GENRE ANALYSISBy Lewis Hodd

The music genre I have chosen

The music genre I have chosen is Indie Folk because I really like a song from that specific genre. The song I have chosen is ‘The Cave’ by Mumford and sons, one of my all time favourite songs. I chose this song because I feel that it is a really good song to create a music video around and there are multiple different thing which I can do with it.

Where it originated?

Indie folk originated from indie rock musicians in the 1990’s who’s songs were influenced by folk and classic country music. This genre takes the acoustic features of a folk music and mixes it with the melodies of indie rock.

Where it originated?

Indie rock is the style given to alternative rock, originating in the UK in the 1980’s. It is extremely diverse with many different sub-groups like indie pop and lo-fi to name a few. The genre broke into the mainstream scene in the 1990’s and was used to identify bands or singers who were outsiders. In the early 2000’s, the genre began to have commercial success due to changes in the music industry.

Popular bands from this genre are R.E.M from the US and The Smiths from the UK.

Indie Rock

Where it originated?

The new folk genre is a mix of traditional and the evolution of the genre which happened in the 20th century. The traditional part of the genre came from the 19th century however it usually is referred to music before that time. This new type of music is sometimes called contemporary folk or folk revival.

Common characteristics for the genre is that it usually is related to national culture or culture of that region and that they are used to commemorate historical and personal events such as Easter, May Day and Christmas to name a few.

A major artist from this genre is Bob Dylan.

Folk

Main artists

Some of the well known artists in indie folk are:• Mumford and sons• Noah and the whale• Amy McDonald• Passenger• Jake Bugg

Some of the original artists that started the genre are:• Ani DiFranco• Dan Bern

Awards

There are many awards available to indie folk bands, most of them small awards like the ‘Tri-state indie music awards’ and ‘the independent music awards.’ However, music from tis genre is often entered into far larger competitions like the Grammy's for “Song of the Year” or “Record of the Year.”

Key features

Effectively indie folk music is modern folk music with country and rock influences. The genre indie folk often refers to songs which are particularly acoustic or lyrical/story orientated.

The genre is different to other genres in the fact that there is no standard set up, instruments wise. It is one of the only genres where the artist can use pretty much any instruments to create their type of music.

Style/clothing/attitudes

The style and clothing is a new equivalent of the original folk style. The majority of the artists wear older clothes from the 80/90’s, underlining the music that they perform which is quite old in its sounds and style.