Summarising The CD Cover Analysis

How do the CD covers make good use of the enigma code of narrative?

How is the font/colour etc used generically?
When analyzing the CD covers we found the font and colour used were very genetic, the vast majority of the bands/artists used the colours black or white. Both colours are ones which stand out and make a statement, white which connotes something new and original and as Indie bands are known for their original material it could be referring to that and black connoting mystery, this creates an enigma for the audience therefore enticing them to purchase the album. The font which Indie bands use is often unique to each band but most of their fonts are in bold and in capital letter, again this makes them stand out from other artists of this genre.

How is youth/gender/ethnicity represented on the CD covers?
Youth
On a lot of the Covers we looked at youth is being represented very stereotypically through alcohol, cigarettes, partying, causing a bit of trouble, partying etc. By representing youth this way on their covers it reinforces the stereotype of all negative connotations of youth. But by representing youth this way it appeals to their target audience. By representing youth this way on their cover the audience can instantly relate to the band and it gives them an idea what their music will be like. Although it’s like this in many cases, the Jack Penate and The Cribs CD covers don’t represent youth in this way. The Cribs represent woman and men as equal, as they're both have a similar stance etc. And on the Jack Penate it’s just him and a guitar which represents him as an individual and anchoring that his music is the most important factor.
Gender
All the covers we analyzed represented gender very stereotypical again with the men being dominate as the vast majority of the covers just had males on it. The reason for this could be the target audience for Indie is manly men therefore they will appeal and relate to them more. All the men on the covers had all the typical connotations of an Indie band; good looking front man, fashionable and the un-maintained look.
Ethnicity
The dominate ethnicity we found when analysing the CD covers was white, all the band members where white males. Because of this it could suggests that the large majority of the audience for this genre are white.

How do they appeal to the target audience?
The use of colour within the CD is an important tool for appealing to the target audience as it attracts the eye and makes the audience more likely to pick up and therefore buy the album. Furthermore, the use of costume and colour also allows the bands to look iconic and become easily recognised by their target audiences. Most of the CD covers with the band-members on connect to a more youthful target demographic as they themselves are youthful and become 'role-models' for the audience. Their costume may also influence the target audience who aspire to be like the band-members themselves. The fact that most of the band members are young also would have an affect on the target demographic of the band, therefore targeting a younger audience of teenagers and young adults. This is true of most of the CD covers as their target audience is likely to be around the ages of 16-26. However, in one of the CD covers, Jamie T's Panic Prevention, there is iconography of vinyl records. This could expand his target audience as it is associated with an older generation so could widen his demographic to an older generation also. Alot of the band members are also male which could connote that the indie genre is more targeted at a male audience. Many of the CD covers also make use of the enigma code which further pulls in the audience making them want to find out what the band and music on the album is about.


How might audiences make use of the CD covers?

Summarising The Music Video Analysis

After analyzing the 5 indie music videos, i am going to summarize the main points i have found while looking through them.

Music Videos

What elements do the music videos have in common - in terms of genre and form?
The videos all contain a similar use of iconography, many props were similar such as guitars,cigarettes and alcohol. These props mean that the audience can easily identify the attitudes of the people on screen. The male dominance is very common within the indie genre music videos i looked at, most of the people on screen are male.We can apply Propps character theory for the reasoning that we often see the male characters on screen to appear as the 'hero' figure. As well as this we see the female characters appearing to be the villain, for example in the Kooks -Naive video we are made aware of the girls cheating ways and see the male as a victim of her nasty ways. The females are only appearing in the videos as the girlfriends, there are all attractive and well dressed, in the stereotypically indie style clothing, this reinforces the theory of the 'male gaze'. All of the videos contain the band members, or a person we could assume is the band member, this allows the audience to identify with those on screen and this means the fans can relate to the band, increasing the bands popularity. Similar settings such as the city, gigs and parties seemed to appear several times, these places were probably used as they are associated with this type of music, band members and the fans. This again helps the audience to relate as well as enjoy and be entertained.

