Task #2

Bibliography:

Books:

• Rogers, J. The Death And Life Of The Music Industry In The Digital Age. Bloomsbury Academic, 2013. Print.

• Storey, J., ed. Cultural Theory and Popular Culture: A Reader. 3rd ed. Essex: Pearson Education Limited, 2006. Print.

• Wikstrom, P. The Music Industry: Music In The Cloud. Cambridge: Polity, 2010. Print.

Books Consulted:

• Storey, J. (2010). Cultural studies and the study of popular cultures theories and methods (3rd ed.). Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.

Academic Texts:

• Kolesnik, A. "Popular Culture And History: Representations Of The Past In British Popular Music Of The 2000s." Popular Culture And History: Representations Of The Past In British Popular Music Of The 2000s. National Research University Higher School of Economics, 10 May 2014. Web. 15 Dec. 2014. 

- "Changes in the music industry associated with the emerging and wide dissemination of new media has affected the search for new musical decisions, reformatting attitudes to the past in general, and to the musical past in particular." People were able to relate to certain sub-cultures through music. Now it is so accessable, we are almost alienated.
- "One very recent development is the arrival (in beta form) of Midge Ure’s new venture Tunited (http://www.tunited.com/), a new website and online community designed to help new unsigned artists get valuable exposure and make some sales." Bandcamp and Soundcloud link - compare.

Magazines:

• Budd, C. "Changes in the Music Industry: From Labels to Laptops." English And Media. Media Magazine, 1 Dec. 2010. Web. 15 Dec. 2014. <http://www.englishandmedia.co.uk/mm/subscribers/downloads/archive_mm/mmagpast/MM34_Change_music1.html>.

- "While Napster made it easy for users to share other people’s music, it wasn’t a massive leap to imagine that artists could use the same technology to promote and distribute their own music, thus cutting out two of the important functions of a record company. In this new world, there would be no place for physical records; instead music would live as data on people’s computers." Can be used for when comparing texts (YouTube, Soundcloud, Spotify, Bandcamp)

- "the music rights organisation PRS for Music reported this year that CD and DVD revenues fell by £8.7 million in 2009, but digital revenues grew by £12.8 million." (2010)"

- "The advantages of this sort of system to everyone concerned are clear – the system is a meritocracy: artists with talent, a big enough fan base and a good demo can get funding without contracting to record companies, and music lovers can share in that success. Only the democratic nature of the internet has made that possible on such a grand scale."

• Hendry, S. "Music and Politics." English And Media. Media Magazine, 1 Apr. 2011. Web. 15 Dec. 2014. <http://www.englishandmedia.co.uk/mm/subscribers/downloads/archive_mm/mmagpast/MM36_Collab_Music_Politics.html>.

- "The cultural theorist Adorno was pessimistic about the social impact of popular culture and claimed that the ‘cultural industries eliminate critical tendencies’."

- "In many ways The X Factor and other heavily constructed pop music models can be seen to create a ‘total system’ which Adorno saw as a ‘hegemony of markets’ offering audiences nothing more than the same thing to buy over and over again, breeding a ‘passivity’ that is ‘produced and circulated by the culture industries’."

- "The Conservative government of the time introduced a range of social and economic changes which were resisted by a large number of people including musicians. They challenged public sector cuts, privatisation of nationalised industries and the social changes (and mass unemployment) created by the closure of manufacturing and production industries. There was a spate of urban riots in UK cities in 1981 with ‘Ghost Town’ by The Specials voicing the hopelessness of life in deprived urban environments. The riots had a racial element and The Specials were one of many groups who continued to speak out against far-right political activism and attempted to present the values of cultural diversity within their music."

- "Many musicians supported the miners’ strike (1984-5) and songs were written to raise money for the miners and in support of the Union’s attempts to save jobs. Billy Bragg was actively involved in this as well as being a member of Red Wedge – a collective of musicians who collaborated to support the Labour party and motivate people to become more involved in politics – specifically supporting The Labour Party in the 1987 general election."

• Hobbs, M. "From the Unforgettable Fire to Arcade Fire." English And Media. Media Magazine, 1 Feb. 2011. Web. 15 Dec. 2014. <http://www.englishandmedia.co.uk/mm/subscribers/downloads/archive_mm/mmagpast/MM35_Cultural_Arcade.html>.

Internet Articles:

• Aitkenhead, D. "Plan B: 'I Love Directing. But Does My Art Change Lives? I Don't Think It Does'" The Guardian. The Guardian, 7 June 2012. Web. 15 Dec. 2014. <http://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/jun/07/plan-b-love-directing-art-lives>.

• Andrews, C. "Has the Digital Revolution Really Changed the Music Industry? | Factor." Factor. Factor, 22 Sept. 2014. Web. 15 Dec. 2014. <http://www.factor-tech.com/connected-world/8125-has-the-digital-revolution-really-changed-the-music-industry/>.

