Imagine how thrilled we were, a small, very young record label on Canada's (then) sleepy West Coast, to get an email from a kid out in Halifax who claimed to know Lou Barlow and claimed to have pitched him, unbeknowst to us Minters, on putting out a record with us. Well, we were very very thrilled. A few nervous calls to Mr. Barlow later, we had in our hands the master tapes for Another Collection of Home Recordings.

Bella's career path rose quickly, forming in 2003 and recording their debut album Pretty Mess in singer/guitarist Cameron Fraser's bedroom in 2004. With Tiffany Garrett Sotomayor on drums (also adding some guitar and vocals) and Charla McCutcheon on keys, Bella's '80s tinged synth-pop saw positive reviews roll in from the likes Exclaim! and The Province (Vancouver, BC). All the buzz caught Mint's attention, who enthusiastically signed them for the release of their sophomore album.

The Evaporators won't be taken seriously.

Duotang formed in Winnipeg in the summer of 1995, by two young gentlemen who shared a penchant for red wine on good days, and Labatt Blue on the rest. They also shared a great love for '60s bands such as The Who, The Beatles, The Kinks, and such. Early in the year, Rod Slaughter (later of Novillero) played bass and Sean Allum played drums in different bands. Late one night, they got together at the warehouse their respective band’s shared, and played '60s songs until dawn. No one else ever wanted to join in, so Rod became the singer.

Some things are just meant to be. Birds are born to fly, politicians were born to lie, big fat guys with giant beards were born to ride their machines without getting hassled by the man, and Carolyn Mark was born to make music.