Artist Case Study – The ShinsSamia Meziane

Meet the band…

The shins are an American indie rock band from signed to sub-pop records.

Band Image

The images of them that appear on a Google search are a mixture between humorous and casual. The band members are casually dressed and the settings are familiar ones. Images include the band members pulling funny faces or dressed in unlikely clothing such as swimwear and life jackets, or along side plush monsters. An image of being unpretentious and approachable is presented. Perhaps the band creates ‘light’ records that aren’t too deep, possibly with a dance twist on average indie.

The WebsiteSoft/neutral colours

Music player – currently loaded is their previous album

Advertising the latest album – the website takes the form of a blog where the background utilises artwork from the digipak – this reinforces the importance of continuity

Links to where you can buy band merchandise

Video – Phantom Limb

The video features a play where children march in time to the music, they appear to be dressed in Victorian clothes, it is snowing. The settings and with them the time periods continually change. Intertextuality that references historical events is present throughout, at one point the burning of Joan of Arc is reinacted. The band perform the song against a red curtain background. The video combines performance and concept to make something entertaining that emphasises the melodyof the song.

Digipak This is the front and back cover of the digipak for The Shins third

studio album; Wincing The Night Away.

The band name is the boldest and largest text with the album title text wrapped underneath

The design of the album takes the style of doodles with the shapes being unrecognisable, apart from what appears to be trees.

The album artwork flows from front to back cover.

The track list is written simply down the left hand side, beneath it is a barcode, the record label logo and some copy outlining legalities.

This is the inside cover and CDof the digipak for The Shins third studio album; Wincing The Night Away.

The CD print is very simple, using the band name and album title exactly as they appear on the front cover, but in white ink on black.

The inside covers are even simpler than the exterior, making use of blank space.

The album artwork flows to the inside covers also.

This is the lyric book which accompanies the digipak for The Shins third studio album; Wincing The Night Away.

This is a look inside of the lyric book. Listed in slanted blocks are the lyrics of songs on the album.

This is the front of the lyric book, the vibrant colours make a welcome change from the monotony of the digipak’s colour scheme. However, the pattern and colours look slightly out of place, breaking continuity is unusual for digipaks.