Textual Analysis

The target audience of the magazine is young, which is indicated by the colour palette of yellows and blues. These vibrant colours hold connotations of youth and happiness and make the cover look very vibrant and new. This, coupled with the actions of the subjects in the picture (jumping and standing in what could be perceived as childish poses), also adds to the mise-en-scene of youth culture and new music. The framing of the image takes up the whole area of the magazine, whilst sometimes being hidden by text. The vastness could suggest the importance of this band that is the main feature. It is just visible that the image has been taken in-front of a white door, maybe suggesting the “ordinary” aspects of the band portraying themselves as ordinary young people, making music about this.
The magazine logo and title "NEW MUSICAL EXPRESS" suggests the magazine's genre and the way it is abbreviated to "NME" makes it seem quite cool and informal. The logo is in red, black, and white. These colours are subtly echoed in the rest of the cover and suggest boldness, passion and purity, all of which can be related to it's mainstream musical genre.
Just beneath the centre of the page is the title “The Wombats” in large, with “The” being placed on a slant overlapping the other half of the title. This suggests a “quirkiness” that again adds to the feeling of fun and youth that the magazine emits. “Why Britain’s gone silly for the lords of the indie dancefloor” is placed underneath the band title, in a smaller font. The use of “why” creates the impression that the reader will be finding out new information that everyone is curious to know.
Round the edge of the image, there are secondary articles and sell-lines, two of which have their own secondary image, encouraging the reader to open the magazine to read other articles. The sell lines are written in white capital letters in blue backgrounds. Often this is done with “slanty” lines which, coupled with the capital letters, give the magazine a “rough and ready” mise-en-scene. The sell lines, such as “MUSE – “I was sick before going onstage at Wembly”, are clearly aimed at music fans and want to personally know about bands and their members. Also, the way the sell line goes from capital letters to lower case reflects the personal element of the statement, after the initial boldness of the capital letters.
Across the top of the cover is a list of bands reported to play at "GLASTO". This is written in black capital letters on a yellow background. The use of black and yellow together connotes urgency and warning. The large contrast in the colours make the words stand out and the use of "GLASTO", and abbreviation of Glastonbury sets an informal tone, creating a "friendly" relationship between the magazine and reader.
There is also a list of bands along the bottom of the cover, this time less vibrant but equally bold. With black, white and the same blue used on the sell lines. "NEW MUSIC" is at the left hand side of this, being the first words the reader will see, and they also make the reader want to buy the magazine because it can make them think they are getting some "new" information that is exclusive.
Above the bar code in the bottom right-hand corner of the cover it says "569 UK GIGS LISTED", again, persuading the reader to open the magazine, as it's aimed at keen music fans who will want to go to gigs. "569" is a large number, making the reader feel as though they are getting their "money's worth".
From looking at the cover of this edition of "NME", I have seen many elements that I would like to include when making my own magazine. I like the way the colour scheme fits in and reflects the nature of the artist on the cover, and the way that it has a sort of "rough and ready" image with the way it lays out the text. I also like the way the central image is structured and made up to make a fun and youthful image. The cover as a whole is attractive to look at and encourages the reader to buy the magazine, which I hope I can also do with my magazine.

The cover of "Clash" magazine is based around the central image of Noel and Liam Gallagher, who are both wearing black against a black background. The shot is taken from below, which makes them look as though they are in a position of power, being imposing/threatening. Similarly, their facial expressions look as though they are assuming a position of power. The shot has been taken using lots of lighting, which creates lots of shadow on and around their faces, moulding into the black background whilst also making them seem mysterious. Set against the black background, they stand out, looking important.
The text is made up of a colour scheme of pale yellows/creams/golds and white. These colours connote a calm or subdued feeling and the gold could connote royalty. All of this, coupled with the font of the main headline "OASIS", create a classic feel around these two classic musicians. Underneath the headline, the buzzword "ULTIMATE" is repeated, making the reader interested and wanting to read the magazine.The text on the cover is quite thin and tall, making it look quite modern and simple.
