Research for the album cover.

The next task that I will be completing will be designing and making a Digipak which includes an album cover.

I have been researching album covers from similar bands to ours.

Vampire Weekend:

 One band that is quite similar to ours is Vampire Weekend. For their self titled album, they used an old style image which is simple, understated yet cool, which seems to be the style of the genre.

Another example is their album 'Contra', where they used a polaroid image of a model, which fits in with their 'vintage' theme.

The model that they used, Kirsten Kennis, actually sued them for the unauthorised use of her image. This is certainly something that I have to keep in mind. I would not be using found images anyway, so there would be no risk of that.

Despite this, I think that this album cover is cool and stylish. One idea that I have for ours is using a polaroid of Raphi, the girl who stars in the music video. This would tie in nicely with the video and create a recognisable image and brand for the artist.

Alt-J:

 Another band that I looked in to was Alt-J. rather than using a conventional image of the band or a model, they prefer to use more conceptual pieces of artwork for their album covers.

For their first album 'An Awesome Wave, they used  a multi-layered radar image of the Ganges river delta in Bangladesh. This ties in with one of their videos for 'Tessellate' which was shit in this location. This is a very subtle connection, but this cater for fans of the band as if they researched into it, they would find this connection pleasing. This is also cool and understated, as to anyone else it would just look like cool artwork.

For their next album 'This Is All Yours' they used an abstract art piece, again this is very conceptual which fits their unique and 'alternative' style of music.

While being 'unique' it also fits into some conventions of the genre, as other indie artists have been found to use pieces of art for their album covers. I will put some examples below.
 

Infinite Mix at the Hayward Gallery.

Yesterday I went to visit a show at the Hayward Gallery named 'Infinite Mix'. This show involved ten artworks which bring together contemporary Sound and Image, in the same way that Music videos aim to connect songs to visual image. In all of the works in this exhibition the interplay between moving image and sound is crucial. Most of the artists have composed, commissioned or remixed soundtracks that relate to the visual element of their work in unexpected ways, and ensure that what you hear is just as important as what you see.

I found this show exhilarating, my personal favourite piece was Kahlil Josephs 'm.A.A.d' a video set to songs from Kendrick Lamar's revered 2012 album good kid, m.A.A.d city. It was presented as a double screen video installation with the side-by-side images either supporting or ricocheting off of each other. It used old footage from Compton in the early 90s filmed by Kendrick's own uncle accompanied by Josephs own footage of modern day Compton. Relating to Andrew Goodwin's theory, there is a clear connection between the lyrics and the visuals. Joseph presents his own interpretation of the album taking into consideration Kendrick Lamar's implied meaning of his songs. The video acts as a social commentary of Compton, the progress it has made in many ways but also how it has stayed the same. I would definitely like to see this video again.

One of the pieces, Martin Creed’s Work No. 1701, demonstrates clearly how a soundtrack can completely affect a video
’s mood. His work shows people individually crossing the same New York street. All have varying degrees of mobility but perform the action without any supports, meaning that the final figure, who presumably would normally use a wheelchair, is shown shuffling slowly across on his bottom. The film is set to an upbeat, punk-like song performed by Creed’s band – had it been more moody or emotional, the resulting atmosphere may have felt unsettling, but instead it becomes a joyous dance that shows off the glorious variety and endurance of the human body.

Also, although it is slightly less related to our project, another favourite from the show was Ugo Rondinone's 'Thanx for Nothing.',  a theatrical piece, showing beat poet John Giorno performing a poem that he wrote on his 70th birthday reminiscing about his life. It was definitely the most powerful and emotion invoking piece in the show for me, Giorno appears on large screens surrounding the viewers, as well as on smaller TV sets lining the floor, making it impossible to escape his frank, if heightened, performance. It showed how even a simple visual of a man speaking can be powerful, which helped me come to the conclusion that music videos/performances don't have to have a lot of flashy production to be meaningful and to connect powerfully to an audience.

Lyric Analysis: Arctic Monkeys.

Do I Wanna Know? by the Arctic Monkeys.

[Verse 1]
Have you got colour in your cheeks?
 
Alex is looking for a signal that she is either embarrassed, which would indicate her desire to be seen favourably, or sexual excitement, which would indicate a desire for him.
This line is the first in a series of questions asked in quick succession, showing Alex’s anxiety about his lover’s interest in him.

