MINUS THE BEAR
RELEASE “THE PIG WAR (DEMO)”
MENOS EL OSO DELUXE REISSUE
OUT AUGUST 22 ON SUICIDE SQUEEZE RECORDS
“…crisp, calculated, and linear.” – Alternative Press
“…a near-perfect album that found Minus the Bear operating at the absolute top of their game.” – Brooklyn Vegan
“The intricately woven guitars and propulsive beats that anchor Menos el Oso aren’t just “math rock” exercises, they’re a vital mode of expression, tracing the modern worry that the individual is being slowly absorbed by religion, government, corporations, or something more sinister.” – AV Club
(Photo by Ryan Russell)
The twentieth anniversary deluxe reissue of Minus the Bear’s seminal 2005 album Menos el Oso is due August 22, 2025 via Suicide Squeeze Records, and today they’re excited to share for the first time “The Pig War (Demo),” an early version of what would become one of the most emotionally evocative, nostalgia-tinged cuts on the record. Speaking on the song, the band’s vocalist Jake Snider says “The music for the song had a melancholy, rolling feel leading me to nostalgic memories of being on Wescott Bay on San Juan Island, a few hours trip north of Seattle. The lyrics are more an impression of the place than a narrative; a longing for the simplicity of being there. It’s cool to hear the contrast between the rougher edges of the demo against the album track’s more polished flow.” This unreleased version follows on the heels of the recently released demo of fan-favorite album cut “Hooray.” Last week, the band revealed the supporting acts for their fall tour celebrating twenty years of the album. Full list of dates below and remaining tickets available for purchase here.
STREAM “THE PIG WAR (DEMO)” HERE
The 2xLP release includes a remastered version of the original album on one 12” and 5 unreleased original demos on the second 12”, including the demo versions of “The Pig War” and “Hooray,” available to stream now for the first time. Side B of disc two features an etching by bassist Cory Murchy. The reissue also includes Los Archivos Del Oso, a 24-page archive photo journal from the band’s personal collection. Sign up for the band’s newsletter here to receive a sneak preview of selections from the zine.
Speaking on the reissue, Snider says “…Oso is a band and fan favorite. We came into our sound on this record. I’m excited for fans to hear these demos for the first time! Revisiting demos and hearing the evolution of some of these tracks puts me right back in our early 2000s practice space. And now we’re literally back in that same practice space for rehearsals. It’s wild!”
Menos el Oso 20th Anniversary Track Listing:
01.) The Game Needed Me
02.) Memphis & 53rd
03.) Drilling
04.) The Fix
05.) El Torrente
06.) Pachuca Sunrise
07.) Michio’s Death Drive
08.) Hooray
09.) Fulfill the Dream
10.) The Pig War
11.) This Ain’t a Surfin’ Movie
12.) Hooray (Demo)
13.) Drilling (Demo)
14.) The Pig War (Demo)
15.) Michio’s Death Drive (Demo)
16.) I’m Totally Not Down With Rob’s Alien (Demo)
Guitarist David Knudson says “We toured so much for Menos el Oso — all these songs and riffs are stuck in my muscle memory like core childhood memories. The fingers and feet instinctively know where to tap and stomp at just the right time to make the notes and melodies leap out of my guitar. We were trying to push the envelope back in 2005 on this one — incorporating glitchy guitar samples, hip hop breakbeats and more electronic elements to the sound we had established on Highly Refined Pirates. Proud to say that 20 years later it still sounds fresh and I’m grateful people keep coming back to it as one of their favorites!”
Minus the Bear Tour Dates:
10/04/25 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theater w/ Kennebec (SOLD OUT)
10/06/25 – Sacramento, CA @ Ace of Spades w/ The New Trust (SOLD OUT)
10/07/25 – San Francisco, CA @ Regency Ballroom w/ Velvet Teen *
10/08/25 – San Diego, CA @ The Observatory North Park w/ Soft Palms (SOLD OUT)
10/10/25 – Las Vegas, NV @ Best Friends Forever Festival
10/11/25 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Belasco w/ Speedy Ortiz (SOLD OUT)
10/12/25 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Belasco w/ Disheveled Cuss (SOLD OUT)
10/14/25 – Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theatre w/ From Indian Lakes
10/16/25 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s Austin w/ Holy Wave (SOLD OUT)
10/17/25 – Dallas, TX @ Granada Theater w/ Girl In A Coma (SOLD OUT)
10/18/25 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s Austin w/ Bayonne (SOLD OUT)
10/19/25 – New Orleans, LA @ Civic Theater w/ Bayonne
10/21/25 – Orlando, FL @ The Beacham w/ Bayonne (SOLD OUT)
10/22/25 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade w/ Bayonne (SOLD OUT)
10/24/25 – Philadelphia, PA @ The Fillmore w/ Slow Mass (SOLD OUT)
10/25/25 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues w/ Slow Mass *
11/04/25 – Washington, D.C. @ 9:30 Club w/ Evil *
11/05/25 – Washington, D.C. @ 9:30 Club w/ The Messthetics (SOLD OUT)
11/07/25 – Brooklyn, NY @ Brooklyn Steel w/ Speedy Ortiz (SOLD OUT)
11/08/25 – New York, NY @ Irving Plaza w/ Speedy Ortiz (SOLD OUT)
11/09/25 – New York, NY @ Irving Plaza w/ Wild Arrows *
11/11/25 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Roxian Theatre w/ Gladie
11/12/25 – Cleveland, OH @ House of Blues w/ Into It. Over It. *
11/14/25 – Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre w/ Into It. Over It. (SOLD OUT)
11/15/25 – Chicago, IL @ Metro w/ Into It. Over It. (SOLD OUT)
11/16/25 – Chicago, IL @ Metro w/ Slow Mass (SOLD OUT)
11/18/25 – Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue w/ Into It. Over It.
11/19/25 – Lawrence, KS @ Granada Theater w/ The Casket Lottery
11/21/25 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre w/ From Indian Lakes *
11/22/25 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theatre w/ From Indian Lakes
11/23/25 – Salt Lake City, UT @ The Depot w/ From Indian Lakes
11/26/25 – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox w/ Suzzalo
11/28/25 – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox w/ Pastel Faces (SOLD OUT)
11/29/25 – Seattle, WA @ The Showbox w/ Constant Lovers (SOLD OUT)
* = Low Tickets
