Music Video Planning // Possible Unsigned Tracks

Before I could start planning any music videos, first I would need to find possible tracks and artists to make the videos for. In order to avoid any clashes with copyright that could potentially jeopardise it's production and to ensure that the band may be helped by the creation of promotional material, any tracks and artists would have to be unsigned and reasonably underground. After some research, I found these possibilities.

1.Vanilla

The first unsigned artist that I have been considering is an instrumental Hip-Hop Producer called Vanilla. They mainly make soul and funk inspired instrumentals which have considerable scope for the production of a music video, as they are well produced and engaging. One downside of this artist is the fact that they are anonymous, and will not be available to appear in a video. However this is not too much of an issue as identity is not massively important in the instrumental hip hop genre (with some exceptions of course).

All of the tracks are well produced, smooth and of a high quality, which is promising for the production of a high quality music video. The fact Vanilla's tracks mainly lack lyrics could be either a blessing or a curse as they neither provide inspiration for the video nor constrain possible themes and ideas. There are some tracks that have small vocal snippets, but are not fully developed lyrically. These may be the best to use as they provide some focal point and appeal more directly to the audience. Possible tracks include:

More after the Jump



'Still Love U'
This track is good as it is upbeat, well produced and contains an accessible vocal sample. I imagine a bright summers day when I listen to this track. There is a good possibility of this track being used.

'Suede'
This is more of a French House style track, thus it is even more upbeat than his other tracks. It would be a good track to use as it has a steady driving beat, clear genre as well as shifts in mood and style. Less likely to be used but still possible.

'Rashida'
This track is a little darker than the other possible tracks, but still remains fairly cheerful and quick. This is more of a skulking and  moody beat, and conjures up images of a city street in motion. I like this track alot, so this a strong candidate.

2.Nathanna

The second unsigned band I considered was one called 'Nathanna'. They are a british band hailing from the small yorkshire town of Stocksbridge, near Sheffield. They make grungey punk rock and are strikingly similar to the massively popular rock band 'The Arctic Monkeys', who also hail from Stocksbridge and Sheffield. 

This band are good because they can be firmly located within a specific genre and there is the possibility of arranging for them to appear in a music video as they are both non-anonymous and live a reasonable distance away so that a shoot may be arranged. Their songs are well produced and full of energy, which leaves a large amount of scope for which to base a video around. Possible Tracks include:

True Love Way - **


This track is just okay to me. Although it does have lyrics, they are hard to discern under the rest of the instruments and the song itself is not particularly interesting, especially when compared to the other options I have explored. It is unlikely I will use this.

Perfume - ***


This song sounds like it has a lot of potential, but is let down by sometimes off tune and buried vocals.
I do however like the guitar solo mid section which could provide a different pace for the video and make it more interesting. A possibility, but has it's flaws.

Over - ****



I like this track as it is much more interesting both lyrically and melodically than their other song 'True love Way'. In addition the lyrics are easy to here and conjure up a very distinctive and clear narrative theme.

3.Miracles of Modern Science

Miracles of Modern Science are an independent math-rock band hailing from Brooklyn in New York. They were formed in 2005 but came to some prominence in 2013 after filming a cover of the Daft Punk song 'Get Lucky' , which as of July 2014, has 2.1 million views. What sets them apart from other math rock bands is the fact that they use instruments more typically found in an orchestral string section than in a rockband, with Mandolin, violin and cello replacing the usual guitars, bass and synths. 

Although they are a publicly known band, appearing in press shots and live shows, which places them as a potential live performers, their location across the Atlantic does essentially rule out such a possibility. However their music is highly creative and immediately engaging, which makes the prospect of producing a music video for one of their tracks more exciting. Possible Tracks include:

Physics Is Our Business - *****
This instrumental track is the most energetic of the bunch, and would suit a fun, high paced video. As with the Vanilla tracks,The fact it lacks lyrics could be either a blessing or a curse, as it may be less engaging to the audience but the sample at the start could be a reference/inspiration point, with a clear public service announcement style. A very strong candidate for a music video.

Dear Pressure - ****
Unlike the previous song, this has clear lyrics about living life to the full but also a clear development from one mood to the next between verse and chorus. I like the vocals as they are clear and in tune. This is a very good track and there is the possibility of using it.

Luminol - ***
This is another good song with lyrics although I fell that the vocals are weaker in this song than in 'Dear Pressure. Another issue with this track is the fact that it has a lengthy instrumental section, which it may be difficult to film for. Probably not going to be used for the final production.

Update-15/07/2014

New Possible bands include:

Gallery Circus


Gallery Circus are a two piece Blues rock band hailing from Newcastle in England, who also happen to be twin brothers (I was confused too). Despite gradually building hype, with performances at Glastonbury 2014 and a headline tour round many well known venues in England, this american inspired band remain somehow unsigned, despite their high quality. As they are located in England, there is the possibility of the band making an appearance in a video, though I feel they are perhaps too successful for Measly A-level students such as myself to bag a guest appearance.

I feel that this song, 'supercell' is very appropriate for the task as it has: a good amount of energy, extremely high production values, audible lyrics, an identifiable genre that also packs a twist, making the song much more engaging and promotable. In addition, I have a selection of ideas I think are interesting, genre appropriate and achieveable, even with the honestly limited budget and time resources available. My main idea is one revolving somehow around the mashup of the tropes of 'The morning after the night before' and the werewolf mythology, with the conventions of the first being used before the second trope is revealed. I obviously don't have access to special effects so this would either be done through use of flashback or certain objects (such as fur or half devoured meat) associated specifically with the werewolf mythology.