After discussing different genres with my teacher we came to the agreement that the indie genre would be a better genre to use. The indie scene has took of successfully and the music videos are realistic for my budget. We were given advise to use an unsigned artist for the reason that we will not be influenced by already signed bands. This way I feel that I will be able to use my skills to covey a sense of originality and style.
Finding an unsigned band is not such a lengthy process, as there are many sites such as www.unsigned.com and www.soundcloud.com where unsigned artist and bands put their music on in order to get recognition. Also you ca select what genre you are looking for and the country which helps to narrow down the searches.
I wanted a British band as i feel it reflects the indie genre the most and the singer usually as a strong British accent. I narrowed my search down to two bands. One was 'The Diggers', which I found on unsigned.com, have a lead female singer which seems quite unique and this is what i was looking for. However when i played the song the quality wasn't as good and her voice didn't covey the indie genre but was more blues.
The band I settled on was 'Blonde Louis' which is a boy band. At first i was slightly hesitant with choosing a boy band, however their song 'Sleep on the Floor' had a great intro with catchy lyrics. They are just what i was looking for in a song. Moreover i found it easier to come up with ideas which should create and effective music video.
The Killers are a well know Indie/rock band, they are slightly more mainstream than others and this is presented clearly in most of their music videos.
Their music video When You Were Young was filmed in Mexico. The Killers were inspired by by the films Japón and Batalla en el Cielo both directed by Mexican film director Carlos Reygadas. The themes of love and betrayal which are dominate in these films also play a huge part in this music video.
As 'The Killer's- When You Were Young' follows the conventions of a music video, it becomes easy to apply Goodwin's theory.
1. Genre Conventions
This music video is quite different from a lot of rock music videos due to the strong narrative which takes form of a mini film. Although the setting and the style of the music video is untypical for this genre, there are still many characteristics that help establish the rock genre. For example there is both narrative and performance based elements in the video which is conventional of the rock genre. Moreover the props such as electric guitars and drum kits further emphases the genre. The outfits are also help represent their rock genre, whilst also fitting in with the setting/storyline.
2.Lyrical Relationship This is a common technique employed by most music videos as it makes the narrative and performance more clear as you can see the link between the lyrics and visuals. As well as this there are many direct references to the lyrics in the video, such as religious mise-en-scene for example the prop of the cross appears when the lead singer says, 'like Jesus'. Moreover, the image of somebody washing with water, when the lyrics say 'wash your feet, every once a little while'. This follows Goodwins theory. 3. Music Relationship This is used just as effectivly as the link between the lyrics. When there is a drum beat in the song, the clip, scene or the camera shot changes. This is used mainly in rock videos as the drum beats are very significant and it creates continuity throughout the video. Also, when the song reaches the bridge and begins to slow down, the footage also becomes slow motion, and the editing becomes slower and lengthier shots are used, this helps to reflect the mood. Likewise when the paces of the song picks up so does the editing and fast paced quick cut editing is used.
4. Demands of record label to emphasize band image.
Because the music video is strongly narrative based this would suggest to me that the band is already established in the music industry. So the need to have lots of close up shots isn't as necessary if it was their first music video. However towards the end of the music video there is a performance of the band. Close ups are used of the lead singer to show his dominance in the band along withlong shots of the whole band playing together as a group to show their brand identity.
5. Reference to looking, and voyeuristic treatment of women
This is only used during the narrative stages of the music video as the plot is about two young people in a secretive relationship. There is a long shot of the female which is to show the main protagonists point of view. Also close ups of her face is to highlight the voyeuristic nature. Also there is a sexual representation of females, especially during the sex scene, we see one woman showed to be sexual, wearing red underwear, and another woman shown to be innocent and naive, wearing a white dress.
6. Intertextual reference
I don't think that there was much intertextual reference to a specific product, however you could say that the was intertextuality because of the influence on the western films. The setting is reminiscent of the 'Spaghetti Western' movies, such as the costume and the saloons used i the music video.
Andrew Goodwin's Six Points
Andrew Goodwin generated a theory to identify the conventions of a typical music video.
Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics (e.g. stage performance in rock video, dance routine for a pop song).This means that music videos of the same genre often show similarities. This could be through shot types, or settings.
For example, boy band One Direction, wear similar clothes in their music videos which shows they are a union. Moreover their dance routine is a convention of a pop video.
2. There is a relationship between lyrics and visuals (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting). The footage/shots/ and mise en scene should reflect the lyrics of the song in some way. This is effective as the link between lyrics and visuals creates a narrative.
