Kerrang front cover

This front cover is from the magazine "Kerrang!" which first started in the 80's, when this type of rock, British heavy metal and the rise of a well known band "AC/DC" began to grow more popular. The music it features is similar to that of NME's but Kerrang presents more hard rock and "Emo" styles of music.
The title has been established as it is the same on every cover. Kerrang! also has a Kerrang! radio and T.V channel which enforses the recognition to the title. Many people know the title and so the image is over half of it which tells us it is a well established brand. It is black on white which makes it clear and stand out to the reader. A modern, Sans Serif type font is used which is anchored by the modern music it represents. The word Kerrang is a loud sound a guitar can make and the exclamation mark anchors this. There are lines going through the masthead, this signifies that the sound is so loud, it has broken.
Similar bold writing is used throughout the cover, most of the writing is white but the writing around the band name "you me at six" is yellow. this emphasise the band title and makes it stand out more. The word FREE is in red so that it is eye catching and ensures the reader will want to read more. there is a strap line at the top which has three different band names, this is so if the reader don't like the main band on the cover they will probably be interested in one of these bands and so will still want read the magazine.
The band featured on the front cover are all wearing black, the sophistication of this colour is contradicted by the casual style of their clothing. It is also the same colour as the title, keeping the colour scheme of the whole page more simple.

double page spread NME

This is a double page spread of Glasvegas who are also on the front cover of the magazine. A photo is used which takes up the whole page, this is eye catching and shows that the band is important. All the members look relaxed but very cool. The camera angle looking up at them shows they are superior. They all wear black which makes them more of a group. Only the lead singer wears sunglasses so that the audience can differentiate who is more important within the band. They are also in quite a natural backgrouond but there are some steps in the room, they are used as a centrepiece for the band to sit and lean on.

Although it is an interview, a lot of the writers' views and experience of being with the band is given. This means that the audience gets another point of view from someone who has actually met the band. It starts off with an interview with the women who sells the bands' merchandise but who is also a social worker. This ties into alot of their lyrics. The language used is quite colloquial to make it feel chatty and relaxed but there are also some very formal words such as "problematic" and "transposing". Swear words are used: "dickhead" , the younger audience may think it is cool as they use the words themselves and it adds to the colloquial feel. The text of title is very bold and and Sans Serif is used, there are also splatters of black around the writing which makes it look casual as if someone has just painted it on. It could also relate to the picture, that the room is about to be decorated. The rest of the text is quite formal looking as Serif writing is used, this makes it legible. The angel wings around the title reinforce the idea that Geraldine who sells the merchandise is seen as an angel.

Many positive lists are used when describing the band, using lots of adjectives. Also clear opinions in short sentances are used such as "they are the most important band in Britain".

NME contents page

Like the front cover, the contents page has the same style of writing. Lots of bold headings are used to make the text eye catching which is Sans Serif. This again makes the writing very legible. The title NME is on this page but smaller than on the cover, this ensures the reader knows and remembers what they are reading. The colours red and black are also followed on to this page, the red background on the "band index" gives a link from the music and the title on the magazine. Both black writing on white and white on black is used, this makes each section stand out as all the subheadings are white on black. The capital letters emphasise the title.

A picture is used in the middle of the page to ensure that it stands out. There is black and red in the picture which follows NME's theme. The picture is of a popular new band who play indie music it is also taken at glastonbury, a popular festival which many people know of. The fact that the photo is taken from a live performance which gives it atmosphere and makes the reader want to be there.

The language is quite colloquial for example they use "glasto" instead of glastonbury. this suggests that the reader knows about the festival. The language also makes the reader feel as if a friend is talking to them as the text is informal and conversational.

although it is a contents page there is still a point of interest, a short story about the ting tings this keeps the reader interested so that they want to read on. The structure follows the conventions of any contents page, with two thin collums eaither side. One is broken down by subheadings giving short and easy-to-read bits of information.

The readers of NME will have band which they are interested in and they can easily find each band in the collum on the left. This encourages them to read on. The title "this week" sounds as if the magazine has information about everything that has happened with music during the week. The left collum looks as if they are newspaper cuttings this makes it appear

NME front cover

For my music magazine which I will eventually make, I have chosen a indie rock/pop genre which is based on my two research magazines. indie rock is independant and alternative music which may also move onto major labels.

Many music mags with this genre are very popular such as NME and Kerrang, so these are the magazines I am going to use for my research as they both follow out the typical conventions of indie music magazines.

The name NME stands for "new musical express" which tells us that the magazine is fast and gives us lots of new infomation about popular and new music. This name comes from the 50's when it first started and they have kept the title but modernised it. They do this because if they still called it that, it would be far too long and so they have named it in the abbreviation form "NME" as it is a short and catchy title. It is a polysemic sign with other meanings attatched to it, such as when you read it, it sounds like the word enemy. This could signify that when you read the magazine you are tough and are other peoples enemy's which is anchored by the red colour. The colour also helps it establish it's brand. The use of font is quite modern which enhances the message of modern music. All the writing is bold, even if it's not a heading, this forces it to stand out as it becomes more in your face. The sans serif font style also adds to the modern theme and improves the legibility.

Although "Glasvegas" is the main heading on the cover, there are also other bands mentioned to ensure the reader will be interested in one of them. A quote is used from the Strokes which makes the reader want to read on. An unanswered question is asked about the band Oasis, this makes you want to know the answer and you can find out quickly as it gives you the page number.

They use the colour red throughout the page to enhance the title so that it can establish its own brand. The colours used are quite bright and stand out and there is alot of black, the connotations of this could be "cool", darkness and also indie. The band Glasvegas wear black clothes with dark hair and NME have continued the colour on other parts if the page. Their expressions are sinsere and the lead singer wears sunglasses which appears quite threatening.

The use of language is informal and assumes knowlege about indie music by using different band's names. Alliteration and punctuation is used to make the text stand out to the reader.

By the barcoad there are prices form other nationalities, so the magazine is sold in the United States, Canada and Europe. I have looked on ipcmedia.com, who are the publishers for NME, and i have downloaded an audience reader profile. This tells me what the readers of this magazine are like, including quantative and qualitative data. Such as 69% of readers are male, their average age is 24 and 65% are in the ABC1 catagory.