Minden - 'Sweet, Simple Things' Fall 2016 One Sheet

What You Should Know

  • Local favorites in Portland, run in the same circles as Portugal, the Man, Cage the Elephant, Blitzen Trapper, more. 
  • Recorded in Isaac Brock's (of Modest Mouse) Ice Cream Party studio with Jeremy Sherrer (Modest Mouse, Jesu / Sun Kil Moon, The Dandy Warhols) engineering and co-producing.
  • Project has support from Noisey, NYLON, SPIN, Flaunt, KEXP, OPB, KCRW, Apple Music & Spotify. 
  • For fans of Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Phoenix, Ariel Pink
  • Influences: Azymuth, Dâm-Funk, Sly Stone, Curtis Mayfield, Bill Withers, Beatles, Prefab Sprout

Bio

There's a subtle sexuality that penetrates Minden's saccharine indie pop. Erotic themes of bondage and role playing juxtapose with frontman Casey Burge's lighter subjects, such as searching for authenticity while selecting the right soda pop — it's all enough to leave one wiping his brow and licking her lips. 

On the Portland quintet's new album Sweet, Simple Things, Burge and his band — Lia Gist (vocals), James Taylor (guitar), Evan Houston (bass), Ryan Johnson (drums), Dan Talmadge (keys) and Papi Fimbres (percussion) — hone an evocative collection of smooth and danceable tunes, indulging in confectionary hooks laid over funky grooves. The nine song LP is delicious in its oddity, befitting feel good moments from West Coast summers to Parisian night clubs. 

There are elements of indie-pop's modern legacy favorites, evoking Phoenix, Peter, Bjorn & John and Miike Snow, or contemporaries such as Unknown Mortal Orchestra or Ariel Pink, but Minden widely pull influence from far less expected artists: Azymuth on the album's rhythms and genre-crossing, Dâm-Funk and his modern funk boogie, and classic soul-funk heroes like Sly Stone, Curtis Mayfield, and Bill Withers whose vibes carry on throughout. But at the core, the songwriting is still pure, pop-rock bliss with its inescapable influences running from the Beatles to Prefab Sprout.

Press Support

"[It's] good to have tunes as refreshing as Minden's “Real Sugar” to fall back on... the plush groove of warm bass and glowing keys out-glucoses any Coca-Cola product." - Spin

"An indulgence you can’t possibly resist" - Nylon

"So damn good ... easy breezy music that bears traces of Steely Dan's 70s chill with a tablespoon of funk" - Noisey

"Though bursting with their own sweetness, the band’s songs offer something little more enticing... Salacious themes of bondage and role playing juxtapose with frontman Casey Burge’s exquisite lyrics and bright delights." -Flaunt

"...laden with saccharine sweet hooks, down-tempo grooves, and falsetto vocals." - OPB

"Songwriter Casey Burge is able to show off his knack for infectious hooks more than ever, effortlessly blending shimmery disco rhythms, intricate percussion, dreamy keys and funky basslines, and making it all sound effortless." - Willamette Week

"A breezy, lounge-pop confection, if you’ll pardon the pun, that wraps its intent in an easy to swallow presentation." - Bullett

 

 

Sales, streaming

  • 10,000 monthly listeners on Spotify
  • Spotify support: "Fresh Finds" playlist
  • Apple Music support: Release featured on Indie, Alt, and New Artists pages on iTunes
  • "Never Spayed" charted on Spotify's top 50 Viral U.S. tracks
  • "Real Sugar" on Goldroom's "Endless Summer" Spotify playlist
  • Released physically in Japan at Tower Records stores via Impartmaint Records. 

 

Radio, TV

Photos

 Download Hi-Res(Credit Jaclyn Campanaro)

 

Download Hi-Res

(Credit Jaclyn Campanaro)

 Download Hi-Res(Credit Jaclyn Campanaro)

 

Download Hi-Res

(Credit Jaclyn Campanaro)

 Download Hi-Res(Credit Jaclyn Campanaro)

 

Download Hi-Res

(Credit Jaclyn Campanaro)