Do you ever get the fear that you can't shift the type
That sticks around like summat in your teeth?
 
“Summat” is Yorkshire slang for “something.”
By asking if she worries about getting rid of something, Alex may be showing paranoia about him being the unwanted thing that’s sticking around like a little bit of food in her teeth.

Are there some aces up your sleeve?

The idiom “having an ace up your sleeve” means to have an advantage that other people don’t know about. In this case, Alex feels like she’s keeping something from him or has an advantage over him (being the one deciding whether or not she is interested in a relationship).

Have you no idea that you're in deep?
I've dreamt about you nearly every night this week

Freud theorized that the content dreams were dictated by unconscious wish fulfilment. Alex is plagued by the desire to see his lover, and thus this is manifested in his dreams.

How many secrets can you keep?
Cause there's this tune I found
That makes me think of you somehow
And I play it on repeat

Memories are triggered by scents or sounds that were present during the event being remembered and/or the content of the song being played. Alex finds a song that reminds him of his lover, and in his infatuation, he continuously plays it.

Until I fall asleep
Spilling drinks on my settee

A “settee” is an old English term for a sofa/couch, often seated for two.
Further proof that this girl is in deep in this relationship with him–he’s drinking alone and falls asleep while obsessively listening to a song that reminds him of her.

[Pre-Chorus]
(Do I wanna know?)
If this feeling flows both ways?

The several questions of the first verse, if answered, would tell him whether or not his lover is interested in him. He shows some anxiety about knowing the answers, indicating that he isn’t very optimistic about the answer he would get.

(Sad to see you go)
Was sorta hoping that you’d stay
(Baby, we both know)
That the nights were mainly made
For saying things that you can’t say tomorrow day

Under the influence due to his late-night drinking, Alex is going to admit his feelings to his lover, and later regret his decision

[Chorus]
Crawling back to you
Ever thought of calling when you've had a few?
Cause I always do

The word “crawling” highlights his desperate and vulnerable condition–he’s on his knees and can’t think of anyone else but his lover, despite the pain it’s been causing.

Maybe I'm too busy being yours to fall for somebody new
Now I've thought it through
Crawling back to you

[Verse 2]
So have you got the guts?
Been wondering if your heart's still open
And if so, I wanna know what time it shuts

 

He plays on the idea of her heart as some sort of store or service that can open or closed for him.
Not only does he want to know if there’s a vacancy left for him, he wants to know how long it will be open – possibly to save himself from future heartbreak.

Simmer down and pucker up
I'm sorry to interrupt, it's just I'm constantly on the cusp
Of trying to kiss you 

Rather than hearing out what she’s trying to say, he interrupts her with an attempted kiss – seemingly as a last resort of resparking her interest in the relationship.

I don't know if you feel the same as I do
We could be together if you wanted to 

He’s not sure if the feelings between them are mutual, but his offer to be together is on the table if she does want it.

[Pre-Chorus]
(Do I wanna know?)
If this feeling flows both ways?
(Sad to see you go)
Was sorta hoping that you’d stay
(Baby, we both know)
That the nights were mainly made
For saying things that you can’t say tomorrow day

[Chorus]
Crawling back to you
Ever thought of calling when you've had a few?
Cause I always do
Maybe I'm too busy being yours to fall for somebody new
Now I've thought it through
Crawling back to you

[Pre-Chorus]
(Do I wanna know?)
If this feeling flows both ways?
(Sad to see you go)
Was sorta hoping that you’d stay
(Baby, we both know)
That the nights were mainly made
For saying things that you can’t say tomorrow day

[Outro]
(Do I wanna know?)
If this feeling flows both ways?
Too busy being yours to fall

 

Not only is he unsure if he wants to know the answers to the questions he’s asked previously in the song, thinking about it prevents him from dating someone else.

(Sad to see you go)
Ever thought of calling darling?

 

His sadness and desperation makes him ask if she ever thought of calling him, just like he does.

(Do I wanna know?)
If this feeling flows both ways?
Do you want me crawling back to you?

The final line underlines his insecurity. He can’t move on, so he’s crawling back. However, he isn’t certain that she actually wants him back. This uncertainty itself is an unpleasant feeling, but putting himself out there means he risks humiliation if she actually doesn’t want him.