Mint Mind

A moody mélange of garage rock, indie, vintage electronics, and Krautrock influences, Mint Mind are a German band led by American expatriate Rick McPhail. Describing their work as "heavy music for nerdy people," Mint Mind's sound is structurally simple but complex in its moods and sonic palette, and their debut album, 2014's Near Mint, put their guitars upfront as they delivered songs with plenty of wit but a dark undertow. Though the guitars still dominated 2020's Thoughtsicles, the melodies took a sulkier turn and the arrangements displayed heavier textures. 2023's VG+ was their most densely layered effort to date, with electronic sounds woven in with the guitars.