the minutes

DamagedTrax

anyone know who the minutes are recording with? cause however it is deserves a pat on the back. they're sound is f'kin deadly. album is due in april.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KTm6l1YoJk

Seziertisch

This is taken from their myspace:

2010 also saw them tweaking and fine tuning the soon to come debut album 'Marcata'. The album takes its name from the studio in Upstate New York where the band recorded under the auspices of Kevin McMahon (The Walkmen, Titus Andronicus); recording old school direct to magnetic tape, eschewing the Pro-Tools digital set up favoured by most bands

DamagedTrax

sounds superb :cool:

Seziertisch

Yeah, sure its a good recording, but it lacks the edge that this has

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhft4WmMJeM

PaulBrewer

They recorded some stuff in Joe's in Clara a few couple of years ago with either Ciaran Lynch or Gareth Mannix ...

DamagedTrax

im talkin bout the current recordings they're doing (fleetwood etc).

TelePaul

Seziertisch wrote: »

eschewing the Pro-Tools digital set up favoured by most bands

LOL

krd

Seziertisch wrote: »

Yeah, sure its a good recording, but it lacks the edge that this has

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhft4WmMJeM

Your sex comes comes crashing into sight, bringing lustful thunder.

That's a McFadden's lyric.

A thundering vagina - comin' at ya.

I don't know - kids these days - whatever happened to romance.

Anyway the scurrilous rumor is the song is a paean to drug assisted rape. Brian's pissed about that but you can't stop people spreading muck - it's about his girlfriend -the one that sounds like she's named after a washing powder.

Seziertisch

krd wrote: »

Your sex comes comes crashing into sight, bringing lustful thunder.

That's a McFadden's lyric.

A thundering vagina - comin' at ya.

I don't know - kids these days - whatever happened to romance.

Anyway the scurrilous rumor is the song is a paean to drug assisted rape. Brian's pissed about that but you can't stop people spreading muck - it's about his girlfriend -the one that sounds like she's named after a washing powder.

I read about that McFadden track in the paper and said I'd check it out and see what all the fuss was about.

I can honestly say that when that intro kicked in, it was the first time in my life that I had a Danny Glover "I'm getting too old for this sh*t" moment when it came to music.

The combination of Deliverance banjo and speeded-up autotune vocal really is quite bizarre (bordering on sinister).

i57dwun4yb1pt8

Seziertisch wrote: »

Yeah, sure its a good recording, but it lacks the edge that this has

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhft4WmMJeM

ha ha ha ha

what a c.unt

i57dwun4yb1pt8

actually

ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

i had to listen again in disbelief .

krd

DamagedTrax wrote: »

anyone know who the minutes are recording with? cause however it is deserves a pat on the back. they're sound is f'kin deadly. album is due in april.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KTm6l1YoJk

Good song.

The band look like interesting looking weirdoes.

Crap Irish video - Why do so many Irish videos involve people going to the beach or running along the sand...at the beach - why do the people who have the video equipment, and stuff always produce the most unimaginative crap. Jesus - I mean f'k it - the band have a tune and some haircuts - why put a fat girl running along a beach in - ruins the whole thing.

Ok, alright - I have been drinking - but just saying.

But just saying - if I got the chance to make the video, I'd come up with something that might not leave your imagination in a hurry - I wouldn't have a beach or f'ing Galway in it. Or f'ing Tramore.

That song is good - but no one is going to sit up and take notice after seeing that video.

DamagedTrax

i quite liked the video (it was bray btw!).

it told a story that made sense with the lyrics. i think anyone thats ever brought a bird out to bray can understand the grim sentiment.

is she considered fat?

pinksoir

I really like that Minutes song. The recording is great. Really raw sound. There is a definite Walkmen-like vibe from the sound of it, despite them not being anything like the Walkmen. Might be the sound of the drums... The video is alright but nothing great. Pretty derivative. I'm not sure it really tells the story of the song. I agree with krd, the band are barely in it and they look pretty interesting. The video itself is fairly bleh, and if anything it lets down the song. A lot. Though it's not easy to make good videos. We made this video on a shoestring (I'm not saying it's any better, but we tried to give it a few different layers while trying to tell the story of the song...):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsP6KsCxL90

maccored

i cant get into the minutes at all at all.

