6. The Sound
Grain of Voice -
Instrumental sound
Instruments/live performance lovers
Real life experiences come across in their
singing - passionate
recognisable/distinctive voice - authenticity
9. Performance
Authentic performance
Good live sound (sound similar
live to the actual song)
Energy in performance but also
in the way that they would
have indie/acoustic sounds
and slower songs
10. Repertoire of elements -
Digipak
Art/Image
Colour Scheme
Typeface(s)
Copy
Effects/Filters/Brushes/Stroke
Representation
Alex - This is our presentation about the music genre Indie Rock.
Beth - We were all interested in this genre and wanted to further explore it.
Viki - Within this presentation, we are going to analyse the style and repertoire of elements surrounding this particular genre of music.
Alex - This genre was particularly intriguing for us as we are interested in this type of music. We started to look at the artists that produce music for this genre and found popular bands such as The 1975, Arctic Monkeys and Bastille. From these images, we can see that they all look a certain way and have their own style which we would expect as an audience. Their style seems to consist of black clothing such as leather jackets and dark jeans.
Beth: The repertoire of elements that we will be looking at are the iconography that surrounds the genre and therefore the artists, the camera and editing techniques used, the typical sounds of the genre, the narrative which surrounds them, their star values and performance. We will be both talking about these and giving examples from popular videos.
Viki: We first looked at the iconography of the star but specifically the locations. We found that landscapes such as beaches and cities were commonly used as they’re common and keeps the feeling of the star being ordinary. We also found that a key location which is used are urban, shady areas such as bars as alcohol and cigarettes are also used to make the character and his narrative more clear.
Alex: We found out that the types of camera angles, distances and editing varies depending on the genre. For the Indie/Rock genre, typically there is close ups of the lead singer and the instruments to give a more intimate connection with the audience. Fast past editing is quite common when the tempo increases and music crescendos to create a frantic and energetic video. We also thought that long, wide shots of landscapes would fit into this genre as it highlights the surroundings which are very important to understand the band/artist and their narrative.
Beth: The grain of voice for Indie/Rock bands/artists tend to be gravely, mature and powerful. We found out that typically these type of artists have a very instrumental sound in the way that they are live-sounding and use instruments in their music. They are usually very passionate and this comes across in their songs, for example if they are singing about real life experiences. In addition, a lot of indie bands have a very recognisable and distinctive voice/unique sound, for example the 1975 and Bastille.
Viki: Similar to many genres, the narrative is often about real life experiences and so have specific emotions in them and meaning to the artist. For example there are a lot of mature themes such as relationships or bad past experiences.
Alex: For most bands, the theory from Richard Dyer applies in the way that they are seen as extraordinary but also relatable to fans and ordinary. For example when at an intimate gig you are likely to feel more connected with that artist as they seem within reach. Indie/Rock bands tend to have that ‘boy next door’ image which makes them seem more ordinary. In addition, they stay true to their style.
Beth: We looked at different performances by artists associated with the genre and found that they created authentic performances for their fans and were notorious for energetic performances. The energy and passion creates an entertaining experience for their audience but also supports their laid back, fun loving image. Usually the bands use their instruments on stage and play live which adds to the talented and extraordinary part of their image.
Viki: The repertoire of elements we will be looking at for the digipak include...
Alex: We looked at the digipak and image of the genre. We found many different examples like Bastille, The Killers, The arctic monkeys, imagine dragons and coldplay. Although they are all very different regarding colour schemes, layout and illustration but linked in their abstract nature and unusual subject matter.
Beth: For indie/rock artists we think that the most common colour schemes seem to be blues, greens, reds and black. This can also reflect in more than just the digipak as it can represent their star image. In addition, i suck dick
Viki: The typeface of these type of artists seem to be bold, black, and sometimes obscure. This shows the artist as edgy and unique, and perhaps confident and .
Alex: The wording on the band's digipak is used to perhaps relate to songs on their album that they have written or that mean something important to them. It almost emphasises their attitude and thoughts towards specific things such as past experiences. The words could also directly relate to past experiences and represent who they are as people, portraying the idea to fans that they are ordinary people and using their music to express how they are feeling.
Beth: We discovered that in the Indie/Rock genre, artists tend to be quite creative with their digipaks usually to express their ideas and most importantly, themselves. It often creates powerful meanings and messages that the audience can engage with even if they are unusual or quirky.
Viki: Usually there are elements of the digipak which represent the artist’s attitudes and beliefs. For example on Mumford & Sons’ album there are various flags in the background which could illustrate unity, and maybe cultural influences. 5 Seconds of Summer’s Good Girls EP has doodles to emphasise their representation of being a fun young band who are relatable to other teenagers. In addition, All Time Low are of a similar genre and use a different digipak style which is almost like a comic-strip, and this represents them in a similar way but with a more mature theme.
