Death Cab For Cutie - Cath

The video for Death Cab for Cutie's Cath depicts a woman getting married in a church, surrounded by friends and family. There is a past lover there, who seemingly has turned up late for the ceremony, in a last-minute attempt to get her back. The outfits worn in the video are typical for a wedding, helping to set the idea of a traditional, small scale wedding. The emptiness in the church is almost striking; it is a large venue but there are maybe only 30 people there. This suggests almost that people disapprove of the wedding or that it is between people in society who are not well adored. 
The way that the man sits at the back of the church on his own suggests that he may even be part of the problem, as he has purposefully avoided sitting with Cath's friends and family. 
The setting also emphasises the seriousness of the situation that Cath is in. The lyrics of the song reinforce that she has had to make a difficult decision, "'Cos your heart was dying fast/and you didn't know what to do". This is further supported later on in the video.

Before this, however, there are some parts of the video that further aid telling the story. Right at the beginning of the video we see the man running towards something, although at this point we are unaware as to what exactly it is. The close up tracking of his feet helps to show the urgency of the action, through the shakiness of the camera and in the way that there is almost not enough time for transitions and additional shots. It seems quite a childish shot, almost replicating the way we sometimes see children run in video. This could be seen as greatly contrasting Cath's two choices of men; the one she is about to marry and the one who has came to claim her back. 
As he enters the church, the band enters the room into which they are headed in their own journey. As he does this, grass grows in the room and this seems to suggest that he is offering Cath a new lease of life; grass grows in the spring time and the spring time is associated with rebirth and new beginnings. Notably, when he leaves the church later on, the grass disappears. This can be taken to signify the opportunity leaving her; as she has decided to marry the "well intentioned man" instead of the other man vying for her affection. 
Alternatively, his exit from the church can be seen as him leaving her life. Her entire family and friends are there, presumably (from the way they look at her); she also made her critical decision there, and her husband is now there. It is as though he has left her life permanently through his departure.
The music and the visuals are synchronised nicely together, especially upon the man entering the church. The music is not exactly slow, but calmer with only two noticeable instruments being played. However, as he enters the church we hear more instruments being added, and upon the vocals being included, we see far more of the scenario. When the music is played at the beginning, we see only feet and either very close up or far away shots. When there are more instruments and more depth to the tune, we see faces and locations more clearly.
The moment at which Cath and the man kiss is emphasised as being important through the way it is portrayed from several different angles. This is reminiscient of wedding videos in the two upper stills, but also replicates a technique used in performing arts called an essence machine, which is where the same moment is repeated multiple times but with different emphases each time to help make a point about the moment being important by reinforcing it. It seems to help to reinforce how potentially life changing the moment is for Cath, and makes it seem all the more sad when she opts to marry the other man instead, as it looks almost triumphant when they kiss. 
The quick cuts suggest that the video happens in real time, which makes it seem more tense as Cath has the duration of the track to choose what to do.
In terms of editing used in the video, it corresponds with the lyrics. "It seemed that you live in someone else's dream" is met with Cath's face, with faces of the artists over the top, which creates a slightly dreamlike, soft, sleepy look.  She also looks tired, which suggests that she has had a lot of emotional toil inflicted upon her as a result of having to make the decision whether or not to go through with her marriage.

A common feature, or even a convention in music videos is the "notion of looking". This is done quite often throughout the video. For instance, at the point in the image shown. It looks almost voyeuristic, with the viewer looking at Cath in a candid manner. It seems as though the cameraman is filming Cath without her consent, especially since it's done through a balcony and Cath is looking away. The same can be said for the next one; which is filmed through an old style looking lens. It replicates the idea of the wedding being filmed and adds a further level to the idea of Cath being surrounded by her family and friends. The way she isn't looking into the camera suggests that she is unaware she is being filmed, or uncomfortable with it, which adds to the lyrics, such as "whispers that it won't last roll up and down the pew", as it infers how uncomfortable she is in getting married.
There is also a part of the video where her friends and family, the priest and the groom are all frozen in time. This is the point where Cath and the other man kiss. This can be seen to suggest that the views of the wedding guests are also frozen in time, traditional and resistant to change. They are encouraging her to marry the "well intentioned man" rather than the scruffy one who turned up late to the ceremony.

