Tonight Alive: What Are They Up To?

             We all know they have been hinting that a new album is in production, and they have been working in the studio, recording and whatnot. However, today Tonight Alive released a new teaser, making fans ecstatic.  The countdown to October 30th begins!

Concert Reviews: Sheppard's US Tour

The lights, the music, the energy that fills the room: it causes an adrenaline rush like no other.  The excitement takes over your body, and you can’t stop jumping, dancing, smiling, and singing at the top of your lungs.  Concerts that sport this rare concoction and perfect balance can be rare to come by.  So, when you find a band that can produce this experience during their set, you want to stick by their side until the end.  After attending a show at Webster Hall, I can truly say that I have found a band that achieves this level of excellence: Sheppard. 

            This Australian indie pop band started when the Sheppard siblings, Amy and George, formed the duo.  Years later the third Sheppard sibling Emma joined the band, adding her bass and vocal talents to the mix.  In 2014 the group released their single “Geronimo”, which won “Most Played Australian Work” and “Pop Work of the Year” at the 2015 APRA Awards.   This single, including the rest of the Bombs Away album, contains pristine harmonic vocals, with a heavenly and uplifting sound.  The energy released by “Geronimo” surrounds you and immerses your mind and soul in the music, making you feel like anything is possible.  Hearing this song live brings this liberating experience to another level.  The band invites the audience to dance and jump as high as they can, causing the inspirational chorus to literally propel you to the sky as the venue’s floor bounces and shakes.  The energy builds and builds until the whole venue explodes with liveliness. 

            Sheppard is touring in America this summer with the band Lawson, who also exhibit high energy in their performance.  The male vocals of this band are captivating, and are a perfect match for Sheppard.   The band is comprised of lead singer/songwriter Andy Brown, singer/lead guitarist Joel Peat, bassist Ryan Fletcher, and drummer Adam Pitts.  Originally named the Grove, the band changed their name to Lawson in honor of the surgeon who operated on Brown after he was diagnosed with a brain tumor.   Soon after, the band released their debut album, Chapman Square in 2012.  Along with Lawson, the band Say It Say It performed before Sheppard. 

            Say It Say It’s set was difficult to listen to do to sound check problems.  In turn, it is difficult to gauge their performance accurately.  The instrumental and vocal levels were severely off balance, creating the impression that the band’s vocals were compromised or are inaudible live.  Despite these issues, I do recommend that you listen to Say It Say It’s song “Scandalous (I Wanna Take You Home)”.   Outside of their music, Say It Say It possesses a unique quality: a female drummer.  In an industry that it heavily male dominated, it is rare to see a female behind a drum set.  Lexie Viklund has promise as a professional drummer, and I look forward to seeing her grow as an artist.

Why I Love Warped Tour: A Personal Journal Entry

               Rock music, tattoos, body paint, and leather bracelets.  Vans Warped Tour is a summer long music festival tour featuring over 80 artists of the alternative rock variety.  The festival has nine stages, classifying the artists by both genre and popularity.   This year’s lineup includes Never Shout Never, Set It Off, Peirce The Veil, and PVRIS, who really give us something to talk about.  PVRIS is an alternative pop band, featuring Alex Babinski, Brain MacDonald and lead singer Lindsey Gunnulfsen.  In response to the fans, PVRIS started the tour performing on the smaller Journey’s stages, but was transferred to the larger Unicorn Stage mid tour.   The various merch guys I talked with said, “[Lyndsey] has really been rocking it.”  After watching PVRIS’s performance, I would have to agree.  The band has been compared to the extremely successful Paramore, who also started out on Warped Tour 10 years ago.  PVRIS is defiantly a band I will be keeping my eye on.  This is one aspect of music festivals I enjoy the most: discovering new musicians, and discussing their art with other fans. 

