Band-ity - The Neighbourhood

My next 3 posts are going to be research into 3 different bands from the alternative / rock genre, and I will look at their band's brand identity (band-ity); i.e. album covers, single covers, videos, websites, lyrics etc.
This will help with my research and will help me back up my choices for the way I am branding my band.


The first band I am going to research is The Neighbourhood, as they are the main inspiration for my band.
The band have described their sound and everything they do as 'black and white', which is shown in everything they do.

This was the first official release by the band; 'I'm Sorry' was released in May 2012 and is an LP featuring 3 songs. You can see that this is where the band's branding started, with the beginning of the grey-scale background and the band's logo being the main focus on the cover. In the background of this cover and of 'Thank You' are pictures of California, which is where the band are from.

'Thank You,' is a single released in December 2012, featuring 2 songs. The band's logo features at the bottom of the single, and the name of the band is written along the right hand side of the cover in small font. This emphasises how the band want to focus more on the branding of their band rather than their commercial image. Also, the image on the cover is a screenshot from the music video of the single, making it easy for new fans of the band to see the image and remember the video, or visa-versa.

 

 

 

This is the debut album of The Neighbourhood, titled 'I Love You' and released in April 2013, which contains 11 songs. The album cover is extremely clever in its design, because the images on the cover are the title of the album (eye, heart, U); the band have written the title of the album in 3 simple images, including the upside down house which is the band's logo. I like the fact that the band have established their logo throughout their previous releases and LP covers, so they feel like they can use their logo without writing their name on the album and the fans will still know it's there's.

The band have been asked several times about their album and LPs, mainly why they used the statements 'I'm Sorry', 'Thank you', and 'I Love You' as the titles. Jessie (the lead singer) said this: "They’re all statements that are supposed to be very powerful and meaningful, but are so abused in everyday life that the meaning has basically been stripped from them. I am a huge believer that a vibe is more important than words could be. Melody and harmony does more to a human being than words do in all aspects of life."

This is an LP released by the band in December 2013, featuring 3 songs. The simple white background highlights the writing and makes it more prominent  Also, the name of the band isn't in full, the vowels are taken out; they feel they are established enough now after 3 previous releases to not need to write their band name fully.

 

 

The band's website (http://thenbhd.com/gb/) also follows the black and white theme, and so does the video on the first page of their website, as you can see above.

 

All videos by the band have been directed and produced by the same duo, ENDS (Zack Sekuler & Daniel Iglesias Jr.). This makes the brand identity of the band a lot more consecutive, and the band are good friends with ENDS so they have a lot more artistic freedom with their videos than other artists generally have, and their videos are widely open for interpretation.

'Sweater Weather'
The video follows the band around California in an old-fashioned car with a the 50s theme.
 

'Female Robbery'
This is a Hitchcock-inspired video, and portrays a chilling story of a young girl who, caught between a drunk dad and an unhappy mum, is dragged to what looks like her own funeral, but all is not what it seems.

 

'Let It Go'
The video is a very powerful representation of the meaning of the lyrics; "The song is about letting things go and letting things roll off your back," he said. "I think it's something we have to learn as human beings - the ability to take something negative in, digest it, and move on. It doesn't mean to forget about it. It doesn't mean let it take you over. Just living with it and functioning still.", Jesse - lead singer.

'Afraid'
This video shows lead singer, Jesse Rutherford, shown in past (teen) and present forms. Rutherford himself was naked throughout much of the video to express his vulnerability and fears, also the eyelids show the different perspectives of everyone in the band, from writing the songs, to playing basketball. The video also incorporated a part of OG Ron C's 'Chopped Not Slopped' remix in the middle of it.

Also, with the previous release of a vinyl record for their LP 'I'm Sorry' and my idea of releasing a vinyl for 'Sweater Weather' for my band, I thought it would be good to use this quote from The Neighbourhood members Jesse and Bryan to support my idea for wanting to release a vinyl version of the single...

"Do you think vinyl is still an important music format?"

Jesse: Very. Not, in my personal opinion, not for listening, but for collecting and for appreciating.

Bryan: I think it's better. I think for listening. I think the sound quality is better. Sometimes it's just not worth the squeeze, in terms of… to get a record player now, if you want a nice one, they're very expensive. You have to get the sound system to be able to play that record, and you have to go and buy the vinyl. So it's kind of a hassle to get it all but, if I had the option of already having it all and being able to play it, I would use it a lot more, because I know that technically, the sound quality is better.

 

 

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After reading the comment:

 

I love the greyscale they use throughout their music videos and album covers, and I hope to use this in my own pieces. Also, the videos are very different from other videos in this genre, and they're always open for interpretation, which is what I find so appealing about them. I will try to incorporate this into my own video, and use simple props and backgrounds to do so.

Vinyl Record

Because my music video is going to set in the 1950s, I thought it would be more relevant if I used a vinyl record in my video rather than a CD.

Unfortunately, The Neighbourhood were due to release a vinyl of the song 'Sweater Weather' but their label discontinued it before it was released. So I made my own.
I did this by designing a sticker of the band's album, with the same dimensions as the sticker on the vinyl record I am using (Frankie Goes To Hollywood).
I then put the sticker over the old label to make it look as if it's the original vinyl.

