mint mind
thoughtsicles
Originally released 2020 on The Upper Room.
Mint Mind is a band from musical multi-tasker and electric wizard Rick McPhail. after investing a few years in his proggy-melancholic side-project glacier (of maine), McPhail felt the need to go back and do something more primitive, less ambitious and actually fun again. sound-wise the idea was to do something fuzzy with a garage-y feel and attitude but to try to avoid the typical formulas used in garage music. this meant to try stay away from many of the garage genre’s typical go-to formulas such as the macho vocals incorporated in most of the style, the usual start/stop style riffs a la the Kinks and yes... even the often obligatory reverb overladen and deliberately crappy sound. instead, much like many punk/indie bands of the late 70’s to late 80’s (such as early SST Screaming Trees, Mudhoney, Pixies, Pavement, Love and Rockets, Dinosaur Jr., etc.), the beautiful simplicity, energy and rawness is used as a sound template but the songwriting allows a wider horizon of influences. so, when feeling hippie or trippy - be trippy. if feeling indie - let your inner indie out. through this openness in influences Mint Mind’s music becomes a mixture of sweet and sour fuzzy riffage, underlined by a laid back-slackerness, that simultaneously gives nods to a mix of bands from the 60’s to present day. impossible as it sounds, Mint Mind believe they are able to mix and balance these influences without them seeming forced together or contrived.
Available on 12" Black Vinyl LP and CD.
CD comes with bonus CD of "Near Mint" LP and "My new Skateboard" EP.
Tracklist:
01. alcoholicity
02. a road best traveled
03. i love a good queue
04. brother, you're not my brother
05. the hassle from the man
06. everyone is someone
07. thoughtsicles
08. objects are closer than appearance
09. sleepyhead pt. 1 (pt.3 of the leisure trilogy)
10. sleepyhead pt. 2 (pt.3 of the leisure trilogy)
11. thoughtsicles (single edit)