News

"If you’ve been reading The FADER for a good couple of years, you’d know that there’s been a long-standing soft spot Studio, a now defunct duo that made beach disco perfect for lazing around. If you caught me in the right moment, I would probably tell you it was the best thing to ever exist. Renny Wilson—who probably spends a lot of time listening to yacht rock and old disco—has created a song that sits comfortably up there with Studio’s woefully small catalog. It’s lush and pretty, and more importantly: soft. Not in a bad way, though. It’s more that it feels blurred at the edges, existing in a constant half-sleep state of near bliss. Renny Wilson’s Sugarglider comes out January 22nd on Mint Records." 

Read more: http://www.thefader.com/2012/11/30/stream-renny-wilson-by-and-by/#ixzz2E2G0pDXH

We at Mint Records are proud to announce our latest signing, Edmonton Alberta's, Renny Wilson. Now, Renny Wilson is not your typical young man. He's a gentleman. He can sport a Canadian tuxedo like no other. And he is a menacing presence both in the studio and on the dance floor. Soon, Renny will win you over with his dizzy, saxified pop indulgences. Look out for his Mint Records debut, Sugarglider in early 2013. 

To give you a little more insight, Renny once described his musical being as "A film starring Hall & Oates set on a cruise ship with Donna Summer playing the woman of interest. Competition for her love nearly tears them apart, but they soon find out she and her accomplice, played by Paul McCartney, are plotting to sink the ship! Also, Al Green is the ship's resident crooner." We're just going to say that Sugarglider is our go-to party record these days and we're pretty sure you'll agree.

"As a rule, I pretty much love blissed-out, hypnotic, sax-filled jams, so I was already going to enjoy “By and By”, the new single from Edmonton’s Renny Wilson, but throw in a sexy jeans & gyration-filled, self-shot video, and you can set the Friday Fun meter to 10+++." - Herohill.com

Gang, if you haven't been flattened by Hurricane Pack it's only a matter of time, so batten down the hatches and board up the windows, 'cause there's an ill wind blowing your way. Maya and Becky have been ripping it up stateside since MARCH 6 people, and they won't be finished until LATE MAY. You try it. I bet you don't have what it takes.

Anyway, the list is too long to post here, so linkup to our tour dates page here to see if your in the storm's path. Here are some extra special landfall warnings to watch out for:

Thursday April 23: Santos Party House, Manhattan, NYC

Friday April 24: Capital Music Hall, Ottawa with Black Mountain and Ladyhawk

Saturday April 25: Horseshoe Tavern, Toronto with Hanson Brothers

OK this concludes your weather warning for today, now go stock up on supplies and like the BSA says, BE PREPARED.

We at Mint are pleased to introduce a new sound and a new signing, Vancouver's Geoff Berner, whose Mint debut, Victory Party, will emerge on March 8th, 2011. His openness to experimentation, spirited Eastern European klezmer influences, punk rock attitude and work with producer/mastermind Josh Dolgin (Socalled) resulted in an innovative, engaging and lively album full of surprises that we are proud to be part of.

An evening spent with Geoff Berner’s music is, in the words of the good Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, “a wild combination of menace, madness, and genius… fragmented coherence that wreaks havoc on the mind of any listener.” – Vue Weekly, Edmonton

View Geoff's tour dates here.

Carolyn Mark is preparing to release her 8th full-length record (9th if you count her album with Neko Case as The Corn Sisters, 10th if you include her compilation soundtrack for Robert Altman's film, "Nashville"). Her new album will be called The Queen of Vancouver Island and released on September 18th, 2012 on her longtime label, Mint Records. Carolyn's last release, Let's Just Stay Here, that she co-wrote with NQ Arbuckle, was nominated for a Juno award and this will be the official follow-up.

The Queen of Vancouver Island was recorded in 4 locations (Hollister, CA, Vancouver, Victoria and Vancouver) in 5 sessions during the winter of 2011-12 with the tops in the field, one can't help thinking THIS IS THE ONE!

The Queen Of Vancouver Island - due out on Sept 18th, 2012

Preview the first single, "Not Like The Movies" here

Track Listing:
1. Poor Farmers
2. The Queen of Vancouver Island
3. Baby Goats
4. Not Talk
5. Best Friend
6. Flaming Star
7. Nobody('s Perfect)
8. Mellie's Book
9. Not Like the Movies
10. The Cereal is the Prize
11. Old Whores
12. You're not a Whore (if no one's paying)

"really there's no roots-country chanteuse as engaging as Mark, whose well-intentioned banter is capable of making even the sourest puss at a show crack a smile." - Exclaim!
 