            There is something special about connecting with others through music. Trauma, love, and hurt can be experienced by all, and no matter how severely or minimally we are impacted by the scars of our pasts, music is there through the pain and the joy.  I truly respect alternative rock artists who write their own material, because it allows their fans to connect with them, and each other on an intimate level, rarely achieved by Top 40 artists.  So, for this reason, Vans Warped Tour is more than just a festival.   Besides temporarily satisfying my band merch addiction, it was one of the most liberating experiences I have had in my 21 years of life.  As someone who grew up as an only child in a conservative catholic family, I was already heavily pressured by my surroundings to fit into the mainstream mold, even if it wasn’t explicitly stated.  Deep down, I was never that kid who wanted to listen to top 40 radio constantly and shop at Hollister and Abercrombie for the rest of my life, which is probably why I never really fit in with my friends.  I am also physically disabled, which didn’t really help the matter.  Anyway, for the first time in a while I felt like I actually had something in common with the people around me.  I think this is what Warped Tour is truly about: bringing people together, and making them feel like they belong.

Is We Are The In Crowd No Longer a Crowd?

      Over the past few months the fans of We Are The In Crowd have been sitting on the edge of their seats, biting their nails, and bouncing their legs up and down in anticipation.  There have been rumors surrounding the possibility of singer and guitarist, Jordan Eckes leaving the band.  At first, fans became suspicious due to Jordan’s lack of appearance at events and recording sessions.  For the WATIC Family, the possibility of Jordan’s departure became even more real once photos of Mike Ferri’s wedding were released, without Jordan appearing in them.  Soon after, Jordan changed his Twitter biography, eliminating his social media affiliation with We Are The In Crowd.  Although, as of June 8^th, the band has not confirmed whether or not Jordan will be participating in future We Are The In Crowd endeavors.               
                     With this in mind, other possibilities have been discussed amongst fans regarding the evolution of We Are The In Crowd.  For example, when Taylor Jardine was injured on tour back in 2011, Cameron Hurley, a guitarist in WATIC, sang with Jordan for a few shows.  It is an option for Cameron to take Jordan’s place on future albums, keeping the vocal duality of the band alive. The unique vocal contrast between the female voice of Taylor and the male voice of Jordan makes We Are The In Crowd stand out among other bands.  For this reason, adding Cameron’s voice to future record would keep the original We Are The In Crowd compilation together, while demonstrating each member’s range and talents.  However, with the increasing popularity of female fronted bands, We Are The In Crowd could follow this trend and decide to feature Taylor as the lead singer.  The possibilities are endless, and whichever path the band chooses to take, I am excited to see what We Are The In Crowd creates.  I wish the band, and Jordan good luck in all that they do!

(Cameron and Jordan singing in Las Vegas)

Meghan Lindsey and "The Voice"

            Tuesday night the 16-year-old folk Sawyer Fredricks won season 8 of “The Voice.   As a reward, he receives $100,000 and a record deal, along with the hope that he won’t drop off the face of the earth like many others who have won music competition shows.  However, outside of Fredricks this season, another contestant will continue to draw attention of fans due to the controversy surrounding their appearance on the show.

          Meghan Lindsey, a 29-year-old soul singer, came in second place this season.  According to many fans, some believe that Lindsey should not be a member of “The Voice” cast due to her past success in the music industry.  As you may or may not know, Lindsey was previously a member of the country duo Steel Magnolia.  At the time, Lindsey and her then-fiancé, Joshua Scott Jones, won the CMT competition show “Can You Duet?” landing them a record deal with Big Machine Records.   Following the contract, the duo created an album, and then released the hit single “Keep On Lovin’ You”, the 15^th most popular country song of 2010.  The Country Music Association also consecutively nominated Steel Magnolia for Vocal Duo of the Year. 

            So, the band was pretty successful up until Jones went to rehab, Lindsey was forced to tour on her own, and the couple broke up.  Lindsey and Jones were dropped from their label do to a series of failed singles, leaving Lindsey to take on the music industry as a solo artist.  Basically starting over from square one, Lindsey was unable to get her career rolling again, so she turned to “The Voice”. 

            Looking for a second chance, “The Voice” was a good option for Lindsey; however, this inspirational story did not touch the hearts of many fans.  It was thought that the ex-country signer had an unfair advantage due to her past connections.  Previously, Lindsey toured as an opener on one of Blake Shelton’s tours.  As a judge on the show, Shelton did not pick Lindsey for his team at first, but did end up coaching her by the end of the season. 