Denalihighway

pinksoir wrote: »

I really like that Minutes song. The recording is great. Really raw sound. There is a definite Walkmen-like vibe from the sound of it, despite them not being anything like the Walkmen. Might be the sound of the drums... The video is alright but nothing great. Pretty derivative. I'm not sure it really tells the story of the song. I agree with krd, the band are barely in it and they look pretty interesting. The video itself is fairly bleh, and if anything it lets down the song. A lot. Though it's not easy to make good videos. We made this video on a shoestring (I'm not saying it's any better, but we tried to give it a few different layers while trying to tell the story of the song...):

Oh yes you are :pac: - and it is a better video. nice work. the lazy man's comparison is Coffee & TV obviously but its good and interesting.

i agree the Minutes video does a serious disservice to the song. not that the music is my thing, the garage rock thing has never floated my boat that much but the minutes do it very very well from what I've heard and they seem to be hardworking and a sound bunch so good luck to them - i actually loved them when they had a more indie sound (see http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4V05c27dZKs - better video too)

I've always said that no video is better than a poor video - it's very forgettable. Judging by the camera quality they probably had decent equipment and they must have spent a bit of time on it. It could have been much better spent had they a better concept.

Its not that the video is that bad, or made badly but its almost instantly forgettable because the ideas are lacking.

If budget is restricted you need high concept or a bit of imagination at least, there's a lot of people with a lot of ideas out there these days and they can be found and put to work.

krd

DamagedTrax wrote: »

i quite liked the video (it was bray btw!).

it told a story that made sense with the lyrics. i think anyone thats ever brought a bird out to bray can understand the grim sentiment.

'Let's all go to the beach' videos are the least imaginable possible. They're awful cliches. Indie bands the world over are notorious for doing them.

Imagine the production meeting "Hey everyone, why don't we shoot it at the beach - no one else has ever thought of that"

The sea is visually interesting - it's just not that interesting when everyone else has done it too death.

Another cliche too avoid: smug twats cycling bikes and giving each other smug knowing smiles. In fact, always avoid smug twat smiles in videos.

Band video shoots are generally not interesting - unless the band looks interesting. If they don't look interesting - make them look interesting. That's what they funny haircuts and suits are all about. Hey Ma, look at me, I'm TV videos are awful..

If you had a big budget you could build sets and have elaborate action - if you don't, you don't. Cameras and editing have become much cheaper. It shouldn't cost the earth to shoot and edit something interesting.


The idea should be to create something visually interesting and memorable.

And simple ideas can be incredibly effective.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcATvu5f9vE

I've watched the minutes video again - I think it's a terrible video. like the slow mo bit of the two smug twats jumping in the sea. Why edit like that? The band are doing their fast bit and instead of editing to the beat there's this slow mo let's jump in the sea bit. And so what if it climaxes with them jumping in the sea.

The song sounds much better without the video.

is she considered fat?

The camera adds ten pounds. She's smug. I don't like her. She probably got in the video because someone wanted to diddle her. I knew a video producer - what used to drive her mental was sending crews to shoot crowd scenes/streets scenes and the footage would come back, where the camera man had tracked and even focused in on girls tits on the street - rendering the footage useless.


Classic U2 video that never got much airplay - hidden from public view for decades.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBP64ZssRNY

DamagedTrax

wow

i just liked the video

krd

I prefer this video - as band shoots go I think it's pretty good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TB436mE_RE0

pinksoir

Definitely. Suits the song with it's quick editing etc.

krd

pinksoir wrote: »

Definitely. Suits the song with it's quick editing etc.

With music videos especially, editing drives that whole thang. Editing to the beat especially. Editing to Timecode and figuring out where the beats and rhythm are, could be a real pain in the A. Ableton has some video editing function - which means you could cut to the beat. I haven't tried it yet - but creating rhythmic cuts - you know; will have your eyes dancing.

pinksoir

The thing is, in order to have enough angles to do quick cuts etc you need to have a bunch of good takes from at least 3 or 4 different angles.

