Throughout its 15 years of existence, Joan of Arc has always existed as a fluid entity — one that freely allows musicians to enter and leave while adding their own touch and perspective to the band’s records.
This set-up has enabled Joan of Arc’s sound to remain fresh and always evolving, while leaving behind an impressive network of contributors who continue to make music on their own.
The eclectic musical output of this extended family of musicians is showcased on Joan of Arc Presents: Don’t Mind Control — a unique record that encompasses 18 bands whose members have, at one time or another, collaborated with frontman Tim Kinsella under the Joan of Arc moniker.
The idea for this new album came several years after the 2005 release of the similar-themed Association of Utopian Hologram Swallowers, when Tim Kinsella approached Polyvinyl with the idea of doing a more ambitious sequel to the original four band 2×7″.
Explaining why he chose to curate such a challenging project, Tim reveals: “I wanted an opportunity to step aside and let everyone do their own thing in a way that people who know Joan of Arc, but not these members’ other bands, would be able to access the songs in one place.”
And so, Kinsella immediately set about contacting bandmates past and present to ask if they would contribute to the project by recording a song with their current musical incarnations. Just as quickly, all of Tim’s friends each responded with an enthusiastic “Yes” and, two months later, with a brand new track.
The result is Don’t Mind Control, a record even grander in scope than the original Association of Utopian Hologram Swallowers.
Featuring a diverse tracklist that flows from Owen’s gentle acoustic strumming, to the jangly, cymbal-clashing rhythms of Vacations (ex-Chin Up, Chin Up), to the dueling electric guitars of Ghosts and Vodka (ex-Cap’n Jazz), Don’t Mind Control is not so much a compilation as a time capsule — a snapshot of a moment in musical history; of a group of musicians who are all interconnected and yet wholly unique.
“It’s an easy mistake to make — associating Joan of Arc with just me,” says Tim Kinsella. “But really it’s never existed as simply a vehicle to realize my personal vision as much as an umbrella under which I have been able to collaborate with so many different musicians I respect and admire.”
On Don’t Mind Control, listeners can finally hear the complete Joan of Arc experience — not as the sum of its parts, but as the many sophisticated parts responsible for creating its ever-changing sum.
Don’t Mind Control Tracklist
1. Litesalive – Uwar
2. Disappears – Guider
3. Birdshow – Privacy
4. A Tundra – The Doug McComb Over
5. Owen – No More No Where
6. White/Light – Kickstart
7. Euphone w/Tim Kinsella – Friend in Common
8. Slick Conditions – Spit in Layers
9. Cale Parks – Long Looks
10. Joshua Abrams – Blanes echo Blirds, Bless echo Blouds
11. The Cairo Gang – Oh Solo
12. Tim Kinsella – Roots Dug into Dunes = Landslide
13. Jeremy Boyle – Second Door From the Left
14. The Zoo Wheel – Flicker
15. Vacations – Friday the 13th Part 2
16. Pillars and Tongues – Oakey
17. Ghosts and Vodka – Gameshow Buzzer 18. Birthmark – Drivin’ me Crazy
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