Stolen Minks // Athens Exchange

The Stolen Minks Get Their High Kicks in Athens

Photo Credit: www.myspace.com/stolenminks

by Carrie Dagenhard

03/26/2009



If you're looking for a good dose of estrogen-fueled garage punk, I have just the remedy: Stolen Minks. This three-piece from Halifax, Nova Scotia delivers the kind of fiery, no-bullshit sound that's become all but extinct in today's garage punk circuits.



A hometown favorite since their formation in 2003, Stolen Minks have been generating one distortion-packed super hit after another, with their most recent full length, High Kicks, charting for several consecutive weeks in Canada.



While the Minks are largely classified as a "girl band," I don't think it's safe to put them under the same musical umbrella as, say, The Pussycat Dolls. In fact, the Minks would eat the Pussycat Dolls for lunch. Instead, the Minks' sound conjures up similarities to Riot Grrrl pioneers Bikini Kill or Bratmobile while combining playful rockabilly riffs and old school punk distortion. The Minks categorize themselves simply as "garage punk."



"I heard a great line from a musician in Halifax," says guitarist Stephanie Johns. "The difference between garage punk and punk is that garage punks don't know how to play."



Whatever it's called, people like it. The Stolen Minks have landed gigs all over the US and Canada, playing Go Bar in Athens and a house party in Decatur this past week, traveling to Pittsburgh early next week and eventually heading back to Halifax before playing another leg of shows later this spring. Even with all of their border-crossing journeys, the girls have refined their on-road needs to just three necessities: air mattresses, moisturizer, and sour gummy dinosaurs - the latter being a favorite during the past tour.




And just like any other traveling band, the Minks have encountered their fair share of dangerous escapades. While en route to Baltimore, their van was hit by a possible drunk driver. While the band members made it out safely, their vehicle has more than a few battle scars.



"It looks like Jaws tried to have a Minks snack," Johns says.



Luckily, their trip to the South has been relatively accident-free and we can only hope they'll be returning soon. If you happen to catch a show, which I would highly recommend, make sure to stick around and say hello.



"We just want to be pals with everyone who comes to our show," Johns says. "Let's be friends forever!"

the stolen minks @ electric boogaloo

http://x250.vicu.utoronto.ca/podcast/download.php?filename=2008-12-23_electric_boogaloo_25.m4a

me and dan johnston

sxsw and truck tacos

I am currently in Austin, TX @ SXSW and it rules.

One of my fav things is eating tacos out of a truck, and going to Huts (the best damn veggie burgers ever)

the Stolen Minks - 7 inch Atlanta

Stolen Minks' latest album shows band's growth as songwriters
Artist: The Stolen Minks
Title: High Kicks
Label: New Romance For Kids
Release date: Sept. 16, 2008

On High Kicks, Halifax, Nova Scotia’s Stolen Minks prove that they have come into their own as songwriters, as clever covers have given way to eight well-crafted originals.

The album opens with “Bring It,” which is a fast-paced, autobiographical party-starter that is guaranteed to get your feet moving. Like other songs on the album, this one shows the versatility the band is allowed through their use of three vocalists.

Next is “Northend Strangler,” which, despite its sinister title and opening sample, is packed full of upbeat, keyboard-driven goodness.

“Reflexes” is a standout track because it is totally different than anything on The Stolen Minks’ debut CD or EP. This guitar-driven track and its slightly distorted vocals makes the Minks sound more like a really good Kill Rocks Stars band than a group that does well-played Link Wray covers.

“Get Wet” is another standout which shows off the band’s musical development and the band’s penchant for using all of their vocal talents on the same tune. The song also has a memorable chorus that’s anchored by torrential drumming and a catchy hook.

Up next is the repetitive, mid-tempo tune “Consecutives,” which is the weakest track on the album. When your album's worst track is actually very good when it's not getting compared to single-worthy cuts like "Reflexes," you're doing something right.

Your Broken Heart” and “I Hate You” are good old fashioned punk tunes. The latter is not a Carbonas cover, though the girls are known to play a banging live version of “Lost Cause.” Instead, it’s an energetic, rough-around-the-edges tune which could easily be covered by the Carbonas.

The album wraps up with “Viola Desmond,” which is another out-of-left-field tune that shows the band can still rock out while indulging in a little folksy storytelling.

Before this album came out, The Stolen Minks were already a top-notch band. With these songs added to their growing canon, the all-girl trio is now on par with fellow Canadian girls Vancougar.

The Stolen Minks’ newest release may not have an instant classic about sex with Batman like their first album, but it does have eight kick-ass originals by one of Canada’s finest exports.

For a fun bonus, scope out The Stolen Minks' tour blog, which includes plenty of pictures of cats, dogs, and Chevy Chase worship and an entry about the show they played at The Earl with The Renegades/Black Lips and The Goodnight Loving. In that entry, the band reveals they will be back this spring to play an Atlanta show with New York's Vivian Girls. That will be a can't miss show.

