Mint Royale Biography
Unapologetic, simple-minded, and celebratory, Britain's Mint Royale follow the more partied-up Big Beat cues from the likes of Fatboy Slim, Bentley Rhythm Ace, and other Skint acts while moving it towards a more conscious reconciliation of pop tricks. The duo of Neil Claxton and Chris Baker first got started as the Mint Gun Club -- releasing just one single -- but gained the quickest notoriety by extremely popular remixes of Kenickie's "I Will Fix You" and Terrorvision's "Tequila" (the latter of which reaching number two in the U.K. charts). The hands-in-the-air revelry and mirth-driven breakbeats of these early releases were an early indicator of where the band was headed with their easygoing vibes. It wasn't entirely unfathomable that -- along with Scanty Sandwich -- many listeners even theorized that Mint Royale was simply another pseudonym for Norman Cook. Regardless, their debut album, On the Ropes, was finally released on Faith & Hope Records in the very Big Beat-hostile nadir of late 1999, propelled by the deliriously catchy, ex-Kenickie Lauren Laverne-starring single, "Don't Falter." ~ Dean Carlson, All Music Guide
Popular Biographies:
Lynwood slim Biography: Lynwood Slim felt there were only two things he could do to make a living: shoot pool or play harmonica. Thank goodness he chose to be a musician. As a child he played trumpet, but at 15 he picked up...
Vagabond Biography: Norwegian metallic rockers Vagabond were formed in 1993 by vocalist Jorn Lande, guitarist Ronni Le Tekro, bassist Morten Skaget (both of them ex-T.N.T.), keyboardist Dag Stokke, and drummer Steinar...
Kool keith Biography: After single-handedly redefining "warped" as the mind and mouth behind the Bronx-based Ultramagnetic MC's, "Kool" Keith Thornton -- aka Rhythm X, aka Dr. Octagon, aka Dr. Dooom, aka Mr. Gerbik --...
Paramore Biography: Hayley Williams, the 16-year-old singer of Tennessee-based quintet Paramore, boasts earnest emotion and strikingly confident range for her young age. Raised in Meridian, Mississippi, Williams has...
Arrested development Biography: One of the major success stories of 1992, Arrested Development was a progressive rap collective fusing soul, blues, hip-hop, and Sly and the Family Stone-influenced funk with political, socially...
Divorce Biography: The Divorce was a brash young trio of pals that emerged from Seattle, WA, in early 2003. Led by the vocals and guitar of Shane Berry, the band also included bassist Jimmy Curran and drummer Kyle...
Eagles of death metal Biography: It seems that with each change of season, a member of Queens of the Stone Age is issuing a new album by one of their many side projects, as early 2004 saw the release of the debut full-length by the...
James Biography: As one of the first groups to be dubbed "the next Smiths," James became an institution on the British alternative music scene of the '80s and '90s with their pleasant folk-pop. Early in their career,...