How is youth/gender/ethnicity represented?
Youth
The youth are represented as rebellious and uncontrollable through most of the music videos. The use of alcohol and cigarettes means that there are presented as anti-Christian etc. These things are often associated with violence, trouble and relationship problems, all these (because of the use of the certain props, micro elements etc.) mean that the negative connotations are anchored to the youth of today. Due to the stereotypes given to people such as hooded teens the society we live in creates their own assumptions as to how social groups and individuals are. This is not in all of the videos I have looked at, as in the ‘Maccabees - Toothpaste Kisses’ video, the youth are in fact hardly represented as negative and are given positive imagery such as the peaceful birds etc, however this video is almost an anomaly in comparison to the conventional attitudes of the other indie videos.
Gender
As I have said earlier, the male dominance within the videos was clear, most of the videos seemed to be shown from the male perspective, reinforcing the idea of a patriarchal society. The women that appeared in the videos seemed to come across as attractive, almost an item for males to look at. This could influence the way in which the female audience are affected by the video, for example the care of appearance that the females seem to show could mean that female fans of the band want to take care of their appearances as well, they are influenced by the clothing style, the attitudes and the relationships portrayed.
Ethnicity
Throughout the videos I looked at there was a particular dominance within the white ethnicity, all of the band members/actors were white males, or white females. This white dominance was particularly notable within ’The Kooks - Naïve’ video, as the male singer walks through the gig he is at, the other party-goers all seem to be white. The dominance suggests a strong preference to the demographic audience for this genre being white. However I did notice one reference to another gender, this was in the ’Maccabees - Toothpaste Kisses’ video, as well as contradicting the youth representation, the video contradicts the white dominance and includes pictures of an asian family.

How is narrative theory used within the videos?

Throughout the videos that I looked at, narrative theory was not always obviously used. For example, ‘The Maccabees – Toothpaste Kisses’ video, the onscreen action did not follow a story at all, the different images (although symbolizing certain things) did not specifically need to be put into a certain chronological order. However when looking at other videos, it was clear there was a following of Todorov’s narrative theory, equilibrium etc. This immediately creates an enigma, as the audience want to see how the narrative turns out. The lack of conventional narrative suggests that the genre is perhaps unconventional and shows a lack of conventional structure within the videos.

How do they appeal to their target audience?

The videos appeal to their target audience through the use of many technical codes but mainly the use of the elements contained in mise en scene. The elements such as costume appeal to the target audience as they are easy to relate to, items such as hi-top trainers, leather jackets and skinny jeans are often associated with the younger generation. So by using these items in the videos the artists are demonstrating the kind of people they want to attract. The settings also appeal to the intended audience as they too are linked with where the audience will go or know of. For example a party in a flat, a garden and train stations are seen in some of the videos within the genre, this attracts the target audience as they can again relate to it. Props are also key for the artist to appeal to the target audience, in many of the videos we see reference to alcohol, drugs and cigarettes, these items are significant as they are things often associated with the younger generation. So by using them in videos the artists are sending across the message that these are the things you need to do to fit into the genre.

How are technical codes used generically?

Technical codes such as camera shots are used throughout the music videos to show key elements to the genre. For example a close up shot of the lead singer is used in most music videos to identify to the audience their importance. Shots of props such as guitars, drums and pints are used in the majority of videos; the shots of the instruments put across to the audience the ingredients to the indie genre. The pints however could be interpreted as appealing to the male gender as many stereotype men with drinking pints many colours are used repeatedly in a range of videos, these colours such as red, blue and yellow stand out and make the video look energetic and appeal to a younger generation.

How might the audiences make use of the video?

The audiences can make use of the video in many ways. Firstly videos allow the audience to interact with the artist. For the audience they get to see what the artist is like, from there gestures, costume and location throughout the video. It allows the audience to feel as though they know the artist. Secondly videos can be used to share, for example someone may like the song, so by embedding it onto a social networking site they can show their friends the music. This in fact benefits the artist as well as their music is shared with a wider audience.

Music Video Analysis; The Courteeners - Not Nineteen Forever

The Courteeners - Not Nineteen Forever

The first scene in the video is contradicting the usual conventional iconography that we would expect to see within this genre of music video. We see 4 lads, that if we were fans of the band, we would know the lands are the band members. They are sitting around sipping tea, this is contradicting the usual rebellious acts that occur in the music videos. The characters are stereotypically indie looking, for example the clothing is designer e.g. fred perry and the band members all have long hair that covers parts of their faces. The woman character is also portraying the stereotypically indie look, for example the leather jacket and laced heels. As the female character walks into the room all of the male characters eyes shift towards her, this makes the lady seem attractive as well as an item to be looked upon, a somewhat negative concept for those who believe this is shallow.

She also appears in a silohette before we get to actually see her face, this adds a slight enigma to the video and means that we, as an audience, are more interested in the way she looks, this is portrayed through a low angle shot reinforcing the womans importance to the video.

The men are positioned centrally in the frame, making them the most important thing within the scene, they are also near the front of the image making them, again, of higher importance.

