November 28th, 2011 by Randy
Sorry the photo shows a wonderfully sharp wall and shelf, and a somewhat blurry can of meat.
This was a promotional item given out to campus/community radio stations, reviewers, and others, to publicize the 1991 album, Dim the Lights, Chill the Ham, by Toronto’s instro-kings, Shadowy Men on a Shadowy Planet, the wordless three-piece consisting of Don Pyle, Reid Diamond (rest in peace), and Brian Connelly — on the Cargo Records label, when the label was a rather very large and influential releaser of…
More: history
+Tags: atomic 7, cargo records, food, promotional item, shadowy men on a shadowy planet
November 25th, 2011 by Randy
Sorry, found it.
Thank you, Photoshop free distort, and storage lockers, and Kaitlin Fontana’s book.
Lots of House Industries fonts, I think. Lots of faux duotone CMYK photos. Lots of keylines and drop shadows. Lots of sponsors. Lots of cross promotion involving samplers and record stores. And lots of these big 18x24 glossy items up on the walls and poles around our wonderful city. (You ask Nardwuar about “Vancouver Action” sometime.)
These weren’t, of course, the reasons why the shows were incredible…
More: history
+Tags: mint birthday party
November 24th, 2011 by Randy
Volumizer released their only album on Mint in March 2002, and achieved that hallowed notoriety of playing so sporadically that every gig was a rare and memorable treat. Here’s a nice review in Erasing Clouds. And here’s something on AllMusic.
Shannon Oksanen, Rodney Graham, Jade Blade, and Bill Napier-Hemy were all busy pre-Volumizer, and continue to be busy post-Volumizer in their respective art and music realms. Gina, Jade’s daughter who is also in the photos, might be…
More: history
+Tags: bill napier hemy, gaga for gigi, jade blade, rodney graham, scott livingstone, shannon oksanen, volumizer
November 24th, 2011 by Randy
The New Town Animals were the opening band at our 10th birthday party show at the Commodore Ballroom, the newest Mint band to play the party, with their Mint album debut having just come out in June, following up on their 7” release.
Jeff McCloy, Alex Angel, Chucky, Nick Wright, and Stevie Kicks went on to many other projects, including The Briefs, Thee Manipulators, The Tranzmitorz, Valerie & The Mutineers and other musical concoctions. Jeff McCloy, as well, was a tour bassist…
More: history
+Tags: is your radio active, new town animals
November 23rd, 2011 by Randy
Here is a flyer that was made for Mint’s 10th birthday party weekend. There are posters somewhere, but this is all I could find right now…
We had booked shows in two venues — Richard’s on Richards and the Commodore Ballroom — and hooked up with Frank Yahr of Rumbletone Productions for his weekend scooter rally parties as well, hence the scooter theme (thanks to Mark “Atomos” Pilon of Moonbase Gallery fame).
We had cake and a big caterered spread. Many, many bands played. Thor blew up…
More: history
+Tags: frank yahr, mark pilon, mint birthday party, thor
