Conventions of Indie Rock.
Similarly to generic conventions of music videos as a whole, music videos of the indie rock genre take each code of Goodwin's theory and general textual analysis and place a bold convention upon it to establish it strongly as conformative of the indie rock genre.
Typically in indie rock, lyrics often follow a somewhat liberal stance, often openly criticising right wing governments and ideology, for example, The Smiths 'The Queen is Dead' with lines like 'the church who'll snatch your money' and 'I broke into the palace' are massively critical of the monarchy and essentially the conservatives who support them. Morrisey, lead singer of The Smiths, was massively vocal in criticising Thatcher in the 80s, as well as idealising other seemingly liberal ideologies, such as vegetarianism with the record 'Meat is Murder'. The Smiths were so famously liberal that even when Conservative ex PM David Cameron claimed The Smiths to be his favourite band, Johnny Marr, member of the band, stated 'I forbid you to like The Smiths'. A lot of the liberal themes in indie rock stem from the popular predecessor of punk rock, with bands like The Jam and The Sex Pistols massively criticising the Government and 'Tories' with songs like 'Eton Rifles' and 'Anarchy in the UK' respectively.
In more modern examples, Indie Rock often talks openly about messy or problematic relationships in a way that is seemingly alternative and different in order to appeal to a different audience. Arguably from my observational experience indie rock is generally not aimed at neurotypical people, it's aimed more at young audiences who require a different kind of music to help aid their mild superiority complexes,I found that when I was younger I indie rock was appealing to me as I was virtually one of the few who actually listened to it. Therefore it's important to appeal to the masses by talking (or singing) about valid and relatable topics in an edgy and alternative manner. For example, Wolf Alice's 'You're a germ' criticises a single person in a demeaning manner, stating out their singular issues- much like 'Not fair' by Lily Allen, a pop artist. Indie audiences would favour Wolf Alice's narrative as it's musically more advanced and in a way makes them feel good about themselves, as if they're intellectually superior because they have some essence of cultural capital.
Dependent on the sub-genre of indie-rock, (psychedelic, punk, alt etc..) the cinematography and mise en scene can differ dramatically. A recurring motif in any rock video however, is the presence of the band, often playing their instruments in the typical set up- drummer at the back, guitarist on the left, bassist on the right, singer in the middle front. Most conventionally, the indie band scene is dominated by men, and even the minority of girl groups, such as Haim, dress in the typical 'indie' way- In denim and super-skinny jeans. Often, the videos are very low-budget, Arctic Monkeys often use the city landscape as the setting for their videos, whereas Kasabian have used a field to great effect. Generally, indie rock bands pride themselves on their creativity, and their videos often reflect a certain artistic style, for example, Tame Impala use 'trippy' imagery to essentially hypnotise their audience. Editing is usually conformative to Goodwin's theory of 'thought beats', as in most cases shots are cut in time with drum or bass beats.
Indie Rock videos narrative can range from comedy to quirky to energy fueled depending on the band. A simple narrative, directed by Edgar Wright, so obviously a comedy, is Mint Royale, Blue Song which inspired the new film 'Baby Driver' about a getaway driver who uses songs to calculate time needed to fulfill a heist. A quirky example is Richard Ayoade's Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Heads will Roll, following a story of a dancer who turns into a werewolf while performing. Arctic Monkeys more upbeat songs have accompanying videos that are massively frantic- typical of more generic indie rock, which is conventionally raw and energetic.
Performance sequences are perhaps the most iconic convention of the indie rock genre- each band often placing their most artistic flair on the motif. Some combine them with narrative. Whereas some exist just to make you question what's going on. Others use performance to send a message. There are a number of variations to interpret in indie rock music videos, classic ones are often seen as a risk of being too 'samey'.
Indie rock is often enjoyed by listeners who pride themselves on having some sort of cultural high-ground in the sense that they enjoy being part of a 'niche'. This unproved sociological theory helps to explain why so often indie artists reference pop culture and other indie films in their promotional videos. 'All Over' by Cruisr capitalises on this in their video by using animation to reference nearly every cinema classic under the sun.
