Research into websites of Indie/Indie Pop bands

We have now decided to do a website instead of a magazine advert for one of our ancillary products.

 

 

Below is The Kooks official website -

 

   

The website incorporates tumblr into the site; the photos on the homepage can be reblogged and liked by tumblr uses. This feature helps the fans feel interactive with the band.

 At the top of the website on the right hand side are the links to various sites that The Kooks use/have accounts on e.g. - the bands twitter, Facebook page and their Instagram. These links provide the fans with other ways (social networking) to interact with the band and for them to find out about what the band are doing
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There is a link to iTunes in which people can click on and then be directed to a page that they can purchase the bands singles/albums - this is important as the band are trying to sell their music.

The website uses a simplistic layout that uses the colours black and white, therefore making the website look modern yet indie.

 

 

 

 

The Vaccines website uses a white and red colour scheme and a simple layout like The Kooks website. The pictures at the top of the website are black and white 'vintage' looking pictures, this suggests straight away the band is of an Indie genre.

 

The website has various headings on the menu at the top, which allows for the fans to find out things about the band e.g. - when they are touring, what music they have available to buy/listen to etc.

 

 

Further down the website is an advertisement for the bands latest single, below this there is an iTunes button - if clicked it directs the website user to iTunes where they can download the single.

 

The homepage mainly features 'News' posts that tell the website user what the band have been up to.

 

 

 

Two Door Cinema Clubs website uses a pastel colour scheme of white, pink, turquoise and green. This is slightly brighter than The Kooks & The Vaccines websites, however it still looks and fits in with the Indie (Indie Pop) genre.

 

There is a banner at the top that plays the bands latest music video automatically; this is interesting as it is advertising their single/music video without the website visitor even clicking 'play' to watch it.

 

Further down the website is an advertisement for the bands latest single (just like The Vaccines website).
Next to this is a QR code while allows the website visitor to download an app that the band have created, which allows fans to use the website etc on their phones without searching for it on the internet.

The Strokes website uses a red and white colour scheme, the red is very bright and connotes the idea of danger. At the top of the website there is a slideshow of various things such as newly announced gigs, lyrics to The Strokes' songs, and also links to listen to the bands songs.

On the right side of the website is the advertisement for their new album, with buttons to buy and play the album.

Further down the website is some news about the band and a gig listing that allows fans that have signed up to the website to tell the band if they are attending the event - this is a good feature as it allows fans to feel a sense of belonging (McQuail's 'Uses and Gratifications theory')

At the bottom of the website is links to the bands Facebook page, Twitter account, Myspace, YouTube channel and Vevo channel.

Conclusion
After researching Indie/Indie Pop websites I have found that most websites contain the same generic features e.g...

• advertisement for latest single/album
• links to the bands Facebook/Twitter accounts etc
• News posts that tell fans brief information such as announcing a gig or letting fans know that a single/album have just been released
• links to additional pages

Also the colour scheme tends to include the colour white as the main colour, and then brighter colours mixed with the white eg. - red, blue, green.

I will be thinking about these features when I am creating the website.