Mint Condition - News

"Not My Daddy" Nominated for Two Grammys!

Thu, 01 Dec 2011 11:05:00 -0800

Not My Daddy from Mint Conditions latest album 7 was nominated for two Grammys, Best R&B Song and Best R&B Performance.

The 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards will take place live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, Feb. 12, 2012, at 8 PM ET/PT on CBS.

From www.mintconditionmusic.com

The Deluxe Edition

Thu, 20 Oct 2011 09:50:00 -0700

Check out The Deluxe Edition of our new CD with 5 Bonus Tracks! Available on iTunes on 11/1.

From www.mintconditionmusic.com

Mint Condition on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon

Thu, 16 Jun 2011 16:45:00 -0700

On June 20th, 2011 Mint Condition will be performing on Late Night with
Jimmy Fallon. Here is where you come in

How would you like a chance to be close to Mint Conditions performance
on the show?

Click on the link below and you will be directed to our Band Bench
Sweepstakes entry form. Enter for a chance to win seats on our band
benches and an opportunity to surround the stage during Mint Conditions
performance.

Please make sure you include the following band code: MIN, in your entry
form.

http://www.fallonbandbench.com

From www.mintconditionmusic.com

7 . . .

Tue, 10 May 2011 12:55:00 -0700

Born into the Minnesota R&B scene of the 1980s, Mint Condition was
more like slick but sweat-inducing soul classicists Maze and the
Commodores than souped-up neighbors such as the Time and Prince. Mint
Condition used some of the synth, slap and tickle that made the Purple
One reign, but vocalist Stokley Williams had a rich and passionate
tone that bordered on the insistent. The harmonies were silken, the
rhythms swinging, and the band's overall musicality earthen and live.
There was, and continues to be, something hearty and tactile about
Mint Condition's husky sound, a touchy tradition they follow with
elegant, funky aplomb on the heel-clicking "I Want It" and the quietly
thundering "Can't Get Away." There's a sonic depth to those tunes you
simply don't (or can't) hear in nouvelle AutoTuned R&B. That density
carries over to the emotionalism of songs such as the woozily
mid-tempo "Walk On" and "Not My Daddy" (with singer Kelly Price), with
their sad sentiment intact but without treacle. They even have a tune
about moms ("Unsung"). Dag. With just a hint of hip-hop swagger to
make 7 . . . minty fresh, this is what honest, open, mature soul
sounds like. Pay attention.

- A.D. Amorosi

From www.mintconditionmusic.com

Billboard Review: Mint Condition 7…

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 12:20:00 -0700

Mint Condition is a rare breed these days: a self-contained R&B/funk band. And although the Minneapolis outfit's breakthrough crossover hit, "Breakin' My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes)," dates back to 1991, don't get it twisted and think these oldsters can't cut it anymore. Sounding just as energetic and commanding as ever, Mint Condition can still do it all, from writing and producing the tracks on its seventh album to shifting seamlessly among R&B/funk, hip-hop, jazz and rock-all without falling into the formulaic abyss.

MC gets things under way with the rock/electric-vibed opener "Can't Get Away," then segues into such repeat-worthy tracks as the easygoing, yet cautionary love song "Mind Slicker," Latin instrumental groove "Bossalude," subtly intense ballad "Unsung" and the two singles currently climbing Billboard's R&B/hip-hop chart: the flirty "Caught My Eye" and the relationship treatise "Not My Daddy" (featuring Kelly Price). Tying everything together is the sixth sense that comes with playing together for 20 years, plus drummer/lead singer Stokley Williams' searing vocals. You can both hear and feel his anguish on breakup track "Walk On." Mint Condition is proof positive that it's OK to keep doing your thing.

From www.mintconditionmusic.com

Facebook Contest

Tue, 19 Apr 2011 10:20:00 -0700

To All Our Friends & Fans

We are proud to announce the release of our new CD entitled The CD is available now at iTunes, Amazon, Target, Wal-Mart, Fryes, your local CD store, and at Best Buy stores as a Special Edition featuring five bonus tracks! We hope you will pick up a copy and help support the band by spreading the word to all your friends.

