It’s a Team Mint Xmas Vol. 2! – Mint Records [X-mas Audio #9]

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 reservations. None.

There’s no telling where a Christmas party with this many mixed nuts will take you. Ever found yourself in a hot tub with three naked elves? I didn’t think so …

Highlights of the second “Team Mint Xmas” include:

• Carolyn Mark‘s savvy blend of Neko Case country-indie and Folk Uke whimsy;
• A T-in-cheek tune from Young and Sexy, a smear of Kim Deal/Breeders cool but, you know, piano-led;
• A delightful genre-skipping instrumental from Atomic 7;
• Speedballs-a-plenty from The Ramblin’ Ambassadors, retro garage-rockin’ with reindeer;
• Many, many more Canadian indie-rock artists.

What more do you need to know, dummy? GET ON IT and listen/investigate this in a manner befitting the stingiest audio gumshoe. NOW.

Atomic 7 - “Senor Santa El Es el Monstruo“

The Ramblin’ Ambassadors – “Don’t Fear the Reindeer”