8 Diagrams was much better than most of their solo albums have been lately. Here’s hoping the release of more branded apparel means they’re working together in the studio again…

[via StreetLevel]

Have you ever been in the middle of a party where the music is really, really good and stopped to muse to yourself, “I wonder what level of 1 MHz frequency I’m hearing right now”? I haven’t either, music geek though I may be, but there’s always the possibility that this will happen when you or I least expect it. To that end, the equalizer t-shirt is the definitive wearable gateway to knowledge of all things frequency-related – its sound-sensitive electroluminescent display, powered by batteries hidden in the shirt, reacts to the music playing around you and lights up with corresponding band levels. Unfortunately, you can’t adjust them from the shirt – that would be impossibly cool – but you can make suggestions to the DJ and back it up using your shirt’s readings as evidence!

[via Oddee]

Behold, a phrase you never thought you would hear uttered: Pink Floyd bike shorts. Nothing against Pink Floyd, but do you really want your band name riding around straining against someone’s gelatinous thigh as they pretend they’re in the Tour de France instead of on the city sidewalk? Sure, every band puts their name on t-shirts, but there’s a reason for that – normal, sane people can wear t-shirts out in public. Not so with bike shorts. I’m all for alternative methods of transportation, but please, find some kind of sportswear that doesn’t traumatize the rest of us.

[via Fashionably Geek]

While I was lamenting the lack of rock star plush toys a few posts ago, I did recently come upon this set of Beatles miniatures – a little too detailed to be called “toys,” though their big-headed cuteness is definitely endearing. Manufactured by Rotobox Vinyl Atomica, they come with their own instrument accessories. Unfortunately, they don’t actually play music, but hey, you have your Beatles album collection for that.

[via StreetLevel]

If you get annoyed at people who insist on tapping out nonsense rhythms with their pens on whatever hard surfaces are lying around, this musical pen will probably send you over the edge. If, however, you’re tired of having to wait until you get home from work to hammer out the drum line in the hit song you’re working on, this could be useful. In addition to writing (for the lyrics, of course), this novelty pen plays drum, crash, and snare sounds depending on the buttons you press. It’s no substitute for having a full kit in front of you, of course, but it’s a fun desktop toy, and it can’t be beat for portability. After all, just try to sneak a drum set into your cubicle. I dare you.

[via Perpetual Kid]

It seems that some musicians will license their image for use in anything – from baby clothes to office supplies to floormats – but interestingly enough, I can’t seem to find any of these common offenders in the realm of stuffed toys. You’ll put your logo on light switch covers and ashtrays, but you won’t let someone make a plush toy out of you? *Sigh* Musicians…

These classical composer stuffed “thinkers” from Shakespeare’s Den are so cool that they’re outfitted with music boxes that play the composers’ works. Having been dead for centuries, though, Mozart and Bach are exceptions to the no-licensing-plushies rule I seem to have uncovered. For current stars, I’m drawing a blank! Aside from good old Michael Jackson, of course. Where are the plush rock stars at?!

Video games combined with guitars do not always lead to Guitar Hero or other bland substitutes for actually playing real music. This cool (if unabashedly geeky) guitar unites the case of an old Nintendo system and the neck and accessory hardware of a mini Les Paul to form what its creator calls the “NES paul,” hopefully inspiring gamers everywhere to put down the fake musical instruments and pick up the real thing. News flash – making music is more fun than playing with expensive electronic toys!

[via Technabob]

If you really are what you eat, the commissioner of this questionable custom cake may have just found a shortcut to rap music stardom. This cake is modeled after rapper Lil’ Wayne’s head, with sunglasses made of chocolate and dreadlocks made of licorice. It’s not a bad likeness, but to be honest, it doesn’t look too appetizing to us. Then again, we’re not in the habit of eating our favorite bands, even when reproduced in full candied splendor. We’ll leave that to the aspiring Hannibal Lecters out there…

[via Street Level]

Everyone’s familiar with the world’s smallest violin, metaphorically “played” when someone else is being melodramatic and whiny. This tiny guitar, however, is the real thing, musically speaking. You have to build it yourself using a kit from Otona no Kagaku, a Japanese magazine, and it has two fewer strings than a normal-sized guitar, but the finished product really works. A miniature built-in amplifier and speaker are included, but you can also plug it into any normal guitar amplifier and crank up the volume to typical ear-splitting levels if you want to really surprise the audience at your next show. Not to mention the space it’ll save when you’re traveling around on tour – talk about convenience! No, they’re not laughing at you, they’re laughing with you. Trust us…

[via Technabob]

I wonder how the Ramones would have reacted back in 1979 if someone told them their name would be imprinted on a line of custom diaper tote bags twenty years later. It would probably resemble the reaction they’d have upon hearing that legendary venue CBGB’s had turned into a designer apparel store. Oh well, at least they would have been rewarded with an induction into the Rock’n'Roll Hall of Fame…

This fashionable bag even comes with a changing pad and side pockets for bottles and pacifiers! Nothing but the best for punk rock babies. I really have to admire parents who don’t give up their subcultural identity just because they have kids–why should all families try to look the same? Plus, the kid with the Ramones bag is totally going to be the envy of his peers in pre-school, when he can use it as a tote bag to carry his school and art supplies.