We are also running a special contest for all our Facebook friends. The winner will be chosen randomly by the band members on Tuesday, April 19th and will receive a special Fender guitar, actually played at aconcert by Stokley, and autographed by the entire band!

To enter the contest, please follow the instructions below:

Download the new CD cover with the words Available Now from the bands Facebook page.

Replace your personal profile picture on Facebook with the new Mint Condition CD cover.

Send a message to the band so they will know that you have switched your profile photo and you will automatically be entered into the contest!

The band will begin choosing potential winners beginning today, so the sooner you change your profile picture the better! You must keep the CD cover as your profile picture until the winner is chosen on Tuesday, April 19th.

Thanks to our fans for all your love and please support live music!

From www.mintconditionmusic.com

Album Review: Mint Condition 7...

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 10:05:00 -0700

In 20 years, Mint Condition has released seven albums, hence the title of the R&B bands new CD. Each effort built on its predecessor, revealing flashes of brilliance. But too many times, shapeless material hampered the bands albums.

On the Minneapolis quintet comes close to a masterstroke. Everything that made Mint Condition great in the first place (the razor-edged rhythms, richly melodic love songs and lead singer Stokely Williams rangy, passion-soaked vocals) is better realized. The songs, slick and smartly streamlined, showcase a band at the peak of its powers.

The vibrancy of the music, which finely balances live and processed instrumentation, underscores the broken-hearted lyrics. t Get Away, Mind Slicker and Walk On bristle with angst. But the grooves and melodies are so honey-smooth, the kiss-offs become pleasantries. Not My Daddy, a duet with underrated R&B singer/songwriter Kelly Price, is the only track on the album not produced by the band.

From beginning to end, is an assured, mature statement from a band in full bloom.

From www.mintconditionmusic.com

20 Years Later and Still in Mint Condition

Mon, 11 Apr 2011 10:05:00 -0700

April 11th 2011 I Joyce E. Davis I heartandsoul.com

The five men of Mint Condition have been consistently dropping soul-touching music for two decades. Their lyrics engage. Their musical diversity entertains. And their vocals enrapture. The group originally from Minneapolis, Minn, does not disappoint on their seventh album, 7. Standouts include Not My Daddy, a searing duet with Kelly Price, the beautiful ballads Walk On and Caught My Eye, the funky Ease the Pain, and a calypso joint, While their line up has changed a bit over the years, the music has only gotten better. The guys share their creative process and how theyve managed to last so long in the unpredictable and constantly evolving music business.

Heart & Soul: What do you know now that you wish you knew 20 years ago when you first started in the music business?
Ricky Kinchen: Whew! Keeping it real? The importance of publishing.
Stokely Williams: Thats real. And to a savor it, because you have a lot of great experiences. If you sleep on it, its gone.
Lawrence Waddell: I would love to savor a couple more moments than I didjust the beginning a little more when we werein top five pop songs and I wasnt realizing what the significance of that was. That was a really good place to be and not an easy place to be.

H&S: Tell us about the process of creating the single, Caught My Eye.
Waddell: Caught My Eye is a beautiful groove balladclassic Mint. Great lyrics, you know the way you want a man to approach you. The song is kind of an experience written by Stokely and myself. Stokely had some tracks I was listening toall the guys have stores of songs you can listen to and pick which one youre inspired by. I toyed around with some lyrics to go with the track I liked. Thats how we write. The lyrics were inspired by an actual coffee house experience I had. I saw a girl Id seen around in a few different places. I talked to her and she was really nice. I left and she left. And I never saw her again.

So what is the feel of the rest of the album?
Waddell: Were just trying to be honest about our lives. We fall from grace sometimes. And there are songs about that. Theres a redemptive side to the album. In general, we dont limit ourselves, and liberation that comes from that place. If Im in a calypso mood, there may be steel drums on that track.
Kinchen: Its Mint Condition, though. We have all the things youre going to expect. Youre going to love it.

