Minus the Bear

Minus the Bear’s experimental rock took various twists and turns throughout their 17-year-long run. Branching off from the members’ post-hardcore and metalcore roots, the Seattle band built up a loyal following almost immediately after forming in 2001. Tempering the angst of their previous bands—including Botch, Kill Sadie, and Sharks Keep Moving—they brought both a droll sense of humor and touch of pop prowess to the coiled math-rock arrangements of their 2002 debut LP, Highly Refined Pirates. The knotty guitar tricks of frontman Jake Snider and axeman Dave Knudson and rhythmic acrobatics of bassist Cory Murchy and drummer Erin Tate remained a constant as the band wound through bristly prog-rock journeys and silky synth melodies on albums including 2005’s Menos el Oso and 2010’s Omni. Before bidding adieu with a 2018 tour, Minus the Bear had left an indelible stamp on indie music, finding common ground between heady, intricate rock and dreamy, atmospheric pop.