Singing with nonchalance and slightly out of tune is an art in itself. Curiously, when found together (and in the right dosage), these two qualities work like a double negative and resolve to a positive – often identified as "character". Everything started here in NYC with Lou Reed – I believe – but Syd Barret was probably this particular art’s unsurpassed genius, and bands like Pavement and more recently Crystal Stilts started new similar trends in the past 2 decades. Nonchalance seems to have become a defining trait for the 2010 Brooklyn hipster bands, and new Captured Tracks’ signees Minks try to bring that quality to its extremes within the pop format. Their extremely structured songs, formally reminiscent of The Jesus and Mary Chain with the Cure’s rhythm section, are "nonchalanted" through weird vocal effects a-la’ Ween (de-tuning, flanger, distortion and delay/reverb of course), or drunken, crooked instrument parts like int the song "Drunk Punks" here – again, Ween’s craziness comes to mind, although Minks is in no way a band of comedians like the PA duo was. Look out for the debut album in January.