There is some text in a handwritten font advertising a free CD, which is used as an incentive to make people buy the magazine. There is also "handwritten" text above the main article title saying "exclusive". This buzzword makes the reader feel as though they will be gaining some information that is special. The handwritten font adds a more human and modern touch to the cover.
There is only one secondary image which is placed inside a white frame in the top right-hand corner, above a quote from the subject of the picture. It's placed on a slant, which could suggest the magazine has a certain edge over other music magazines.
At the top of the cover, towards the left hand side is the masthead, written in a modern font, where the "a" is reflected as the "s", almost like the word has clashed in the middle, which could mirror the magazine's name. "Clash" is quite a cool name for a music magazine as it could be reminiscent of the band, or be describing it's genres (music and fashion) coming together. Above the masthead is the strap-line "DEDICATED TO MUSIC AND FASHION", which could convince the reader that it is a worthwhile product.
In the bottom left hand corner of the cover there is a list of artists underneath the word "PLUS", which makes the reader feel as though will be getting an extra amount of information/articles. Artists are listed such as "Bob Dylan", "Psapp", "Arctic Monkeys" and "Fatboy Slim", demonstrating quite a diverse array of articles, meaning that they could appeal to a wider audiences that magazines dedicated to one genre.
Along the bottom of the cover is a list of other things included in the magazine, such as "BEST NEW ALBUM", "COMPETITIONS" and "NEW DVD AND FILM RELEASE". These also encourage readers to buy the magazine.
In my magazine I would like to include a masthead/magazine name as good as "Clash" magazine's. I really like the use of lighting/shadow in the image and I really like the handwritten effect over the top of the computer fonts. I would like to take influence from these things and create my own versions of them in my own magazine. I also like that the article titles and other text does not draw attention away from the dramatic image, which is a feature I would like my magazine to possess.

This is the cover of "ArtRocker" magazine. The centre image is of The Horrors, who consider themselves to be an edgy and alternative band. The image is in greyscale and is of the band member's heads. The use of greyscale could represent the "retro" roots and influences that the band claim to have. The image has some stripey graphics over the top, apart from on the band member's faces. This is different to other music magazine covers as usually there's just a photo without too much obvious alteration or graphics. The colours of the graphics match the colour of the masthead and the whole cover has a main palette of pinks, black, grey and white with other colours in the lines. The way in which the cover is different or alternative suggests the target audience of 16-25 year old "arty" or alternative music fans who consider themselves to be a bit "edgy".
The masthead is in bright pink, which stands out against the greyscale of the background, is above the website address of the magazine. This web address is usually placed near the bar code, and the fact it is placed below the masthead shows it holds importance, as it's target audience is generally young, internet interaction will be a good selling point for the magazine. Also, above the masthead is a sell line "FREE MP3S INSIDE", which is an incentive to get people to buy it. Aside from these, the font is quite traditional and fancy, not a font usually used for magazine covers, again suggesting it's alternative.
The main article is "The Horrors - Leaving behind the hair and living up to the hype". The sell-line underneath makes the article seem appealing and interesting for readers. The text is black, which connotes simplicity and is bold. In the top right-hand corner there is a list of bands included in the magazine. This includes artists such as "Slow Club" and "Lethal Bizzle", who are varied in styles, but still fitting in with the magazine's image of being alternative.
Along the top of the cover in white are different genres of music that the magazine includes, such as "Rock n Roll", "electro" and "indie", showing a varied range of artists/tastes that indicates the kind of music fans who are interested in the magazine and indicates to the reader whether they will like the magazine. This text is in white, which connotes simplicity again and contrasts the black text beneath. This is echoed at the bottom of the cover as more alternative artists such as "Bombay Bicycle Club" and "Nightmare Air" are listed in white text. These sell-lines would attract a reader who likes these artists to read/buy the magazine.
The whole cover does not contain much text or information about other articles, only titles of artists. This leaves the main focus of attention as the image of "The Horrors", who are the main focus in the magazine. This also indicates that the magazine could be as much about the layout and images as the actual musical content.
