Our ferocious duo, The Pack a.d. can now add "Juno Nominee" to their long long list of accomplishments. Congratulations Becky and Maya, you've earned this one! We're looking forward to seeing what these two do next as they've been keeping busy, recording a new album and scheming to take over the world.

 

You can check out the full list of nominees here.

We'd like to take a moment to share some good news with you. We've added Toronto's Pick a Piper to the Mint Records roster! The band is made up of Brad Weber, who you may remember as a touring member of Caribou, as well his friends Clint Scrivener, Angus Fraser and Dan Roberts. Pick a Piper’s self-titled April 2nd debut features guest appearances from members of The Ruby Suns, Enon/Braniac, Born Ruffians and Braids. 

You can download the band's first single here: 

Remember that time we got really high off of paint fumes while silkscreening Mint/CiTR Pop Alliance LP covers? Well, this March, we're going to open the windows and do it again. GET READY for VOLUME 3 of the Mint/CiTR Pop Alliance Compilation! It will be out on Tuesday, March 5th, 2013.

To carry on the Pop Alliance tradition, we called upon CiTR’s Duncan McHugh (aka: the host of Duncan’s Donuts) to bring together 14 of Vancouver's finest including Jay Arner, Movieland, Korean Gut (RIP), Peace and more. Many songs are un-released and once again, all proceeds will go back to CiTR 101.9 - the birthplace of Mint Records! 

Only 300 of these waxy gems will be pressed, carefully silkscreened by the station's volunteers and numbered by hand. You can get one by donating to the station during their upcoming funding drive (Feb 28 - Mar 8), pre-ordering the release from us, or waiting for the record to hit record store shelves on Tuesday March 5th, 2013.

And while we're rambling, check out the incredible album artwork from former CiTR DJ, Melanie Coles. Mr. Jay Arner also deserves a golden star for mastering this creation and producing many of the tracks on the record.

To unleash this record in style, we're rounding up as many of the bands on the comp as possible (the lineup is currently TBD) and taking over Chapel Arts (204 Dunlevy) for an evening. This time, we're setting up not one, but two stages. Mark Friday, March 8th on your calendar, it's going to be swell! 

Now, you're probably wondering about the bands: 

MovielandMovieland is Alie, Selina, Adrienne and Davina. They take turns writing their own songs.“1-2-3-4 Get Fucked” comes from their so-to-be released debut on Green Burrito Records. It was mixed and recorded by Mr. Jay Arner.

PeaceAccording to Spin, “Your Hand in Mine” is a moonlit number with a heavy heart and dead eyes. We borrowed this track from their 2012 release called The World is Too Much With Us (Suicide Squeeze).

Jay ArnerJay Arner is the multitalented man-about-town who co-recorded the new Apollo Ghosts record and contributes to bands including Fine MistBleating Hearts and Gal Gracen. He was kind enough to produce several songs on this compilation and mastered the release too. His upcoming TBD solo project is something you should probably look out for!

Gal GracenPatrick Geraghty, of Role Mach (you may remember him from Vol 2 of The Pop Alliance collection), calls his newest band Gal Gracen and his live band features Adrian from Apollo Ghosts as well as Jay Arner.

PUPSPUPS is Caitlin Livingston, Katie Gravestock and Rose Melberg. They are from Vancouver, B.C.

FanshawOlivia Fetherstonhaugh aka Fanshaw is known for taking her time with songwriting. This is the first song that has surfaced since her Dark Eyes debut. After listening to this and her previous release, we’ll be right here, patiently waiting to see what she does next. 

Aaron ReadBorn and recording in Burnaby, BC, Aaron Read makes maunal pop songs with guitars, drums, voices, noises and keyboards. Songs are made out of and always inspired by friends, family, films, experiences and field recordings.  In 2011, he captured our interest with his debut record, Bubble Skulls. Since Aaron is a total mensch, he recorded “Unlimited Sight” especially for us. Thanks again Aaron! 

Korean Gut: Korean Gut is a surf-garage band, but they don't exist anymore. Jarrett wrote this song about something their bass player said at practice, and it morphed into a bitter rant against people who confront you in troubled times just to feel better about themselves. At least it wasn't about comic books for once. You should probably check out theirYour Misery – Our Benefit 7” (Mammoth Cave). It is a thing of true beauty. When we told them about this comp, Korean Gut were kind enough to record this song just for us. 

Needles//PinsThis is powery, poppy, garagey, punkish stuff from Vancouver, BC. “I Heart Drugs” came from their 2012 creation 12:34 (Mammoth Cave).

The CourtneysSun drenched flying nun influenced pop with sweet licks that'll stick with you for days. 

“The Courtneys are one of those bands that you can file under “feel-good.” I mean, the three-piece named their first release Keanu Reeves (yes, after THAT Keanu Reeves), and their songs don’t have a single angry bone of note.” – Vice

The ladies even have a video for "90210" – you can watch it here.

Babysitter"Victoria B.C.’s Babysitter are a savvy bunch of garage gourmets whose love of lo-fi and d.i.y. decor is honest and appealing." – Discorder

We should also mention, “Be Cool” is an outtake from their 2012 full-length debut called Eye (Psychic Handshake). 

BankrobberThis is Jordan Minkoff from Slam Dunk's other band, which pretty much automatically makes them awesome. Bankrobber is and will always be the band most closely associated with it's roots firmly planted in a mix of this meets that and vice versa. Since 2010 it has been Bankrobber that has been making that familiar sound of a dog biting a dog on a doglog.

WeedWeed is a heavy, grungey pop band from Vancouver, BC that features Will Anderson, Kevin Doherty, Hugo Noriega and Bobby Siadat. When not recording they play all-ages shows and publish a free monthly newsletter with Lucky’s Comics called "Dunk". This song is from last year's Gun Control EP. They just finished recording their debut LP in Seattle to be released in mid-2013.

SleuthSleuth are the 2011 CiTR Shindig Winners, have been featured on a Cloudberry Records compilation, played NYC Popfest last year, have one release, Brave Knew Nothing and are currently working on new recordings. Besides tipsy bowling with Mint Records, The Lion in Love, Julian Bowers, Oliver McTavish-Wisden and Leon Easter enjoy long walks on the beach and evenings by the fire.

"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!