Indie genre research

Research

Indie music was originally created in the 1950s and 1960s.However it was very reserved and underground, the only places indie artists would perform is at small venues or garages. It is only in the early 1980s that Indie music began to become more popular. Indie music stands for Independent underground music, independent underground artist would produce music that fit into this category. The roots come from 'The velvet' underground's debut album back in 1967 which ranked no 7 on top 100. This encouraged and inspired other underground artists to release their own music. Indie rock music derived from alternative rock which originated in the UK in the early 1980s. As the artists were independent they didn't make a lot of money but they were okay with that because producing indie music means staying away from mainstream culture. Indie music takes independence from commercial pop music and mainstream culture and an autonomous, do-it-yourself (DIY) approach.

There are different types of Indie Rock:

American Indie rock (has heavy distorted sounds.)
UK Indie Rock. The Charts featured bands that emerged with form of guitar-based alternative rock that dominated the indie chart. Artists such as Aztec Camera & Orange Juice
Indie rock has also many sub genres such as Indie Pop and jangle pop.
Indie rock and indie pop both generally include distorted guitar-based music.

Typical instruments:

Guitar
Bass
Drums
Keyboard
Vocals

King's of Leon - Use Sombody

Progression

The sound of Indie Rock music has changed since it was first created in the underground scene in the 50's and 60s. In the 80s indie rock music became mellower and less edgy like pure rock was. It then progressed even more when bands such as Nirvana became mainstream and internationally known. However grunge type of music and BritPop started to lose popularity by the late 90s. Only when the popularity of the internet increased did the genre regain its popularity. The internet opened a massive door to easy marketing for independent musicians.

Voyeurism

Camera shots, angles and movement

Editing

Mise-en-scene

Performance & Narrative

Relationship between lyrics and visual's

The music video is mainly a performance based video. However it does have an underlining narrative which directly relates to the lyrics. As the song is about the main singer feeling 'lonely' whilst he and his band are on tour, the footage is a reflection of the lyrics being sung. The song recounts the story of how life on the road can be lonely. The montage shown throughout the video shows the singer's lifestyle and his life revolves around the band and therefore doesn't have time for relationships.

Only one female is shown throughout the whole video and her body is not shown due to voyeuristic treatments. She represents the 'somebody' the lead singer could 'use'. In fact it is typica in the indie rock genre for males to dominate the entire video. The overall image of the band is very masculine and they meet our expectations for a band of this genre.

LOCATION/SETTING:

The locations used for this music video are, New York City during night time, concert arenas, apartment/condo in New York city, bars etc...These locations were used to emphasise how they are constantly on the go, the apartment is barely shown which could insinuate that the lead singer barely has time to stay home. It is also very empty apart from when he is with his other band members which amplifies the message that he's lonely.

Fast paced editing:

Time lapse/fast paced editing is used whilst on the road to demonstrate that he is always travelling or on tour. It also emphasises the fact that time is moving fast and that he no time to have a social life or perhaps a relationship.

Two cross fades are used in this video. They allow us to see two shots at once and this is effective as we get to see the lead singer's face against a high angle shot of the city. This shot establishes both the setting and the artist.

It subtle way, the technique hints to the audience that each shot link together somehow to form a narrative.

Black and white is used effectively in the video. We see several shots of the lead singer playing to the guitar to the camera/audience alon in his apartment. These shots are in colour. All of the shots of the band performing together are in black and white.

Black and white sets a mood to the video. It sets up a melancholly atmosphere. it also adds to the dark and edgy tones of the video.

The lack of colour during the shots break down the range of bright and fast paced so that the audience doesnt feel overwhelmed.

The use of black and white also make the footage appear old and from an earlier date in time, during a dream or memory sequence. This suggests that the band has been together for a very long time and that they play a huge importance in the lead singer's life. this might imply that he feels like he is in a hard place, between having his own personal life and being with his band.

Relationship between lyrics and visual's

There are fast pace shots during faster parts of the song and when a shot changes, it cuts directly on the beat of the song. On the beat editing was used to engage the audience more and keep them focused on the song; capturing them in the moment. The shots are all in sync with the song and they work well together.