Synopses & Reviews
A tribute to an independent record label and the people who helped build it, this story encapsulates the zeitgeist in popular music that washed through Vancouver in the 1990s and 2000s. As a label, Mint Records helped launch the careers of the New Pornographers, Neko Case, the Evaporators, the Smugglers, the Sadies, the Pack A. D., and countless other acts and in doing so, not only shaped the sound of Vancouver at the end of the 20th century, but helped usher in a golden age of Canadian popular music that still thrives today. Filled with rare and never-before-seen memorabilia from Mint bands and their tours, including photographs that cover the last 20 years, this chronicle embodies Vancouver pop music followers and hears Mint Records insiders speak for the first time about the label they loveand that truly loves them back.
Review
"[I]t was interesting to read about the label. I credit Fontana and Bill Baker and Randy Iwata for not just talking about the high points of the label, but also sharing some of the mis-steps that were taken along the way . . . ECW has now put out a great series of books that chronicle the indie rock and punk history in Canada, so kudos to them." —www.410media.com (December 2011)
Review
"Whether you've followed Mint since the early days or you've never heard of them before, Fresh at Twenty is a fast-paced look at a golden age of Canadian popular music that still thrives today." —The Ubyssey (October 7, 2011)
Review
"From early acts like Windwalker and Gob, to their current roster, including the Pack A.D. and Hot Panda, this niche scrapbook of conversations tells the story of Mint as a whole, depicting the scene in Vancouver and the independent music world at large. Twenty years and 147 records later, Mint survives." —Discorder (October 2011)
Review
"[A] good reminder of how, 20 years on, Mint is still fully devoted to its artists and the music it loves so much." —Vancouver Sun (October 6, 2011)
Review
"An in-depth overview of the last 20 years of Vancouver music, Fresh at Twenty: The Oral History of Mint Records is a must for any music obsessive." —www.TheTyee.ca (October 2011)
Review
"Fresh At Twenty tells Mint's story in the words of Baker, Iwata, Mint acts and contributions from Grant Lawrence and Nardwuar. Thus there is a frankness as well as a freshness in the book's many anecdotes. It's engaging to read just for capturing a fleeting downtown punk scene." —www.TheProvince.com (September 2011)
Synopsis
Fresh at Twenty: The Oral History of Mint Records is first and foremost the story of an independent record label and the people who helped build it. But its also the story of a place and time in popular music Vancouver through the 1990s and 2000s. Mint helped launch the careers of the New Pornographers, Neko Case, the Evaporators, the Smugglers, the Sadies, the Pack A.D. and countless other acts. In doing so, Mint not only shaped the sound of Vancouver at the end of the 20th century, but helped usher in a golden age of Canadian popular music that still thrives today. Now, on the eve of Mints 20th anniversary, the people who recorded the albums, drove cross-country in failing vans, and made Vancouver pop music matter, speak for the first time about the label that they love and that truly loves them back.
About the Author
Kaitlin Fontana is an award-winning writer whose work has appeared in numerous publications, including Exclaim!, Rolling Stone, SPIN, and the Walrus and Maisonneuve. She lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.