Who pioneered Indie music?

“Indie is something intangible, something at the aesthetic core of good music. Whatever you call it, the music keeps getting better, the number of ears keeps getting bigger, and indie rock remains an evolving genre that still challenges everyone’s expectations of what it can do and who it can reach." (Source: www.snmag.com)

Independent music or famously known as ‘Indie’ music, is used as the term to describe the independence of music from major commercial record labels. These groups are mostly autonomous, self made and more precisely are pioneers. The people from this "Indie" class do everything on their own in recording, publishing and performances. Indie groups are usually not interested in taking help of any big names from Music Industry.
The history of Indie Music dates long back in 1960′s. The format of the music then was pop, rock and roll and a slight dash of R&B. The lyrics of the songs was inspired by peace, love and anti-war thoughts.

There immerged some bands like "Velvet Underground". This was the band which could be considered as a real "Indie" band. They did everything regarding their album all on their own and created a difference in traditional music.

In the era of 1970 more experimented music originated. There were numerous groups which tried diversity in music and immerged as music bands. One more new form of music aroused during this period named as "Progressive Rock". The music was distinct from hard rock of Beatles and soft music in 1960′s. Indie music took a stiff growth in 1980s. In this period a new form of music immerged known as "alternative music", which was a group formed out of distortion of garage bands. This was the base of electronic instrumental era that took place in 1990.

The general style of indie music is credited to the early 1980s in the United Kingdom.

First Indie bands 1980s:

In the United States, the term "indie rock" was particularly associated with the abrasive, distortion-heavy sounds of Hüsker Dü, Sonic Youth, Minutemen, Meat Puppets, Dinosaur Jr., Pixies and The Replacements. R.E.M. is often associated with the college rock movement of the 1980s.

In the United Kingdom, indie pop artists such as Aztec Camera, Josef K, and Orange Juice emerged in the 1980s. The Smiths have been seen as the defining British indie-rock band of the '80s.

A number of prominent indie rock record labels were founded during the 1980s. These include Washington, DC's Dischord Records in 1980, Seattle's Sub Pop Records in 1986 and New York City's Matador Records and Durham, North Carolina's Merge Records in 1989. Chicago's Touch and Go Records was founded as a fanzine in 1979 and began to release records during the 1980s

(Source: Wikipedia)

Cultural Imperialism: Media’s representation of Women

I wanted to investigate the theme of our music video further, and so I scoured the internet for articles and information on the idea of media dominating our ideologies, and the ideologies of our society... I have created a post in the form of quotes, images, ideas and general snippets from the web...

"The concept of media and cultural imperialism was made prominent by a number of Latin American thinkers including Antonio Pasquali, Luis Ramiro Beltran, Fernando Reyes Matta, and Mario Kaplun."

"Adherents of the media imperialism tradition held that a small group of Western countries not only controlled the international media trade but used it to transmit their particular cultural and economic values, particularly individualism and consumerism, to large numbers of developing nations around the world."

(Source: Cultural imperialism: a critical introduction By John Tomlinson)

We all know the stereotypes...

... the femme fatale, the supermom, the sex kitten, the nasty corporate climber. Whatever the role, television, film and popular magazines are full of images of women and girls who are typically white, desperately thin, and made up to the hilt—even after slaying a gang of vampires or dressing down a Greek phalanx.

Many would agree that some strides have been made in how the media portray women in film, television and magazines, and that the last 20 years has also seen a growth in the presence and influence of women in media behind the scenes. Nevertheless, female stereotypes continue to thrive in the media we consume every day.This section of the site provides a snapshot of the issues around the media’s portrayal of women and girls—from effects on body image and self-identity to

ramifications in sports and politics. It looks at the economic interests behind the objectification and eroticization of females by the media as well as efforts to counter negative stereotyping. And it provides the latest articles and studies that explore the ways in which media both limit and empower women and girls in society.

Source: http://www.mediaawareness.ca/english/issues/stereotyping/women_and_girls/

Body Image and Advertising:

"The average woman sees 400 to 600 advertisements per day and by the time she is 17 years old, she has received over 250,000 commercial messages through the media. Only 9% of commercials have a direct statement about beauty, but many more implicitly emphasize the importance of beauty--particularly those that target women and girls. One study of Saturday morning toy commercials found that 50% of commercials aimed at girls spoke about physical attractiveness, while none of the commercials aimed at boys referred to appearance."

