Goodwin Theory-Junior Senior “Move your feet”

1. Music videos demonstrate genre characteristics

Although Junior Senior are a indie/pop rock band the song falls more under the genre of house. It shows many of the characteristics of house music like the extensive use of many synthesisers and the use of reverb and delay effects. Also the extensive use of the hi-hat of a drum kit is also one of the house characteristics which are used throughout the song. Despite the use of instrumental similarities to house the lyrics do not contain a political message (if it does it’s not very clear) nor do the lyrics contain sexual references although the video itself does contain quite a few, one example is the champagne bottle and glass (you can guess what the reference is).

2. There is a relationship between the lyrics and visuals

This is very true throughout move your feet characters in the video can be seen singing along to the lyrics a many points in the video. Also at some points the words from the lyrics are bought up on screen but usually it’s only one word such as “yeah” on the toast. The lyrics of this of this song are largely illustrative.

http://www.stlyrics.com/lyrics/queereyeforthestraightguy/moveyourfeet.htm

3. There is a relationship between the music and the visuals

This is also very much true for “Move your feet” there are a number of cuts to the beat throughout the course of the video. Also there is self reference show Senior playing instruments to song ( even though they aren’t the correct ones). As well as cuts to the beat characters can be seen dancing in time with the beat and there are also other actions one example is the squirrel blowing up different objects/animals in time to the beat.

4. The demands will include the need for lots of close ups of the artists and the artist may develop motifs which recur across their work

The video does feature many close ups of both Junior and Senior for the first part of the video the artists are seen in 16 bit graphic form but later when they “get naked” the 16 bit faces are pulled off to reveal their real faces (though still pixelated) and a number of close ups are used of their faces in the following scenes. The second point doesn’t apply to this video as it is Junior Senior’s first song.

5. There is frequent reference to the notion of looking and particular voyeuristic treatment of women

This isn’t a very prominent point in “Move your feet” there is only a passing notion to looking and no women in the video at all. The only notion of looking is the duck spying on Junior and Senior getting naked from behind a magazine. The “Get naked” scene may be a direct comment against this convention usually seen in video.

6. There is often intersexual reference

There are a vast number of references to other media and people throughout the course of the video. The squirrel jumping the buses is a reference towards Evel Kenevil and famous stunts and crashes. The montage towards the end of the piece features a number of references to things in the real world sphinxes nose, Abraham Lincoln etc. Also the final part of the music video is a reference to Darth Vader in star wars drifting through space in his spaceship.