For example in Beyonce's 'If I Were A Boy' music video she uses a narrative and performance based video, the lyrics match up with the actions she does on screen. When the lyric 'i turn off my phone' the image of Beyonce shows her turning off her mobile.
3. There is a relationship between music and visuals (either illustrative, amplifying, contradicting).
For example the editing should mirror the music or beat of the song.
The Black Keys Video uses transitions and fast paced editing to match the beat of their song in their 'gold on the ceiling' music video. When there is a new beat added the frame will change. the shots are choppy and short to match their up beat and light hearted feeling.
4. The demands of the record label will include the need for lots of close ups. A method of using lots of close-ups of the artist themselves is used by the record label to market and advertise the artist. Moreover it gives the artist a familiar brand identity.
In 'Take A Bow' by Rihanna, the director has chose lots of closeup shots of her, it also shows of her iconic short hair look which most people relate to Rihanna. The use of close up shots also establishes their target audience as many you girls idolize Rihanna.
5. There is frequently reference to notion of looking (screens within screens, telescopes, etc) and particularly voyeuristic treatment of the female body. This is drawing from the fact that in a lot of music videos, women are portrayed as sexual objects. This may or may not be relevant to every genre of music but it is the majority.
In Beyonce's 'Crazy in Love' their is an awareness of Goodwin's point 5. There is one point where the artist is on a pedestal with lots of cameras flashing along with fragmented shots of different parts of her body. There is a shot of her looking into a camera shown below.
6. There is often intertextual reference (to films, tv programmes, other music videos etc)
In other words, parts of other films, music videos, characters etc. may be used in a video to attract attention of people who already know and like the material being referenced.
For example in Kanye Wests 'Diamonds' music video there are lots of references to James Bond. Moreover the start of his videos features Shirley Bassies 'Diamonds are Forever' song which featured in a James Bond film. His video is shot in a very James Bond style. Its set in an exotic location, with expensive cars.
There has been a popular rise in the indie genre. More and more bands are now entering this gap in the market.
The Vaccines
The Vaccines are a British indie rock band formed in 2010. The band were influenced from a number of different eras in music. Ranging from 50s rock 'n' roll to 80s pop music. The Vaccines are a four piece band, Justin Young, Arni Hjorvar, Freddie Cowan and Pete Robertson. Even they are a modern indie band, their representation of style goes back to the 50's which in a way makes them more cool to their fans, this also adds to the target audience as people who follower their style also will be interested in their music. As it is a indie band their target audience is aimed at people who follow the indie culture. This is mostly teenagers who are around 16-21. This is because many of their songs are about youth culture, partying and love.
Vampire Weekend
Vampire Weekend are an American Indie Rock band from New York. Ezra Koenig, Chris Baio, Rostam Batmanglij, and Chris Tomson formed the band early in 2006, after meeting at university.Describing their sound as "Upper West Side Soweto," New York City's Vampire Weekend mix preppy, well-read indie rock with joyful, Afro-pop-inspired melodies and rhythms. Vampire Weekends style is often described as 'geek chic' as their clothing is usually shirts, ties and glasses but made to be more casual, unlike the British indie bands which opt for more of a vintage style. Their music is aimed at university students, which is not surprising as most of their original music was influenced by the university life.
The Kooks
The Kooks are an English indie/rock band from Brighton. The original members of The Kooks all met as students at theBrighton Institute of Modern Musicin 2002. The band consists of:Luke Pritchard, the lead singer,who put the band together,Hugh Harris lead guitar, Paul Garred drums, and Max Raffertybass guitar. In 2003 they were signed to Virgin Records just 3 months after forming. Their 2006 debut album Inside In/ Inside Out, was tremendously successful as it reached 4 times platinum status. The kooks are hugelysuccessful to say they are an indie band, this is because they are more mainstream as they usually discribe themselves as an indie pop band. Their music is primarily influenced by the 1960s British Invasion movement, this makes their music easy to listen to and extremely catchy.
Indie Culture Indie culture has became popular in the last five years, this is due to the popularity of indie music. Indie culture is mainly followed by teenagers ranging from age 16-25, this is because it is aimed around students and their life.
Fashion
Bands such as The Vaccines, Maccabees and The Kooks are role models when it comes to fashion. Their look is often quirky and suited to their personality. People who dress indie usually wear retro and vintage clothing mixed in with modern trends.
For boys an indie outfits usually involves; skinny jeans, acid washed jackets, american apparel hoodies, snap backs and often big ray band glasses. There look is sometimes verging on geek chic depending on how indie they are. The more extreme indie followers style sways towards rock. You would usually find them in vintage shops, fred perry, pretty green and american apparel.