Jodeci, LeVert and Tony! Toni! Ton! had No. 1 hits on the R&B charts in 1991 when you guys dropped your debut. There are only a few who are still doing it at your level. What accounts for your longevity?
Kinchen: Being in the game for all these years and still being able to have hits on the radio is a blessingand that is for all of us. Its a blessing being able to work together and still create good music. Take E-Life: Nothing Left to Say was in the top five for 11 months. Were competitive, even with each other. You have to come with it or else people arent going to feel it.
Homer ODell: One thing we do have is a lot of great fans. They patiently wait on the next project every time. They stick with us. They are behind us 100 percent. We are blessed to have die-hard fans. And they give us the opportunity to stretch out and do other things besides radio hits.
Kinchen: Yeah, weve had black musicians who play with Charlie Wilson say we were the first to turn them on to Rock & Roll. Thats how we grew up. Our parents had Parliament, War, Earth, Wind & Fire, Band of Gypsies, Jimi Hendrix. We werent just listening to hip hop. We listened to all different types of music.
ODell: I would go over to Andre Symones sisters house to listen to the only R&B radio station. It must have been like 100 watts. I was like Radio Raheem on the back to the school bus blasting all the hits. Thats how we grew up in Minnesota. We had that opportunity to listen to more than R&B.

From www.mintconditionmusic.com

CD of The Month: Mint Condition 7...

Tue, 05 Apr 2011 10:20:00 -0700

Mint Condition has been called the "last great R&B band." One thing is for sure: After all these years, MC is still bringing it, and giving their legion of fans consistently great music.

Three years after virtually sweeping the SoulTracks Readers' Choice Awards, Mint Condition is back TODAY with their Shanachie Records debut, album, 7. It is another winner and features the smash hit, "Caught My Eye," and we're very proud to present this hot disc as this month's CD of the Month. We know you're going to love hearing this great band again!

From www.mintconditionmusic.com

Listen Up: Mint Condition 7...

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 19:10:00 -0700

April 3rd I USA TODAY I Steve Jones and Elysa Gardner

These St. Paul Natives made a name for themselves in the 1990s with such hits as Breakin' My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes) and What Kind of Man Would I Be? The quintet returns for the first time in three years with a solid set of ballads and up-tempo tracks. Frontman Stokley is especially at the top of his game on smooth tracks like Caught My Eye and Ease the Pain. His duet with Kelly Price on Not My Daddy is a soulful highlight.

Steve Jones

Anthony David, As Above, So Below
The Atlanta singer-songwriter seems to fly below the radar even though he makes some of the most intelligent and soulful music around. His love songs offer relatable vignettes of relationships as they flower or fail. He also delivers thought-provoking social commentary on tracks like God Said and Back Street without clichs or bombast. David keeps the guest stars to a minimum, though the contributions of Boyz II Men's Shawn Stockman, singer Algebra and rapper Phonte are welcome. Jones

Sutton Foster, An Evening With Sutton Foster Live at the Cafe Carlyle

Foster's bright, shiny voice and presence made her a Broadway star, but this live album offers delightful proof of a shier, wrier side. Recorded during her stint last year at New York's storied cabaret venue, the collection includes brassier show tunes such as NYC and Defying Gravity. But it's the softer, gentler ballads many of them covered on Foster's charming solo debut, 2009's Wish that are revelatory, showing a sense of grace and wonder and flashes of earthy wit that also inform her between-song banter. Elysa Gardner

From www.mintconditionmusic.com

Album Review: Mint Condition 7...

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 17:20:00 -0700

Monday, March 21, 2011 I rollingout.com I Amir Shaw

When Mint Condition released their debut hit single Breakin My Heart, it represented a resurgence of the funk-soul era that was popularized during the 70s by bands such as Earth, Wind & Fire and K.C. and The Sunshine Band.

Twenty years and six top 10 singles later, Mint Condition continues to provide fans with the live R&B experience with their seventh album, 7.

The album begins with the funk-induced t Get Away. The song speaks of the addictive nature of being captured by infatuation. I Want It, a surefire party jam that will ignite any club or backyard barbecue, is reminiscent of 80s funk songs produced by Prince and Roger Troutman.

