Deconstruction and Analysis of Three Indie Music Magazine

Double Pages Spreads

Most of the page is used by a photo of the band where ach member is making clear eye contact thus engaging the reader and making it seem more personal. Placing them all together also connotes unity and the fact that they are a band. However they have placed the front man literally in front of the others as readers tend to be much more interested in the singer so provides more incentive to read the article. They also appear nonchalant as if they just happened to be stood in the studio together which connotes what it’s not forced and is natural; like their music. It also implies that they don’t need/want to try and that they are comfortable with their own identity/music and don’t feel need to conform to what’s expected of them which reflects the point of the article which is to evaluate their new album before they play it at Reading and Leeds. Through the use of their casual stance they are connoting that they aren’t worried about how their album will be perceived or don’t care because they’ve done what they want to regardless of anything else which is the ethos of indie music.

Logos placed in top right corner to grab attention and connote music and festivals which is what the article is about. Also provides incentive.

Large headline which enigmatically references where and how they recorded their latest album with the sub-heading underneath to explain the purpose of the article. The size and enigma used in the head line engages the reader. Also the font used reveals the target audience to be mixed of both male and female as seen through the fluid font that looks like calligraphy which connotes femininity as well as more block and clearly defined font and the full stop which connotes masculinity. This reveals that both men and woman are the target audience, men possibly because they aspire to be like the band and woman possibly because of the sex appeal of the band. It also connotes that Arctic Monkeys’ music contains a mix of possible rock and slower more fluid songs as well as connoting that their music is like art as connoted through the calligraphy.

Little text used and it’s all grouped together which connotes professionalism as its well structured in columns which also conforms to conventions of articles. The small amount of text could also connote that the target audience are young and therefore not as interested in words. However it could have also been done as the article carries on to other pages and by only putting a small amount of text on the first page it doesn’t appear daunting and by reading the small amount there the reader will theoretically be hooked and then read the rest of the article. Enigma has also been used in the sub-heading with references to “the all-new Arctic Monkeys” and saying how “everyone is waiting” implies that it is a momentous occasion and is therefore worthwhile reading.

Few colours used within the double page spread of only black, white, gray and blue and beige in the photo. This creates an impression of professionalism and cleanliness as it is an uncluttered palette. This connotes to the reader that NME is a professional and credible magazine. It also connotes that the most important thing on the page is the band and the festival logo and they have the brightest colours and draw the reader’s eye to it. The black and white could also connote the absolute attitude with which the magazine and fans will review the album and their headlining slot to decide if it’s good or bad.

The structuring of the page has also been cleverly created with the logos for Reading and Leeds at the top left corner as this connotes to the reader that this article refers to that festival. Then placing the image on the left side of the double page spread draws the reader in and connotes who the article is about. Placing the headline on most of the top right page then creates enigma and begins to reveal what the article is about then the text on the bottom right page encourages the reader to carry on reading the article.

The font used in the head line looks like it’s been cut out from numerous different articles, as in stereotypical ransom notes, which connotes that she is controversial and the subject of numerous tabloid headlines. It also references punk music which also used similar font and links the article back to music and NME’s history.

Most of the double page spread is taken up with an image of Lily Allen which has been used to engage the reader through a number of different techniques such as the clear eye contact with the reader. She’s also leaning in, as if to reveal confidences to the reader which connotes the concept behind the article; her revealing the truth about herself instead of what people have been writing about her in the tabloids. She also has seemingly messy and unkempt hair and heavy black eye make up which all connotes that she doesn’t care both about what she looks like and what she says and reinforces the idea of honesty and rebellion. The concept of rebellion is also connoted through the tattoos on her wrist and her over sized plaid shirt which seems again references punk. Her mouth is also half open as if she is just about to say something and this combined with the quotation as a head line connotes that this is a personal article through which she is speaking closely to the reader. This trust and enigma draws the reader in and makes them want to read the article.

Derogatory language used again about other more mainstream artists used to reinforce the idea of segregation within the music industry of indie and mainstream. Also cleverly used to compliment the artist without appearing sycophantic.

Use of bold text for the artists name and different colour code as this makes it stand out therefore easier for the reader to know who the articles about. Also the way the letters of her name don’t sit straight like the rest of the text connotes again how individual she is and how she rebels against all conventions.

Not much text and all text in structured in short columns which fits conventions of magazines and newspapers. It’s easy to read and as there’s not much it connotes that maybe its target audience is slightly younger adults who are not as interested in words. However there is some quite complex language which connotes that the magazine is aimed at well educated and literate people.

Limited colour codes used of only red, black and white which are strong contrasting colours and attention grabbing and easy to read. He white and black references the tabloids that she is written about in and the inclusion of the bright red connotes her rebellion against it. The red could also connote her anger at being misrepresented and misinterpreted. The colour code also references NME’s house style as it often uses those three colours and again punk which again shows her rebellion.

Over half of the double page spread is used for the masthead and for the image of Florence as this instantly reveals to the reader what this article is about and grabs their attention. Florence is wearing a black playsuit which connotes danger and sex appeal which shows that they are sexualising a woman to try and appeal to both women who will aspire to be like her and men who will want to be with her. The black leather also connotes domination and her placing on top of the American flag implies that she is dominating the USA. She is also sat nonchalantly on the pedestal which connotes that her success is not something that has been engineered but has happened due to her talent. She is half turned towards the reader and is making direct eye contact which again draws the reader in and engages them with the text. The overall atmosphere of this image is of sex appeal, confidence, domination and nonchalance.

The font used for part of the headline of ‘USA’ is a bold uniform one which connotes the patriotism, power and masculinity of America but the faded grey and positioning of the text, behind Florence, connotes that she is more powerful and is overpowering USA. The font used in the rest of the headline is fluid and feminine thus connoting that through the use of her femininity and love she has overpowered the super power of the world thus revealing her immense power as a performer to the reader.The use of ambiguous language with multiple meanings has also been used on the headline as it references her lyrics and therefore ties the article back to her music.

The colour palette used in this double page spread is very limited to white, greys, black and red. The background and headline are muted which make Florence stand out even more and appear more powerful and almost hypnotic as she appears to bleach the rest of the room/article of colour so all you see is her. The only other two bright colours in the double page spread are the bright red on the flag which links to her red hair and the blue used in her name which contrasts the red. This shows that every piece of this article is linked to her and again reinforces the idea of her power and sway over her environment which could connote her power and influence in the music industry.

The article is written in columns on the right hand side of the double page spread as this mimics magazine conventions.

Use of enigma through the use of a rhetorical question within the subheading to engage the reader and encourage them to read on.The artist’s name is also bold and in another colour to highlight who the article is about easily to people who are skimming through the article.