The thing I like best about the cover of "ArtRocker" magazine is the use of graphics and central image, which I would like to take influence from and use in my magazine. I also like the way it looks a lot different from normal mainstream music magazines and if I saw it on a shelf, I would pick it up just because it looks more interesting and attractive. I also like the simplicity, or the look of simplicity. It may have taken a lot of effort to create it, but it looks like it was simple and effortless to create, giving it a kind of rough and careless image as well as being very careful in the graphics. I would like it if my magazine could have these characteristics.

This is a contents page from “NME”. The logo is featured in the top corner and the colours it contains: red, black and white are used as the main palette for the rest of the page. Red could connote the passion for music that the magazine and it's readers demonstrate and white/black could represent simplicity or boldness. On top of a white background is a “band index” in a red box. This is a good idea as it allows readers to go straight to articles with bands they are interested in. On the opposite side of the page are different sections with articles listed underneath, which enable the reader to do the same thing. These sections are under headings such as “NEWS”, “REVIEWS” and “FEATURES”, which are common things to be in a music magazine, but the easy-to-understand layout makes the page seem more appealing and attractive. Each of the headings has a small description of the articles underneath which is useful.
There is also “THIS WEEK” written in large text at the top of the page, which is striking and bold. Not only does it indicate to the reader that the magazine is published weekly, but also the use of black text makes it seem to be even bolder, and the date is placed underneath.There is an advertisement for a subscription at the bottom of the page, and being the first page of the magazine, it is a good place to be placed. Above this is 2 images of the Gallagher brothers with the caption “The moment that…” This is a personal touch and lets readers feel like, despite the fact they may not have been able to witness the musical moment, they can still see it with the help of the magazine. Also, the use of a large, mainstream, Brit pop/rock band infers the musical tastes of the readers.
At the bottom of the page in a red text box, is the text "THE UK'S No1 GIG GUIDE STARTS p58". The use of "No1" makes the reader feel like they will be getting exclusive information. The large amount of text on the page could make the reader believe they are getting a lot of information, whereas if it was sparse they could feel the opposite.
I like the sections in their contents page that "NME" uses, and I especially like the "BAND INDEX", because not only is it useful, but it's very different to what other magazines use in their contents pages and this makes it stand out. I also like the consistency in the fonts and the use of capital letters throughout makes everything seem bold and exciting. Although there are only two images in the contents page, they are good images that look good and show a famous and well-known band, which would be enough to make readers interested. I would like to include good headings and images in my contents page.

This is a contents page from "Clash" magazine. It's very simple and modern, with a classic layout and has a main colour palette of gold, white and black, which all together connote sophistication, class and simplicity. This could suggest the young and modern audience that the magazine has. Also, all these colours are the same as the colours that were included in the cover, showing continuity.It contrasts to the contents page in "NME" because in "NME" every space is filled with text, but in this space is used effectively and looks just as good as "NME".
The page is divided in two. On the right it is dark with two fairly large images placed on a black background. The images are of Oasis and Kaiserchiefs, two large artists who will gather a wide range of readers. The pictures also cohere with the colour scheme as they contain a lot of black and white and the subjects in them look cool and in control as well as in demand. Underneath each image is the page number which the article coheres with and the band names in gold. This part of the text is quite large, which makes it stand out even more and below is some smaller text in white briefly describing the content of the articles.
The left-hand side of the page is white with "Contents" written at the very top is a plain and modern font. Underneath there are three sections: "CLASHFEATURES", "CLASHREGULARS" and "CLASHFASHION". "CLASH" is written in light grey and "FEATURES"/"REGULARS"/"FASHION" is written in black. This makes the headings look more interesting than if they were all simply in one colour and it also promotes the magazine title throughout.
Underneath these headings are two columns of articles listed; page numbers in gold, article titles in large black text with a short description underneath in smaller text. The colours consistently tie in with the palette and could suggest the magazine is consistent in content.
