Originally posted on

June 8, 2012

Link

After spending over two decades creating original records, Mint Condition finally sense "it's our time now." The band released the album 7 in 2011, which produced two Grammy nominations, increasing their momentum and growing their fan base.

Ready to build on the successes of last year's hits like "Caught My Eye," the veteran group will not wait several years to drop a new album. They will release their eighth studio album Music @ The Speed of Life in September.

"We definitely think we're headed in the right direction. It's kind of strange to say that after two decades but we feel it's our time now, we've paid a lot of dues, been schooled in the business, honed our craft, in other words, we've gone to the "puppet show" and seen the strings!" said the band.

Mint Condition stays close to their roots integrating Jazz, R&B, Rock, Latin influences and pushing their boundaries. "We believe by staying true you become vulnerable in many ways and people feel that, whether it's joy, love or pain, it comes across in the music and people embrace that!"

The album will be released by Shanachie Entertainment,.

...

[Edited 9/13/12 5:47am]

Lead single and video for "Believe in Us", from the album, Music @ The Speed Of Life due out on Sep 11.

5 Questions: Mint Condition

August 25, 2012

As a fellow bass player, Ricky Kinchen of the R&B band Mint Condition has a lot of respect for Cincinnati funk legend Bootsy Collins, and not just for his talent.

“The reason we’re funky is because of that guy,” Kinchen says during a phone conversation. “Bootsy is one of my favorite bass players and a nice guy when you meet him. And that doesn’t happen. When you meet your heroes, a lot of times they’re disappointing. And Bootsy, both times I’ve met him, he’s been a great guy and a really cool guy. And I’ve really met some (jerks).”

The long-running Minneapolis band is touring in support of a new album, Music @ the Speed of Life, set for release next month.

Today’s R&B is dominated by excessive production, which doesn’t leave a lot of room for musicianship, but you guys are known for musicianship. How do you stay relevant without bowing down to contemporary R&B conventions?

Just by listening to some of the things that are going on today, and not as a snob, because you can play an instrument and because you can write song. A lot of my friends who I run into are like, “What do you think about this music, and these producers?” And I’m like, “I love it, I have it in my car now.”

But you also stay true to yourself, and you incorporate all of the things you hear and all of the things you draw from in the past and put it all together, and that’s how this band has continued to stay fresh.

Do you guys think of yourselves as a contemporary band, an old-school band, or do you avoid those labels?

Definitely avoid those labels altogether. Mint Condition is – the best thing I can think of – classic, and still relevant. We can tour with Earth, Wind and Fire. We can tour with Frankie Beverly and Maze. We can tour with Jill Scott. We can tour with a D’Angelo.

You guys have been making hits for 20 years now. What’s the secret to your longevity? Do you stay together because you still make hits, or would you still be around without hits, just for the love of the music?

That’s definitely first. We enjoy making music. We have five of the best writers in one band, so that helps. We’re not depending on the producer of the month to produce something for us. Each one of us could turn in two of our best songs and we’d have a good CD. That’s definitely a big part of the reason we’re still here. Some of us want to have hits on the radio, and some of us are artists, like me. I just want to write music and express what’s in my heart and hopefully people like it.

I’m not going to do something that somebody in the band wants me to do, like one guy in the band a long time ago said, “Write a song that fits what’s going on today,” and I’m like, “You know what, if you think we need that, then that’s what you need to do.” But I’m not gonna do that. If I see a booty, and the booty inspires me, then I’m gonna write a song about it. But I’m not gonna write a song about it, because you want me to write a song about it.

So is it a democracy? Does everyone have an equal voice?

Yes, everyone does. There’s nobody in this band more important that anyone else, as far as we’re concerned. Someone else looking in could say there’s a Batman and there’s a Robin, but we all make the decisions equally. And we’ve got to hear everyone’s opinion, which sucks sometimes, but you got to listen to everybody and hear what they have to say. It could be the opposite of what the other four are thinking, but you’ve got to give them their respect.

Why is Minneapolis such a hotbed of soul music? It’s not commonly thought of like Chicago or Detroit – Midwest cities with deep histories of African-American culture.

I would have to say a lot of it started with Prince. And Minnesota’s always been a place where if there’s not a lot of jobs going on anywhere else in the world, everybody moves to Minnesota. So what happened was, everybody’s parents probably moved here because this was the place to get to work and some of those kids were Jellybean (Johnson), Terry Lewis. And then once the Prince and Time thing started happening everybody just moved here from Milwaukee, Chicago, Detroit – and that’s how I ended up here from Chicago.

http://news.cincinnati.co...-Condition

[Edited 9/12/12 9:19am]

Yep yep.

DNickz said:

Here's a treat. "Believe In Us" - LIVE at The Grove of Anaheim in Anaheim, CA July 2012 Keri Lewis is on the keys. [Edited 8/25/12 8:57am]

Me likes.........thanks.

cant wait!

