Upcoming Dates:
News
Once again, we're unpacking our sunglasses and summer attire from storage and will be migrating South to the city of Austin, Texas for their SXSW festival. Are you going to be there too? Let's get heatstroke together!
We're also planning a party! It's free, and unofficial, and you should come see some of Canada's finest bands in action!
THE MINT RECORDS SXSW DAY PARTY
Thursday, March 13th, 2014
at HEADHUNTERS (720 Red River)
1-6pm! FREE!
Featuring:
1:15 - TOPS (Montreal, QC - Arbutus)
1:55 - Calvin Love (Edmonton, AB)
2:35 - Sean Nicholas Savage (Montreal, QC - Arbutus)
3:15 - Pick A Piper (Toronto, ON - Mint Records)
3:55 - Jay Arner (Vancouver, BC - Mint Records)
4:35 - Tough Age (Vancouver, BC - Mint Records)
5:15 - The Pack AD (Vancouver, BC - Nettwerk)
Oh, and you should come early, there will be FREE TACOS and other surprises.
We have a facebook event up over here, where we'll be posting up-to-the-minute updates.
We'd also like to send a big THANK YOUUU to Exclaim!
SEE YOU THERE!!!
We know it's still November, but our Ridiculously Early Xmas Party is back and coming up soon...
FEATURING:
Nardwuar and The Evaporators
Tough Age
Renny Wilson
Jay Arner
Chris Mastheim (aka Nick Krgovich of No Kids/P:ano/etc)
Fake Tears
Shawn Mrazek Lives!
DJ Duncan McHugh (host of Duncan's Donuts on CiTR)
Tickets are $10 in advance (available online at brownpapertickets or in-person at Red Cat and Zulu) or $13 at the door.
As per the Ridiculously Early tradition, there will be presents for the earliest people.
Partial proceeds go to support SAINTS, a sanctuary for senior/special needs animals and Girls Rock Camp Vancouver.
And lastly, we'd like to give our sponsors, CiTR 101.9FM and Phillips Beer a big thumbs up.
See you there!
Hello Internet!
We at Mint just wanted to let you know about our most recent collaboration. This time, we're partnering with the intrepid Ketamines, who are presently preparing to tour Canada with our pals Tough Age AND piecing together a collection of four 7" records that will be released on various labels. We'll be helping them get the fourth, and maybe final in the series, out this winter.
The artwork matches up to form a giant collage, made by scissor enthusiast and artist, Felix Morel of Montreal. COLLECT ALL FOUR. The other three are available from Pleasence Records, Leaning Trees Records and Hosehead Records or from the band on tour (go and see them already).
The Ketamines come from the prairie hinterland town of Lethbridge, Alberta, but presently call Toronto home. You can read more about them here.
The Ketamines on tour:
Aug 14 - Toronto, Ontario at Parts and Labour %
Aug 22 - Hamilton, ON at This Ain't Hollywood *
Aug 23 - Toronto, ON at Imperial Lounge *
Aug 24 - Windsor, ON at Phog Lounge *
Aug 25 - St. Catherines, ON at Niagara Artists Centre *
Aug 27 - London, ON at Call the Office *
Aug 28 - Guelph, ON at Van Gogh's Ear *
Aug 29 - Kingston, ON at The Artel *
Aug 30 - Ottawa, ON at Gabba Hey! *
Sept 01 - Kitchener, ON at Uncross Your Arms Fest *#
Nov 15 - Toronto, Ontario at Silver Dollar - Mammoth Cave Anniversary Bash!
* with Tough Age # with Sam Coffey
% with Human Eye, Cellphone and Wrong Hole
BIG NEWS: Vancouver's Tough Age is the newest addition to the Mint Records Roster! Tough Age blends scrappy pop-punk with surf overtones and are influenced by obscure '60s CanCon singles, Guided By Voices, cats and comic books. On Friday, Jarrett K (Korean Gut, Apollo Ghosts), Penny Clark, Lauren Smith and Chris Martell, who is a drumming wizard, came by for drinks and made it official. We're thrilled to be working with them and will be releasing a full-length release this fall.
August 23 / Toronto / TBA
August 24 / Windsor / Phog Lounge
August 25 / St. Catharines / Niagara Artists Center
August 27 / London / Call the Office
August 28 / Guelph / Van Gogh's Ear
August 29 / Kingston / The Artel
August 30 / Ottawa / Gabba Hey!
August 31 / Montreal / TBA
Septeber 01 / Kitchener / Uncross Your Arms Festival
Hello! June is festival month! And we’re once again hosting a free afternoon party at Sled Island. This time, it is upstairs at The Palomino on Friday, June 21, and we’re bringing along three of our recent signings, Jay Arner, Pick a Piper and the intrepid Renny Wilson. Hope to see you there!
Mint Records at Sled Island!
Friday, June 21st 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
Now, finally, he is going it alone. Every sound you hear on his eponymous debut album — due out on June 25th 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
Festival season is here! And if you are crafting your NXNE schedule, here are a few Mint shows to add to the collection:
Thursday, June 13
- Jay Arner at Handlebar (9pm)
- Pick a Piper at The Painted Lady (2am)
Friday, June 14
- Pick a Piper at The Comfort Zone (11pm)
Saturday, June 15
- Hot Panda at the Joao Carvalho Mastering BBQ at 43 Laing St. (5:20pm)
- Jay Arner at The Comfort Zone for the Silent Shout/Gorilla vs Bear Party (10pm)
- Hot Panda at Sneaky Dees (1am)
Wow. Now this makes us unbelievably happy. Here's a remix of Renny Wilson's "Lady Pain" from the insanely talented Jay Arner. Enjoy!