Mint Records and CiTR 101.9FM have announced the 5th Volume of their compilation series and shared the first single, "Garnet Graves" from Devours via Exclaim!
CiTR's Pop Alliance Vol. 5 will be available April 13th, 2018
Mint Records has joined forces with CiTR 101.9FM and Discorder Magazine once again for the fifth volume of the now classic Pop Alliance Compilation series! The collection, which has become a bi-annual tradition between Mint Records and the University of British Columbia radio station, aims to showcase everything that is new and vital in the Vancouver independent music scene. Past artists featured have included The Courtneys, Weed, Apollo Ghosts and a wide variety of other Vancouver staples. This year another group of artists from a diverse range of disciplines including High Plains, Swim Team, Tough Customer and more highlight some of the best from the West Coast ca. 2017-18.
Curated by Music Director Andy Resto and members of the CiTR Student Executive, CiTR and Discorder have settled on a broader understanding of the definition of “pop” this time around. Kicking off with a sincere piano-driven pop ballad from Chris-a-riffic, the first half of the LP continues in an angular route with Tough Customer’s “Secretly the Mayor” before descending gradually into the danceable art rock of Swim Team and the depths of post-punk dread in Passive’s “Vulture Halo.” The second half of the LP departs completely from the established Pop Alliance structure, bookended with two contemporary classical pieces from High Plains (feat. Scott Morgan of Loscil) and composer Peggy Lee, who wrote her piece “Landscape” exclusively for the compilation. The two middle tracks are frantic electronica from shitlord fuckerman and Devours.
Artwork for Vol. 5 was done by Andrea Lukic (Nu Sensae, Hick) and ties together an overall penchant for a left-field, avant-garde approach to the pop medium.
Pop Alliance Vol.5 will be released at a CiTR station fundraiser party in East Vancouver on Friday, April 13th at The Astoria. The event will feature performances by several of the artists appearing on the compilation including Swim Team, Tough Customer, Devours and Chris-a-riffic. You can find more info on Facebook here.