James formed in 1982 and is an English rock band from Manchester whose work is often described as being alt-rock/Brit-pop. The band themselves are named loosely after their bass guitarist Jim but is mostly a tribute to the lead singer Tim Booth’s favourite writer James Joyce who most notably wrote ‘Ulysses’.
‘Destiny Calling’ is a single that was released in March 1998 as a new track ahead of their upcoming album ‘The Best Of’ which included the bands most loved and well-known songs.
The song itself is a lighthearted dig at the music industry during the time when the likes of indie rock came in at full force and suffocated at the end of the ’90s to more mainstream one-hit-wonders - when bands and artists were pressured into fitting into what was current at the time.
James acknowledges all of this by using lyrics such as ‘Clone us in a test tube, sell us to the multitude, guess that’s the price fame’ alongside clips of the band in different marketing schemes such as mock-up merchandise of images of the members on plates, perfume bottles and even on a news channel. The inclusion of the plates may even be a satirical nod to the famous 90’s girl group ‘Spice Girls’ who also had similar merchandise during the time and could be an example of a band that fitted into what people wanted - an all-female band in support of girl power.
There are juxtapositional shots of two women: one filmed in black and white who has a rather older-fashioned, ‘appropriate’ appearance to another woman (this time filmed in colour) who is glamorous and in more revealing attire. This could be a representation of the two different sides of the music industry - fitting into an image or freedom.
Some may potentially argue that the band are being somewhat hypocritical as we can see them performing along with the track which is a typical way of a band promoting themselves and their work within their videos. Also in the scene where two older individuals are advertising (likely comedic) merchandise, there are posters in the background of symbols of different coloured flowers - an image that is the main basis for the cover art of their upcoming album. Again, this could be seen as ironic or could even highlight the bands own self-awareness of their constructed nature.
Their website loads straight onto a simplistic layout that advertises their new album (‘All the colours of you’) with easily accessible links that will allow the user to either order the album or view their tour dates. Minimalistic symbols of colours and drawings which fans will notice as being connected to the band and their albums can be seen throughout the course of their website.
To the top left, there is a small tab bar that clearly maps out the different counterparts of their website and allows the audience to explore the content easily and efficiently.
Scrolling down we can see that the band have included different segments with showcases various current information such as links to new music videos on youtube, the bands own Twitter feed, the latest news segment and recent updates to their online blog. There is even the option for individuals to sign up for free using their email in order to join their mailing list in which you can receive exclusive news and opportunities from the band.
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