The editing throughout the video is fairly simple, it is made up of jump cuts that connect the running of the hooded youth to the words that are being spoken by the band member in the cafe. There are several zoom ins that mean the main band member who mimes throughout the video, stands out and this makes the audience aware of his role within the band.

The secondary level of communication throughout this video could be the idea that the band 'The Courteeners' are not like every other indie band, the different iconography such as the cups of tea and the salt show that the band are not completely stereotypical.

The target audience for this video is fairly clear due to the people that are represented in the video. The demographic target audience is of a young adult age, 18-24, they are predominately white and male. However the attractiveness of the band members could appeal to females, as well as the quality of their music.

The mood throughout the video seems to be fairly relaxed, however the scene we see on screen would not be particularly pleasant to be in. We see an arguement between a male character and female character in which the woman is shouting and the male appears to be relaxed and 'unfazed'.

Representation

Throughout the video the main representation is the difference between the male and female gender. We are shown a woman having an argument in which she is the one who seems to be provoking this trouble, this a stereotype often associated with women 'being moody', this idea is reinforced throughout this video, as we can tell by the cocky looks from the males on the table.

However one micro element that does seem to contradict binary opposites is the positioning of the woman in the frame, she is looking down on the male characters, making her to appear to have a great authority and dominance over the males. When we look at the male characters movement and gesture this reinforces the concept that the female is not being taken seriously.

Another social group that is represented in this video is the youth, we see a young hooded teenager running down the streets. We do not know why, yet it is easy to assume that the teenager is running from trouble. This reinforces the stereotype given to hooded youths, that they are just trouble makers.

Genre & Audience

The genre is portrayed differently in this video to as i have seen in numerous others. The 'rebellion' attitude is not as important throughout this video, excluding the youth running down the street. However like many other indie videos, the males carry a 'lack of interest' attitude and seem to come across to the audience as cool. This could be a bad reputation to send out to a young and easily influenced audience, as the attitude of 'i dont care' could come with negative consequences.

Narrative

This particular video seems to follow a fairly simple narrative. Using todorovs theory we can compare the way this video is structured to how a film/drama is structured. An equilibrium is set, the male characters are sitting in the cafe. The distruption follows with the girl walking in with great drama and starting her arguement with the male. The male realises this, and attempts to solve the disruption. However we do not really come to a conclusion, as the male character finishes tiping out the salt (creating a mess that could be used to represent the relationship between the two characters) the video ends, giving us a strange cliffhanging conclusion.

Music Video Analysis; The Maccabees - Toothpaste Kisses

The Maccabees - Toothpaste Kisses (2007)

This video is one which I felt contradicted the usual conventions of an ‘Indie’ genre music video. The first scene we see immediately is a city scene, with a serene calm influence and birds appear over the top of the houses that connote peace, love and usually relate to females. This image of peaceful animals is reinforced by the use of butterflies, that delicate wings connote a feeling of calm, this is anchored by the calmness of the song that we can hear. The editing throughout the video is a slow paced fade from scene to scene, this effect allow the video to flow easily as well as keep the relaxed calm tone that has been created. The colour throughout the video is diverse and the black and white backdrop to each scene means that the colourful animals etc. bring contrast to the dark and dingy scenes, suggesting happiness in dingy environments. Through this video there is a message of calm and peace, and strange unique props appearing throughout the video, create a unique and confusing atmophere. The target audience is not fully clear from watching the video. However there is a feminine tone to the overall video, the different colours and animals that appear in the video are usually associated with the female gender. Throughout this video, there doesnt seem to be a specific narrative, this could suggest the lack of contrived theory through the bands way of promoting their music.

The imagery used throughout this video gives a child-like impression of the band and their work, this idea in re-inforced by the girls dancing along the screen, and the family images that keep appearing on screen also reinforce the idea of a child-like/girly image that is portrayed.

Representation & Genre

Throughout this video the idea of a happy family is reinforced through the micro elements included. This happy and joyful atmosphere is contradicting the usual tone that is set throughout indie genre music videos, the iconography used represents a happy, family and female associated tone, this representation of the indie music is unusual.

Narrative

The narrative throughout this video is not conventional, it doesn’t follow a particular theory. However there is a sense of the video flowing as if it were a story, but there is no clear beginning, middle and end.

Audience

The audience perception of the indie genre is contradicted throughout this video. The demographic of the audience are most likely to have heard music from this band before therefore would be expecting a certain style, so this lighthearted video is unique.