The contents page as whole seems to be quite simple and subtle, which could be why it looks so aesthetically pleasing. I would like to be able to recreate this in my magazine. I also really like the colour scheme that the magazine has and the way the colours fit together nicely. I like the image to text ratio and I think it's well balanced, which makes it successful, and would also be good to replicate in my own magazine.

This is a contents page from "ArtRocker" magazine. Down the left-hand side is a white column, which features the "A" from the magazine logo at the top in black. Below this is a list of contributors,(such as photographers, who have a photo they've taken beneath), to the edition of the magazine, with some names/titles in bold and some in normal font. This gives the magazine a more personal touch and portrays a caring image to the reader where the magazine is grateful for contributions.
The rest of the page is black with the outline of the word "Contents" in white, placed on a slant at the top of the page, giving it a title or meaning. On this black background is a vertical list of page numbers in white, with coherent article titles in red on the right of the numbers. Underneath these is a brief description of the article in white in a smaller font. The main colour scheme for the contents page is white, black and red. Red could suggest passion for music, as it could've for "NME". And the black and white makes the text easy to read, whilst holding connotations of simplicity and boldness. The font that is used seems to be quite classic and thin, unlike the modern and bold text of "Clash" and "NME".
Where the text ends on the contents page, there are images (five in total) which chere with the articles featured. They are quite "arty" images that are well-laid-out and all different from eachother. Because they are all in different styles, it initially looks quite mis-matched, but they all go quite well together and could suggest the mixture in styles/genres of music that the magazine reports on/features.
I like this contents page and I think the initial idea behind it is quite pleasing. I also like the use of multiple images, but I'm not sure it works as well as the small number of images in the other contents pages that I have looked at. I like the idea of contributers down the left hand side of the page and in my own magazine I would like to replicate the way the magazine logo has been cut down from the cover in my magazine (being just an "A" rather than the full title "ArtRocker").

This is a double page spread from "NME", containing an article about The Chapman Family. One whole page is taken up with an image, which places the band in an average looking house, sat or stood near a table, which could be a play on the bands name containing the word "family". The band who see themselves as "alternative indie", and not "lazy indie" as they dub some bands, claim to have a destructive characteristic, which the article explains. Which could be why there are some blindfolded people with slogans written on t-shirts, as the band claim not to be blindly following commercialism or mainstream indie music and say they are different.
This image is quite dark, with a lamp placed in the corner behind the band. This could suggest that the band have new and innivotive ideas, which contrasts to people blindly following commecialism who are placed more in the dark. It contains the main colours of black and the blue and white of the tshirts. These colours fit in with the colour scheme of pink, purple, white, blue and black. All of these are bold and pink, purple, white and blue are bright and vibrant. They also go together nicely, and don't really contrast, making the double page spread look attractive.
Aside from this image, the left page also contains the title "The Chapman Family" in white, bold print, constructed in the magazine's trademark font. It takes up a large proportion of the image, but does not block out or overlap any of the bandmembers. The fact that it is off-centre and so large, in a colour that coheres with the colour scheme, makes the title aesthetically pleasing. To the right of this title is a caption for the image held in a white text box.
The right hand of the page has a white background with three columns of text on it, which is the article. The article is broken up by a quote from a band member that has been picked out of the text. The quote, "I've been shot for the way I look before", makes the band seem edgy and appealing just because they're different. Readers of "NME" like mainstream indie, but like to consider themselves to be different and edgy, so this would appeal to them. The quote is bold, black and large, with the name of the person who said it in a smaller, pink font beneath. This suggests that it's actions that get artists noticed with "NME" rather than who you are, so as this band claims to be different, they will be more likely to be published in a double page spread rather than other, less outspoken or different artists. At the top of the article, there is a small summary of the band which "hypes" them up, to make them more appealing to readers. An indenting "F" is used, in a bigger and purple font to begin the article, which creates awareness as to where the article begins.
In the bottom right hand corner of the right page is four squares joined together, which are block colours; black, purple, blue and pink. This is the colour palette of the double page spread, and by the reitteration that these blocks do, the colour scheme is linked together.