Cath..
She stands with a well intentioned man
But she can't relax with his hand on the small of her back
As the flashbulbs burst she holds a smile
Like someone would hold a crying child
Soon everybody will ask what became of you
'Cos your heart was dying fast
And you didn't know what to do
Cath...
It seemed that you live in someone elses' dream
In a hand-me-down wedding dress
With the things that could have been are repressed
but you said your vows and you closed the door
On so many men who would've loved you more
Soon everybody will ask what became of you
'Cos your heart was dying fast
And you didn't know what to do
The whispers that it won't last roll up and down the pews
And if their hearts were dying that fast
They would have done the same as you
And I would have done the same as you

G324: Audience Profile Research Task - Jessie J

For this task I have been asked to create an audience profile for a band or musician based upon assumption and questionnaire results.
I chose to create a profile for Jessie J, since she is a popular, well known artist who has become somewhat established in the industry through her songs and television work.

Assumptions
Interests: They are probably interested in the sort of things that most young girls are; meeting up with friends, socialising, watching movies, going shopping, reading tabloid magazines. Older fans may go clubbing or party somewhat regularly. Her music falls under the Pop genre, which is the more "mainstream" of genres. The outcome of this is that her fans are likely to have more "mainstream" interests; i.e, those that are common for people of that age.
Gender: I think the fans of this artist are predominantly female, because of her lyrics, which seem powerful: Don't lose who you are in the blur of the stars!
Seeing is deceiving, dreaming is believing,
It's okay not to be okay.
Sometimes it's hard to follow your heart.
Tears don't mean you're losing, everybody's bruising,
Just be true to who you are
Lyrics like this are likely to appeal to a more young, insecure female market who are looking for some light in a confusing time in their lives.

Age: I assume that the fans of this artist are probably between the ages of 5 and 25. I feel this is the case because her music style is very young and so is her look. However, some of her songs are quite meaningful so she might appeal to an older audience in this respect.

Fashion: I think that the Jessie J's fans are likely to want to dress like her; in slightly more edgy, bright clothes that make them stand out from the crowd. For instance, in the photo to the left she is wearing clothes that would typically each be a statement piece in an outfit (the hat, gold combat boots and the leather jacket), not all worn together like she is. This kind of edgy style is commonly promoted in young girls magazines nowadays and on the television. A few examples of clothes and motifs associated with this fashion style have been provided below; they are clothes that seem to be common with younger teenagers recently.

Social practices: Fans of Jessie J are probably highly computer literate, making the most of mainstream social networking sites like Instagram, Twitter and Facebook to broadcast their musical preferences. They are likely to also use a lot of apps on their phones; such as Whatsapp and
Snapchat.

Fans of this artist are likely to listen to music of the same genre, or the kind of songs they hear on the radio. They may listen to radio stations such as Kiss or Capital FM more than ones that play more varied and alternative music.

In order to get a more valid insight into these areas, I created a survey using Surveymonkey.com to ask about various attributes of Jessie J fans. I contacted one Jessie J fan page, Jessie J Heaven to ask them to publish the link of their website and also asked two twitter accounts to complete the questionnaire. Alongside this, I will post the link to Facebook and on my own Twitter account to try and get as many fans as possible to complete it; I am aiming for at least 15 responses.

Hyro Da Hero - Sleeping Giants

This is the first song that was released from Hyro Da Hero's first studio album, Birth, School, Work, Death. It was directed by sitcomsoldiers.com, a music production company who have previously directed videos for The Blackout, While She Sleeps and Of Mice and Men.
This artist defines himself as being a rap-rock artist. I could not see many dominating characteristics of this genre in a broader sense, although through looking at the two genres separately I was able to find some common themes. For instance, the artist raps into the camera more often than not, looking straight into it a lot of the time. The entire video is also quite high energy and fast paced, common of many rock videos. It also shows the artist and the band, another convention of this genre.