Music Video Analysis; Oasis - Wonderwall

Oasis - Wonderwall (1995)

The video begins with a shot of a pretty empty room, the room is in black and white and this immediately creates a relaxed and serene tone. Throughout the video different iconography is used, for example; guitars, drums etc. these particular props are very often associated with this genre. They commonly appear within indie music videos and are therefore stereotypically anchored to this type of music and the type of people that make this type of music. The positioning of the male guitar player is interesting as he begins at the back of the shot, this contradicts the usual dominant ideology of male dominance as he is not in the forefront of the frame, however the camera zooms closer to the male in stages making him more central to the frame and the eventually the only thing we can see on screen. Their is an interesting use of a vinyl record player that allows the music to start anchoring it to the action on screen.

Certain representations are presented through this video, for example there is a pretty strong influence of John Lennon's work, so when the oasis lead singer appears on screen with the iconic glasses. This reference represents the band as strongly influenced and respectful of past music artists, there is also a clown appearing in the video, the clown suggests several things, one interpretation could be the 'joker' idea that is associated with clowns or the negative connotations as many have phobias of clowns, both of these opinions have a child-like aspect to them, suggesting that the people involved in this genre are immature or even unintelligent.

The editing used throughout the video means that the video is constantly dynamic, this keeps the audience intrigued. A very clever use of face paced editing is used when the music speeds up, this means the diegetic sounds stay anchored to the action on screen and this makes the video look a lot more professional.

Women are represented in this video however it has been constructed to represent women as an 'object'. The woman we see is a burlesque dancer and is wearing very little clothing, this shows a great deal of her body suggesting this is what we want to see.

Representation

The young adult social group are represented in a way which portrays them as greatly caring about the music and their influences. Throughout this video things that are associated with rebelion are not seen ,this portrays the band as more sophisticated.

Genre

The genre is represented through certain iconography, setting and costume of the band members. All of these micro elements that appear in the video reinforce the idea of the music being extremely important to the band. However the ‘swagger’ that is usually portrayed through the attitudes of the band members still appears in the video, with the posing images from the lead singer and the other band members literally just looking at the camera, showing their looks as if they are proud.

Audience

The audience are made to idolise the band members on the video, due to their ‘cool’ and ‘effortless’ appearance/attitude. The fashion sense that the band members are wearing are stereotypical to the genre and are therefore most probably popular with the audience that have inquired about this video.

Narrative

The narrative is not clear throughout this video, however while watching the video we can see a calm beginning that turns into a more busy and upbeat middle which then ends in the first scene being repeated, this shows continuity as well as creating a structure around the video, making it simplier to watch and understand.

Music Video Analysis; The Smiths - Panic

The Smiths - Panic (1986)





This video was accompanied by the released of the song 'Panic', which reached number 11 in the UK single charts and was released as a non album single. The first shot, and a shot that continuously appears within the video, is one of a young male on a bridge next to the famous Big Ben in the capital city London. This setting for the video suggests a British influence that could have influenced the music as well as the attitude and fashion of the band. The camera positioning is important when looking at how the male character in the video is highlighted as the most important figure in the video. The camera is moving in a circular movement around the male character and this again reinforces his importance, as well as this affect, the dynamic camera movement means that the video stays interesting and a rhythm can be kept going to keep the pace with the music. Certain iconography is used to represent certain ideologies associated with this genre, for example the use of a cigarette, often associated with the idea of someone being rebellious. Another example of a specifically chosen prop is the use of the burning of the money, this is known for being illegal and specifically reinforcing the idea of an anti-establishment attitude often connected to the genre of indie. Another use of imagery suggesting an anti-establishment attitude, is the image of Buckingham Palace and the image of flame, this suggests the Palace is burning.
The editing used within the video is important to how we watch the video. The imagery is specifically edited together to match the lyrics in parts, for example “burn down the disco” as the Palace is shown to be on fire. Another obvious editing technique is the face paced, first person perspective shot following the hand around the alleyways of London, this keeps the tempo of the video going and keeps the audience intrigued. The genre is represented through the stereotypes that are anchored to the image they are associated with, for example the stereotypical clothing/image. The idea of rebellion against the conventions of society, and the conventional government/royal family etc.
The target audience are, like most indie bands/artists, predominately white males mainly because of the band members being this ethnicity and gender. This audience is not exclusive, however it makes the band even more relatable for the fans.
Throughout the video a fairly negative tone is set about the state of Britain and in particular the governing body of the time of the song release. This tactic of using political views throughout a song was fairly often used and enabled the political views of the band to reach audiences that may not usually be interested in this. The negative tone is reinforced through the use of black and white colouring, and fairly dark lighting, nothing colourful as this look usually suggest happiness or joyful emotions.
Throughout this particular video I found it hard to apply todorov and propps theory, the video doesn’t seem to follow a theory and is more random, this technique is most probably deliberate as it portrays a manic and unorganised tone to the overall video. This dysfunctional approach could portray the dysfunctional stereotype given to not only the fans of this genre of music, but the band members themselves and the age group that they are in (young adults).
Within this video there are many references to the ‘broken Britain’ of the time, this secondary level of communication allows the band to show their opinions through their music/videos and CD covers.