The Minutes' latest video looks expensive, but that's all down to the grading. It looks like it was done on the relative cheap, shot in a day and then graded nicely. I'm sure if they had more money they'd have done a better video.

You're right though, editing does drive videos. For example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHAigWTZioI

caesura

Bit harsh lads!

The Minutes are a good enough band but hardly groundbreakingly original and the video is the exact same its good enough but not exactly something you'll have burned into your visual memory for life.

Put it this way neither song nor video are 'Smack My Bitch Up'

Admittedly the video is pretty derivative but there are some beautifully composed shots and some genuinely creative moments (the shot around 1.23 with the multi-coloured containers and mossgreen rocks/breakers is gorgeous).

There is something a little bit offish about it though...like it doesn't quite fit but keep in mind as well that its all well and good to claim the video makers could have been more creative but they also would have to consult the band as they'd want some input...a video of a transexual dwarf dressed as snow-white, peeling layer after layer of his own skin away to reveal some translucent creature eventually dissolving into a nothingness of moth wings and soundwaves offering an allegorical meditation on the nature of life music and art all within the frameword of a 3 - 4 minute 'nice enough' indie track - could have been suggested. Maybe it was? And the band being a guitar rock indie band said:

The Minutes: Yeah?? It's grand i suppose but not...eh...it's just a little...like a real dwarf yeah? Hhhhmmmm...moths can we get moths? Are we a mothish band do you think? Probably something a little more mainstream...y'know...might be good
Video Director: Oh yeah, yeah...i know what you mean...that's a bit out there alright...ignore me, i'm a bit hungover this morning..i actually have another thought on this...its...where's me notes (ruffles through blank pages) oh eh yeah here it is...A big wheel, sea lapping the shore and a narrative that takes us through daylight into a creamy dusk, a couple (indie looking) maybe hungover just taking the day as it comes - in the background you guys playing...in one of those gazebo things eh?
The Minutes: Yeah man i can see that...i was actually in a band called Gazebo when i was 15 so it all kind of fits...you will show clear images of the band name won't ya?
Video Director: Goes without saying...so are we happy yeah?
The Minutes: Yeah man whatever you think - we're all about the music really

Exact same thing as production/engineering work, what you'd like to do is not always what the band want or require on a given occasion...compromise is the name of the game.

As for budget could be there was a decent budget but something like that could easily have been filmed on a decent DSLR (Canon 550d, Canon 5d or Canon 7d) all beautiful cameras.

As for the girl she's actually an actress Charleen Gleeson http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fYQgNJvZdI&feature=related I wouldn't call her 'fat' either (Kate Moss can't turn up in every indie video :P) she seems cute enough to me...I'd give her one anyway.

So all in all good enough band, good enough video and yes very nice sound - particularly when it comes on the car radio.

krd

pinksoir wrote: »

The thing is, in order to have enough angles to do quick cuts etc you need to have a bunch of good takes from at least 3 or 4 different angles.

The trick is: shoot loads and then edit.

Good editing can make mediocre material work very well.

I did some editing years ago (on pro equipment with pro footage - I wasn't doing this professionally -- long story blah blah). One thing I did, with footage of actors. The actors; when the camera was rolling and they were preforming from script their acting was sh1tty and hammy. Between takes the camera was still rolling - when they were talking to the crew they were very natural - giving a whole range of emotions very naturally - so I took the off cuts and carefully edited them into the acting. And Viola; the hammy acting vanished and the actors turned in an excellent performance.

Good editing is invisible, when it's done well. A lot of what you think is great acting is actually great editing.

And those awful short films that get made - the pseudo intellectual, narcissistic meaningless pieces of crap that get made and entered in competitions are still just awful.

The Minutes' latest video looks expensive, but that's all down to the grading. It looks like it was done on the relative cheap, shot in a day and then graded nicely. I'm sure if they had more money they'd have done a better video.

These days, it's relatively inexpensive to make things look good. Before the only option you really had to shoot on, was film or very expensive video cameras. Sony are now selling cameras that cost little over a grand that can shoot the same quality as 35mm cameras.