There are several points in this video when the lyrics and the visuals have something in similar with one another. For instance, at this point in the video, (1:09), the lyrics are "when we let the blind lead the blind; we fall off the cliff at the same time", which is echoed directly through the person falling off the stage. The face is covered as well which resonates the comment about being blind, although the lyrics are probably more in a metaphorical sense than a literal one. It also occurs later on in the song, where he uses these lyrics: "get off your butt and do something; end a war, start a war, fight the peace, lie to me; stop running around so silently". At this point he has caused some chaos in the situation, interrupting the worker's mundane lives by throwing their carefully shuffled and ordered papers up into the air, causing them to panic and fluster. This suggests the artist's presence is causing change in their lives; some of them move less robotically then they do in the beginning.

There is some relationship between the music and the video which emphasises the music to some extent. For instance, throughout most of the video the music is fast paced and the visuals coincide with this, cutting quickly and showing the people moving in accordance to this. In contrast, when the music slows, as if to create tension before the next verse, the people move much slower and there are no cuts between scenarios.

There are a lot of close ups of the artist. He sings into the camera very frequently, adding to the notion of looking as he performs to the camera. He sings into the camera in both of his guises; in his Malcom X-esque gear and then his more stereotypical rap-rock clothing of a tight t-shirt, 'snapback' and his trousers. I feel like this probably shows his versatility as an artist and the way that he changes constantly between outfits emphasises this. He does this frequent change between smart and casual in another video which backs this point up. You can also see the logo behind him in the performance scenarios, on the drum kit, for example.

In relation to the notion of looking, there are shots every 45 seconds or so which show the masked figures in a fisheye style; this is style often used to suggest looking through a camera, perhaps as a nod to CCTV filming everyone's lives. Throughout the video it almost suggests the changes they go through as a result of the artist's presence; they dance in these shots. Their movements are rigid and robotic in the initial few, but then progress into being much more unique, loose and interesting, supporting many of the implied messages in the video.

There may be intertextual references in this video; if so, they are very succint. There is one notable reference; this may not be entirely reliable. I read somewhere previously that there is inspiration from Malcolm X in this video, suggesting why he dresses in certain ways in certain parts; there is some noticeable similarities in dress, as well as the messages of change that he is trying to get through to the people - this is supported in the image. Although it may be coincidental, they are both wearing similar shaped glasses (although Hyro Da Hero's are tinted black) have a similar hand gesture, and are both wearing suits.

G324: Tribes

In order to find out which "tribe" I was in, I went to this website, run by Channel 4.
Upon taking the survey, I was informed that I was a "Young Alt".

According to the short video that follows the survey, I am "butterflies, experimenters, wide eyed to the world", who "definitely [doesn't] want to be considered mainstream".
I think the tribe does somewhat reflect my musical preference; "alt" is shortened for alternative, which is apt to describe my musical tastes; it does not fit into one set group, much like "Young Alts".
However a lot of the other phrases in the tribes video do not necessarily describe musical taste particularly well - the video comments on Kurt Cobain and music from NME.

G324: Audience Profile Research Task

The Lafontaines
The Lafontaines are a Scottish hip-hop/rock/pop band, from Motherwell.

They are currently unsigned, although they have somewhat of a cult following as a result of tours with bands like Sonic Boom Six and 3OH!3, despite differing musical styles.
They recently performed at the Classic Grand in Glasgow.

I don't feel like the design of this flyer really reflects the group's music at this stage; some of their songs are not entirely serious and the design of the flyer makes them seem like a much more established group, with a much more defined, classy style.
However it makes them seem quite simplistic, which is reflected in their music - they are straightforward with their message.
The artwork for their EP, Light Up The Background, is quite simplistic as well. I feel like this makes them rely more on their individual style and following than their image, mainly because upon looking at their artwork and flyers, they do not seem to be the sort of band who would make such music.