Carolyn Mark on Tour:
15 June - The Branch, Kemptville, ON
16 June - Neat Cafe, Burnstown, ON
17 June - Montreal Folk Festival, Montreal, QC
22 June - Killaloe Curling Club, Killaloe, ON
23 June - The Black Sheep, Wakefield, QC
24 June - Manhattan's, Guelph, ON
27 June - Jane Bond, Waterloo, ON
29 June - Cameron House, Toronto, ON
5 July - The Rendezvous, Seattle, WA
6 July - Siren's, Port Townsend, WA
7 July - Shed Fest, Friday Harbor, WA
8 July - Pride, Victoria, BC
11 July - Pine Family Social Club, Victoria, BC
12 July - Raw Canvas, Vancouver, BC
13 July - Hope Bay Studio, Pender Island, BC
14 July - The Roxy, Gabriola Island, BC
27 July - Blackjack's, Nisku, AB
28 July - Blackjack's, Nisky, AB
29 July - Sasquatch Fest, Evansburg, AB
3 August - Kumsheen River Rafting, Kumsheen, BC
4 August - Johnson Fest, Cumberland, BC
4 August - The Packing House, Spences Bridge, BC
9 August - The Abeline, Rochester, NY
11 August - Marty's, Buffalo, NY
12 August - Bait and Tackle, Brooklyn, NY
13 August - The Ear Inn, New York, NY
14 August - The Rodeo Bar, New York, NY
16 August - The Dakota Tavern, Toronto, ON
17 August - Fred Eaglesmith Picnic, Aylmer, ON
18 August - Fred Eaglesmith Picnic, Aylmer, ON
19 August - Fred Eaglesmith Picnic, Aylmer, ON
20 August - Moonshine Tavern, Oakville, ON
22 August - Terra Nova, Creemore, ON

Summer is just around the corner, and the warmer weather brings the festivals!

NXNE is coming up soon and our Winnipeg locals Novillero and Edmonton comrades Hot Panda will be heading to the Toronto for some late night veggie dogs.

Hot Panda
Sat June 20
@ The Horseshoe Tavern
*CBC Radio 3 Showcase*

Novillero
Sat June 20
@ The El Mocambo

Calgary's Sled Island (June 24-27) lineup is also looking promising this year and we've got more Mint bands than ever scheduled to perform!

Nardwuar and the Evaporators are preparing for their summer split 7" release, A Wild Pear, with Mr. Andrew WK.

The Evaporators
Friday, June 26th
10:55 PM
@ The Plaza Theatre
*all ages*

Hot Panda are back from their UK tour with The Von Bondies and, weather permitting, will be tubing down the river before playing their late night showcase.

Hot Panda
Friday, June 26th
9:15 PM
@ The Plaza Theatre
*all ages*

Novillero are packing up their van, kissing their newborn babies goodbye and migrating West for the weekend.

Novillero
Saturday, June 27
1:00 AM
@ The Marquee Room

And our hardest working band, The Pack A.D. are driving back onto Canadian soil and looking forward to Tim Hortons' coffee, measuring distances in kilometers and the Sled Island festival, of course.

The Pack A.D.
Thursday, June 25
12:00 AM
@ The Palomino Smokehouse

Calgary surf legends The Ramblin' Ambassadors will be there for the festivities as well. It's going to be good!

The Ramblin' Ambassadors
Thursday, June 25th
12:40 AM
@ Broken City

The full Sled Island schedule is available here!

Larissa Loyva is a busy woman. In addition to her solo project Kellarissa (which literally translates to "in the basement"), we've heard her soaring vocals on noteworthy previous releases from P:ano, The Choir Practice and Gigi. This March, she will be traveling North America in Destroyer's touring band and preparing to release her sophomore Mint Records album, Moon of Neptune. She'll probably be sipping some delicious cocktails too. That said, we're excited! Moon of Neptune is a synth nerd's dream, inspired by ancient Egypt, breakups, films, Larissa's Scandinavian heritage and outer space. A limited supply of glossy black vinyl will be available (500 copies) from your friends at Mint Records on March 29th, 2011. 

Listen to "Passages" here.

Loyva’s creative scope, as well as the beauty of her voice, marks her as an artist to watch. - Exclaim!
 
Side A:
Passages
Moon of Neptune
Sisu
Satellites are Spinning
Niagara

Side B:
Flatlands
Blood + Sand
Vagabond
Undock
Old Money
 
 

The Pack A.D. play a homecoming gig at the Biltmore Cabaret in Vancouver, followed up with touring across Canada this summer.

Maya Miller and Becky Black of The Pack A.D. are the hardest working gals we know. They've been on the road non-stop since March (SXSW), traveling in the Falcon (their van) all across the USA, playing 84 shows in 95 days, each show winning them new friends and fans.