- Laura Kidd "argues that increasingly sophisticated technology allows artists to record music, build websites, crowd-fund, upload music videos, create and sell a variety of merchandise and, most importantly, release and promote their music online"

- "Bandcamp is an online marketplace where artists can connect with fans, stream their music and sell digital and physical wares. The site allows artists to set their own prices, with the pay-what-you-want model being a popular option."

- "Prior to 2000, if you wanted to sell recorded music on a semi-wide scale, you needed to manufacture discs or vinyl (and probably needed a record label to do that)," she explains. “Then you needed to make a deal with a distributor, which would then act as a middleman between you as the artist/label and the retail record shop. Payments for sales were often slow, and unsold stock could be returned. Clearly, the development of digital music sales via stores like iTunes and Amazon has been revolutionary on its own.”

• Dredge, S. "Thom Yorke Calls Spotify 'the Last Desperate Fart of a Dying Corpse'" The Guardian, 7 Oct. 2013. Web. 15 Dec. 2014 <http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/oct/07/spotify-thom-yorke-dying-corpse>.

- "the last desperate fart of a dying corpse"

- "I feel that in some ways what's happening in the mainstream is the last gasp of the old industry. Once that does finally die, which it will, something else will happen"

• NME Blog. "NME Blogs | Did Radiohead's 'In Rainbows' Honesty Box Actually Damage The Music Industry?" NME.COM. NME, 15 Oct. 2012. Web. 15 Dec. 2014. <http://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/did-radioheads-in-rainbows-honesty-box-actually-damage-the-music-industry>.

- "the best response to music piracy is to explore new, legal ways to get music into fans' hands."

• Lewis L. "Radiohead, 'The King Of Limbs' - First Listen." NME, 18 Feb 2011. <http://www.nme.com/blogs/nme-blogs/radiohead-the-king-of-limbs-first-listen#LrFXuhDasc8Fd8kB.99>

• Perry, K. "Plan B: The Rapper Turned Director on Ill Manors, Class War and Why He Doesn't Want to Be a Politician." GQ. GQ, 8 June 2012. Web. 15 Dec. 2014. <http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/entertainment/articles/2012-06/08/plan-b-interview-ill-manors>.

- "The most vile things that we as human beings do to each other is for money. Governments go into other countries and bomb them for oil, power and money. Girls get prostituted and sex-trafficked for money. It's all to do with class, and nothing to do with religion or race. It all boils down to money."

- "It's a class war perpetuated by journalists. There are so many people walking around with opinions that aren't their own. How can you judge people that you never come into contact with?"

- "The song "Ill Manors" and its video are a response to the riots, but we'd already shot the bulk of the film by September 2010. Really the riots were a response to the issues depicted in the film, so it's the other way around."

- "When it comes to film and music like that though, the only people who need to be worried are the well-off. It's only their kids who are going to be influenced negatively by that. The kids that I'm talking about are living that life already. They're not going to be influenced by Top Boy or Kidulthood to go out in the street and sell crack because they're already doing it."

• Taylor, G. "A Digital Revolution Transforming the Music Industry." - Capgemini. Financial TImes, 13 May 2013. Web. 15 Dec. 2014. <http://capgemini.ft.com/consumerisation-of-it/a-digital-revolution-transforming-the-music-industry_a-29-69.html>.

- "ABI Research shows that by 2017, over 50 million cars sold every year will have integrated Wi-Fi connectivity, allowing users to stream music directly to their cars."

- "Streaming services have integrated with social media like Facebook, so you can follow what your friends are listening to, and built in expert reviews and editorial. Twitter has just launched its own music service, allowing crowdsourcing of music trends and letting fans follow the tastes and comments of favourite artists. Hundreds of apps help fans to discover new music in every genre, helping users get maximum value from on-demand access to millions of tracks."

- "In addition, as cars increasingly draw on voice-activated functions, users will be able to sit at the wheel and ask for a specific artist or track: they'll say 'Play The XX, Co-Exist', and the album will begin playing instantly. In-car displays will suggest similar artists, albums and related information, allowing for a great entertainment experience."

- "we need to take action against illegal sites that build up huge businesses ripping off artists and undermine investment in the legal music scene."

- "The amazing progress that has been made in digital music reflects a transformation within record labels over the last 10 years"

• Travis, B. "Thom Yorke Wants You to Torrent His New Album." GQ. GQ, 29 Sept. 2014. Web. 15 Dec. 2014. <http://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/entertainment/articles/2014-09/29/thom-yorke-tomorrow-modern-boxes-review>.

- "Yorke revealed that the album is currently only available through a legitimate, paid BitTorrent file, and is available right now.
"

Task #1

Lotus Flower - Radiohead: (Established Artist - Contemporary Text)

Media Language:

The music video starts off with a medium shot of Thom Yorke convulsing his arms. This action is surprising the audience at first, but, as the video progresses, we become used to this. I can connote that Yorke seems to be letting the music flow through him to present another side to the music. A mixture of medium shots seem to be the norm (differing between different angles) blended with close-ups of Yorke's face and further-out shots to show the whole person.

