Mineral (band)
Encyclopedia
Mineral was a prominent mid-90s emo
band originally from Houston, Texas, but soon relocated to Austin
following their formation. All four members of Mineral were signed to Interscope Records
on individual contracts. Its former members have since moved on to other musical projects including The Gloria Record
, Pop Unknown
, and Zookeeper.
Mineral's music is characterized by its iterated soft/loud structure, overlaid with melodic, off-key vocals and ethereal guitar-based instrumental bridges. Many of their songs adhere to the formulas and now ubiquitous stylistic conventions associated with "emo" pioneers Sunny Day Real Estate
(SDRE). Despite their similarities to SDRE, Mineral emerged at the same time as that group and added their own less intense, more brooding flavor to the then-emerging "Midwest" sound. Mineral's subtle balance between angst-ridden kinetics and wistful underpinnings, in conjunction with their intelligent lyrics, have heavily influenced many bands of the late 1990s and 2000s.
In 2010, a compilation CD of all the band's songs was released, entitled "The Complete Collection". It was released exclusively in Japan, but a handful of copies have made it to the US and are being sold for around the $60-$100 range.
Emo
Emo is a style of rock music and its associated subcultureEmo may also refer to:- Businesses :* Emo , an Irish oil company and filling station chain* Emo Speedway, a racetrack in Emo, Ontario...
band originally from Houston, Texas, but soon relocated to Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
following their formation. All four members of Mineral were signed to Interscope Records
Interscope Records
Interscope Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that currently operates as one third of UMG's Interscope-Geffen-A&M label group.-History:...
on individual contracts. Its former members have since moved on to other musical projects including The Gloria Record
The Gloria Record
The Gloria Record, a rock band from Austin, Texas, was a project of former Mineral vocalist Chris Simpson and bassist Jeremy Gomez, formed in 1997 along with Brian Hubbard , and Matt Hammon ....
, Pop Unknown
Pop Unknown
Pop Unknown was an American emo band from Austin, Texas formed by ex members of Mineral and Feed Lucy. They released their debut EP Summer Season Kills in 1999 and followed it with their first full length album If Arsenic Fails, Try Algebra later that year both on Deep Elm Records. In 2002 they...
, and Zookeeper.
Mineral's music is characterized by its iterated soft/loud structure, overlaid with melodic, off-key vocals and ethereal guitar-based instrumental bridges. Many of their songs adhere to the formulas and now ubiquitous stylistic conventions associated with "emo" pioneers Sunny Day Real Estate
Sunny Day Real Estate
Sunny Day Real Estate is an American rock band from Seattle, Washington. In the 1990s, the group expanded upon the grunge style that was popular in the local scene to make a more melodic sound. While not the first band to be classified as emo, they were instrumental in establishing the genre. In...
(SDRE). Despite their similarities to SDRE, Mineral emerged at the same time as that group and added their own less intense, more brooding flavor to the then-emerging "Midwest" sound. Mineral's subtle balance between angst-ridden kinetics and wistful underpinnings, in conjunction with their intelligent lyrics, have heavily influenced many bands of the late 1990s and 2000s.
In 2010, a compilation CD of all the band's songs was released, entitled "The Complete Collection". It was released exclusively in Japan, but a handful of copies have made it to the US and are being sold for around the $60-$100 range.
Members
- Chris Simpson – vocals/guitar
- Scott McCarver – guitar
- Jeremy Gomez – bass
- Gabriel Wiley – drums
Singles
- "Gloria/Parking Lot" (The Audio Concept Records, 1994)
- "Gloria/Parking Lot" (Caulfield Records, re-release, 1995)
- "February/M.D." (Caulfield Records, 1996)
- "Crazy (Willie Nelson cover)" (split release with Jimmy Eat WorldJimmy Eat WorldJimmy Eat World is an American alternative rock band from Mesa, Arizona, that formed in 1993. The band is composed of lead vocalist and guitarist Jim Adkins, guitarist and backing vocalist Tom Linton, bassist Rick Burch and drummer Zach Lind....
and Sensefield – Crank!, 1997) - "&Serenading"/"Love My WayLove My Way (song)"Love My Way" is a 1982 song by English band The Psychedelic Furs from their third studio album, Forever Now. Written by the four members of the group and produced by Todd Rundgren, the song reached the top 10 of the charts in New Zealand and the top 50 in the United Kingdom and United...
" (Psychedelic Furs cover) (Crank!, 1998)
Albums
- The Power of FailingThe Power of FailingThe Power of Failing is the first studio album from the emo band Mineral. The Power of Failing was released on both LP and CD format.-Track listing:# "Five, Eight and Ten" - 5:26# "Gloria" - 3:42# "Slower" - 5:47# "Dolorosa" - 5:10# "80-37" - 4:33...
– Crank! Records, January 1997 - EndSerenading – Crank! Records, August 1998
Non-Album Tracks
| Year | Album / Source | Label | Song(s) | Other information |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | (Don't Forget To) Breathe (Don't Forget To) Breathe Breathe is a Crank! Records compilation released in 1997.it was pressed to vinyl as a 12"+10" set, limited to 5,500 copies with screen printed artwork.it was later re-issued on CD with slightly altered artwork.-Track listing:... |
Crank! Records Crank! Records crank! A Record Company is an independent record label which was started by Jeff Matlow in September 1994. The label's first release was a 7" by Vitreous Humor.-Artists:* Acrobat Down* Boy's Life* Cursive* Errortype:11* Fireside* The Get Set... |
"Rubber Legs" | |
| 1998 | The First Crush Compilation | Thick as Thieves Records | "Sadder Star" | |
Related projects
- Gold Beach – Jeremy Gomez
- The Glass Family – Jeremy Gomez
- The Gloria RecordThe Gloria RecordThe Gloria Record, a rock band from Austin, Texas, was a project of former Mineral vocalist Chris Simpson and bassist Jeremy Gomez, formed in 1997 along with Brian Hubbard , and Matt Hammon ....
– Christopher Simpson, Jeremy Gomez - Imbroco – Gabriel Wiley, Scott David McCarver
- Kissing Chaos – Gabriel Wiley
- Pop UnknownPop UnknownPop Unknown was an American emo band from Austin, Texas formed by ex members of Mineral and Feed Lucy. They released their debut EP Summer Season Kills in 1999 and followed it with their first full length album If Arsenic Fails, Try Algebra later that year both on Deep Elm Records. In 2002 they...
– Gabriel Wiley - Pretty the Quick Black Eyes – Scott David McCarver
- Zookeeper – Chris Simpson (& sometimes Jeremy Gomez) http://www.myspace.com/zookeepersworld
External links
- Mineral on the Crank! RecordsCrank! Recordscrank! A Record Company is an independent record label which was started by Jeff Matlow in September 1994. The label's first release was a 7" by Vitreous Humor.-Artists:* Acrobat Down* Boy's Life* Cursive* Errortype:11* Fireside* The Get Set...
website