“Advertisements emphasize thinness as a standard for female beauty, and the bodies idealized in the media are frequently atypical of normal, healthy women. In fact, today's fashion models weigh 23% less than the average female, and a young woman between the ages of 18-34 has a 7% chance of being as slim as a catwalk model and a 1% chance of being as thin as a supermodel. However, 69% of girls in one study said that magazine models influence their idea of the perfect body shape, and the pervasive acceptance of this unrealistic body type creates an impractical standard for the majority of women.”

“Some researchers believe that advertisers purposely normalize unrealistically thin bodies, in order to create an unattainable desire that can drive product consumption...”

“...Considering that the diet industry alone generates $33 billion in revenue, advertisers have been successful with their marketing strategy.”

(Source: http://www.healthyplace.com/eating-disorders/main/eating-disorders-body-image-and-advertising/menu-id-58/)

Media influences on body size estimation in anorexia and bulimia.

An experimental study.

K Hamilton and G Waller.

Department of General Practice, University of Aberdeen.

"Anorexic and bulimic women overestimate their body sizes substantially more than comparison women, but little is known about the factors that influence this overestimation. This study examined the influence of media portrayal of idealized female bodies in women's fashion magazines. Comparison women were not affected by the nature of the photographs that they saw, but eating-disordered women were--they overestimated more when they had seen the pictures of women than when they saw photographs of neutral objects."
(Source: http://bjp.rcpsych.org/cgi/content/abstract/162/6/837)

The Indie Music Quiz

I found this quiz in one of the articles I mentioned in a previous post.

(Source: http://www.cracked.com/funny-1677-indie-music/)

Research

Research: Feminism in Contemporary Music

The scene of Pop and RnB music has been filled with talented female artists, and it is a truth that the majority of them were acknowledged for their youthful looks and passivity towards males. This can be observed in various media texts, but especially in music videos where they construct their image and usually emphasize, amplify the meaning of their songs.




 Britney Spears, 'Hit me baby one more time'

 

Britney Spears 'Hit me baby one more time' is an example of this. As she grew into a woman, she begun to sing songs which do enpower women in a way, but let's start from the very beginning. The lyrics to her single 'Hit me baby one more time' convey nothing but female passivity and submission towards males. The lyrics reflect on the subject of relationships and break ups; and it is implied that a woman can not be independent, she needs a boyfriend in order to be happy. The video to this song does not only convey the lyrics but it also portrays another message; the viewer is encouraged to believe that education is not important, as the video begins with the artist Britney Spears sitting in a class, not doing any work as she daydreams away about her boyfriend. So the overall message in this is utterly negative, it weakens women as it puts them in a position of submission. It simply connotes that it is essential for a young girl to have a boyfriend, but it is not important for her to focus on her education.

'My loneliness is killing me(...)When I'm not with you I lose my mind'

'Oh baby baby the reason I breath is you'

Taylor Swift, 'White Horse'

Another female artist whose work is similar to Britney Spears, is Taylor Swift. Her songs consists of the same themes; such as love and relationships. Swift doesn't seem to bring something new and different to her audience. The majority of her works are utterly conventional and stereotypical. Her songs convey female passivity, she always seems to put herself in the role of the weak victim in her songs, who is always suffering and is treated badly.




Fortunately, the music scenario seems to be evolving as new female artists are blossoming and showing the talented, strong and powerful women that they are, consequently enpowering other women through their songs.
P!nk has been one of the most successful female artists in the music industry since 2001, though she does sing love songs that are considered stereotypical, the majority of her songs are 'feel good songs', they convey a positive message and more importantly they enpower and strenghten women. Pink does bring original music to her audience, she has shown she does not only own powerful vocals, but also the ability to stand out from the crowd and create art that truly makes the difference. 'U + Ur hand' conveys the opposite of Spears 'Hit me baby one more time', in fact it conveys that women are not men's sex objects, it also implies that women do not need men to be happy.

"Wanna dance by myself, guess you're outta luck
Don't touch, back up, I'm not the one, uh buh-bye!

Listen up it's just not happenin'
You can say what you want to your boyfriends
Just let me have my fun tonight, alright?

I'm not here for your entertainment
You don't really want to mess with me tonight
Just stop and take a second
I was fine before you walked into my life

Cause you know it's over
Before it began (...)"

 

Pink has released an endless amount of songs with strong meanings behind. Her song 'So what?' which reflects on her divorce, is one example of how she approaches the theme of break ups differently than most females in pop music. Unlike the stereotypical break up songs, 'So What' is an up beat track which also comes along with optimistic and enpowering lyrics, the visuals of its music video only emphasize this as it's humorous from beginning until the end.