Representation

Through this video the indie genre is given the connotations of a rebellious group of people, the anti-establishment acts that are shown in the video reinforce the idea

Genre

The representation of this social group is often stereotypically negative, this representation can lead to a lack of trust and understanding towards to people associated with indie.

Narrative

Throughout this video it does not have a narrative theory structure at all, this could suggest a lack of structure within the lifestyle of the people represented in the video.

Without the narrative beginning, middle and end convention then it is hard to see the sense in the video, instead we are faced with several diverse images and settings.

Audience

The audience see the video as a typical indie genre video. If the audience take note of the different messages that are encoded within the video then they will understand the genre a lot more. For example; the strong political messages mean that the audience become aware of the bands interests and passions.

Music Video Analysis; The Kooks - Naive

The Kooks- Naive (2006)

The first shot in this music video contains the singer of the song, walking down a darkly lit alleyway. The character is wearing typically conventional indie clothing, with the black leather jacket, often associated with a trouble maker relating back to the biker jackets stereotype. The character also has long hair, often associated with the in die image, due to its lack of convention and the appearance that the person does not care about the way they appear. The female character that appears on screen throughout the video is stereotypically a good looking young girl, she is blonde and wearing very little clothing. This appeals to the male fans of the band as they would be attracted to her. However she is contradicting the perfect blonde image, as she looks messy and dirty and throughout the story of the video is the betraying girl who sleeps with another guy in the toilets of the gig.The editing throughout this video uses the idea of flashbacks returning to a night the guy had spent with the blonde girl, this enables us to grasp the idea of the story quickly making the song more understandable and relevant to the action on screen. The editing follows the pace of the music, so when the music breaks down the tracking shot becomes much slower and steadier. However when we see the girl cheating on the guy, and the guys reaction the editing is fast between each character to represent the quick and emotional feelings that both of the characters are feeling. The camera shots used throughout the video suggest that the guy is the main focus of the video. Through the use of a tracking shot we are shown the males perspective following marxists approach to media. We are given his story and when we see the male being betrayed we are made to give him empathy, not the young woman. The genre is portrayed through the iconography such as the stage lighting, the guitars and the use of alcohol. All of these things often appear in videos of this genre and portray an image of rebellious young people at parties, enjoying music and very often too much alcohol. This represents the youth as uncontrollable and untrustworthy, confiding to stereotypes. The video seems to communicate to the audience the negative side to relationships and the 'gig' scene. We see the young blonde being sick in the toilet, showing too much alcohol results in negative consequences. As well as this we see the young man being betrayed and hurt by a girl he has been looking for all night, suggesting that relationships result in hurt and pain, in this case for the male. The target audience is pretty clear within this video, we see the setting of a gig in which the people in the gig are fairly young, most of them look as through they are just over 18 and could represent the students, particularly as students often attend parties/gigs. The overall video has a fairly dingy tone throughout, the use of dark lighting immediately makes the audience feel on edge, and unsure of what it is to come. It also suggests that the atmosphere at places, such as the club this video is set, are places that have a dingy and dark tone. With the references to the dark places such as the alleyways and the dirty toilets we are portrayed the image of a generally nasty place in which these people are hanging out. This can be perceived to be representing the youth as people that hang around in dark/dingy places such as this club. This specific music video seems to follow todorov's narrative theory fairly well, we are first given the equilibrium of the male character looking around the club expecting to find the blonde girl that we have seen him with when we look at the flashbacks. Following this we see the disruption as the male character cannot find the female he is looking for, we see the realization of the disruption, and the attempt to fix it as the young male searches the club. However contradicting the narrative theory, the end of the video is not a resolution to the problem and the equilibrium is not really restored. This gives the video a unique twist as we are expecting the video to end happily, this is especially contradicting due to the upbeat style of the song that seems to portray a happy atmosphere. Throughout the video, a negative perception on women is notable, the specific use of a woman, that looks a mess, and is clearly drunk is a way of making women look the weaker gender, and portraying women to look as though they cannot control themselves very well. The bias attitude portrayed through the idea that we are following a patriarchal driven media, this tells the audience that the band are predominately male and that they may have the opinions demonstrated throughout the entire video. The video contains an obvious enigma, as the audience are intrigued to see if the male character ends up finding the girl he is looking for, this enigma is reinforced by the way we are seeing a tracking shot of the male of his situation, through this camera shot we are made to empathize with the male character.

