When the members of Minus the Bear first convened in a dingy
practice space in 2001, there were few expectations for the project other than providing
a reason for the five drinking buddies to hang out, have a few laughs, and
write some idiosyncratic pop songs. Seattle had just closed out a decade of
living in a cultural spotlight due to their city’s penchant for loud, earnest,
brooding rock music, and the guys in Minus the Bear seemed to take pleasure in
writing songs that were the antithesis to the ‘90s heavy-handed big-riff gloom.
All the members had done their time pedaling angst and frustration in other
music projects, so it seemed to make sense to offset that vitriol with cerebral
pop songs. Their debut EP, This Is What I Know About Being Gigantic, with
it’s nimble guitar work, observational lyrics, complex hooks, and
four-on-the-floor dance beats, proved to be a breath of fresh air in a city
that lived under a bank of black clouds nine months out of the year.
Over the
course of the next four years, Minus the Bear demonstrated that they were more
than just some flashy playful indie pop act. Sure, their first full-length
album Highly Refined Pirates still displayed some levity in its
aesthetics, as if the band was one-degree removed from the often overly serious
indie rock world, but the frivolous elements of the band belied their
forward-thinking instrumentation, razor-sharp chops, and forthright lyrical
vignettes. Even still, the band were on a mission to shed the remaining
vestiges of their whimsy when they released their sophomore album Menos el
Oso in the late summer of 2005. The lush, intricate two-handed tapping
guitar lines that defined their early work were replaced with glitchy guitar
samples and effects pedal manipulations. The big, boomy room sounds of their
previous records were ditched in favor of air-tight, in-your-face drum tones.
Their melodies took a turn toward minor keys. Even their lyrics seemed to hint
that the late night parties and escapes from the city described on their past
records were now tainted by some hard life lessons. Minus the Bear had always
taken their craft seriously, but Menos el Oso was their first record where
the overall tone of the album matched the stern discipline of their
musicianship.
It was a
bit of a gamble to follow up the buoyant guitar gymnastics of their debut album
with a full-length that throbbed with staccato riffs, sepia-toned lyrics, and
an almost electronic pulse. But it wound up being a pivotal album in Minus the
Bear’s trajectory. Not only did Menos el Oso propel the band to bigger
audiences, it set a precedent for the band’s future fearlessness in exploring
new sonic frontiers. To commemorate this landmark album, Suicide Squeeze is
offering a 10-year anniversary vinyl edition of Menos el Oso. The LP is
being repressed in a gatefold jacket with a matte finish and UV gloss. It
includes a printed inner sleeve with expanded liner notes about the creation of
the record provided by longtime friend of the band Brian Cook (Russian Circles,
These Arms Are Snakes) and includes quotes and insights from the members
themselves. The 10-year anniversary edition of Menos el Oso has a
limited first pressing of three thousand copies (1k on clear vinyl with a green
high melt, 1k on yellow marble, and 1k on clear). This is the first time the
album is available on colored vinyl and the first time the LP has included a
download card. The 10-year anniversary edition of Menos el Oso will be
available worldwide from Suicide Squeeze Records on December 4, 2015.
LISTEN: “Menos el Oso” by Minus the Bear
TOUR DATES:
A select number of VIP Upgrade packages are available at – http://minusthebear.com/vip/
VIP Packages include:
– Meet & Greet
– Soundcheck Viewing
– Limited Edition VIP Silkscreen Poster
– 10 Year Anniversary Deluxe Reissue of “Menos el Oso” Vinyl
– Commemorative VIP Laminate
– Exclusive VIP Tote Bag
MON SEP 7 – Seattle WA, Bumbershoot (BUY TICKETS)
SEP 25-27 – Denton TX, Oaktopia Festival (BUY TICKETS)
TUE NOV 3 – Wilmington NC, Ziggy’s w/ O’Brother (BUY TICKETS)
WED NOV 4 – Carrboro NC, Cat’s Cradle w/ O’Brother (BUY TICKETS)
THU NOV 5 – Athens GA, Georgia Theater w/ O’Brother (BUY TICKETS)
FRI NOV 6 – Orlando FL, The Social w/ O’Brother (BUY TICKETS)
SAT NOV 7 – Orlando FL, The Social w/ O’Brother (BUY TICKETS)
MON NOV 9 – Washington DC, The Howard Theatre w/ O’Brother (BUY TICKETS)
TUE NOV 10 – New York NY, Irving Plaza w/ Murder by Death (BUY TICKETS)
WED NOV 11 – Boston MA, Paradise Rock Club w/ Murder by Death (BUY TICKETS)
THU NOV 12 – Asbury Park NJ, Stone Pony w/ Murder by Death (BUY TICKETS)
FRI NOV 13 – Philadelphia PA, Electric Factory w/ Murder by Death (BUY TICKETS)
SAT NOV 14 – Detroit MI, St. Andrews Hall w/ Murder by Death (BUY TICKETS)
SUN NOV 15 – Chicago IL, House of Blues w/ Murder by Death (BUY TICKETS)
TUE NOV 17 – Denver CO, Ogden Theatre w/ Murder by Death (BUY TICKETS)
THU NOV 19 – Los Angeles CA, El Rey Theatre w/ Murder by Death (BUY TICKETS)
FRI NOV 20 – Santa Ana CA, The Observatory w/ Murder by Death (BUY TICKETS)
SAT NOV 21 – San Diego CA, The Observatory at North Park w/ Murder by Death (BUY TICKETS)
SUN NOV 22 – San Francisco CA, Great American Music Hall w/ Murder by Death (BUY TICKETS)
MON NOV 23 – Portland OR, Wonder Ballroom w/ Murder by Death (BUY TICKETS)