Find below the link to Pink's music video 'So What'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XKZh3vWeGc



Feminism Icon Poster

Picture taken from her music video 'Raise your glass',
which highlights the fact that Pink has feminist perspectives in her music.

It can also be argued that Kesha is also a feminist icon. If not all of her songs, the majority of them do bring a sense of equality towards men, as she adressess them in a way that is stereotypical and socially acceptable for male artists to adress females, usually in HipHop and RnB songs. She makes the difference as she is one of the few female artists who constantly portrays men as her sex objects in her songs, as well as depicting herself as a independent and strong woman, who is free sexually to do what she wants, without caring how society may see and judge her simply because she is a female, it is clear in her work that Kesha's aim is for sexual liberation just like other feminists.

The lyrics to the song 'Blah Blah Blah' are a good example, the song is both humorous and quite explicit as she basically conveys that she wants the boy to stop talking as all she wants from him is sex. Is quite comical as it challenges stereotypes, it is seen as normal for pop male singers to make these kind of statements, whereas is not seen as normal or acceptable for a woman to say such things; Kesha is gradually breaking that notion of females being less sexual than men in her songs and strengthening women.

In her song 'Tik Tok' she says the following: 'And Now, the dudes are lining up cause they hear we got swagger' This verse is one of the key ones in this song. It is interesting as she made use of the word 'Swagger' which is associated with confidence, with personality, instead of looks or their sex appeal, which would be the stereotypical words used in pop culture, specially when referring to females. Therefore, Kesha has feminist perspectives in her music.

Record Label Research

Record Label Research

XL Recordings is a British independent record label which was inaugurated by Tim Palmer along with Nick Halkes and Richard Russell in 1989.
 The label has brought to the industry many talented artists, such as The White Stripes, Adele, Dizzee Rascal, but more importantly, Vampire Weekend - our chosen artist -.
 I personally believe that XL Recordings is truly suitable for our chosen artist, because the majority of the artists signed to XL Recordings fit the same genre of music as Vampire Weekend, and they are also successful musicians, hence why XL has become one of the most significant independent record labels in the world.

 

" Russell broadened the musical horizons of the label whilst maintaining a credo of working with artists he saw as original and inventive "
The quote above only emphasizes the idea that XL Recordings is appropriate for Vampire Weekend, as our chosen band is genuinely original and unique.

However, there are plenty of other record labels that are suitable for Vampire Weekend.
One of them is surely Epic Records, an American record label owned by Sony Music Entertainment. At first it was as a jazz imprint, but in 1960 the label broadened to all genres, consequently Epic grew as a label and became better known for giving a chance to new artists and different genres of music.
The label's greatest achievements was the release of the album Thriller by Michael Jackson, in 1982, which sold eighty million copies in international sales, ultimately making it the biggest selling album in history.
Other acknowledged artists within the same genre of music as Vampire Weekend, are signed to Epic Records, these include The Script, Incubus, Modest Mouse, Mudvayne and Shakira.




Founded in 1945, by Irving Green, Berle Adams and Arthur Talmadge. Mercury  Records is a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. Initially they were focused in classical music, jazz, blues, country music and rock and roll. But the label has broadened to other genres, such as RnB, Grime, Indie, Heavy Metal and Pop. 
Mercury Records operates in the UK as well as in Australia, USA and France. Bringing together talented artists from different cultures. I reckon that the diversity brought by Mercury Records is what makes them one of the biggest Record labels.
Artists similar to Vampire Weekend are signed to Mercury Records, such as Stereophonics, The Killers and Noisettes, all rock/indie bands that have gained recognition and reached UK top charts.

Artist Research

 ARTIST RESEARCH:

Research the branding and the marketing of artists who already fit into your chosen genre.

Incubus

Alternative rock band Incubus, was formed in 1991 in Calabasas, California. 
The band successfully managed to sell over 100,000 copies of their second album S.C.I.E.N.C.E without the support of radio or television exposure. 
This is one of their most admirable achievements, hence the reason why I chose them for this research. Incubus is a truly unique band just like Vampire Weekend.
When they released their third album Make Yourself, they earned mainstream recognition as well as critical acclaim.
Incubus evidently is a band able to evolve and mature in their career. As they have experimented with different instruments and diverse genres of music and ultimately achieved success and critics praise as they have displayed how creative and talented they are.


Like many other rock/indie bands, Incubus did not allow the media industry to exploit their image in order for them to gain success. Their achievements were purely earned by their musical gifts and creativity, by their art. 

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"Classic UK rock delivered with whiskey vocals"

Stereophonics is a Welsh rock band, formed in 1992. The band has achieved mainstream recognition in 1997, with their debut album Word Gets Around, which immediately reached the top six in the UK charts, later followed by them winning an Brit Award for Best New Band. 