[via Fashionably Geek]

Usually, these days, promotional wristbands stand for some kind of cause awareness–various diseases, social issues, political campaigns, and so on. Not so here, for this classic Nine Inch Nails logo wristband. Given NIN’s nihilistic, introverted lyrics, I somehow don’t think Trent Reznor will be wearing any awareness bracelets anytime soon. Which is sort of refreshing–too often popular bands use fame as a platform to babble on with the delusion that they’re bringing about some sort of social change when they’re really just irritating fans who love them for their songs, not their “ideology.” So – cheers to Nine Inch Nails for staying focused on the music!.

Music lurks in the strangest places. Here, for example, we have an innocent-looking fashion tote shaped like a cat head, with what appear to be huge buttons for eyes. These buttons are actually speakers, however, and the lining of the bag unzips to expose a headphone jack and cables for plugging in your MP3 player. This cat doesn’t just meow–it can sing, wail, or just rock out however you want it to!

[via Fashionably Geek]

Ooo My Design pays tribute to the humble cassette, stringing several of them together around a light bulb to create a lamp to be reckoned with. According to the designer’s site, you can even switch the included tapes out with your own, in case there are a few sentimental-value-infused mixtapes from special-someones past lying around your home. Unfortunately, this lamp doesn’t play the music on the tapes–you’ll have to find an old stereo system for that…

One doesn’t generally think of Ozzy Osbourne and fresh air in the same sentence. For those who do, there’s this lovely promotional air freshener featuring the Black Sabbath frontman’s face outlined with a vaguely religious-looking glow.

Personally, I’m afraid to find out what the thing smells like. Given his rumored taste for biting the heads off rodents, or even his later reality-television career, I don’t think I’d want any related odors in my car.

[via Rockstar HQ]

We’ve seen a lot of things done with recycled vinyl records, but these awesome bracelets from Wrecords by Monkey are probably the most fashionable. The company collects scratched and warped vinyl from DJs and distributors, ensuring a sustainable business model. Wrecords by Monkey recently expanded its production to include other kinds of jewelry, and now even makes t-shirts and other apparel items.

Need more good reasons to support the designers? More than half the profits from their recently released “NYC Artist Collection” go to local artists or to supporting art and music education in Brooklyn schools.

[via Inhabitat]

Even Michael Jackson fans in the corporate world can embrace their love of the star during business hours. If you can’t live without a little “Bad” or “Beat It” in your office, this roll of Michael Jackson promotional packing tape is a great idea. Spice up your packages, or use it as a swanky alternative to dull beige masking tape. The same company also offers a set of two clear custom MJ file folders, to hold all those documents that regular folders aren’t cool enough to handle.

There’s something a little ghoulish to me about using dead pop stars on office supplies, I think. At least they aren’t opening Michael Jackson themed restaurants…yet.

Since Michael Jackson’s death, the music world has been flooded with merch bearing his name, his face, and even his iconic silhouette. Some of this memorial swag is on the “normal” side–t-shirts and hats featuring MJ graphics and promotional slogans can still be found in most casual apparel shops–but some of it is downright weird.

Here, we have two styles of Michael Jackson sleep masks from NCSX, one adorned with his signature sunglasses, the other just his eyes. These promotional sleep masks are sure to produce, uh, sweet dreams of some kind. At least, we’ll take their word for it.

Imagine: one of your favorite recording artists suffers from terrible, cheesy, dated-looking cover art. What’s a fan to do? Artist and illustrator Logan Walters redesigned the covers of early-’90s Wu-Tang Clan albums in the style of the hip, sophisticated jazz records released on the iconic Blue Note label during the ’60s and ’70s. Interestingly, these look much less dated than the originals.

If the Wu-Tang Clan or its individual members plan on re-releasing any of their music soon, they should definitely get in touch with Walters–these “remixes” are gorgeous. They could accompany the reissue with a new line of promotional apparel, or print posters of the new retro cover art, the rest of which can be seen here. Who would have thought Ghostface Killah could look so…refined?