DNickz said:

Preview clips from their new album "Music @ The Speed Of Life" on SoulTracks.com, which is featured as the CD of the Month for September. http://www.soultracks.com...music-life

Damn! Thanks dude. This is more like it. I listened to 30 second clips from

Amazon last week from the MP3 download and a few of the songs you

couldn't get a feel for like you do from Soul Tracks. This is shaping up to

be their best album. I will be running to the wreckord store Sep.11.

Love every track . Couldn't get the last track 649/Changes to play.

I not to sure about the listing of Bobby Ross Avila as a guest artist

on here. Might be a list error. I looked him up and he doesn't seem like

an artist they would collab with.

phunkdaddy said:

DNickz said:

Preview clips from their new album "Music @ The Speed Of Life" on SoulTracks.com, which is featured as the CD of the Month for September. http://www.soultracks.com...music-life

Damn! Thanks dude. This is more like it. I listened to 30 second clips from

Amazon last week from the MP3 download and a few of the songs you

couldn't get a feel for like you do from Soul Tracks. This is shaping up to

be their best album. I will be running to the wreckord store Sep.11.

Love every track . Couldn't get the last track 649/Changes to play.

I not to sure about the listing of Bobby Ross Avila as a guest artist

on here. Might be a list error. I looked him up and he doesn't seem like

an artist they would collab with.

Really looking forward to this album, as I've said before. I hope it is as good as "7" and, man oh man!, did I enjoy seeing them perform a concert by themselves earlier this year!

An Evening with Mint Condition
“MUSIC @ THE SPEED OF LIFE” CD Release Concert
Friday, September 28th
First Avenue – 701 1st Avenue, Downtown Minneapolis
(612) 338-8388
Doors 8:00 PM / Music 9:00 PM.

http://first-avenue.com/e...tcondition

...

[Edited 8/31/12 17:36pm]

phunkdaddy said:

Just saw them Aug. 10 in Charlotte. They need to bring their asses

back and play the songs from this new album. Love the opening

cut Inside The Moment, Believe In Us, Blessed, Slo Woman, What I

Gotta Do, Nothin, Never Hurt Again. Album of the year!

DNickz said:

Preview clips from their new album "Music @ The Speed Of Life" on SoulTracks.com, which is featured as the CD of the Month for September. http://www.soultracks.com...music-life

OMG This album is sounding better than "7"!!!! Can't wait until Sept. 11th...definitely buying off of iTunes!!! Goodness, I'm too excited This album sounds reminiscent of their earlier style in the 90's combined with the newness of today.

Loving this new joint. Can't wait 2 get my hands on it.

I was worried based on those Amazon clips.

[Edited 9/1/12 11:50am]

How the hell did I miss this thread

phunkdaddy said:

I can't stop playing these snippets............

I wanted to LOVE 7 because I LOVE MC, but it didn't wow me like I wanted it to... I was so disappointed. I don't even know WHAT it was that I wasn't feeling... it just felt so formulaic to me. I dunno...

Anyway, I really like this first single, so I'm hoping it'll grow on me. I am afraid to listen to the other tracks because I don't know what to expect. Maybe I'll jsut wait and get it when it's released and be surprised.

jaybendy said:

I wanted to LOVE 7 because I LOVE MC, but it didn't wow me like I wanted it to... I was so disappointed. I don't even know WHAT it was that I wasn't feeling... it just felt so formulaic to me. I dunno...

Anyway, I really like this first single, so I'm hoping it'll grow on me. I am afraid to listen to the other tracks because I don't know what to expect. Maybe I'll jsut wait and get it when it's released and be surprised.

Interesting. I've heard that from a few people. Maybe my bias has taken me over but I really dug 7. Did u have the bonus tracks version?

I want to be surprised so Im going to wait out on listening to the clips. I am really digging the single.... R&B stations have been bumping it

mjscarousal said:

I want to be surprised so Im going to wait out on listening to the clips. I am really digging the single.... R&B stations have been bumping it

I tried 2 wait it out.........

Graycap23 said:

jaybendy said:

I wanted to LOVE 7 because I LOVE MC, but it didn't wow me like I wanted it to... I was so disappointed. I don't even know WHAT it was that I wasn't feeling... it just felt so formulaic to me. I dunno...

Anyway, I really like this first single, so I'm hoping it'll grow on me. I am afraid to listen to the other tracks because I don't know what to expect. Maybe I'll jsut wait and get it when it's released and be surprised.

Interesting. I've heard that from a few people. Maybe my bias has taken me over but I really dug 7. Did u have the bonus tracks version?

Shoot, 7 is tha bomb, especially with the bonus tracks... The live stuff--yes!

7 was good. I would still rank that behind 3 other Mint cd's but

i feel Music @ The Speed Of Life could potentially top them all.

Ok..............I finally got the new cd.

I'm blown away....................WOW!

phunkdaddy said:

7 was good. I would still rank that behind 3 other Mint cd's but

i feel Music @ The Speed Of Life could potentially top them all.

it probably will.. those snippets sound reallly good

[Edited 9/4/12 12:11pm]

DNickz said:

EXCLUSIVE FROM ESSENCE.COM Listen to the entire "Music @ The Speed Of Life" album here http://www.essence.com/20...peed-life

Thanks!