On Walk On and Mind Slicker, the group delves into the problems that can stem from getting involved with a conniving lover. I slipped on your ice again, that flossy life pretends, girl youre a mind slicker, mind slicker, mind slicker, sings lead singer Stokely Williams on Mind Slicker.

The band takes a voyage into hip-hop with J Dilla-like production on the title song, and is the albums most inspirational moment.

Twenty Years Later uses jazz and the blues to tell the tale of a 47-year-old married man who steals, cheats with his best friends girl and lives in his mothers home.

Mint Conditions 7 is a superb piece of work that serves as an appetizer for the bands amazing live show. amir shaw

From www.mintconditionmusic.com

Album Review: Mint Condition 7...

Mon, 04 Apr 2011 17:10:00 -0700

April 4th l TheUrbanMusicScene.com l Brent Faulkner

R&B group Mint Conditions seventh studio LP, entitled 7 marks their first release since 2008s E-Life. On their smartly conceived seventh full-length, Mint Condition sounds just as vocally capable as they did back in their heyday - the glory days of new-jack swing and a time where adult contemporary-laden R&B thrived. While new-jack swing and the popularity of R&B has cooled some, Mint Condition make the styles sound as relevant as ever on this Shanachie released effort (Due April 5, 2011). To call any album these days would be an but 7 proves to be a solid and enjoyable R&B effort.

The effort opens with bang with the fantastic t Get Away, which features a brilliant stomping groove here. t Get Away exhibits the contemporary R&B sound, minus unnecessary modern R&B gimmickry. The vocal harmonies are spot-on and the songwriting is poignant: In my mind girl, I cant get away from you, every night girl, youre all that I wanna do, if youre close girl, I cant keep my hands off you... I Want It is an exceptional follow-up cut, possessing a modern-funk feel about it. Within I Want It, evidence of Mint Conditions new-jack swing past show up, which is definitely not a bad thing.

Walk On continues an upswing of strong material, even if its five minute-plus duration may be a bit too drawn out. The production is smart, featuring a clever sample and the refrain is as catchy as all else: I shouldve walked away... Mind Slicker features some of the albums more clever production work, though the songwriting is not as readily accessible as the previous three cuts. That said, it is another interesting, above par listen, that again exposes Mint Conditions illustrious R&B past. Vocally, particularly following the bridge section, this is a fine listen.

Caught My Eye is impressive, slating itself in the track list as a nice, mid-tempo love song. Here, guitar, bass, and solid overall production make for a beautiful piece of ear candy. Not over-complicated, Caught My Eye definitely does just as the title states from the first listen. follows, though seems out of place on this effort. It serves as an interlude using boss nova styled production, but even after listening, one questions why it was placed on this album; it is a bit of a The brief rebuilds any lost momentum, featuring alternative-soul styled production and including an extended rap. Bizarre it may be, but is worthwhile and atones for the oddness of

Ease the Pain is a valedictory performance, possessing a funky quality about it. The vocals are superb, mixing the soulfulness of veteran Al Green and neo-soul standout DAngelo. The chorus stands out to the listener instantly: I can help ease the pain, I want you to be my everything, I know youve heard these words before, but if you trust in me, you would win for sure babe. Ease The Pain takes the prize as the most soulful number. is an excellent companion piece, though it only rivals Ease The Pain natural flowing soul. Not My Daddy features R&B/gospel chanteuse Kelly Price contributing some gritty, passionate vocals on this yet stunning meeting of voices. Even more surprising is the concluding cut, Twenty Years Later, which combines jazz and R&B harmoniously.

Essentially, Mint Conditions 7 is a fine addition to the veteran R&B groups discography. It may not reinvent the wheel, but it proves the point that so many veteran R&B artists still got it. No one will dispute given this strong selection of songs, capable production work, and polished and nuanced vocal performances that Mint Condition still have remarkable vocal chemistry and talent. 7 must truly be lucky number seven as it is a solid listen.

Brent Faulkner
The Urban Music Scene

From www.mintconditionmusic.com