I have had the guitar intro from Minus the Bear’s “Lemurs, Man, Lemurs” stuck in my head since 2001, the year the Seattle-based quintet released its debut EP, “This Is What I Know About Being Gigantic.” That’s not really a bad thing; I can think of dozens of musical atrocities the simple, finger-tapped melody has flushed out of my noggin in the past five years.
Minus the Bear’s first full-length album “Highly Refined Pirates,” which was released in 2002, is indispensable. The guitar-driven, synth-infused rock is perfect for virtually any occasion. In the band’s first two releases, vocalist Jake Snider wrote songs about women, drinking and late nights having fun.
“(Our songs are) fictional accounts of what could have not been fictional,” said Snider.
In “Menos el Oso,” released in 2005, the band moved on from songs about drinking and women. Fans can expect a new album in 2007.
Minus the Bear is set to bring its poppy, quirky, danceable brand of indie rock to WOW Hall this Saturday. Eugene concert-goers may remember the band canceled its last appearance in Eugene because Snider was sick.
“We’re sorry that we missed out last time,” Snider said. “We’re really psyched to get down there.”
Accompanying Minus the Bear at WOW Hall will be The Appleseed Cast, Rocky Votolato and Crystal Skulls.
Kansas-based rock quartet The Appleseed Cast is set to release its seventh album next month on The Militia Group.
Rocky Votolato, front man of the late, great Seattle band Waxwing, just released his third full-length solo album, “Makers,” on Barsuk Records.
“Rocky’s a great songwriter and an amazing lyricist,” Snider said.
Minus the Bear label mate Crystal Skulls is set to release its second album, “Outgoing Behavior,” in April.
“The Crystals Skulls write concise, well-put-together pop songs,” Snider said.Snider encourages concert-goers to dance at Saturday’s show and says the most annoying thing crowds do is yell Botch song titles. (Guitarist David Knudson played in the influential hard-core band.)
Bring dancing shoes and leave any “We Are the Roman” jokes at home. Tickets are $12 in advance, $14 at the door, and the show starts at 9 p.m. Tickets are available at the EMU ticket office and at www.ticketweb.com.
