Textual Analysis- Double Page Spreads
This double page spread has been taken from the magazine 'Rock Sound' and uses a large image to cover two pages with a smaller article.
The effect of using this large image is so that the reader gains instant interest by being able to directly focus on a large image.
This is therefore more successful than using smaller images as the reader is able to focus more towards the article related with the individual image and it looks more appealing to read as it is shorter, and as the article continues onto another page, the reader will be more likely to continue reading. For the image, the individuals are all wearing similar colour clothing which identifies them as a group. The magazine then uses yellow title boxes in the corners as to make them stand out as the section within the magazine on band 'exposure', this stands out to the reader and draws them even further into looking at the page and reading the article. The image also presents the main/lead person in the band to be percieved as the person in the centre as he is the person with the most animated expression, while the others look closer to being contempt. This ensures that the reader is focusing more upon one individual that the article may focus on.

This double page spread is within 'NME' magazine and has a large amount of text and images. This is a large contrast to the double page spread in 'Rock Sound' as it uses several images rather than one and uses several smaller articles. The large titles for each article are clearly displayed, making it simple for the reader to know which article is associated with each image. It uses similar techniques as the contents pages by using text boxes to surround the articles, this makes the articles stand out against the images and colour upon the page, making it more attractive for the audience to read as it is very clear and also short. 'NME' has a successful double page spread as it also includes small advertisments along with images to make the page more attractive and 'busy for the reader.

Textual Analysis- Contents Pages

This contents page, taken from the rock/alternative music magazine 'NME', is very crowded and busy in order to appeal to their target audience of young teenagers.

This is done by presenting lots of articles available within the magazine as well as a band index so that readers know if the band they like is in there. This therefore widens the target audience due to the amount of artists within the magazine as more people will look for an artist they like and if they wish to read about it they will purchase it. The contents page also uses the name of the magazine to again make it stand out and also use a form of masthead to show that it is a weekly magazine by using 'THIS WEEK' followed directly by the date below it. This therefore reminds the reader of which issue of the magazine they are reading as well as reminding them that there are other weeks to follow. On the contents page a single image is shown with a small related article, this keeps the focus on a single section and is like an introduction to the nature and style within the magazine. Beneath this a subscription section has been inserted, this stands out on the page as it contains the only other form of image. This contents page is effective as it addresses the reader through colloquial text and centred images that capture the readers eye. The contents page being crowded also makes the reader look more at what is available to read within the magazine, whilst searching for the artist they have bought the magazine to read about.


This contents page, is very contrasting to that of 'NME', as it comes from 'Hip Hop' magazine.



In comparison to 'NME', this contents page is very minimalistic and uses a single photograph to cover the entire page. This draws the readers eye directly to the page and makes them want to read it to see if any articles within the magazine are linked with the image that is being displayed. The typography on the contents page is small with larger bold titles, this draws the readers eye first to the title which is catchy enough to make them want to read the entire article. The date of the issue is also on the contents page so that it is obvious as to which issue they are reading and can know the clear date in which it came out so that they know the information in the rest of the magazine is up to date. Therefore, the bold image of orange immediatley draws attention to the reader.

Front Cover analysis
'NME' stands for New Musical Express but sounds quite subversive due it sounding like the word 'enemy', this portrays a very rebellious magazine just from the masthead. The house style of the magazine is rock/alternative music magazine that would appeal to people who enjoy rock and indie music.
The cover image of the magazine is very subversive due to the woman smoking and having a visible tatoo on her stomach, these are today considered very rebellious things to do, especially among young people. The mise-en-scene in the image also creates the idea of rebellion as they are wearing leather, which is a widely known 'rock 'n' roll' image. From the cover image, sex appeal has also been created due to the skin being shown on the stomach which shows the audience a small amount and leaves them wanting more. The camera angle used for the cover image is a high angled shot looking over the two individuals which creates the idea that they are lying down together. This therefore presents a very prevocative connotation of them lying down together with the man's hand on the bare skin of her stomach. The straplines are about the band 'Crystal Castles', shown in the kicker, and show a very rebellious side to them as they say 'Murder, Drugs and Twisted Love'. These things are all very subversive, but at the same time quite dark and sinister as you don't know how they are involved in the aspects of 'murder' and 'drugs'. This therefore makes the resder want to pick up the magazine and fond out what happened to them and what they were involved in.
The magazine also usews an 'exclusive' story in order to attract more readers: "Nirvana 'My life with Kurt' ex-manager speaks". This story would appeal to many fans of Nirvana and Kurt Cobain as many people would want to find out as much as they could about him now that he is no longer alive and widely regarded as a 'legend'. People may therefore use this to discover information they did not know about him along with what he was like to be around while he was alive.
Other straplines on the image also help to present a subversive theme from the use of expletives on the front cover: 'f***ed up'. Expletives are not coventionally used on the front covers of magazines as it is often percieved as being offensive to many people. This shows the reader that rebellious theme as been incorporated into all aspects of the magazine from the staplines to the masthead, to the cover image.

Textual Analysis

The genre of 'Blender' is a mens music magazine aimed at males aged 16 to 36. This target audience is quite broad which means that lots of people will buy it and will also appeal to a wide range wherever it is sold. The was head has been hidden by the cover image, this shows that it is a recognisable and well known magazine. The masthead also has a slit through with gives the effect that it has been cut, this suggests a theme of rebellion and not being your 'usual' music magazine. The target audience can mainly be identified through the cover image as it is of Britney Spears wearing nothing but a sheet which would appeal to a lot of men.

Textual Analysis

The masthead 'NME' for this magazine stands for New Musical Express which shows the audience that it is a magazine for new and upcoming music or artists. However, despite looking at what NME stands for it actually sounds like the word 'enemy' which suggests rebellion. This connotation therefore links in to the target audience of the magazine as being rebellious by listening to the 'alternative/indie' music being promoted within the magazine. This therefore shows the target audience as being both males and females aged around 14-24 who are into this particular genre of music.

The cover image captivates the audience as the entire band of the arctic monkeys is looking directly at the camera, but it is almost like they are looking down on the audience due to the worms eye view effect from the camera angles used. The image is very subversive as they are all dressed in elf costumes for the magazines christmas issue but have sledge hammers in their hands and Father Chistmas on fire in his sleigh in the sky behind them. This cover image also uses the rule of thirds where the main image is mainly kept in the top two thirds of the cover and slightly to the right. This therefore keeps the audiences eye on the image. The theme of rebellion has been continued into the cover image by the use of sledge hammers but is also used to represent the artists as being different and not conforming to stereotypes.

The typography used on the magazine front cover has elements taken from the popular Tim Burton film, 'The Nightmare Before Christmas', the font '100 page', 'presents' and 'starring' all use the same font as used in the film and on the DVD front cover. This wording of 'presents' and 'starring' also makes it appear as a film itself with a title to the film and the people involved within it. The kicker on the image is: 'Their favourite worst nightmare before christmas', this also links in with the film 'the nightmare before christmas and the rebellious cover image. However the term 'favourite worst nightmare' is the name of their latest album which has cleverly encorporated to promote the Arctic Monkeys' new album, which is who the article is on.

The straplines are in the form of just text on the front cover are of other bands featured in the magazine which helps people looking at the magazine know that even if they didn't like the arctic monkeys there are other artists which they can read about within the magazine. On the front cover there es also a skyline telling the reader it is a christmas special as well as offering free posters within the magazine. This therefore gives the reader a larger insentive to buy the magazine as something free is being offered. Lastly they also have other shapes on the front cover containing other things within the magazine and the barcode which allows people to purchase the magazine. The website for 'NME' is also on the barcode which allows readers to get more information of the website and so they can find out more about the magazine at home.