What we've got here is two full albums, a 7", and one sweet cover of "Funeral Pyre" by the Jam, all by 90's Madison/Eau Claire/Minneapolis band Voodoo Love Mint. I'd describe them as the pop side of AmRep, particularly as all their stuff was recorded by Tim Mac. Boy-next-door vocals, high enough in register to be urgent, over meaty guitars and semi-busy drums, all at quick tempo. Also with a decent sense of humor, as indicated by song titles like "Too Hungover To Come Over," "My Parents' Waterbed," and "I Just Came From Space."
Their first album, Something In French, is a good record, but a little indistinguished. They hadn't figured out where exactly they were going yet, but Small Pet O.K. posits them right in the spot. My only complaint about this record is about the recording. It just sort of...sounds like a demo. It needs more balls. This maybe says something about the difference in taste between now and ten years ago, and I'm sure it sounded fine at the time (I didn't notice anything until I dug this out recently,) but it doesn't really matter when you've got songs as catchy as "Ambrosia" and "Roasted Flesh Daily." And the single sounds fine, so I dunno. I also dunno how "Crab" and "Moon over Miami" didn't end up on the album. So fucking good!
Apparently, these days the guitar and bass guys are in a band called the Jaggernauts, although VLM have been playing a gig now and again as well.
Voodoo Love Mint - Something in French - 1995 Angry Seed Records
1) Gunnar
2) Torque
3) Yoko Ono
4) The Service
5) Mean Robot
6) Castor Oil
7) Whup Ass
8) Tutu
9) Pike
10) The Coug
Voodoo Love Mint - Small Pet O.K. - 1998 Erosion Records
1) Ambrosia
2) Bar Song
3) Too Hungover to Come Over
4) Heart
5) Fun With Bugs
6) Hot Bowl
7) My Parents' Waterbed
8) Colonel
9) Kissing Death
10) Roasted Flesh Daily
11) Bucket
12) Light
bonus track: I Just Came From Space (live)
Voodoo Love Mint - The Dreaded California Icepick Tests - 1998 Sterling Records
1) Roasted Flesh Daily (note: same as album version, thus not included in .zip file)
2) I Just Came From Space
3) Crab
4) Moon Over Miami
Various Artists - When You're Young: Songs Originally Recorded by the Jam - 1998 Youth Explosion
18) Voodoo Love Mint - Funeral Pyre
http://rapidshare.com/files/293079240/Voodoo_Love_Mint.zip
The original drummer (who played on Something in French) is now in New York City in a band called the Dirty Pearls.
ReplyDeleteI know, because I am him!
Marty E.
http://www.thedirtypearls.com
Awesome, Marty! Thanks for commenting.
ReplyDeleteI saw voodoo love mint play in Minot north Dakota when I was a kid. I think 14 or 15. I am 28 now. So about 13 years ago. It was my first live concert, I wish I could remember the name of the place. It is oak park movie theatre now. Rock on. Voodoo love mint has great replay ability.
ReplyDeleteThey also released a 4? song demo cassette before Something in French. I used to have it but that was ages ago. Had one of my favorite songs of theirs called Maple.
ReplyDelete