Something like grading was once a complicated process - so was editing. Film was literally edited with razor blades.

In terms of production. You can get quality for a few grand these days that would have cost tens to hundreds of thousands a few years back. It still won't get you great actors, or great script writing, good lighting will always be expensive.

krd

caesura wrote: »

Bit harsh lads!

The Minutes are a good enough band but hardly groundbreakingly original and the video is the exact same its good enough but not exactly something you'll have burned into your visual memory for life.

Put it this way neither song nor video are 'Smack My Bitch Up'

Yeah, well. Smack My Bitch Up had a serious budget and Jonas Ackerland shooting it. And editing it.

Admittedly the video is pretty derivative but there are some beautifully composed shots and some genuinely creative moments (the shot around 1.23 with the multi-coloured containers and mossgreen rocks/breakers is gorgeous).

Yeah, well. Cut out the band and put some smug fiddle music on it and you have perfect video for bord failte - to advertise weekend get aways to smug well heeled couples.

As for the girl she's actually an actress Charleen Gleeson http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fYQgNJvZdI&feature=related

So what, the cast of Faircity are all actors too. And in that clip, she seems pretty hammy. Over doing the coddle and Johnson, Mooney and O'brien Dublin accent. In a way, like a white actor blacking up, and speaking in ebonese.

I wouldn't call her 'fat' either (Kate Moss can't turn up in every indie video :P) she seems cute enough to me...I'd give her one anyway.

That's probably how she gets gigs. The producers all want to knob her.

pinksoir

She's terribly unnatural. Straight out of the Billy Barry/Fair City school of acting.

krd

pinksoir wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fHAigWTZioI

That's actually a fantastic video.

The problem with doing something like that in Ireland - is the place looks like a giant travellers horse fair --- on a good day.

Dancing works in music videos - preferably if the music is danceable.

DrFroggies

Wrote something too preachy there...read over it later and its far too verbose.
So i'll just say this: http://www.ehow.com/how_2063562_direct-music-video.html

thorbarry

I like them. I heard that they are on that Saturday Night show on RTE tonight

cossy09

They were excellent on Saturday night show last night. (The show was ****) 3 guys trying to make it in an impossible business on a low budget. The single played last night was really catchy and more rock and roll than indie. I think we should be supporting Irish bands eho are doing something a little different and not bleedin Bono Westlife or The Script. Also thought they stole the show on Other Voices recently.

As for the slagging of the Fleetwood video. Everyday is like Sunday is one of my fav videos and it is set by the beach. A quick look at you tube and the fleetwood won an award for best video beating off stiff competition:)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1_MWfjzQ0M

cossy

cossy09

I saw these guys last week as I was at The Saturday Show. I was intrigued. I added them on facebook as I liked the song they performed Black Keys. Checking Facebook this evening I see the new video has been released. Obviously on a much lower budget. I personally love it

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEPmp5Wv9uo

Dermighty

caesura wrote: »

Bit harsh lads!

The Minutes are a good enough band but hardly groundbreakingly original and the video is the exact same its good enough but not exactly something you'll have burned into your visual memory for life.

I bought their album.

I do think they are a poor mans Von Bondies however.

seannash

There playing the spirit store in Dundalk tomorrow.
It's a great wee venue.whipping boy played there last Sunday too but I just stayed below in the bar:o

cossy09

The Minutes to support Noel Gallagher on debut solo performance

20 October 2011

We've spoken at length on these pages about The Minutes already this year and it doesn't seem that we'll be stopping anytime soon. One of the hardest working bands in the country, The Minutes have now been confirmed as support to Noel Gallagher's first ever solo show at the Olympia on Sunday October 23rd and, as mentioned already on this site, have been confirmed as part of the Irish contingent set for Eurosonic 2012 in Gronigen in January.
The Minutes are currently stateside in NYC, showcasing their music at CMJ and will return this weekend to share the stages with Glasvegas in Cork on Saturday and off to the Olympia on Sunday night. And will set off around Europe supporting Flogging Molly on their 23 date European tour for the month of November