Mint Records at Sled Island!

Mint Records at Sled Island!

Friday, June 21^st at The Palomino (109 7 Ave SW) 

Featuring: Jay Arner, Pick a Piper, Renny Wilson

12-3:30pm, Free (but not all ages – sorry!)

Pick a Piper - on at 12:30pm

The Toronto-based three-piece, Pick a Piper is an electronic project led by Brad Weber, who you may recognize as Caribou’s touring drummer. Their self-titled debut is hypnotic, percussive and chock full of guest appearances including members of Braids, The Ruby Suns and The Born Ruffians. Recently, a handful like-minded electronic artists including Caribou, The Junior Boys, Teen Daze, and many others remixed Pick a Piper songs. The band is presently touring Canada to promote their self-titled Mint Records debut.

"Weber has a knack for combining electronic and organic elements into dreamy psych-pop that sounds as good on the dance floor as it does through a pair of headphones." - Now Toronto (NNNN)

"The eight-track effort blends watery, disembodied grooves and shimmering atmospherics with tight-wristed percussion and guest vocals (from members of the Ruby Suns, Enon and Brainiac, Born Ruffians, and Braids) that also keep your feet fixed firmly on the ground." – SPIN

Jay Arner - on at 1:30pm

For years, Vancouver multi-instrumentalist Jay Arner has teamed up with others to translate the sounds in his head. He's fronted an indie rock band, played synthesizers and samplers in a pop duo, manned the drums for a piano-punk songwriter, and held down the bass in a eight-member collective. Along the way, he's also become a sought-after producer and remix artist, working out of the legendary Hive studios and recording acts like Mount Eerie, Apollo Ghosts, Rose Melberg, No Gold and many more.

Now, finally, he is going it alone. Every sound you hear on his eponymous debut album — due out on June 25^th on Mint Records — was self-recorded by Arner in his 72-square-foot practice space using a precariously perched desktop computer and his home recording gear. The sum of his many talents, these 10 songs sizzle with DIY energy and encompass the scope of the songwriter's diverse resume.

“Jay comes correct on his long-play solo debut. This is no mere vanity trip for the Van City staple, as the unassuming mug on the cover laid down every note, lick and casual drum fill. Swoon-inducing New Romanticism and feather-banged bombast is the top down, drive time soundtrack for summer ’13.” – Weird Canada

"...Arner expertly folds sour feelings into his semi-sweet sounds and, as "Midnight on South Granville" accumulates quivery layers of analogue synths and builds gracefully to its conclusion, it becomes quietly riveting." – Pitchfork

Renny Wilson - on at 2:30pm

After almost a decade of struggle, strain, and delay, the debut record from Edmontonian Renny Wilson has now seen the light. His first ever release Sugarglider draws blood from disco keystones such as Bad Girls, and the spirit of Arthur Russell. Common elements of chillwave, krautrock, and a healthy dose of Haunted Graffiti can also be heard in a bold, tempo-matched digital-delay. The man, and his outrageous performancejust might be the most memorable thing you see all week.

"Sugarglider is a revelatory listen that exposes a genuine talent who's managed to excel at effortlessly nailing a distinct sound." - Exclaim!

“Chock full of gummy basslines, tony sax hooks, and spaced-out disco nods, Sugarglider feels like the soundtrack to a slideshow of some faded, pimply prom photos.” – Pitchfork