They're doing it old school and it's all about the fans. How does old school work? "We tour like hell, and if you like us, then you tell your friends. Then your friends tell their friends and so on and before you know it, you've made the band. " They're not interested in being the flavour of the month.

Now back in Vancouver, The Pack A.D. are getting ready for their big homecoming gig at the Biltmore Cabaret on Friday June 19th (their last scheduled show in Vancouver til December). Then for the rest of the summer they will be back in their trusty van touring all across Canada before heading back over to Europe in the fall.

The Pack A.D. are going to play some music and have some drinks - so all you have to do is show up and bring your friends!

Fri June 19, Vancouver BC @ Biltmore Cabaret
Sat June 20, Kelowna BC @ Doc Willoughby's
Thu June 25, Calgary AB @ The Palomino - Sled Island
Fri June 26 Whitehorse YK @ Sunstroke Music Festival
Thu July 2 Edmonton AB @ Brixx Bar
Fri July 3 Regina SK @ O'Hanlons
Sat July 4 Winnipeg MB @ Lo Pub
Tues July 7 Thunder Bay ON @ The Apollo
Wed July 8 Sault Ste. Marie ON @ Arcadia House
Thu July 9, Sudbury ON @ The Townehouse
Fri July 10, London ON @ Call The Office
Sat July 11, Windsor ON @ Phog Lounge
Tues July 14, Kingston ON @ The Mansion
Thu July 16, Toronto ON @ The Horseshoe
Fri July 17, Montreal QC @ L'Esco
Sat July 18, Quebec City QC @ Festival d’été
Mon July 20, Halifax NS @ Gus's Pub
Tue July 21, New Minas NS @ West Side Charlies
Thu July 23, Ottawa ON @ Zaphod Beeblebrox
Thu July 30, Regina SK @ The Exchange
Fri July 31, Saskatoon SK @ Amigo's
Sat Aug 1, Lethbridge AB @ Henotic
Sun Aug 2, Canmore AB @ The Drake
Wed Aug 5, Calgary AB @ Broken City
Sat Aug 8, Nanaimo BC @ Green Mountain Music Festival

The band's full touring schedue is here!

After a few Top Secret meetings at the Dairy Queen (Cold War style – with our backs to each other, Oreo Blizzards in hand) the news is out, we’re piecing together a benefit compilation with our pals at CiTR 101.9 FM. It features 11 of our favourite Vancouver bands and only 300 waxy 180g LPs will be pressed, silkscreened and numbered by hand.
 
Proceeds from this limited edition gem will support CiTR. Each of the bands on the record was kind enough to donate their song (many tracks are previously unreleased!) and Stuart McKillop at Rain City Recorders donated mastering time. David Barclay of Nice Snacks contributed the artwork.
 
To reserve a copy, please donate to CiTR. The release date is currently TBD - with luck, they will be back from the vinyl plant this January.
 
We’re excited for this one. Hope you are too!
 
The CiTR Pop Alliance Compilation: vol 2
Release date: TBD
 
Tracklisting:
Side A
1) Apollo Ghosts - Validation!
2) My Friend Wallis - Hiding
3) Slam Dunk - Slow Dance
4) Role Mach - Montana
5) Kellarissa - Flatlands
Side B
6) Fine Mist (featuring Nick Krgovich) - I Could Shout
7) No Kids - He'll Have To Go (demo)
8) fanshaw - Diana
9) Watermelon - How I Came (demo)
10) Shane Turner Overdrive - Age 25-29 Hairline
11) Spring Break - Stephanie Meyer's 115th Dream

The girls of The Pack AD are a well oiled touring machine, and after four months on the road they are still going strong! Exclaim and Mint Records offer you a chance to win autographed Pack AD treasures (including: the band's signed and destroyed cymbal/drum head, Pack A.D. vinyl, Mint samplers, a Mint tote bag and pins galore!). Hit up our pals at exclaim.ca here for contest details, then go see the girls tear the roof off of a venue near you!

July 14 - the Mansion - Kingston, ON
July 15 - Brunswick Tavern - St. Thomas, ON
July 16 - Horseshoe Tavern - Toronto, ON
July 17 - L'Escogriffe - Montreal, QC
July 18 - Festival d'ete Off - Quebec City, QC
July 20 - Gus's Pub - Halifax, NS
July 21 - West Side Charlie's - New Mines, NS
July 30 - the Exchange - Regina, SK
July 21 - Amigo's Cantiina - Saskatoon, SK
August 1 - Henotic - Lethbridge, AB
August 2 - the Drake - Canmore, AB
August 5 - Broken City - Calgary, AB
August 7 - Logan's Pub - Victoria, BC
August 8 - Green Mountain Music Festival - Nanaimo, BC