My dad has a box full of old vinyl records, and I used this as a prop for my video; I put the vinyl I'm using inside of the box amongst the other records, and I film myself picking out the vinyl from inside the box and putting it on the record player.

I will post the clip of the record player, which will be used in my music video, in the next week, once I have edited it.

Styling

After watching, studying, and analysing several different Alternative/Indie/Rock bands and their music videos, I have noticed that a lot of them wear similar / the same sort of clothes.
They all seem to wear very plain and simple black and white clothing, usually black skinny jeans with a white vest or t-shirt, and then a leather jacket; so smart-casual.

The bands below are not only similar to The Neighbourhood in terms of music, but also with their image - all of the bands have done several photo shoots in black and white and this helps to create their 'image'. 



The Neighbourhood

 

Arctic Monkeys



The 1975



Imagine Dragons



Kodaline




Kings Of Leon

 


Last Dinosaurs



Fall Out Boy

 

All of the bands above seem to wear nearly the same outfits: large, chunky jackets; sunglasses; hats; large jumpers; long necklaces; black skinny jeans; denim jackets; festival wristbands; watches; and bracelets.



I have also been researching stylists whom work on music videos for artists like The Neighbourhood.

The 3 stylists which have styled my favourite artists in some of favourite music videos are David Thomas ( http://www.davidthomasstylist.com/motion/music-videos), Emma Lamp (http://www.emmalamp.com/#!portraits/c164h), and Mark Anthony Bradley (http://markanthonybradley.com)

David Thomas
His clientele includes artists such as Jon Bon Jovi, Kanye West, Oasis, Snow Patrol. In terms of music videos, he's styled for Arctic Monkeys 'Arabella', John Legend 'Tonight', and Kayne West 'Monster'.

 

 

Emma Lamp
She has styled artists for their music videos such as The 1975 'The City', Mumford and Sons 'Winter Winds', and Lower Than Atlantis 'Love Someone Else'.

 

 

The Lower Than Atlantis video is set in a diner and is styled to look like it is set in the 50s, the same as my video, so I looked at their video for outfit inspirations.

 

Mark Anthony Bradley
He has styled videos such as McFly 'That's The Truth', and Pixie Lott 'Boys And Girls'.

 

 



The Next Half Term

Before I continue with more blog posts about music video theories, I thought I would make a post about what I plan to do over the next few weeks.

Currently, I have looked into the theory of music videos and analysed a few music videos which I am using as inspirations for my video. I'm going to look more deeply ad thoroughly into the theory of music videos, and possibly analyse a few more videos just to have a wider range on my blog.

This week, I am going to analyse another music video and write another post about a theorist and their concept about music videos.
Also, I am going to begin the  first editing of my footage for my music video. This will include stabilising the footage using iMovie software, changing the colour of the clips to black and white, and cutting out unwanted parts of the clips.

Furthermore, next Monday, everyone in my media class is going to pitch our idea for our media video to the rest of the class, and then they will ask us questions about our pitch; it will be filmed for my blog.

'Demons' by Imagine Dragons Music Video

One of my favourite music videos of all time is 'Demons' by Imagine Dragons.

The story of the video is about love and loss; the main concept is based around 4 fans in the crowd at an Imagine Dragons gig (so a large chunk of the video is performance based), but the camera zooms in on individual fans and you are told their story of what their lives are like at home. The flashbacks to the stories of the fans are filmed with a dark filter, making it look dull, but as soon as the chorus starts, the room lights up with the colour red (implying love between the fans and the band), but also taking away the darkness of their personal lives and adding the light provided by the music.

The 4 stories are:

A woman who has just lost her husband and has become a widow

A man with anorexia

A teenage boy getting abused at home

And a soldier suffering from PTSD

The video was filmed at a real concert in Las Vegas, their home town, and the venue was filled with real fans of the band, which makes the video that bit more personal.

I love this video because a lot of people go to gigs and turn to artists as an escape from their private lives, and, as soon as they walk into the concert venue, everything they were worrying about beforehand just disappears.

What I also love about this video is the fact that the band actually realise how much of an escape their music is for people, and how much people can relate to their music, especially this song. Usually, artists don't tend to get involved with their fans' private lives or take into account the fact that their fans might be going through something difficult at home. This video is almost a 'thank you' and a tribute to their fans, because the band themselves have been through difficult times in the past and the fans have helped them get through this.

The stories of the fans in the video are actually the stories of real fans they've met and helped through their music, so this is a video for them.

Fans start screaming at the start of the video, but it goes silent as soon as the song starts - highlighting the respect between the fans and the band. Also, the lighting of the video is very interesting - everything is dark except for the band members, possibly suggesting that they're 'guardian angels' to the fans.

The video is in slow motion until the chorus kicks in, showing how intently the fans are listening to the music, but also implying that their lives slow down when they're listening to and concentrating on the lyrics. Everyone in the audience stands close to each other and they all sing together, showing that they're all the same because they're all there to enjoy the music.