            Considering the unsteady track record associated with previous winners of “The Voice”, and the fickle, terrifying, and challenging world of the music industry, an artist should be able to take advantage of every opportunity available to them.  Since “The Voice” has a record of scouting professional singers for the show, Lindsey is a qualified and acceptable candidate for “The Voice”.  In the end, Lindsey has repeatedly defended herself when under scrutiny.  She told Billboard, “I’ve heard a comment or two that are like, ‘Oh, she had her shot’ or “Her career is over.’ I’m 29, and I moved to town 11 years ago, and I’ve worked so hard and don’t believe in giving up on a dream.”  She is someone we can truly look up to, not scrutinize. 

"Brick By Boring Brick" Is Never Boring

One of my favorite songs by Paramore is "Brick By Boring Brick", and the music video is also fantastic.  Read this paper I wrote and you will understand why a film geek like me is obsessed with music videos.

Introduction:

            The arts of music and television have been weaved together for decades, producing a deeper meaning within the text.  Through the use of indexical, iconic, and symbolic signs, messages are conveyed through the art of music videos, portraying the story a specific song suggests.  Just as commercials and television shows can be analyzed through semiotics, music videos can be studied using the same philosophy.  Using semiotic analysis, I will break down the various signs within the music video for Paramore’s hit “Brick By Boring Brick”.  Following the semiotic analysis, I will outline and design an audience research study, based on the ideas of David Morley and Ellen Seiter. 

Semiotic Analysis:

            The music video for the song “Brick By Boring Brick” alternates between two different scenes, which represent two distinctive worlds.  One world symbolizes make-believe and the world of magic, while the other symbolizes reality.  Along with these two distinct worlds, three main characters are also present.  There is a young female child, who travels between reality and make-believe, along with a young adult female, who stays in reality.  Lastly, there is a gravedigger, who stays in the realistic section of the video.  Each of these characters possesses specific signs, which denote and connote different meanings. 

            During the opening sequence of the music video, the young female child is introduced.  She is wearing a fluffy pink dress; butterfly wings, and carries a doll.  This young female child denotes a young child; this young child is the signifier.  On the other hand, this young female child represents something more when the influence of social media is considered.  Children, especially young female children, connote the idea of naivety, dependence, and weakness.  Both of these ideas are stereotypes associated with children, especially female children. In this way, the child connotes weakness, and is the signified.  When analyzing the female child, other signs are present within this aspect of the video.  

            As the child is running through the forest in the beginning of the video, she is wearing butterfly wings, and carrying a doll.  Regarding the sign of butterfly wings, this object denotes the idea of orange and black butterfly wings, which is the signifier.  While, when speaking of the connoted idea, the wings represent the idea of flying and escaping.  In many forms of social media, the idea of flying is associated with escaping.  Therefore, the wings connote the idea of escaping reality.  This conclusion is further supported at the end of the music video, when the child leaves the magical world without her wings.  In turn, she is returning to reality to deal with the present.    This idea of escape is the signified. 

            Similar to the butterfly wings, the doll also denotes and connotes certain meanings. This sign denotes the image of a doll, being the signifier.  Although, the image of a doll, based on social exposure to the media, connotes the idea of childhood and naivety. In the beginning of the film, the child carries the doll with her while she is in the real world.  She does not carry this doll with her into the world of make-believe, but does carry it with her when in the real world.  At the end of the music video, the child falls into the grave, and the young woman picks up the doll.  The young woman then throws the doll into the grave, and the gravedigger begins tossing dirt back into the grave.  In this way, the actions of the young woman connote the idea of burying the past, growing up, and facing reality.   With this, we begin to discuss the young woman as a sign.

            The young woman in this music video denotes a young blonde woman, wearing a white dress.  This view of the woman is known as the signifier.  On the other hand, the young woman connotes the ideas of strength and independence.   This contrast between the young woman and child suggests that the story is about the young woman, or about an individual the young woman knows.  Furthermore, the young woman is signing the song in the video.  She is also the lead singer of the band Paramore.  In turn, the actual lead singer of Paramore is the referent in this case. 