The entirety of the video is in black & white with the first 50 seconds of the video having very low-key lighting. Only a filler light is used in this section to illuminate the background. A lack of light in the foreground almost creates a silhouette of Yorke. The simplicity in this composition reflects the simplicity in that part of the music as only bass and drums are being heard. Now a key light is introduced to present to us Thom Yorke. The majority of the video keeps this lighting until the three minutes thirty seconds mark where a mixture of close-ups of Yorke's face are shown to accentuate the change in pace in the song. Lighting is also used here to bring about complex shadows on the face. After this, the 'normal' lighting is brought back as another chorus plays out. The outro of the song again shows the audience the low-key lighting seen in the beginning of the video.

Only non-diegetic is heard which is the song itself. At times, what we are hearing can be considered parallel to what is seen onscreen, however, there are points where the audience again questions whether this is parallel or contrapuntal. An example is when Yorke will be moving to the beat and then will randomly start spasming.

Institution:

Lotus Flower was written by Radiohead themselves and produced by Nigel Godrich, who has produced all Radiohead albums past and present included. The song was self-released on the official Radiohead website as an online music download. The music video was uploaded to the official Radiohead YouTube channel. 

Genre:

There are little typical generic conventions of a music video here. This could be on purpose as Radiohead may be trying to almost parody music videos as a whole by Yorke flailing about on screen. However, I think that Yorke is letting the music engulf him and is losing himself within his senses and the music.

Representation:

An argument can be made that Yorke is physically representing the views of parts of society that go against the social conformities of today. Examples are seen throughout the video and heard throughout the lyrics. An example in the lyrics is "I will shape myself into your pocket; Invisible, do what you want, do what you want." The first line could be referring to having to abide by the social traditions of the public. The word "invisible" in the second line could be referring to this section of society; this unwanted opinion that needs to be heard.

Audience:

An audience consisting of late-teen to mid-thirties can be applied to this text. Late-teens as they may be able to relate to what can be seen as a rebellious tendency from the lyrics. Mid-thirties as this audience would have been fans when Radiohead was in its infancy in the mid-nineties. These audiences tend to consist more of males than females. Also, the main psychographic for this text would be an aspirer. This is because they are always on the look-out for quality rather than quantity; they also look for alternative rather than the mainstream. This would appeal to more of a middle/higher-class rather than working-class.

Ideology & Values:

They promote the Ideology of not conforming to mainstream values; they (the band as a whole) continue to provide alternatives to the popular opinions on topics of today's society.

Narrative:

His actions can be seen to mirror that of the lyrics: "I will shape myself into your pocket", Yorke puts his hands into his pockets while still bouncing around to the beat of the song. "Invisible, do what you want, do what you want", Yorke is now thrusting in the direction of the camera symbolising that you should do what you want. "I will shrink and I will disappear", he now slowly crouches.

Take Me To Church - Hozier: (Up-and-Coming Artist)

Media Language:

The text is again in black and white. This adds a certain grittiness to text which mirrors the location of Russia well. In the climactic parts of the song, a fast-paced editing style is used. The showing of a passionate kiss between two men shows the viewer that the issue of homosexuality is involved.

Institution:

The song was written by Hozier himself and produced and released by Island Records. The music video was uploaded to Hozier's official channel as well as his Vevo channel.

Genre:

The songs genre is Indie Rock with Soul and Blues influences. Hoziers soulful lyrics are well-mirrored on-screen with the use of violence.

Representation:

The video is showing the representation of homosexuals in Russia; where it is against the law. I think that Hozier wanted to show an accurate representation of what is happening to those who are gay (ie brutally beaten). This also reflects back onto the society in Russia and the mediation of Homosexuality in the news.

Audience:

Hozier's general audience is predominantly younger than expected. However, this video is targeted to all ages and backgrounds as the message needs to put out to the masses. Hozier's audience is generally mainstream.

Ideology & Values:

The ideology of multiculturalism is being promoted here as Hozier wants to encourage social and political change within Russia and anywhere else where these views are held. He wants to educate and inform the masses about this big issue.

Narrative:

The video starts off with cutting between a close-up of a fire; a man franticly trying to bury a locked box; and another man riding a bicycle to come and meet the first man. Its is established quickly that these two are the protagonists of the text. Typically, Todorov's narrative theory could be applied to the text, however, there is no new-equilibrium here, only equilibrium then dis-equilibrium (the text ends here). The start of the dis-equilibrium is when the two protagonists are seen sneaking off to a secluded area by an on-looker. Next we see one protagonist packing and trying to get away from a hooded gang marching around looking for the two. Before this, the two male protagonists are shown passionately kissing, which, in turn, creates an action code to tell the audience that the issue of homosexuality is involved with the narrative. Once one is found and caught, he is dragged away to an area in the woods. A beating ensues, while the locked chest is unearthed and thrown into the fire shown in the beginning. The use of foreshadowing with the fire creates a non-linear narrative which draws the audience in even more. The villain (Propp) of the text is the gang on the hunt for two protagonists.