The lyrics are also extremely important and relevant to the video; when the first woman in the audience appears on screen and her story is about to be told, the lead singer sings " I wanna hide the truth, I wanna shelter you. But with the beast inside, there's nowhere we can hide" implying that the band want to protect their fans, and this song is almost a way of doing that without physically being there.

At the end of the song, the footage fades to black and the words 'In memory of Tyler Robinson (1995 - 2013) Who inspired us with his courage as he battled cancer". And then a video clip is shown of Tyler singing 'It's Time', another song by the band, with Dan Reynolds (the lead singer). Tyler was a huge fan of the band, and they became patrons of his charity 'The Tyler Robinson Foundation', and they provide links to its website on the video and in the description of the video.

Dan Reynolds told the media "There's more to people than what you see at face value, and often we judge people very quickly."

"When you get to know them (the fans), there's more behind the scenes."  - Reynolds on the stories that appear in the video.

"We tried to portray that throughout 'Demons'. It kind of shows that there's more going on than what you see when you just meet someone. Everyone has their own demons, their own problems."

It’s heartbreaking that Tyler died of cancer at 17, but the footage is also comforting and a true reminder of the power and ability of music to reach us in those broken places when nothing else can.


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After reading the comment:

This video will influence my final piece as I will try to bring in the emotional and moving side into my own music video, though I am yet to decide how I will do this. I do address the idea of death in the flatline I use for my band's logo, but I will try to bring in that side to it in my final video.

Damon Albarn Music Videos

I love Damon Albarn's music videos because they never really show his face for more than a second, just the things around him and beautiful scenery he passes when he's on tour around the world.

Both videos below are self-shot, and both have a very simple structure too them; they are filmed on a tablet but the quality of the footage is still very high.

Damon filmed the video for 'Lonely Press Play' in Tokyo, London, Dallas, Utah, Colchester, North Korea, Iceland, and Devon.

'Lonely Press Play' Video


In his video for 'Heavy Seas Of Love', the editing of the video makes the scenery from one city blur into the scenery of another, which is very effective.


He filmed large chunks of the second music video through the window of his tour bus and taxis when he was in different countries around the world.

I love how simple yet effective these videos are, and how well they fit with the songs and the lyrics. For example, when the music slows down, so does the speed of the clips.

I love how Matt Cronin has edited these videos, because he doesn't lose the simpleness of the footage or the point that the footage is all self-filmed by the artist.
Sometimes, with artists, they can lose the art of music videos in the race to make the most watched video or the most virally famous video.
However, Damon shows people that he doesn't travel by fancy jets or in expensive cars when he's on tour - he travels by bus, standard class on planes, and taxis.

I think self-shot music videos are definitely more effective than others, because they let the audience see life through the eyes of the artist, which is rare.

Self-Shot Music Video

Self-shot music videos have never really been 'the thing' to do, especially for more popular artists, as they seem to prefer a more 'clean cut' looking video.

However, I have found some videos which have been filmed either by the artist(s) them self(ves), or just appears to be:


The first video which came to mind was 'One Way Or Another' by One Direction. They took a video camera around London and then to Africa to film a video for their Red Nose Day single. The boys took it in turns to film parts of the video themselves, and got members of their security to film clips of the whole group together; they even helped edit it themselves.
The group said the self-filmed music video also helped to get them closer to the fans, and makes it more personal to them as they did their own thing rather than acting in a music video directed by someone else.
The band filmed this video whilst they were on tour - some was filmed in London, some in New York, some in Japan, some in airports, and some was filmed in Africa where they were doing charity work.


At the start of the video, the boys film themselves talking about what the music video is being filmed for and why they decided to do it themselves...

 "This year, we decided to make a single to raise money for Comic Relief. Comic Relief are a British charity that do amazing work; helping people all over Africa and in the UK, living with really tough lives. So, instead of spending a load of money on a music video, we decided to make it ourselves while we're on tour, and give the money we saved to Comic Relief."

Throughout the video, the boys mimed their song whilst at different locations, each holding the camera when they mimed their solos.

Harry stood on the top of an open-top bus as it went round London, and sung his solos into the hand-held camera.

Zayn sung his solo in the airport.

Niall filmed himself singing his solo whilst standing through the roof of a car in New York.

Filming around the world links to the fact that the charity they're releasing the single for is in a country on the other side of the world - they see other countries other than theirs and they want to give something back. The places that are shown in the video (airports, London, New York, Japan) are all places which have been a huge part of the group's success and so they wanted to film something for them.


Harry then shows himself on stage and turns the camera round to show the rest of the group stood with their backs to the audience.

 The audience dance the same dance seen in several of the group's music videos, the boys mime along to the song, and Harry captures it all on camera.


At the end of the video,  the group are filming themselves in Africa, surrounded by children from an orphanage.

Niall films the rest of the group playing football with the children, taking selfies with them, and teaching each other their languages.

The fact that it is the group filming the music video and not external cameramen, means that the video is that little bit more personal and touching, especially as it was to raise money for charity. This is one of the reasons why I wanted to film my music video part self-shot; because it makes it more personal and meaningful.