New Wax and Toronto

Our new recs look really good. The Black Ships Low 7" sounds heavier than the CD (to me, cos' I'm a nerd), and the Sainte Catherines / Us Against the World 7" is just raging. Still not Getting any... Credibility from the Sainte Catherines stands has one of my fav songs from them, as they take another jab at Simple Plan.

My Ste-4 top 3.

1. The International Badminton Championship (1-2-3 go version, fhh split)
2. Still not Getting any... Credibility (from our 7 inch)
3. Track and Field Style (from Fat release)

Also I was in Toronto this week, I went to Rotate This for the first time since they moved, the new store is pretty cool, they took a bunch of our records. I really like Toronto. The last time I was there was for the Discord / Locust show on the exclaim tour, and it was ok, but this time around I wandered a bit more, and really enjoyed it. Cudos Toronto

the Toronto Star reviews High Kicks

The Stolen Minks, High Kicks. Muddy, party-starting slop-rock by four saucy ladies from Halifax. Exuberant in its primitivism, High Kicks has a joyous, slightly naive spark that sometimes evokes the sort of tuneful messes to which Calvin Johnson's name is often attached. It's insidiously catchy, good with a put-down – "Your Broken Heart" and "I Hate You" revel in their cattiness – and able to spin pop gold from a tune called "North End Strangler," so there are definitely worse remedies out there for the January blahs.

CKUT TOP LOUD 2008

ckut top 20 LOUD 2008
don cabarello - punkgasm - relapse
menace ruine - cult of ruins - alien8 CC
grails - doomsdayer holiday - temporary residence
earth - the bee made honey in the lion’s skull - southern lord
the melvins - nude with boots - ipecac
om - pilgrimage - southern lord
lustmord - other - hydra head
thisquietarmy - blackhaunter - elevation CC
moha - one way ticket to candyland - rune grammofon
sunn - domkirke - southern lord
burning witch - crippled lucifer - southern lord
harvey milk - the best game in town - hydra head
wrath of the weak - alogon - profound lore
conifer/ocean - split lp - important
venomous concept - poisoned apple - century media
black ships - omens - new romance for kids CC
ascend - ample fire within - southern lord
5ive - hesperus - tortuga
discord of a forgotten sketch - improv session - new romance for kids CC
russian circles - station - suicide squeeze

The Stolen Minks live @ Stereophonic

The Stolen Minks - Live at Stereophonic 6! from CultureHub on Vimeo.

5 Favs w/ The Stolen Minks @ That's Fucking Dynamite

5 Favs w/ The Stolen Minks

January 13th, 2009

We’re back with the Five Favorites feature…and this installment comes courtesy of Halifax’s The Stolen Minks. The band released their great new album, High Kicks, a few months back and soon after headed out on a tour that would make Magellan feel road weary (that’s right folks, That’s Fucking Dynamite, your premiere source for 15th century, Portuguese explorer humour). Tiina from the band was good enough to pass along a list of her current favorite albums, check ‘em out.

MP3: The Stolen Minks - Consecutives

Five Favorites with The Stolen Minks

Statues - New People Make Us Nervous

A perfect pop punk record. Every verse, every chorus and every bridge is catchy. There was a night on tour when were driving through the mountains in some terrible weather. I was driving, gripping the steering wheel and just about having a panic attack. Steph put on this album and I chilled the eff out and we made it though the mountains. Basically, Statues saved our lives.

The Bugs - …the Bugs

Our new friends in Portland OR, The Mean Jeans, played this band for us and we lost our minds. Fuckin’ A Right became our tour theme. If we ever get to see them play this song live, I think we’d freak out and be screaming and crying, like they were The Beatles.

Mission of Burma - Vs.


We brought a copy of Our Band Could Be Your Life on tour with us, and we’d all read bits of it here and there. Erica got the furthest in the book and therefore was an expert on 80’s hardcore. Some annoying boy would be talking shit about punk rock and Erica would be all, “Oh no, Rollins joined Black Flag in 1981, not 1980. Check your facts, son.” Erica bought a Mission of Burma CD for $5 from Amoeba records in San Francisco and we listened to it like crazy.

The Maynards - Date and Destroy

Our hometown BFFs finished their new album while we were on tour, but were kind enough to email it to us. It was such an awesome way to soothe our home-sickness. This is a super fun record from one of my favourite bands ever. My favourite song, In the CIA, has so much plot jammed into two minutes of solid rocking. There are like, character arcs. Amazing.

Jay Reatard - Blood Visions

We took a day off on tour and drove to Philadelphia just to see Jay Reatard. We listened to this album so much and marveled at how awesome it is. Then we all got a a little sad when we heard Jay, in an interview with Nardwuar, say that he generally doesn’t like female vocals. Sob! I don’t care! I can change him, Mom!