Representation

Binary opposites are reinforced ---

Woman is considered immoral, cheating, getting very drunk etc.

Youth are represented as trouble provoking - fights, moody looks, alcohol

‘Women are bad’ considered untrustworthy

Genre

Indie band members/artists and fans considered rebellious party goers - setting reinforces this

Indie associated with heartbreak, alcohol, dancing, cheating

Presents the band member as moody, yet contradicts stereotypes as he seems weak after being betrayed, yet reinforces this again when starting a fight with somebody random in the club.

Audience

The audience see the woman acting this way, using the theories we have researched for example the hypodermic syringe theory we can see these ideas being injected into a passive audience that take this representation as fact.

Narrative

The narrative theory is not strictly followed in this video, however a narrative is portrayed through the use of a disruption and an attempt to restore the equilibrium. This story is made more clear due to the use of flashbacks showing a previous occasion.

CD Cover Evaluation; The Smiths

The Smiths CD Cover; The World Won't Listen

The album 'The World Won't Listen' was released in 1987 on the label Rough Trade. The Smiths themselves are considered to be extremely important within the beginnings of the indie movement. The sleeve was designed by the band member Morrissey.

The people in the picture are not actually the band members, which is strange considering they are such a big focus of this album sleeve. Morrissey was known for his love of simple, subtle images that became the focus of the album sleeves. The colour of the album cover seems to be of a sepia tone, this certain photographic style is fairly common within pictures and videos of this genre of music, this is most probably because it creates a relaxed tone and fairly different look to whole thing.

The font along the top of the album sleeve means that it is fairly clear and easily visable, which is fairly important with this particular of album cover as the band are not on the cover and it is not completely obvious what album it is without the text. The title of the album 'the world wont listen' is refering to the frustration of the band member Morrissey who was annoyed at the press and mainstream radio companies for not playing and taking notice of the band. The idea of 'the world wont listen' intrigues the audience and makes them want to listen to what the world are supposedly ignoring. The elements of the mise en scene suggest a male dominance within the band and their fans due to no females on the album cover. The fashion culture appearing on the cover suggests that the album is older than it actually is, as the hairstyles and clothing were more popular within the 60's and 70's. None of the men on the album are looking towards the camera, this is similar to other album covers i have looked at, and this type of photo creates the feeling that the picture has not been composed by a photographer contradicting other genres of music where the artists are very much posing towards the camera and contriving to the typical conventions of album covers, this again suggests that indie is a rebellious genre of music. The target audience for this type of album is mostly males, of a white origin and typically working class. This is most probably due to the band members then becoming easily relatable to, due to the similarities. The female audience will also be attracted to this album cover because of the (what could be considered) attractive males on the forefront of the image. The audience are led to believe that the people on the album cover are the band or fans, however we are clear it is not the band, and most probably not avid fans, however this stereotype would be given to those who have a great interest in the bands of this genre. The Smiths is a very simple name, and this catchy short phrase will stick in peoples minds easily, this would of helped publicize the band and their music. One factor that would increase the enigma towards the audience is the fact the main male character has his back towards the audience, this could suggest he has something to hide from the audience. This mystery could suggest the music contained is mysterious, or rebellious therefore the male wants to hide most of himself. This album could suggest that within this genre, appearance is important as well as the music itself. This suggests that the bands image is vital in keeping the bands attitude and reputation alive.

Cd Cover Evaluation; The Stone Roses

The Stone Roses Debut Album Cover;

‘The Stone Roses'

The debut album released by the classic indie band 'The Stone Roses'. Released in 1989 by the renowned indie record company Silvertone.

The influence of this particular album cover is one of an artist called 'Pollock' who created pieces of art by splashing contradicting colours together. The designer of the album, ex-guitarist in the band 'John Squire' was influenced by The Clash, who had previously used Pollocks' art techniques on their stagewear.

