A piece of you for a piece of me

Hailing from Seattle, home of grunge rock, Minus the Bear is an indie-rock band with an electric, indescribable sound. They produce such feel good music that it would make you want to get up and dance in the middle of a quiet library during finals week. Their funky, catchy, eclectic sound has taken the band to new heights with the release of their latest critically acclaimed fourth album, OMNI.

After releasing a series of EP's and full-length albums, Minus the Bear's evolution of sound helped them gain new levels of fame and a growing fan base. As I was listening to the Circa Survive station on my Pandora (add this to your mix if you haven't already), I heard the calming yet funky sound of "Drilling" pour through my headphones. I was instantly intrigued at how an indie/experimental rock band could make me start dancing as I was running on the treadmill (a rather funny sight to see). As soon as I was done working out, I went right to my computer to research the band and listen to their other tunes. After hearing that the rest of their songs had a similar effect on me, I was instantly a fan.


Planet of Ice, the quintet's third full-length album, is my disc of choice. Released in 2007, the album incorporates a slightly new sound yet still maintains the infectious grooves that turned me on to Minus the Bear from the beginning. "Knights", "When We Escape", and "Ice Monster" were instant favorites, but the remaining tracks were equally vibrant.



Through the years, Minus the Bear has gained popularity and a large, loyal following. Last week they played a two song set on Jimmy Kimmel Live, not a bad gig for an indie band. This is just an example of how once unknown indie bands have emerged to become almost household names. I believe this is partally due to the power of the Internet (no surprise here) and the hefty tour schedule that many bands endure. Numerous indie bands embark on both domestic and European date-intensive tours to not only increase awareness but because they truly love performing on stage (okay, the last part is very biased, as I would like to think this is why they do it). Regardless the reason for it, fans embrace it because their favorite bands are always making a stop through their towns.


Next time you are studying the night away in a quiet library, running, driving, bored at work, or you just want some feel good, energetic tunes to listen to, check out the exuberant sounds of Minus the Bear.

Stay tuned...