Members of the band were formerly in the bands Botch, Kill Sadie, and Sharks Keep Moving. Their sound involves a mix of pele-esque guitar-taps and electronics, with a Don Caballero-esque sophistication of composition. The name Minus the Bear comes from the famed TV show B.J. and the Bear—minus the bear.
After initially forming in 2001 with guitarist David Knudson, bassist Cory Murchy, and drummer Erin Tate, the trio eventually recruited keyboardist/sequencer Matt Bayles and vocalist/guitarist Jake Snider. They released their debut EP This Is What I Know About Being Gigantic on September 14, 2001 through Suicide Squeeze Records—who would subsequently release the majority of their albums and EPs.
The following year, on August 8, 2002, in preparation for the up-coming album the band was working on, they released the 5 track promo EP Bands Like It When You Yell "Yar!" at Them. On December 2, 2002, the band released their first full-length album, Highly Refined Pirates.
In 2004, the band released their third EP entitled They Make Beer Commercials Like This through Arena Rock Recording Co. on July 13th. The band then contributed the track "Houston, We Have an Uh-Oh" to the Vagrant Records compilation In Honor: A Compilation to Beat Cancer which was released on September 21st.
Their second full-length album, Menos el Oso, was released on August 23, 2005. The title in Spanish translates to "Minus the Bear." The album featured the band's first-ever official music videos, with videos being made for both "The Game Needed Me" and "Pachuca Sunrise". The album signaled the end to the amusing song titles featured on previous releases.
On January 2, 2006 after touring in support of Menos el Oso, keyboardist/sequencer and producer Matt Bayles announced that he was leaving the band in order to focus on record production work. His last performance with the band was on January 28, 2006. Bayles wrote on his homepage that he would be replaced by Alex Rose, an engineer on Menos el Oso.
A remix album of Menos El Oso, entitled Interpretaciones Del Oso, was released on February 20th, 2007. The title in Spanish translates to "Interpretations of the Bear." The album features remixes by Plan B, Morgan Henderson of The Blood Brothers and Jason Clark of Pretty Girls Make Graves, among others.
Minus the Bear's third full-length album, Planet of Ice, was released on August 21, 2007, with a limited vinyl pressing on Suburban Home Records. To date, there have been three official pressings of Planet of Ice on vinyl. All pressings are double LPs. The album was recorded during February and March of 2006. Music videos were made for both "Knights" and "Throwin' Shapes".
On June 3, 2008, Suicide Squeeze Records re-issued the band's third EP They Make Beer Commercials Like This. The EP was remastered and expanded to include the track "Houston, We Have an Uh-Oh".
On October 7, 2008 the band released Acoustics, a 7 track EP featuring acoustic versions of the band's songs including the previously unreleased "Guns & Ammo". The EP was released on Tigre Blanco Records. The EP was released on vinyl on February 17, 2009 through Vinyl Collective.
On October 27, 2009, Minus the Bear released a digital 2 song single for "Into the Mirror", which features the title track and "Broken China". The band released their fourth original studio album Omni on May 4, 2010. Their final live performance was December 16, 2018 at The Showbox in Seattle.
Band members
Dave Knudson - guitar Cory Murchy - bass Alex Rose - synthesizer, drum machine, vocals, electronics, saxophone Jake Snider - lead vocals, guitar Erin Tate - drums
Former members
Matt Bayles - vocals, keyboards/drum machine, electronics
Former bands
Dave Knudson - used to play in botch Jake Snider - used to play in sharks keep moving Erin Tate used to play in kill sadie Cory Murchy used to play in kill sadie
Memphis & 53rd
Minus the Bear Lyrics
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"We have to leave this town. I can't stand another day without the rain"
I said, "We'll leave now, you can pack our things, let me get the bill and I can make it straight"
It was the same as yesterday
We'd been gone and the miles stretched down the long road
We moved as fast as we could
Through the heat of the desert and the cruelty of that Buick's seat, just to keep on
That night we laid on the floor of the desert but I could barely sleep
Yeah, I had this dream
There was a man in a black car with a man in the back seat and I woke up in a cold sweat with her lying next to me
We sat on the corner of Memphis and 53rd
As they filled the tank, we had a drink
She whispered, "Let's get moving"
The next night we laid on the floor of the desert but I still couldn't sleep
There was a man in a black car with a man in the back seat and I'd wake up in a cold sweat with her lying next to me
The song “Memphis & 53rd” by Minus the Bear is a narrative about two people who have decided to leave town for reasons that are not entirely clear. The lyrics begin with a conversation between the two, where the woman insists they need to leave because she “can't stand another day without the rain”. The man agrees to leave, promising to pay the bill and pack their things. The second verse describes the long journey ahead of them, as they leave town and drive through the desert. The lyrics vividly describe the heat, and the discomfort of sitting in the car, but the couple keeps going.
The third verse, which is the most haunting, describes the dream the man has in the middle of the night. He dreams of a man in a black car with another man sitting in the back seat. The dream seems to be a premonition of something terrible about to happen. The last verse has the couple filling up their tank and having a drink, before the woman whispers to the man to keep moving. The last lines of the song suggest that the dream has not gone away, and the man continues to wake up in a cold sweat.
The song is open to interpretation, but it can be read as a metaphor for running away from something that is too painful to confront. The metaphorical significance of the man’s dream is unclear, but it could be interpreted as a warning of danger that is waiting for them. The song has a sense of urgency to it, as if the couple needs to leave town as quickly as possible to avoid something terrible happening.
Line by Line Meaning
Come on man,” she said
She urged me to leave that town with her.
“We have to leave this town. I can't stand another day without the rain”
She was desperate to escape the monotonous cycle in that place.
I said, “We'll leave now, you can pack our things, let me get the bill and I can make it straight”
I agreed to our departure and offered to help with the preparations and expenses.
It was the same as yesterday
Our routine was predictable and unchanging.
We'd been gone and the miles stretched down the long road
We had been traveling for a while, with the road seemingly endless.
We moved as fast as we could
We were in a hurry to leave things behind and reach our destination.
Through the heat of the desert and the cruelty of that Buick's seat, just to keep on
We endured the harsh conditions of the journey, as we persevered through it.
That night we laid on the floor of the desert but I could barely sleep
We slept on the ground but my mind was preoccupied, preventing me from getting much rest.
Yeah, I had this dream
I experienced a significant dream.
There was a man in a black car with a man in the back seat and I woke up in a cold sweat with her lying next to me
I had a nightmare about a suspicious car and woke up feeling tense with her beside me.
We sat on the corner of Memphis and 53rd
We rested at this location, possibly changing our route or direction.
As they filled the tank, we had a drink
We took a break from driving and refueled ourselves as well as our car.
She whispered, “Let's get moving”
She was eager to continue our journey and leave that place behind.
The next night we laid on the floor of the desert but I still couldn't sleep
We spent another night on the ground but my insomnia persisted.
There was a man in a black car with a man in the back seat and I'd wake up in a cold sweat with her lying next to me
Once again, I had a distressing dream involving a strange car and woke up feeling uneasy while she slept beside me.
Lyrics © SONGS MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: BAYLES, JOHNSON, KNUDSON, MURCHY, SNIDER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind