How are the conventions of the alternative rock/retro genre evident in Mac Demarco's video 'Passing out pieces'

'Passing out Pieces' by Mac Demarco infuses elements of psychedelic, alternative rock and a retro style in a sometimes conventional and sometimes unconventional way. Released in may 2014, and directed by Pierce McGarry, the music video has over a million views on youtube, however the song remains of an incredibly niche subgenre with a narrow audience. 'A frosty, synth-led number, it finds our hero wondering if the merry-go-round of interviews and touring has taken its toll' (NME). From his second album 'salad days', the song arguably reached a slightly wider audience due to the success of the debut album '2' which established a devoted and loyal fan base.

The video is unique in it's dream like tone, and use of disturbing imagery as well as humour throughout. The stylistic choices made by the director could be described as 'Avant Garde' and although the video follows a narrative, it is unclear to the audience if this is linear, and furthermore of what connects the unhinged and surreal sequence of events. This disorientation and obscurity is conventional of the psychedelic genre, and the use of a retro style VHS aesthetic helps to add to the audiences understanding of the satirical and playful nature of this. The video also has an urban grit, developed through the brief sequences travelling between two houses, and the use of these two enclosed and dark locations. We would expect to see this kind of location being used in an alternative and independent young artist, as themes explored in these kinds of videos are often related to the depression, hardships, relationships and existentialism within urban areas. The use of everyday costumes and dark lighting also emphasises this concept of everyday struggle and fight with 'the system'.

The video challenges convention through it's use of seemingly disconnected sequences, depicting surreal and unrelated imagery alongside the narrative. These sequences serve to develop the tone of the video, and place an emphasis on the lead singer himself. The use of VHS stylization and surrealist imagery can be seen throughout Demarco's music videos, such as 'ode to Viceroy', which focuses on the melancholic themes of addiction and daily life. this motif is incredibly typical of the alternative rock genre, with examples such as 'Sabotage' by 'Beastie Boys' 'Flux' by 'Bloc Party' and 'Guillotine' by 'Death Grips'. Arguably another convention adopted by Demarco within this genre is the rejection of convention, and the gravitation towards controversial and taboo themes. This style arguably challenges Goodwins opinion that a record label will have certain demands of a band in order to paint an iconic and sellable image that can reach as big of an audience as possible. Alternatively Demarco throws away the expectation of reaching a mainstream audience in order to maximise sales, and instead chooses to create an unconventional, juvenile and at times disturbing image in order to sustain and please his small but devoted fan base.





The video does however follow some conventional aspects of the rock genre, or 'typical genre characteristics', some as simple as the focus on Demarco's character, using his humour and charisma in order to sell the personality throughout his work. we are also driven through the narrative by Demarco, following a sort of 'day in the life', placing an emphasis on his leadership and innovation within his band. This convention has been prolific in the marketing and iconism of musicians, specifically within the rock genre for decades, with bands like 'The Jimmi Hendrix Experience' relying on the notoriety of their lead man to carry their success.

The camerawork throughout generally supports this technique, with Demarco rarely being out of frame and constantly being the centre of focus within the composition of shots. Furthermore the use of a fish eye lens throughout creates a focus on the centre of the shot, which more often than not is Demarco, and also serves to create a distorted and dream like tone, and carries connotations of being trapped in Demarco's twisted mind. This concept of a disjointed and spontaneous psyche is further illustrated through the use of fractured and mirror like visual effects overlayed on some shots. Another aspect of the camerawork/editing which have an effect on this centralisation on Demarco are the unhinged and spontaneous cutaways we see to nightmarish visuals, although used humorously in tone, these sequences are unnerving, and cause a feeling of uncertainty in the audience in relation to the true meaning and sentiment behind the video.

In terms of the conventional portrayal of an alternative/indie rock band. the juvenile and delinquent representation of Demarco and his peers creates a camaraderie which is instantly recognisable for the audience, and furthermore extends to fans of Demarco who also potentially share the same sentiments and attitudes, using this as a means to create a cohesive fan base.      

  

Applying Goodwin's theory

Sabotage - Beastie boys Is a clear demonstration of how Goodwin's theory can be applied to music videos, through a number of conventions and characteristics displayed through the visuals, tone and style of the video. For instance the Boyish behaviour and cops'n'robbers theme of the video conveys the rowdiness and anti-establishment tone of the Hip hop genre. This anti establishment sentiment can be further examined through the use of an ironic 70's style retro motif which pokes fun at the almost whimsical exploits of the group. Furthermore the gritty, suburban location



used further commits to the conventions of the hip hop genre, adding a layer of isolation and grime to the t
one of the video. Overall the visual style of the music video succeeds in amplifying the playfulness and humour of the song, but also adds another layer of meaning to the lyrics, as without the link between the music and visuals, the audience would have been left with an ambiguous tone. The visual style of the video, although not a re-occurring brand of  'Beastie Boys' certainly adheres to the bands playful and often immature motifs present throughout their videos.



The lyrics link to the visuals is a continuation of the anti-establishment sentiment felt conventionally within the genre, with lines like 'So listen up 'cause you can't say nothin' You'll shut me down with a push of your button?' and 'Oh my God, it's a mirage I'm tellin' y'all it's sabotage' being possible references to the ambiguous intentions of the American police (as seen in the video, childishly pursuing chases and violence) or even government. Furthermore the visuals have an amplifying effect on the music, and particularly within the opening of the song, incredibly chaotic fast paced editing is used to match the beat of the song and emphasise the rowdiness of the music. Another example of this relationship is at 1:14, where as an instrumental section of the song ends and we move onto the next chapter of the music, so to does a chapter of the narrative end and give way to a new setting. An incredibly intricate example of editing being used to amplify the music is at 1:39, where we see a transitioning sweep synchronise with the re-introduction of the bass guitar, alone at first, as a sort of visual metaphor of the impact the instrument has on the song. Additionally at 1:51 a zoom is used to amplify the vocals and slow-motion further emphasises the length and importance of the section.

In terms of emphasis on the notion of looking, according to Goodwin, at 2:24 we see a shot of a character reflected in a wing mirror, followed by the use of a 'screen within a screen', furthermore throughout the video there is some sense of self awareness and a presence of the camera, as multiple shots depict characters addressing the audience's existence through introducing themselves as characters in this fictional/hypothetical show or film. This is perhaps used to emphasise the immersion and tone of the video, and serves to remind the audience of the surreal nature and parody being presented within the narrative. This is also a clear inter-textual link as the entire motif and overhanging theme of the video is a parody of sorts in a retro style much like the many detective hows made in the 70's and 80's.      

     

Moodboard

Song Possibilites

When beginning our search for a song we had certain aspects in mind that we thought were necessary in order to create the sort of video/narrative we had in mind as well as the technical and conventional elements seen in the vast majority of videos. We thought our song had to be: quirky/alternative , melancholic , tell a story (of some sort) and had either a jump in tempo/intensity or re-occurring theme to reinforce the narrative.

We came down to 4 possible songs:

• 'Avalanche' by Bad Sounds
• 'SOIA' by Strange Bones  
• 'foule' by Waste
• 'Dead by summer' by 20 cent dreams 

In order to help decide which song would best suit making into a video, we used a diagram to assess the aspects of each song to help decide which ticked the most boxes and therefore would be most suitable 

Avalanche has :

A clear quirkiness and retro style

re-occurring theme of 'try as I might i'm losing the fight to get better'

obscure lyrics telling a story of some kind

-however is not dynamic and has no distinct peak in intensity






Strange Bones has :

Points of high and low intensity

Strong opening which establishes the tone

Clear beat which favours fast paced editing

-however lyrics are hard to understand and there is no alternative style or theme







Dead by summer has :

Chapters and dynamic changes

a beat that favours fast paced editing

-however generic lyrics and a lack of alternative feel









Waste has :

Melancholic tone

Imagery created through lyrics and themes established by this

Clear shift in energy between chorus/verse

-however has a more dark and less 'quirky' tone than we hoped for


After reviewing all options we concluded that 'Avalanche' is the song we will use, as it's lyrics can be used either to use constructed imagery within the narrative, or to directly attempt to convey the story told within the lyrics. the re-occurring line of 'try as I might I'm losing the fight to get better' can also be used to inspire multiple themes or aspects of a narrative, for this wide range of options the song offers us creatively, we have a versatile range of ideas to finalise into our video.

Contacting the Artist

The song we have chosen is 'Avalanche' by Bad Sounds. As the band is a young, modern band we chose to message them on Facebook as it was clear they responded quickly on this site. The responded saying they were happy for us to use their song as long as we made it clear it was an unofficial, 'fan' video.

analysis of Media language in 'Judith' - a perfect circle

The media language used within 'Judith' by a perfect circle such as camerawork, editing and mise en scene develops a fractured and unpredictable narrative, and presents a perfect circle as a grungy and alternative band with a dark and brooding aesthetic.

Throughout the video we see a motif overarching the visual style of the video, and this retro, analogue style is a key element in the panic and chaos created. to achieve this, director David Fincher uses various editing techniques to recreate the aesthetic of analogue film which is incredibly reminiscent of his work on films such as 'Se7en' and 'Fight Club'. More specifically an incredibly similar segment in editing style is the opening sequence of 'Se7en' which uses many of the same scratchy and fragmented edits to the same effect, creating a dark and grimy visual style. Furthermore the entirety of the video creates the illusion of a traditional film reel, adding a constant visual noise to the frame which is yet another element contributing to the unstable and energetic feel of the video. Another element adding to this is the use of a handheld style effect being used to shake and distort the 'film' that we as the audience are seemingly seeing. an example of this can be seen at 0:07, where the frame shifts from left to right uncontrollably in synchronisation with the lead guitar. Variations of this are used almost constantly in the edit, and vary in intensity depending on the peaks of the song. Another effect used is the slowing down of the supposed film reel, causing the frame to slip downwards revealing another version of the frame, the effect of this is more schizophrenic, as it causes multiple versions of the same frame to appear in frame shifting down at varying speeds of the lead guitarist.

Incredibly quick cuts are used to maintain audience attention and variety, so too are vast amounts of close ups and extreme close ups as well as low angle shots used to emphasise not only the individualism of each band member: (head guy at 1:30, hand at 1:35, shoes at 0:35) but also to convey the power and intensity of instruments being used. This emphasis on the character and style of each member in the band serves to sell us the sub-culture and aesthetic associated with 'A perfect circle' and in particular the lead singer who accumulates the most screen time in order to serve as a symbol and overall representation of the bands motives.

The composition of shots is also used to emphasise the dark and grungy tone of the band, such as at 0:22 where we see a pillar closing of the left side of the frame in darkness completely, while the right side is incredibly dimly lit. This is juxtaposed with the use of a natural chiaroscuro lighting, creating a sense of enigma within the mid shot, with the lower half of the musicians bodies being cast into the flaring light shining into their dark and secluded setting after we pan left past the pillar. This sense of conflict and energy is further exaggerated through the frequent use of handheld cameras as well as camera movement which enables a constant sense of instability and spontaneity.

The location of the bands performance is an incredibly dilapidated and urban setting. It reflects the band and it's fans notions of being cut off from society through being part of their sub-culture, and how they feel they are unable to thrive in a mainstream background, thus they are kept hidden away in the dark. The bands clothing and style also reflects a slightly alternative and edgy aesthetic, and the emphasis of the video on their performance adds a layer of ambiguity in relation to the bands motives and personalities.