For girls, the indie culture is less popular, and they don't follow the fashion trends as much as the males. Indie girls dress less feminine to other fashions, they also follow the retro/vintage fashion. As there are less female indie bands/artists their style comes more through their personality but also influenced by the indie bands. You would likely see them shopping in shops such as topshop, urban outfitters and h&m.
Lifestyle
The indie lifestyle is associated with young students aged between 16 and 25, who are usually in collage or university. Indie people are often seen as party animals who like to get drunk and have a good time which reflects their youth and immaturity to life. Also they like to try new things whether it be skateboarding or painting. A lot of them express their feelings through photography and music which is also a hobby for them. Overall the lifestyle of an indie person is individual to them selfs as they don't follow the norm.
Indie music, often known as Independent music, is a relatively new genre of music. Indie originated in the 1980's 1990's in America and Britain. They got the name 'independent' as originally the artists or bands didn't send their music away to a record label but instead they came up a concept, produced and distributed their own music. However during the 1990's more artists opted for a low budget record label but they were still allowed to keep their independence. They also were allowed to explore sounds and emotions which underlines the main themes of the indie genre today.
In the 2000's indie had a niche audience, mainly teenages who wanted to rebel and move way from ordinary and mainstream music such as rock and pop. However in the late 2000's indie music became more mainstream as a wider audience wanted to express a new style but it became more popular than people thought it would. Below there are some images of the indie genre.
A music genre is a conventional catagory that identifies a particular style of music. Music is divided into different genres in a varity of ways, for example if drums and guitars are a dominate feature in the song/music clip then they would fall under the genre of rock/indie, whereas if there was a smooth vocal arrangement along with dance styled beats it would fall under the R&B category. Instruments and vocals are one way of identifying a genre.
Moreover the bigger genres such as rock are now divided into smaller subgenres. Subgenres are a 'watered down' version of that particular genre, in other words its when a style of music develops into something slightly more different but it still follows some codes and conventions but not all of them. Sub genres of rock are 'alternative rock' which includes bands such as 'Nirvana' and 'The Cure'.
Below are some examples of different genres...
Rock
Classic Rock- The Beatles- Paperback Writer 1966
Classic rock is often described as the music period from the 1960's to the 1970's, this is because many important bands existed during this time had a profound effect on the whole genre of rock music, in particular the Beatles.
This song is from the 'Revolver' sessions in 1966, and is representative of the music scene at the time the Beatles and many other bands were going though a a change in style moving towards a psychedelic sound, which would define the mid 60's; for example the chanting of 'Frere Jacques' by John Lennon and George Harrison behind Paul McCartney's story of a struggling writer adds a strange child like twist to the song which would have created a 'trippy' effect to it's listeners.
Despite the lyrical content the instrumentation in the song utilises a classic Chuck Berry-esque rock and roll lick on the guitar which makes this song a perfect example of classic rock as it mixes the two defining sounds of the genre together at the genre's strongest point in time.
Above is an music clip of The Strokes. They are a classical example alternative rock which is a sub genre. The main difference is that the use of guitar slightly changes to a more uplifting and lighter sound.
Hip/Hop
Classic Hip/Hop- Public Enemy- Don't Believe The Hype
Classic Hip/Hop really became mainstream in the 1980's. At that time hiphop became popular due to its catchy lines and upbeat music. This song was released in 1988 and follows all of the conventions of the genre at that era. Moreover hip hop culture was taken over in america as they found a new way to protest about politics through music. Don't believe the hype is about political issues current at the time of release.
The video above is Kanye West Feat Jamie Foxx- Golddigger. This is a typical modern day hip hop song as the beat is more dominate than the older songs of that genre. More over the topics of songs focus more an wealth and luxury.
What is music? Music is the art or science of combining vocal or instrumental sounds (or both) to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion. The first evidence music goes way back to prehistoric times, this is based on findings of flutes carved out of bone. Various types of stringed instruments have been recovered from the Indus Valley Civilization archaeological sites.
However music really took off in the early The Renaissance era. Music now had themes of love and passion where before it was just sounds without convaying any true emotion. Music in this era really started to develop and became part of a day to day life. Musicians now worked for churchs, courts and towns. Church choirs were formed. Also music was related to wealth as Kings and princes competed for the finest composers.
It was believed that the first ever music recording was made by Thomas Edison in 1877, when he recored 'Mary had a Little Lamb' on his new invention- the phonograph. However it was actually discovered that 17 years prior to 'mary had a Little Lamb' there was indeed the first ever recored music, which was by a woman singing a french folk song 'Claire de la lune' in 1860. It was recorded by a “phonautograph”, which etches waveforms onto paper.
