Music with an attitude. Songs that snarl and sneer and occasionally leer. Tunes to drink (to excess) to. Guitar riffs that make you bang your head and play air guitar along. Pounding drums that make you want to punch something, anything, just to feel it. A lot of bands fit this persona, but not many can inject hearty doses of tuneful melodies without sacrificing some of that attitude, and The Pack A.D. have found a perfect recipe: mix 3 parts attitude, 2 parts melody, and a dash of wit in a highball, stir vigorously, then smash the glass [...]
Music with an attitude. Songs that snarl and sneer and occasionally leer. Tunes to drink (to excess) to. Guitar riffs that make you bang your head and play air guitar along. Pounding drums that make you want to punch something, anything, just to feel it. A lot of bands fit this persona, but not many can inject hearty doses of tuneful melodies without sacrificing some of that attitude, and The Pack A.D. have found a perfect recipe: mix 3 parts attitude, 2 parts melody, and a dash of wit in a highball, stir vigorously, then smash the glass [...]
The Pack A.D.'s fourth album, Unpersons is the equivalent of a satisfactory slap to an ex's face, the way all great break-up albums should be.
Picked up on this black-as-oil nugget over at yvynyl a couple of days ago, and I've been meaning to get it up on this here blog as quickly as possible. The Pack A.D. is releasing its fourth full length, Unpersons, via Mint Records in September. "Sirens" is the lead track for the album, and it's a punch to the face. Who needs a morning java when black boots and snarling power chords can peel back your eyelids for you? [...]
Kathryn Calder w/ Immaculate Machine at Union Hall (11/11/07) Photo : D. Caplan Wednesday's Presales: May 11, 2011 May 17 2011 The Head and the Heart Mercury Lounge New York, NY 06:30 PM [...]
Mint Records and Olio Festival Afternoon Party - it's free! 2-6pm, Thursday, March 17th @ Headhunters back patio (720 Red River St) featuring: 2:15-2:35 Gavin McInnes (Co-founder of Vice Magazine) 2:50-3:10 Humans (Vancouver, BC) 3:25-3:45 Hot Panda (Vancouver/Edmonton, Mint Records) 4:00-4:20 Nardwuar and Andrew WK 4:35-4:55 Grimes (Montreal, Arbutus Records) 5:10-5:30 Bikini (Brooklyn, NY) *there will also be delicious tacos!
When Chris Connelly from Edmonton's Hot Panda answered my call, he had no idea he was supposed to be doing an interview. Hot Panda's tour van had just just died and he was putting the license plate on their new van. Chris didn't even flinch when I suggested we play a little game of kill, fuck or marry with his fellow Mint Records stars Shane (from The Awkward Stage ), Paul from [...]
Here is another installment of the best of 2010: Canadian albums. This time its from #51-#60. This section I had trouble listing since I had extended from 50 to 75. What is surprising is that only one album in the list which I actually did a review on the album. Overall these albums were still great to listen to. Now you have to wait for the last week of December to find out the Top 50 Canadian albums of 2010. Let's the guessing and waiting begin. Check out the list. [...]
Its December and its time for the best of/year end list. I am revealing the Top 75 on the Best of 2010 Canadian albums. As previously post, I compiled a list of fifty . With alot of albums that came out this year from Canadian acts, I decided to make it up to seventy-five. With alot of listening and re-listening. Here is a seven part on the Best of 2010 Canadian albums. Cowlick - Wires [...]
It was a busy fourth day at Pop Montreal. I started off the day checking out Puces Pop . Puces Pop is Montreal's largest do-it-yourself festival where people can come and celebrate all types of independent creation! All I can say was there was alot of people there. Interesting to see what unique stuff that comes out from it. Also it was the day I actually tried out the Bixi bikes . Those bikes are so fun! I went to the Notman House for the [...]
Edmonton's Hot Panda recorded their sophomore album, How Come I'm Dead? in less than a week during the midst of the Vancouver 2010 Olympic chaos, mostly live off the floor with few takes and overdubs, care of John Collins and David Carswell at JC/DC Studios....
