Search - Minders :: Hooray for Tuesday

Makes my Top Ten of the Decade...

John C. Hornbostel | Northern VA | 12/19/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"...at least when it comes to pop records. The anonymous person who gave this one star must've lost a girlfriend or boyfriend to one of the Minders, or owe them money, or something...Anyway, unlike many Elephant 6 bands, you can actually believe the British accent with which Minder leader Martyn Leaper sings: he was born in the UK--so there. He's been blessed with the ability to write incredibly catchy, dramatic songs, too. Way too many E6 bands come up with one nice riff and try to make a whole song out of it; Leaper and Co. manage to use that great riff as a starting point for a great song with choruses, bridges, and dramatic turns: "Red Bus" has a great hook on the verse, but nothing prepares you for the sheer gorgeousness when the multipart vocal chorus comes in.A final word on the backing vocals that have been disparaged elsewhere.... They're absolutely lovely. Someone in this band has clearly studied piano pretty seriously, because many times the vocals drift into contrapuntal structures--from firsthand experience, those are *tough* to do.This clocks in at a beautiful 32 minutes, just perfect for what's being attempted. When I hear this, I hear elements of the Kinks (very Edwardian at times), the Fab Four, and even the Who. Highly Recommended!"

As if to provoke one long, wide smile...

boeanthropist | Cambridge, MA | 02/11/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As good as, if not better than, their previous 7" records; mercifully short (less than 30 min.) in an age of CDs more tediously overlong than the 3-LP 'concept' albums of the 70s, herein you will find a dozen of Mr. Leaper and Co's perfect pop songs. Bubblegum effluvia, ancient analog synth chirrups, harmonies proven to cause tooth decay by 5 out of 5 dentists, but entirely worth it for the sound of 100-proof candyfloss brewing in the secret hollow beneath a leopardskin nymphette's sewing-table. Erudite but never pretentious, tense but never histrionic, and affected with that same sunny, eccentric faux-Englishness which flavors the majority of Elephant 6 releases in much the same way that cardamom seeds flavor strong, black coffee. Get "Cul De Sacs and Dead Ends," too, which comprises singles and sundry other songs and gives you the makings of a fine 90-min. cassette to make unbearable traffic bearable."

As if to provoke one long, wide smile...

boeanthropist | 07/16/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As good, if not better than their three previous 7" records, mercifully short (less than 30 min.) in an age of CDs more tediously overlong than the 3-LP 'concept' albums of the 70s, herein you will find a dozen of Mr. Leaper and Co's perfect pop songs. Bubblegum effluvia, ancient analog chirrups, and the sound of 100-proof candyfloss brewing in the secret hollow beneath a leopardskin nymphette's sewing-table. Erudite but never pretentious, tense but never histrionic, and affected with that same sunny, eccentric faux-Englishness which flavors the majority of Elephant 6 releases in much the same way cardamom seeds flavor strong, black coffee. Get their 3 singles, too."