Pearl Street hosts lions, tigers and bear - oh my!
Abby McIntyre
Issue date: 11/19/09 Section: Arts
Although they have managed to keep a lower profile than many of their Seattle-based, indie peers, Minus the Bear have consistently turned out critically acclaimed albums and EPs since the early 2000s.
The band will stop by Northampton tonight for a show at the Pearl Street Ballroom as part of a fall headlining tour in support of their upcoming album.
MTB's experimental sound combines with unique time signatures and catchy hooks for unexpected indie-pop hits. Jake Snider's desperate vocals rest upon layers of immaculately tight and technically precise arrangement. The band's emotionally charged songs, alternately dance-worthy and reflective, carry a lyrical gravity, oftentimes matched with a pop sensibility.
Their latest full-length album, Planet of Ice, typifies this sound. The self-produced LP offers polished tracks with an electronically tinged musical richness. The album shows a lyrically and sonically more mature Minus the Bear, but the band still has the anxiety and moodiness that drove their earlier songs. On "Knights," Snider sounds as brooding as ever. "I owe you, don't I?" he whines in a song about the complexity of sexual encounters.
A new album is expected to hit stores early next year. For the currently untitled recording, the band teamed up with Grammy Award-winning producer Joe Chiccarelli - who has worked with My Morning Jacket and The White Stripes - to expand upon their trademark sound.
"This album has more scope than the past records," said guitarist Dave Knudson in a press release. "Some songs are more poppy and immediate while others expand on the complexities we're known for."
The album also seeks to capture a more live feel. "Everyone is playing together, and we're trying to keep the live performance as intact as possible," the band said during an online question-and-answer session.
The album's first single, "Into the Mirror," released on Oct. 27, gives an idea of the band's newest direction. The track has a keyboard-heavy electronic aesthetic that builds upon the musical layering typical of a MTB song. Subtle vocals interplay as if but one of the multitude instruments at the band's disposal.
The band will stop by Northampton tonight for a show at the Pearl Street Ballroom as part of a fall headlining tour in support of their upcoming album.
MTB's experimental sound combines with unique time signatures and catchy hooks for unexpected indie-pop hits. Jake Snider's desperate vocals rest upon layers of immaculately tight and technically precise arrangement. The band's emotionally charged songs, alternately dance-worthy and reflective, carry a lyrical gravity, oftentimes matched with a pop sensibility.
Their latest full-length album, Planet of Ice, typifies this sound. The self-produced LP offers polished tracks with an electronically tinged musical richness. The album shows a lyrically and sonically more mature Minus the Bear, but the band still has the anxiety and moodiness that drove their earlier songs. On "Knights," Snider sounds as brooding as ever. "I owe you, don't I?" he whines in a song about the complexity of sexual encounters.
A new album is expected to hit stores early next year. For the currently untitled recording, the band teamed up with Grammy Award-winning producer Joe Chiccarelli - who has worked with My Morning Jacket and The White Stripes - to expand upon their trademark sound.
"This album has more scope than the past records," said guitarist Dave Knudson in a press release. "Some songs are more poppy and immediate while others expand on the complexities we're known for."
The album also seeks to capture a more live feel. "Everyone is playing together, and we're trying to keep the live performance as intact as possible," the band said during an online question-and-answer session.
The album's first single, "Into the Mirror," released on Oct. 27, gives an idea of the band's newest direction. The track has a keyboard-heavy electronic aesthetic that builds upon the musical layering typical of a MTB song. Subtle vocals interplay as if but one of the multitude instruments at the band's disposal.
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