Pure Unadulterated Harmony...

"Someone to love, someone to hold, someone to kiss, with you I wanna grow old.  Someone to squeeze, someone to tease, so just believe I'll always be faithful..."  Mint Condition - Someone To Love

Ok, I am a stickler for romance, is there a woman on earth who isn't?  The words above, are lyrics you would looove to hear your significant other tell you.  And I don't mean just on your wedding day, I mean on the days when it needs to be heard.  Everyday, every other day...when ever!  Just as long as it is expressed in some shape or form.  Men, we are NOT mind readers!!!  I must say, in hindsight, I wasn't in love in my last relationship even though I thought I was, but I did feel deeply for the person.  The reason I am reminiscing about this "person" is because I remember having a conversation with him one night, regarding one of my favorite bands–Mint Condition.  All he kept on saying was, "What you know about Mint Condition?"  Even though I will admit, I do not have ALL of their albums, I do consider myself a huge fan.  At that point, I had to do the damn thing and represent!  So because Mint has been on my mind, especially with the release of E-Life on Tuesday, my favorite Mint Condition album is my selection for album of the week:

Mint Condition's From The Mint Factory is an album that has to be in your collection if you are a lover of soul bands–actually soul, period.  This is an album that is on heavy rotation EVERY OTHER DAY...seriously.  All of the band musicians are ridiculously talented, Stokely could play everything and anything.  I wouldn't be surprised if the man could make a harmony off of a toilet bowl cover–that is how he throws down.  And considering that there are not that many, if any, soul bands left but MC (and don't front, you KNOW I don't mean Mariah Carey!!!) doing their thing, really says a lot for this hard working band.  From beginning to end this album is full of energy, funk, rock guitar laden riffs, sentimental ballads and they play steel pan!!  Sorry, coming from a West Indian background I have to say that they do the damn thing!  Their album is so much more than their hits "U Send Me Swingin'", So Fine" and "Someone To Love".  There's the infectious "Good For Your Heart" that makes me want to dance every time I hear it.  The jazzy sway of "10 Million Strong" always evokes a smile and the easy going and mellow flow of "Back To Your Lovin'"...hunney if you sing it like that, I would run back alright!  The album begins with such liveliness, from the intro "Welcome To The Mint Factory" drum solo and percussion straight through to the hardcore rock influenced soul-tinged track "Fidelity".  

This album means so much to me, it's my all around I-need-a-fix album.  Doesn't matter what emotion, it is always within reach.  My iPod, My MacBook on iTunes, the cd–name it, it's always around.  I managed to get my little sister hooked on this album (always coming to my house and stealing my 'ish!!) and this is one album that one of my sistafriends and I have had many a conversation on, dissected every song and built a strong friendship around.  Mint Condition is part of the glue to our friendship, MC brought K&A together.  And to this day, we speak about Mint Condition like they are our close and dear friends who we look out for.  Absolutely no one can say anything amiss about this group to MY FACE!  If you do, you obviously do not know what you are talking about and I will leave your reasoning to you being confused and not knowing any better.  And that is that!!

I did a quick mention of Mint Condition previously and tried to upload some video from their last show I took in at B.B. King's last year.  However, Blooger was being a bit temperamental and unpredictable.  So here is my attempt once again, to load a snippet of "Pretty Brown Eyes (Breakin' My Heart)"...alright, apparently Blogger does not want me to share my MC video.  Let's hope that I get some new video when they grace the stage at B.B. King's on May 29th. I plan to be there with bells on!!  Mint Condition is definitely the definition of a band, they have a broad base musically, they are able to play jazz one minute, cross over to soul and then jump into rock.  They are always on their grind on tour, whether there is a new release impending or not.  And they do not only concentrate on Mint Condition, but do have side projects in different genres of music that will be sure to blow you away (look it up, you will find it!).  I have heard tracks from the new album E-Life and so far my favorites are "Somethin'" feat Phonte, "Why Do We Try" and "Nothing Left To Say." Please be sure to check out Mint Condition's website for tour dates, other social pages to catch them on, band updates and merchandise.

Flashback of the day: I could go the easy way and just post "Pretty Brown Eyes", but that wouldn't be any fun at all would it?  I decided to use this song, because it's a favorite for my sis, sistafriend and I.  Enjoy!

Have a good weekend y'all...

Tha Connoisseur