Stereophonics

Ever since 1997 the group has been a success, and today they are considered one of Wale's biggest talents.
The band's success was earned as they are a creative and talented group. Their intense & affecting lyrics along with Kelly Jone's husky vocals have made an impact on rock music, and these have given them the success and recognition they worked hard to get. Unlike other artists, Stereophonic's image doesn't draw much attention as they don't rely on it to be a successful band. However they still wear stereotypical rock clothes, such as leather jackets and sunglasses, but that is as far as it gets.


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Research an artist who does not fit into your chosen genre.

Justin Timberlake

Justin Randall Timberlake was first famous for being the lead singer of the boy band 'N Sync which was formed in Florida, 1995. But as it usually happens in the music industry, the band broke up and the lead singer, Timberlake went on in a solo career.

He released his debut solo album 'Justified' in 2002, which sold more than 7 million copies worldwide. In 2006 he released his second album 'FutureSex/ Love sounds' which was just as successful as the first one, reaching UK's top music charts, ultimately winning six Grammy awards, and two Emmy awards.

Like other boy bands and pop/ RnB singers, Justin does use his image to earn success. Ever since he was 'N Sync's lead singer, he has been considered to be an attractive and very well dressed man, he even became a sex symbol.

Ever since he released his latest album 'FutureSex/Love sounds' he has been performing his shows and modelling in his photo shoots wearing a suit and a tie, It connotes elegance and manhood, this has become part of his image, of his style. 

Besides his looks, Justin has showed he is a truly talented man. He doesn't only have excellent vocals and great dancing skills, he also blows away his fans by performing the piano, the guitar and by beatboxing.

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Gorillaz

In 2000 the British music project, Gorillaz was created and it has brought to the music industry a new concept, it launched a new trend: Virtual bands. Where the actual musicians hide their identities behind cartoon characters and genuinely only focus and sell their music.
Their concerts were reviewed as "Awesome, Unique." as they are a mixture of art and music.


British cartoonist who designs the Gorillaz visuals displayed an interesting point of view when referring to the group's image 'If you’re going to pretend to be somebody you’re not – which is the whole point of being a rock star – then why not just invent fake characters and have them do it all for you?'
A virtual band allows the musicians to have freedom, something artists lose as soon as they gain recognition in the mainstream. They have the opportunity to express themselves in their music, be successful without involving their previous identity, allowing them to live their lives like ordinary people.
Their debut album released in 2001 sold over seven million copies, which led to an entry in the Guinness Book of World Records as the most successful virtual band.

"Who else hates digipaks?" (research)

When I searched on Google: "Why would people buy Digipaks?" (because personally, I don't buy digipaks and I don't know a lot of people of my age group that do- except some of my friends who are die-hard fans of Michael Jackson/Led Zeppelin/Lady Gaga) and the first thing that popped up was a thread from a forum on side-line.com entitled Who else hates digipaks?
I thought I would take a look and read through the posts.
I found some reasons for why digipaks may lack popularity...

1. Some people complained that digipaks are "cardboard and wear out" and so they "have to be placed at certain areas in my CD rack so they don't get smashed."
2. Another person comments "(I'm) definitely not a fan", further stating, "typically the little spines that hold the disc in place snap". 
3. Someone inputs "Digipaks are not so cool as they once were." This could possibly be a more mature person commenting on the recent trends of illegal downloading, itunes downloading- rather than the 'older/more outdated' method of buying cds and digipaks.
4. "I like digipaks in my collection. They look good, but that's about it."
Generally, I found on this particular forum, there was a lack of support for digipaks.

However some users on the forum retaliated...
"It can give a different feel to a (album) release." I think this is an interesting comment as it shows the uniqueness a digipak can encompass, and why people buy digipaks, so the extras and the hype of the album maybe. I think digipaks can be related to fan culture and the 'fandom' ideology.

And probably the most balanced post was: "I prefer limited first-run editions, digipaks and unique packaging which to me adds to the mystic of dark/ambient/noise releases. Usually if one waits long enough you can buy the same music in jewel cases once the limited sales items are depleted. By that time it could even be on sale." This user refers to the pricing, commenting on how it is usually more expensive to buy digipaks than CDs, which is why some people may be less forthcoming to buy them.

Then someone, near the end of the thread, posts "wow. this is a lot of getting worked up about digipaks."
And that's when I realised it's quite a sad and boring theme to be cyber-arguing about, and reading, and so I exited the window.