Mint Records and CiTR Team Up for 'Pop Alliance Vol. 4'

BY Gregory AdamsPublished Jan 26, 2016

While Vancouver's CiTR 101.9 FM runs its "Fundrive" every year, it's been a while since the station teamed up with Mint Records to produce the associated Pop Alliance compilation series. Three years after the last instalment, it's been announced that a fourth volume is due next month and will include contributions from folksy jangle rockers the Shilohs, sound artist Stefana Fratila and more.

The CiTR Pop Alliance, Volume 4 comes out as a limited-edition LP and digitally on February 26, with CiTR's fundraiser running from February 25 to March 4. The physical edition of the comp is limited to 500 copies and features a selection of local artists, with two tracks exclusive to the vinyl release.

Featured on the comp are since-expired indie group Genderdog, power-pop Needles//Pins offshoot Poor Form, psych-pop swirlers Cult Babies, Jerk Jails, soundscaper Fratila and more.

The vinyl edition adds Ora Cogan's banjo-blazing "Move," originally issued on her Crystallize EP, and a track called "Do the Modern" from the Shilohs' recent Empress Stars cassette. It was all mastered by Mint's Jay Arner, with the art coming courtesy of Robert Ondzik.

As in years past, Duncan McHugh, who hosts CiTR program Duncan's Donuts, helped curate the tracklisting. This time around, though, the DJ also brought on fellow on-air personalities Andy Resto (The Burrow), Eleanor Wearing (Femconcept), Erik Coates (A Face for Radio), Nellie Stark (The Cat's Pajams), and Nicholas Wang-Tretiak (Muzak for the Observant) to help shape the locally minded release.

"We wanted to open it up for Volume 4," McHugh said in a statement. "This is my dream team of CiTR DJs. I think the breadth of music that we've included is a testament to that."

A release party marking the end of the "Fundrive" will be held at Vancouver venue the Hindenburg on March 4 and will feature performances from bands that contributed to the latest Pop Alliance compilation. The lineup for the night has yet to be locked down.

CiTR, which is stationed on the campus of the University of British Columbia, is hoping to raise $40,000 in donations this year as part of their annual "Fundrive." Station Manager Brenda Grunau added that the money will help the CiTR "invest more in training and development to grow more writers, more broadcasters, and improve the quality of our on-air programming."

You'll find out more about CiTR's "Fundrive" over here, while the first side of the compilation can be streamed below.

The Mint/CiTR Pop Alliance Compilation - Volume 4:

1. Ora Cogan "Move" *
2. The Shilohs "Do the Modern" *
3. Genderdog "Aquarium Apartment"
4. Jerk Jails "Extra Flesh"
5. Poor Form "July"
6. Cult Babies "Sister Thirteen"
7. Mourning Coup "Burn One for the Saints"
8. Stefana Fratila "Heartland"
9. Late Spring "Drink You"
10. Ace Martens "Hiding"
11. minimalviolence "Body as Landscape"

* vinyl only

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