The image we see is an aerial shot of a piece the designer would of created on the floor. The paints complex colours and confusing backdrop to the cover means that the album seems conflicting with the usual bold coloured backdrops and clear imagery. The imagery used on this album cover all relates to Paris riots that occurred in the late 60's. The main band members had seen a documentary about these very riots, and used this event to create an artistic album cover as well as song ideas. The use of lemons in the image comes from the use of the fruit in order to prevent the teargas effecting the rioters. The designer has clearly incorporated the lemons within the title of the album. The titles are bold and clearly written, this seems to stand out from the complex artistic background meaning that it stands out amongst its more conventional major label releases of the time. The genre of this album cover is reinforced by the references to the Paris riots. These riots were anti-establishment, a word that is often associated with the indie music that at the time of its birth, was unusual and brave. The target audience is not particular but the album suggests an audience that are looking for something different, something unique and artistic. Fans of this genre of music will take an interest because of the rebellious and anti-conventional look of the album cover. The random strips of colour that are on the left side of the album cover could be relating to the colours of the French flag, however this is not certain and the colours could simply appear because of their contrast to the background. The title of the album is simply ‘The Stone Roses’ this means that the band title can easily be related to their first album, it allows the band to establish their name and increase there reputation and fan base.

Although most commonly the indie scene of this time were white working class males, this is not exclusive and a large diverse group of people found interest in this type of music. This particular popularity within the white working class was most probably because the band members themselves looked as though they were working class and were white males. Not much is clear about the band members as their faces cannot be seen however the references to the Paris riots could suggest interest in rebellious/ anti-establishment attitudes.

CD Cover Evaluation; The Arctic Monkeys

Arctic Monkeys Cover; Favourite Worst Nightmare

This album was released in 2007 on Domino Records. The album was a fantastic success and reached number one in the album charts in its first week of release. Not only this but the album won best british album in the 2008 brit awards.

The mise en scene aspect of this album creates a great enigma around the content of the album. The houses on the cover resemble houses that are seen on council estates and don't look as though there are lived in by the upper class. This could suggest that the targeted audience of those of working class or middle class. The positioning of the camera means that a depth of field is shown down the road, meaning we are given more of the setting. The camera seems to put the house with the interior visable in the centre of the frame and this enables us to focus on this immediately once we look at the album cover. Unlike other indie album covers i have looked at the band members are not on the album cover, this could suggest that the band want you to focus on the music more than the band members themselves. The hidden artists also increase the enigma and mystery surrounding the album. The copy on the album is written in a strange font, that seems to connote to me the idea of the 'late sixties flared trousers' this could be a relation to the way the music sounds, or where the band got their influences from. The yellow also contrasts well with the black background, improving presentational skills as well as the yellow connoting emotions such as happiness/joy. The genre is shown through the use of the council estate portraying the lower class life, 'not having everything but making the most of what you have' the idea of enjoying life. The secondary level of communication is portrayed through the use of mise en scene, the bright colours and strange shapes that can be seen through the windows. This idea suggests in this house something strange yet exciting is going on. The iconography of the satellites portrays the idea of the television/radio influence on this home, perhaps relating to the influence on the band or their music. The target audience for bands such as this is usually elder teens and adults, as the songs usually relate to things that occur in this time of peoples lives. The title of the album is unique and connotes strangeness and this title immediately creates an enigma. 'Favourite worst nightmare' suggests the idea of music that reaches certain emotions that effect you much like a nightmare/dream. The oxymoron of 'favourite' and 'worst' confuses the audience and makes them unclear and curious as to what to expect from the album. The working class seemed to represented on this album as they are the ones who stereotypically live in homes like this, a specific ethnicity is not represented meaning that all ethnic groups can relate to this album cover. The CD cover overall paints a good enigma for the audience and means that the album cover intrigues the targeted audience into purchasing the album.

CD Cover Evaluation; The Maccabees

The Maccabees Album Cover;

Wall of Arms

This album cover is the one for The Maccabees second album 'Wall of Arms' that was released in 2009.

When looking at the mise en scene of this album cover we see very little iconography. Most of the album cover is taken up by the band members themselves. Similarly to other indie album covers, this could portray the importance of the band members and their influence on their fans. However the characters are all wearing sunglasses, this use of iconography creates an atmosphere of mystery around the band and the album content, creating an enigma.

The colours used in this album are important and particularly noticeable. The clothing of each band member is very different to one another, suggesting the band has a diverse set of band members and fans. The use of primary colours such as red, yellow and blue create a strong contrast in colour that grabs the attention of the audience, this is particularly important within the music shops, and would allow the album to stand out to its competitors. The band members are all looking away from the camera, again creating a mystery and portraying an attitude of 'not bothered'.