            Lastly, the character of the gravedigger also plays an important role within this music video.  The gravedigger denotes the image of a man digging a grave, acting as a signifier.  While the gravedigger denotes this image, this character connotes to idea of death and relief.  This idea of death and relief are examples of the signified.  The development of these associations is based on the exposure to culture and the social media.  In the music video for “Brick By Boring Brick”, this theory is highlighted when the gravedigger begins to bury the female child, and her doll, at the end of the music video. Furthermore, through this form of media, it is also possible to discuss the idea of a syntagm and paradigm.

            When discussing the syntagm and paradigm of visual media, it is possible to break down these definitions more clearly.  In other words, the syntagmatic dimensions of the video would include its structural elements, while the paradigmatic dimensions would include its content.  With regards to “Brick By boring Brick”, the syntagm is structured in the following way.  First, the child escapes reality by crawling through the woods.  Next, the child enjoys the world of make-believe.  The child then becomes frightened when the magical world turns evil.  Lastly, the child escapes the world of make-believe and returns to reality.  Weaved between this chronological steps are shots of the young woman and gravedigger.  By changing the order of these steps, the meaning would change. 

            Regarding the paradigmatic dimensions of the music video, we must examine the content presented to the audience.  The content in this music video can be divided up into various categories.    There is a list of characters, including the young woman, female child, and gravedigger.  Under the category of props, the doll, butterfly wings, grave, shovel, and swing are listed.  Lastly, the music video includes two settings: the graveyard in the woods, and the world of make-believe.  If an elderly woman replaced the female child, or if the butterfly wings became a witch’s hat, the meaning behind the music video would change. 

Audience Research Study:

            When discussing research methodology, there are specific aspects that must be considered.  In order to design a study, one must decide whether they will question subjects on an individual basis, or in a group.  As discussed by Seiter and Morley, there are both positive and negative aspects to each type of study.  According to Morley’s essay, the difficulty with asking questions in a group setting is that the dominant individuals of the group make sure their views are heard.  Less assertive individuals may not share their opinions, leaving the study with an inaccurate conclusion. When designing my study, I took this theory into consideration. When questioning my subjects, I will ask each individual separately, allowing every person in each social class to voice their opinions.  The type of questioning also needs to be considered when creating a research study.

            According to Morley and Seiter, there are two types of questions a person can ask.  For example, an individual may be asked open-ended questions, or questions that prompt a specific type of answer.  When individuals are asked an open-ended question at the beginning of an interview, all questions that follow are designed based on the subject’s unique answer.  Using this method, it is difficult to separate the results into groups due to their wide range of conclusions.  Keeping this in mind, I would not begin my research with this type of questioning.  In turn, I would create a list of questions that would prompt answers that would be easily grouped and organized.

            Now that I have clarified the reasoning behind the design of my research study, I will begin detailing the steps of my research methodology.  In order to divide up the population, I would consider social class, age, education, and race.  Also, I would create a group based on individuals who identify, and who do not identify with the song the music video was created to represent.  Each individual would be asked questions individually, and their answers would be placed in the corresponding categories.  Also, these questions would be specific enough to allow for conclusions to be easily drawn. 

            Regarding the type of questions I would ask, they would call for simple answers.  I would ask what they notice about the color scene of the video.  Also, I would focus on their interpretation of each individual character, along with their wardrobe.  I would call attention to the child’s wardrobe, and its individual pieces, but first I would ask if they noticed the significance of the butterfly wings and doll.    Each of these interviews would be conducted one-on-one.  When analyzing the individuals’ responses, I would look at them from an ideological standpoint; although, I would also focus on specific patterns that developed over time.  With this approach, I would be able to understand the logic behind each viewpoint.  Furthermore, I would be able to develop a philosophy that would further my understanding of the music video as a whole, and the effect its contents has on its viewers.

Conclusion:

            In conclusion, Paramore’s music video for their song “Brick By Boring Brick” contains many signs, which connote and denote different meanings.  For example, the butterfly wings denote the idea of orange and black butterfly wings, and connote idea the idea of flying and escaping.  The wings connote the idea of escaping reality. Furthermore, the young girl denotes a young child, but connotes the idea of naivety and innocence. Also, I formulated an audience study.  If this study was conducted, I would ask individuals specific questions that prompted a simple answer, and would not conduct this interviews in a group setting. In this way, Paramore’s music video establishes semiotic concepts.