Claire Coleman | Western Sydney University (original) (raw)
Papers by Claire Coleman
In the last three years, a number of prominent female performers from the indie rock genre have "... more In the last three years, a number of prominent female performers from the indie rock genre have " called out " misogynistic behavior in the music industry and by music fans. This short article examines public statements made by Lauren Mayberry (CHVRCHES), Amber Coffman (Dirty Projectors) and Bethany Cosentino (Best Coast) and the impact these statements had on their audiences, the male perpetrators of harassment, and wider feminist discourses. Indie music subculture is found to be an invisible contributor to the " calling out " process, associating these musicians with authentic and direct communication and contributing to the authority these statements command.
Small number of free downloads available for those without university library access: http://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/aKujxtzUXkZRcWqcYwkV/full
Notions of 'the wild', an untamed and natural space, exist as idealisations that imply dissatisfa... more Notions of 'the wild', an untamed and natural space, exist as idealisations that imply dissatisfaction with contemporary urban and industrial landscapes. Nostalgic longing for integration between domestic and wild spaces may be communicated by various modes in popular culture. Reynolds argues that nostalgic feeling is not limited, as was argued seminally by Davis (1977), to sentimental longing for one's real past experiences, but instead can invoke a fabled or imagined past (Reynolds 2011: xxix). Nostalgic longing in popular music, and particularly in folk genres, is often communicated by invoking a binary between an idealised, utopian past and an inimical, malignant present. Joanna Newsom's work elicits this binary subtly, using musical and extra-musical intertextuality to reference a fantastic provincial past while also portraying the natural world with a foreboding sense of imminent threat. Reynolds describes the 'freak folk' movement, in which Newsom's work is often categorised, as invoking 'the unsettled wilderness of early America; a self-reliant existence, outside society and remote from urban centres' (Reynolds, 2011: 344). This paper will examine the communication of a 'wildness' dichotomy in Newsom's oeuvre, created particularly through inter- and extra- textual associations, in which the wild is simultaneously nostalgically idealised and feared.
This paper was published in a special issue of Social Alternatives journal (Vol 33, Issue 1, 2014) examining music, politics and the environment.
Online platforms provide musicians with unprecedented opportunities to forge interpersonal connec... more Online platforms provide musicians with unprecedented opportunities to forge interpersonal connections with a disparate and dispersed audience, and to distribute and finance their work independently with the assistance of this audience. Interaction through social media fosters a virtual sense of intimacy and proximity, allowing fans to receive regular insights into what is perceived to be the musician’s veridical self. Whether or not this is truly the case, a musician’s success may be influenced by fans’ perceptions of his or her authenticity (Marshall 2006) regardless of whether the authentic behaviours are constructed or genuine (Encarnacao 2009). Crowdfunding is a recent phenomenon reliant on the relational engagement and communication possibilities inherent in this new media environment.
This paper argues that when musicians crowdfund a project, an indirect emotional transaction with fans may take place in addition to the explicit financial one. Fans may attach expectations and ownership to the project, and to the musicians involved, and react critically to any perceived shift from stated aims and values. The importance and risks of relational fan-musician interactions for crowdfunding are demonstrated through case studies of Amanda Palmer’s 2012 Kickstarter, and Eskimo Joe’s 2013 Pozible. These campaigns highlight the necessity for authentic engagement with fans for the success of a crowdfunding venture, but also show the dangerous littoral in the new media environment between perceived authenticity and perceived hypocrisy.
In the last three years, a number of prominent female performers from the indie rock genre have "... more In the last three years, a number of prominent female performers from the indie rock genre have " called out " misogynistic behavior in the music industry and by music fans. This short article examines public statements made by Lauren Mayberry (CHVRCHES), Amber Coffman (Dirty Projectors) and Bethany Cosentino (Best Coast) and the impact these statements had on their audiences, the male perpetrators of harassment, and wider feminist discourses. Indie music subculture is found to be an invisible contributor to the " calling out " process, associating these musicians with authentic and direct communication and contributing to the authority these statements command.
Small number of free downloads available for those without university library access: http://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/aKujxtzUXkZRcWqcYwkV/full
Notions of 'the wild', an untamed and natural space, exist as idealisations that imply dissatisfa... more Notions of 'the wild', an untamed and natural space, exist as idealisations that imply dissatisfaction with contemporary urban and industrial landscapes. Nostalgic longing for integration between domestic and wild spaces may be communicated by various modes in popular culture. Reynolds argues that nostalgic feeling is not limited, as was argued seminally by Davis (1977), to sentimental longing for one's real past experiences, but instead can invoke a fabled or imagined past (Reynolds 2011: xxix). Nostalgic longing in popular music, and particularly in folk genres, is often communicated by invoking a binary between an idealised, utopian past and an inimical, malignant present. Joanna Newsom's work elicits this binary subtly, using musical and extra-musical intertextuality to reference a fantastic provincial past while also portraying the natural world with a foreboding sense of imminent threat. Reynolds describes the 'freak folk' movement, in which Newsom's work is often categorised, as invoking 'the unsettled wilderness of early America; a self-reliant existence, outside society and remote from urban centres' (Reynolds, 2011: 344). This paper will examine the communication of a 'wildness' dichotomy in Newsom's oeuvre, created particularly through inter- and extra- textual associations, in which the wild is simultaneously nostalgically idealised and feared.
This paper was published in a special issue of Social Alternatives journal (Vol 33, Issue 1, 2014) examining music, politics and the environment.
Online platforms provide musicians with unprecedented opportunities to forge interpersonal connec... more Online platforms provide musicians with unprecedented opportunities to forge interpersonal connections with a disparate and dispersed audience, and to distribute and finance their work independently with the assistance of this audience. Interaction through social media fosters a virtual sense of intimacy and proximity, allowing fans to receive regular insights into what is perceived to be the musician’s veridical self. Whether or not this is truly the case, a musician’s success may be influenced by fans’ perceptions of his or her authenticity (Marshall 2006) regardless of whether the authentic behaviours are constructed or genuine (Encarnacao 2009). Crowdfunding is a recent phenomenon reliant on the relational engagement and communication possibilities inherent in this new media environment.
This paper argues that when musicians crowdfund a project, an indirect emotional transaction with fans may take place in addition to the explicit financial one. Fans may attach expectations and ownership to the project, and to the musicians involved, and react critically to any perceived shift from stated aims and values. The importance and risks of relational fan-musician interactions for crowdfunding are demonstrated through case studies of Amanda Palmer’s 2012 Kickstarter, and Eskimo Joe’s 2013 Pozible. These campaigns highlight the necessity for authentic engagement with fans for the success of a crowdfunding venture, but also show the dangerous littoral in the new media environment between perceived authenticity and perceived hypocrisy.