The Pack A.D.'s third album "We Kill Computers" is steeped in growling vocals, throbbing guitar, and ricocheting drums. More like it: Kill Hannah push forward The Soft Pack @ Rickshaw Stop 1/28/2010 CD Review: "If Looks Could Kill" by Music For Animals
Canadian alt-country balladeers NQ Arbuckle teamed up with singer-songwriter Carolyn Mark this past year for a collaborative release. The result was the full-length "Let's Just Stay Here", released through Vancouver's Mint Records mid-October. The album marks the first release from NQ Arbuckle since their 2008 Juno-nominated released XOK , and the first from Carolyn Mark since her 2007 LP "Nothing is Free". Driven by the strong storytelling one comes to expect from an NQ Arbuckle piece, and harmonies from Mark that often impress over the melody, Officer Down is one of [...]
Up today is some sublime lo-fi indie-rock/pop, care of Vancouver-based The Awkward Stage . Consisting of frontman Shane Nelken, Tygh Runyan (Beans) on guitar, Tony Koelwyn (Bossanova) on drums, and Chris Mitchell who plays with the Vancouver Symphony on trumpet and keyboards, The Awkward Stage have two full-length releases to their name since forming in 2006. Heaven Is For Easy Girls can be found on the band's 2006 debut LP of the same name, released via Vancouver-based independent record label Mint Records . The band followed up on the album with the 2008 effort Slimming [...]
![It's a Team Mint Xmas Vol. 2! – Mint Records [X-mas Audio #9]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/2216434_lg.jpg)
I gotta tellya, I find Mint Records to be a maddeningly inconsistent label, albeit one with a ridiculous amount of spirit propelling it forward (hear/sample some of it via the two FREE MP3s posted below). It's a Team Mint Xmas Vol. 2 , sure enough, does double duty when it comes to testing my patience, its songs jumping wildly from rock-a-billy-fried punk to Ventures -esque instrumental rock to Social Distortion / Mike Ness -style acoustic storytelling to ecstatic pop with no twee [...]
On the third day of Pop Montreal. I went to a BBQ/Music day show called East Meats West. It was a collaboration with Kelp Records , Mint Records , Unfamiliar Records and Cokemachineglow.com . Playing there were: Flecton Big Sky Carolyn Mark Hot Panda The Pack A.D. Snailhouse [...]
Here is part three on who I might or will see at Pop Montreal . 1pm: East Meats West III at the Notman House. Its a BBQ with some Kelp Records + Mint Records musicians playing there. Flecton Big Sky, Carolyn Mark, Hot Panda, The Pack A.D., Snailhouse, Andrew Vincent, Chris Page and Hollerado 7pm: tUnE-YaRdS at the Musee d'Art Contemporian (aka Museum of Contemporary Arts) 8pm: Ghost Bees at the Ukrainian Federation Options: Videotape at the Jupiter Room 9pm: Yo La Tengo at Club Soda Options: Adam [...]
The bands seconds album is a mixture of powerful indie rock records and more mellow indie folk ballads like 'And It Was'. The combination works well creating a vibe that enthrals, excites and somehow it's surreality relaxes all at once. The 12 tracker is not exactly a roller-coaster but certainly has that fairground feel to it. It's perfect for the forthcoming summer months and works especially well when the sun is shining with 'You Got Us Into This Mess' providing the perfect backing to an outdoor Sunday soiree. [...]
![Immaculate Machine: Sound The Alarms [Music Video]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/posts/1711618_lg.jpg)
I could tell you the reason I'm writing about Immaculate Machine today is because their lead vocalist, Brooke Gallupe, has a cool mustache (I have a bizarre obsession with the things). That, however, would only be partly true. Ever the fan of a cool mustache, it was the first item that drew me to the band. The second, was the catchy melody in "Sound The Alarm". Initially, the song reminded me of a more accessible, less orchestrated (and less dramatic) version of Bodies of Water. "Sound The Alarm" [...]
Immaculate Machine at Union Hall ((11/11/07)) As I mentioned previously , Victoria's Immaculate Machine are coming out with a new record on April 28 , called High On Jackson Hill (Mint). What I didn't mention previously is that they just announced a bunch of new tour dates including one at Piano's on May 4 . All Immaculate Machine tour dates after the jump. Immaculate [...]
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![Niki & The Dove - The Fox [OFFICIAL VIDEO]](http://cdn.elbo.ws/youtube/l2f6UbMnlq4_130.jpg)
The Twilight Sad cover The Smiths
Whitney! ♥
Chromatics: “Into The Black”
Download: The Violet Lights - "Sex and Sound"
