Possible Tracks

Melt Yourself Down - Fix My Life



This track is quite lively with a quick tempo, therefore I thought it would be good to use to make the music video because of the numerous cutting opportunities. I found this song particularly interesting because it moves away from the stereotypical indie bands that are often used and thus it would present more of a challenge but, I believe, a better result in terms of originality. I found this track exploring the electronic/alternative section of Bandcamp and the use of the saxophone in such an unusual way was a selling point as it provided a unique sound for the potential music video. The style of the song would perhaps suit a montage style music video rather than a narrative driven music video because of the choppy nature of the instrumental and the quick tempo, however a narrative could possibly work. The problem I found with a narrative is that the track doesn't have any lyrics; thus the music video wouldn't be able to amplify, represent or even contradict the track and for this reason it would be harder to incorporate theories of genre; in particular Goodwin's theory as it relies on lyrics. The track may also allow for possibilities of montage and narrative crossing over however, this could make for an interesting concept and the opportunity to cross genres.

However, it could be argued that lyrics aren't essential for a strong music video with a narrative. For example, The Prodigy - Voodoo People (Pendulum remix) has next to no lyrics but still manages to convey a meaning when combined with the linear narrative music video; often a track with no lyrics is actually explained by the video itself. Voodoo people draws from several British signifiers to establish itself, the Land Rover at the end links to Essex Boys and the urban landscapes are typical of decaying cities, such as areas of London or Glasgow. For these reasons, the music video has a thriller-esque feeling to it, which fits the track perfectly as it has a lot of energy and an artificial sound.




Another example of a music video that conveys a meaning without the use of lyrics is Sigur Rós - Fjögur píanó. This is the music video for Sigur Rós from their album Valtari. The music video/short film is based upon a couple trapped in a perpetual cycle of addiction and abuse, set to a somber piano melody that at times hints at some light at the end of the tunnel. The director of the video said that it is about "addiction to drugs, or sex, or anything - and how you get stuck in a cycle". This is perfectly clear to the audience without the use of lyrics because the music video has been done well to show a narrative. The video is said to be inspired by relationships that are both "beautiful and deadening" to get out of. The butterflies in the music video could also represent something that is beautiful and perfect, but dies fast; thus a metaphor for the couples relationship. Both of these music videos could be explored much further and could become the basis of a case study in the future.




Vienna Ditto - Liar Liar



This is the second possible track, also found in the electronic/alternative section of Bandcamp. Vienna Ditto are a band from London/Oxford and have a dirty Chicago blues/dark psychedelia kind of sound. I found this track appealing because of it's dark nature, which I felt could work well with a darkly themed music video. Liar Liar would be more appropriate for a narrative structure music video because it does have lyrics which would enable me to correlate these lyrics into themes for the video. Having lyrics would also be helpful for incorporating narrative theories/theories of genre. For example, the track would work well with a video that depicts opposition or conflict, thus Claude Levi Strauss' theory would directly apply to the music video. In addition, the music video would most probably illustrate or amplify the lyrics, therefore supporting Goodwin's theory also.



Some of Vienna Ditto's other work also appeals to me, such as 'I know his blood will make me whole'. This track has a slower pace and therefore a much darker, more sinister tone, the sound is definitely more reminiscent of the 'Chicago blues' aspect and 'The Dirty South'. This track made me think of Quentin Tarantino's most recent film, 'Django Unchained' because the instruments used inspire thoughts of intimidating westerns, additionally I feel that this track is similar to some of the modernised folk music used in 'Django Unchained', especially because of the religious themes. However, for this reason I felt it was slightly inappropriate for a music video in England because the themes of the song are heavily American, unlike my other choice.