Lyrics and Music.
Typically in indie rock, lyrics often follow a somewhat liberal stance, often openly criticising right wing governments and ideology, for example, The Smiths 'The Queen is Dead' with lines like 'the church who'll snatch your money' and 'I broke into the palace' are massively critical of the monarchy and essentially the conservatives who support them. Morrisey, lead singer of The Smiths, was massively vocal in criticising Thatcher in the 80s, as well as idealising other seemingly liberal ideologies, such as vegetarianism with the record 'Meat is Murder'. The Smiths were so famously liberal that even when Conservative ex PM David Cameron claimed The Smiths to be his favourite band, Johnny Marr, member of the band, stated 'I forbid you to like The Smiths'. A lot of the liberal themes in indie rock stem from the popular predecessor of punk rock, with bands like The Jam and The Sex Pistols massively criticising the Government and 'Tories' with songs like 'Eton Rifles' and 'Anarchy in the UK' respectively.In more modern examples, Indie Rock often talks openly about messy or problematic relationships in a way that is seemingly alternative and different in order to appeal to a different audience. Arguably from my observational experience indie rock is generally not aimed at neurotypical people, it's aimed more at young audiences who require a different kind of music to help aid their mild superiority complexes,I found that when I was younger I indie rock was appealing to me as I was virtually one of the few who actually listened to it. Therefore it's important to appeal to the masses by talking (or singing) about valid and relatable topics in an edgy and alternative manner. For example, Wolf Alice's 'You're a germ' criticises a single person in a demeaning manner, stating out their singular issues- much like 'Not fair' by Lily Allen, a pop artist. Indie audiences would favour Wolf Alice's narrative as it's musically more advanced and in a way makes them feel good about themselves, as if they're intellectually superior because they have some essence of cultural capital.
Mise en Scene, Editing and Cinematography.
Dependent on the sub-genre of indie-rock, (psychedelic, punk, alt etc..) the cinematography and mise en scene can differ dramatically. A recurring motif in any rock video however, is the presence of the band, often playing their instruments in the typical set up- drummer at the back, guitarist on the left, bassist on the right, singer in the middle front. Most conventionally, the indie band scene is dominated by men, and even the minority of girl groups, such as Haim, dress in the typical 'indie' way- In denim and super-skinny jeans. Often, the videos are very low-budget, Arctic Monkeys often use the city landscape as the setting for their videos, whereas Kasabian have used a field to great effect. Generally, indie rock bands pride themselves on their creativity, and their videos often reflect a certain artistic style, for example, Tame Impala use 'trippy' imagery to essentially hypnotise their audience. Editing is usually conformative to Goodwin's theory of 'thought beats', as in most cases shots are cut in time with drum or bass beats. Narrative and Performance.
Performance sequences are perhaps the most iconic convention of the indie rock genre- each band often placing their most artistic flair on the motif. Some combine them with narrative. Whereas some exist just to make you question what's going on. Others use performance to send a message. There are a number of variations to interpret in indie rock music videos, classic ones are often seen as a risk of being too 'samey'.
Intertextuality
Indie rock is often enjoyed by listeners who pride themselves on having some sort of cultural high-ground in the sense that they enjoy being part of a 'niche'. This unproved sociological theory helps to explain why so often indie artists reference pop culture and other indie films in their promotional videos. 'All Over' by Cruisr capitalises on this in their video by using animation to reference nearly every cinema classic under the sun. Star Image and The Brand.
Similar to the performance and narrative aspect of videos, star image is a popular convention in indie rock as it generally establishes a stronger fan-base by provoking 'adoration'. Viewers/listeners look up to the band members and aspire to be like them, taking influence from their style and mannerisms. Hippo Campus, 'Violet' uses this convention to great effect as each band member is shown as an individual, immersed in their instrument, while sticking to a very aesthetically pleasing colour palette reminiscent of Wes Anderson, adding a bit of intertextuality.
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