The text on the album cover is clear and direct to the audience. The writing is in capitals similar to other indie album covers i have looked at. This creates a dominant and the look of 'declaring' the title to the audience of the CD. The font is basic an again allows the writing to be read easily and quickly. It is clear the title is type therefore it looks professional and modern, it is also central allowing it to act as a dominant title. The genre is demonstrated through the use of the iconic characters that the band members look like.
The secondary level of communication is the idea of making the band members look iconic and it then enables them to become role models to the listeners/fans of their album. Their clothing influence could dramatically affect the way their fans act, for example these unique brightly coloured jackets could appeal to the target audience of elder teens and young adults because they could be similarly aged or slightly younger and aspire to get where the band members have made it.
The overall mood of the album cover is fairly serious due to the stern facial expressions of the band members. This 'serious' persona portrays the attitude that the band are putting on a dramatic and mysterious act, or they are genuinely like this.
The lack of tagline suggests that the album is perhaps simple, or the band intend to keep your guessing (enigma) about what the album will consist of. The title 'wall of arms' suggests a bond between the band, the 'arms' part could connote the idea of hugging one another, and the closeness of the band members on the front cover reinforces this idea.
The album cover to the left is one which i stumbled across by an extremely influential band 'Kraftwerk'. In my opinion the creator of this album cover has seen this album cover and decided to use the same idea with The Maccabees. None of the band members are looking at the screen, suggesting something is hidden or that the members are posing. They also seem to have a 'robotic' look to them making the situation look contrived and perhaps suggesting that the music industry is contrived. Throughout the indie scene we notice that the band members are usually included in the album cover, and are mostly the main focus.

CD Cover Evaluation; The Kooks

The Kooks; Konk Album Cover

The image on the left is the cover that appears on the front cover of their album released in 2008.

The majority of the cover is the black, this is anchored to many different connotations. The colour first being the idea of night time, considering the males are under a door which usually means a night club, then we can assume this is set in the evening. This could portray that the music on the album would be suitable to be played in these circumstances. The black could also portray a feeling of mystery, intriguing the listener as to what the album sounds like, and what it includes.

The text on the album is also important as the similar type of text appears on the other albums released by the band. The capitals suggest a sort of male appearance, this seems appropriate due to the male band members. The text being the colour white means that the title largely compares to the background colour. This could not only help with presentational skills, so we can easily distinguish the band name but it could also suggest that this band 'stand out from the crowd' making them more appealing.

In particular this could be an important factor to the target audience of this band, the target audience is usually elder teens, young adults. This could be because of the 'student lifestyle' that the band portray within their music videos, image and music itself. When it comes to the target audience, i think that both genders are targeted however because of a great dominance of males within the bands and the solo artists i think males are more influenced by the way the artists dress and act. However the 'cool' attitude portrayed by the males in the bands, attract the women and therefore attract fans.

The band are all stood together in the doorway of the nightclub, this portrays a feeling of togetherness and a friendly bond between the characters within the band. The band members are looking at each other and their body language suggests a relaxed and 'at ease' environment for the band. This use of gestures suggests the band are comfortable doing what they are doing and makes them seem professional. It also suggests that their music will be good due to this.

The use of the neon sign above their heads on the door of the club means that the idea of a party/nighttime atmosphere is given off. This could be important due to the 'rebellious' idea of youth which is reinforced within this genre and in particular this band.

The costume of each of the band members gives the audience a preconceived idea about each of the band members. The clothing plays on the stereotypes given to the youth wearing that particular clothing. The hats suggest a care about the way that the band members appear, this attitude gives the avid listeners an idea of how to dress and they can dramatically influence their listeners. Representation plays a key part in the use of this album cover, the 'scruffy' look that the characters have means that they seem to appear as working class students. They give the impression that they are not particularly bothered about the way they are looked down upon by those of a higher authority/social status. Commonly within the genre of indie, the band are the main focus of the album cover, this could suggest that the genre of indie is largely influenced by the liking of the actual characters within the band. This could suggest that maybe the music within the genre is important yet not as important as the image aspect of the band or artist that has released the music.

Deciding Our Genre (Mindmap)

Our first A2 lesson was today and we were giving the information about our A2 coursework. My group for this particular coursework is Georgina Collyer, Laura Devine and Oliver Shellard. As a group we decided to discuss which genre we felt most comfortable with, and we found that we knew a lot about the genre of 'Indie'. There are many examples of the 'indie' genre that we were aware of, for example The Kooks, The Maccabees and artists such as Jamie T. Looking at these we are able to see the typical connotations with the way the band act,look and produce their CD covers and music videos. This research will allow us to create convincing and professional looking products.