Various - Team Mint Vol 2

  by Cara Ross

published: 21 / 1 / 2002

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Review

From Mint Records in Vancouver BC (Canada), and in celebration of their 10th anniversary comes the second instalment of Team Mint, the bulk of the said label’s eclectic mix of artists.  This is all previously released material, and the connection between the bands held within is clearly very strong, no matter how varied the style of music. Mint artists appear to revel in hopping in and out of one another’s musical beds.From the always high-strung Evaporators fronted by the larger-than-life Canadian small-c celebrity of Nardwuar (“the human serviette”), who’ve managed to cough up: “I’ve got a Rash” for this endeavour (with classic lyrics like: “gimme some ointment, I need an appointment...”), to old-school country in the vein of Patsy Cline’s contemporary finest found Neko Case, this is very much the case Neko manages to lend her vocals to a number of the other contributions on this album, be it in her own country music vehicle of Neko Case and her Boyfriends, or in the Corn Sisters in which her country wail is dueted with another Canadian country songbird, Carolyn Mark. You can find Neko too in the pure pop stylings of Carl Newman’s brainchild, the New Pornographers, who incidentally provided one of the top albums of last year...a taste of all of these can be found here.  There’s very much a “we’re all in bed together” thread holding Team Mint together, more so than in a lot of other independent labels. My biggest complaint with this album would have to be its lack of new material, with some of these songs clocking in at more than 5 years old, and in the case of Canadian punk rock legends, the Smugglers, even 10 years old.  But then, it is a retrospective of the last 10 years for Mint, after all.  Perhaps I’m too close and too familiar with a lot of this music...most of this stuff will be “new” to almost everyone else anyway. This is a great sampler for anyone interested in the West Coast music scene in Canada (predominantly Vancouver), or anyone curious about bands like the New Pornographers or the New Town Animals.  The New Town Animals are easily one of the more interesting bands on this compilation.  The best comparison I could give of them is to say that they sound like a punk version of Scotland’s own Bis (minus the female vocals).  And one of Mint’s newer signings, Operation Makeout is also represented here...again, Vancouver’s answer to Sleater Kinney, but they do it well, and in their own way.  And still always with the connection:  Katie Makeout also appears on the New Town Animals' 'Is Your Radio Active?', slated to be released by Screaming Apple records in Europe, mid 2002. This album runs the full gamut of different musical styles, from country to all out punk, and instrumental surf as only the mighty Huevos Rancheros can provide.  There’s garage, and a bit of ska thrown in, thanks to thee Skabling, who play essentially Evaporators tunes done “ska” (I won’t touch on the Discablins...), as well as some serious mod stylings from Calgary’s Duotang. As is sometimes the case though on a compilation, there’s always a couple of duds, but then naturally, that’s a matter of personal opinion in terms of musical preference...this is a sampler in the truest sense, and a testament to Mint’s willingness to take on and promote different types of music.  But with 23 songs, and at a “special lo-price”, you should take the chance.  Pick it up.  Variety is the spice of life.

Track Listing:-

1 New Town Pornogrophers - Fake Headlines
2 New Town Animals - Radio Nation
3 Duotang - Broken Rule
4 The Smugglers - Buddy Holly Convention
5 Thee Skabling - Two By Four and A Half
6 Huevos Rancheros - Beach Blanket Blackout
7 Corn Sisters - She's Leaving Town
8 Smugglers - Rosie
9 Neko Case and Her Boyfriends - Lonely Old Lies
10 I Am Spoonbender - Replaced By Toys
11 Thee Goblins - Good Jacket Theme
12 The Evaportors - I Gotta Rash
13 Doutang - Rise and Fall Of The GOBC
14 Caroline Mark and her Room Mates - Edmonton
15 New Town Pornogrophers - Letter From An Occupant
16 Smugglers - Rock n Roll Was Never This Fun
17 Tennessee Twin - These Thoughts Are Occupied
18 New Town Animals - Three Steps Backwards
19 Operation Makeout - You and Me Geometry
20 Duotang - The Evidence Comes From All Directions
21 Caroline Mark and her Room Mates - Not Another Oth
22 Neko Case and Her Boyfriends -Furnace Room Lullaby
23 I Am Spoonbender - Clocks Grow Old