THE LAUNCH BOX: Featuring Minus the Bear

The first thing you might notice about Minus the Bear is that their song titles are pretty weird… For instance: “Hey, Wanna Throw Up? Get Me Naked,” “Monkey!!! Knife!!! Fight!!!,” and “Thanks for the Killer Game of Crisco Twister” Ummm what?? Yes, those are actually song titles 🙂 It’s hard not to be at least a little bit curious about this Seattle-based group.

Though the song titles may lead you to not take them seriously, Minus the Bear provide polished, shrewdly arranged songs. Finger-tapped guitar riffs mixed with catchy melodies and unexpected time changes keep listeners interested and entertained.

Who are the members?

Featuring members of Botch, Kill Sadie, and Sharks Keep Moving, the band comprised guitarist Dave Knudson, vocalist/guitarist Jake Snider, drummer Erin Tate, and bassist Cory Murchy.

Minus the Bear emerged on Seattle’s music scene in 2001 with the release of their six-song EP This Is What I Know About Being Gigantic. Though the band members entered the studio before they ever played a show, they toured aggressively in support of the EP, then returned to the studio to record 2002’s Highly Refined Pirates, their first full-length album. Both the EP and LP were released by Seattle-based Suicide Squeeze Records.

This is the official video for “Knights” from the band’s third full-length album in 2007, titled Planet of Ice.

In 2009 the band went into the studio with My Morning Jacket producer Joe Chiccarelli, and the following year released the album Omni through Dangerbird Records. Below is the official video for “Hold me Down” from Omni.

The video below is for “Steel and Blood” from their fifth album, Infinity Overhead, followed on the label in 2012.

Two years later Minus the Bear returned with Lost Loves, a B-sides and rarities collection featuring songs culled from the recording sessions of their previous three studio albums.

Right now Minus the Bear are touring, making a stop at LAVA Music Festival on May 28th, and are working on a new album.

Seriously, what’s up with that band name?

The name “Minus the Bear” comes from an in-joke among the band members, referring to the ’70s television series B. J. and the Bear. “A friend of the band had gone on a date,” explains singer-guitarist Jake Snider, “and one of us asked him afterwards how the date went. Our friend said, ‘You know that TV show from the ’70s, B.J. and the Bear? It was like that… minus the Bear.’ That’s the straight truth.”

 Fun Fact about Minus the Bear: