Codes and Conventions of Music Magazines.

The main image is a medium group shot of the lead singers of the artists featuring in the main feature. The graphic of the tingle connecting all the artists in the image shows that the editors of this image are professionals. The non-verbal communication of the three artists is very stern; they are not smiling. This shows that they are not pop groups; they are serious musicians who want to be taken seriously.  The main feature headline (‘The Unholy Trinity’) links to the triangle in the main image. This reference to the belief in the Christian belief in the Holy Trinity implies that the musicians are like the Anti-Christ. They are not safe, they do not have good morals, they are dangerous and edgy. This is what the audience of the NME wants. The masthead ‘NME’ is also effective as it is an anachronism for ‘The New Musical Express’, the company has built a build around this and ‘NME’ is easily recognisable. There is also a graphic image of the logo of ‘Leeds Reading Festival’. This is effective as the audience will buy this from the brand of the festival as well as the brand of NME. The colour theme is very vivid (bright red, yellow and blue), this would make this magazine more prominent amongst other (more mundane) magazines.  I think the NME’s DIY/punk aesthetic will be something I incorporate into my magazine, especially since many Riot Grrrl groups are already featured in the NME.    

The main image is a medium close up of the main feature’s artist. Her costume is all black to match the background which is effective as it draws focus to the text and the artist’s face, which are of lighter colouring. The masthead title piece is placed behind the artist’s head which shows the magazine is professional and reassures the audience that the content will match the standard of the colour. The colour scheme is black, white and red. The only feature that doesn’t match this aesthetic is the offer blurb which gives it more prominence on the front cover. I have used this front cover as a source of inspiration as the magazine’s main feature and main image (which shows consistency throughout the design of the magazine) is a Feminist Punk Rock artist. P!nk being depicted in such an eloquent way shows that Riot Grrrl doesn’t have to have a fanzine aesthetic to work effectively. 

The main feature relates to the main image, which is in a close up. The decision to make the colour scheme of the cover the same as the free CD included creates an air of professionalism. The skyline with the accompanying image is also very skilfully done and works with the Siouxsie Sioux-centric cover. The use of teaser quotes from interviews is a main convention of this magazine and I will be sure to include these in my magazine as they entice people in and are a very useful tool. I have chosen to use this magazine as a muse as it features on of the first women in Punk Rock: Siouxsie Sioux. It just goes to show that women in rock need their own magazine to be celebrated, there is a niche market for this and would prove popular as Mojo (amongst others) regularly feature female artists. Her band, Siouxsie and the Banshees, sang feminist songs like ‘Peepshow’, this illustrates that a Feminist Punk Rock magazine would be a viable endeavour as some of the acclaimed bands of the latter half of the last century sang songs from that genre. This cover also encapsulates the revival in said genre.