At their Classic Grand show, the band performed wearing suits, a far cry from their usual get up of casual t-shirts and jeans. This seems to be their way of creating a more recognisable imagine for themselves and trying to find their niche; how many hip-hop artists perform wearing a shirt and braces?

I don't feel like The Lafontaines' image reflects them very much as artists of their genre. It breaks typical conventions of rap music; they don't have scantily-clad women in their videos, don't rap about violence, sex and drugs, and don't wear the sort of clothes one expects to see in a video by such an artist.

A more comprehensive look into the fans of The LaFontaines can be found here. 

Hyro Da Hero
This Texan rap-rock artist is a solo outfit. He is a relatively new artist, who has toured with many groups in the last few years, such as The Blackout, Deftones, Letlive and All That Remains.

He released his first studio album, Birth, School, Work, Death in 2011. It has quite unique album artwork for an artist in the rap side of his genre; it is reminiscent of some heavier styles of rock music, despite the fact that is not what a lot of his songs sound like at all.
I don't think his image relies on many gimmicks; his costume onstage is rather casual. I think this reflects his music - he is not trying too hard to make the two styles work together.
Artwork for his album can be seen to the left, in Digipak format, which may be helpful for my work later on.
I think it incorporates iconography that is stereotypically associated with the two genres his music fits into. For instance, the blades that can be seen in the inside of the digipak, an icon that is commonly used when it comes to rap music. It also has a large skull, which is more typically associated with rock music.
I think Hyro has a more established image for himself and his musical style has not changed as he has become more known either.


3OH!3
This band is technically classed as being electropop but many of their tracks have roots in hip-hop.
They are a more well established band than the previous two, with three studio albums, with the covers all echoing a particular motif that has been carried through the group since day one - the hand gesture/sign. It is featured on all the covers of their tracks, to differing degrees each time. For instance, the silhouette-esqe style one shown here is actually the front cover for their first album. Recently, they released a new album, which features the same icon. It is carried through in their live performances too; as can be seen in the photograph below, the crowd often replicate the sign themselves.
Their music is not very serious and does not carry strong messages like that of The Lafontaines and Hyro Da Hero.
3OH!3 have an image of making music that has little artistic value and is more suited to "college parties", despite the fact that some of their tracks have a lot of meaning behind them. There are a lot of reasons for this; unlike some artists the members have almost all their photoshoots in a jokey, odd manner and a lot of their videos echo this - they have little in common with the lyrics of the track. A good example of this is shown in the video below for their song, "Touchin' On My". Their videos rely a lot more on concept rather than being performance or narrative based, although there is often a strong performance element to them.


Audience Profiling
Stereotypically, this music is not held in high esteem by many people and hence the stereotypical image of people who like this music is negative due to bands such as Limp Bizkit and Hollywood Undead making the fusion of rap, rock and hip-hop seem undesirable.
Fashion choices of these sorts of people are likely to be darker, with logos on their clothes and probably with dyed dark hair.
Although highly stereotypical, it is often thought that these sorts of people spend their leisure time hanging around in public places, drinking (3OH!3 fans in particular are often thought to spend a lot of time partying) and causing trouble.
Socio-economically, there is probably no set group which fans fit into. It is possibly more common that these people will be of a lower social grade, as commonly believed is true of rap fans.
The audience for this kind of music probably goes to a lot of live performances too, since this kind of music translates well into this kind of environment as it is energetic and fun.

Of Monsters and Men - Little Talks

I chose this music video as one of my favourites because not only is the song appealing to me, but the video is incredibly aesthetically pleasing and very different. The animated, puppet style of the characters in the video is unique and unlike other music videos I've watched. It tells a story throughout the clip, which, although not sticking exactly to the lyrics, is interesting and engaging.

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