I think this double page spread is very attractive and I like the large image. I think there is the right amount of text for the page aswell, and I especially like the sizing of the title of the band. I would like it if my magazine could have some of these elements in it's double-page spread.

This is a double page spread taken from "Clash" magazine, featuring Kaiser Chiefs as it's subject. The background of this double page spread is a large image of the band walking down an street, which spans both pages. They appear to be in a city, indicating that readers of the magazine mainly live in the city. All band members look suave and well-dressed, suggesting an image-concious audience, or an audience that like to look good and are interested in appearences. Most of the band members are smiling or laughing, representing a fun ethic in the band, making it a very attractive image. The colours used in the image are black, yellows and white. These colours were used in the cover and contents page of the create the feeling of continuity, whilst holding connotations of class, simplicity and sophistication. The use of yellow, makes the image seem quite positive as it connotes happiness.
Running horizontally accross the centre of the two pages is the white outline of the band name. Made up of capital letters, the font is the font that the band uses on the front of it's products. The way it isn't filled in with white and is just an outline allows the reader to still see the image behind, which looks very effective. This title is just below the heads of the band, so these can be seen clearly.
Below the title is an introductory paragraph on the right and to the left of this is the article, which is made up of five columns of a Q&A interview. These are written in a black font which coheres nicely with the magazine title. The first letter of the article is bigger than the rest, creating a distinct indentation similar to the one used in "NME". Breaking up the text in the article is a quote from one of the members of the band that has been taken from the bulk of the article. This quote is probably the most humorous or extreme thing that the band said in the interview, and as one of the first things a reader will look at before reading the whole article, will attract the reader to begin reading. The article is written on a white background, but the background image can still be seen around the edge at the bottom. The way it is placed on a white background makes it seem as though it has been cut out and stuck ontop of the image, giving the article a bit of an "arty" edge.
The thing I like most about this double page spread is the layout. I think it's really different to any other magazine and it looks really, really appealing. The background image is so good and strong that the layout probably couldn't go wrong, and it seems to be the key to this double page spread. I do still like the layout of the text and the largeness of the title, and I think all of these things work together very effectively.
This is a double page spread by "ArtRocker" magazine. There is a patterned background which has text and images over the top. The initial impression from this double page spread is that it's very busy and holds quite a lot of substance. There's alot of text, much more than the other magazines I've looked at. There are four reviews spanning three columns. These are in a black font on a white background and looks as though it has been typed. This is reminiscent of older music magazines in the 1970's such as Sounds, where everything was "rough and ready" and seemed to match the punk "D.I.Y" ethic much more. This style would attract readers who are interested in retro/vintage styles. The other seven columns are about one main gig and are placed on a black background in a white font. The difference/contrast in colours seperate the two different subjects and indicate this seperation to the reader. It also makes it more pleasing to look at than if it were just in one solid colour.
Band names are in bold, which can indicate to the reader whether or not they will be interested in the article. If readers do like the band names they will be more likely to buy the magazine. There are four images placed together to make a square towards the top, right-hand corner of the page. The images are of bands performing live at the "Fandango Club" (hence the title "Do The Fandango" being written over the top of them).They are action shots that overlap eachother and some are placed on slants, which adds to the rough style. Each of the artists in the images are lit up by different coloured lights as they are performing, and these colours are blue/purple, red and yellow. These are active and fun colours, which when mixed with the vibrantly coloured title, contrast greatly against the black and white text and background. This could suggest the vibrancy of the gigs or the music being performed.
The title is written in a vibrant pink and in a font that looks to be handwritten. This also contributes to the "D.I.Y"/"rough and ready" image of the magazine.This is also done by the slanty placing of the words.
I really like the way this double page spread has adapted a rough and raw style that is really effective, it would be good if I could capture this with my magazine. The images are really attractive and I would like my images to be as attractive. I also really like the use of and lack of colour in certain areas and I think this is effective. I would be happy if my magazine could adapt some of these characteristics.