Minus the Bear - Highly Refined Pirates (Blue Smoke Vinyl)
Minus the Bear - Highly Refined Pirates (Blue Smoke Vinyl)
Format: Vinyl LP
UPC: 803238085517
Release Date: 11/12/02
Condition: N
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One of the more captivating acts to come out of the alt-to-indie rock shift that dominated the late '90s and early 2000s, Minus the Bear pair tight, looped beats and mathy electric-guitar finger-tapping with sinewy verse melodies that reveal rousing choruses. The group emerged on Seattle's music scene in 2001, drawing from a wide array of musical styles that included post-punk, new wave, experimental rock, classic rock, and indie pop. They issued six full-length albums, with highlights like 2007's Planet of Ice, 2010's Omni, and 2012's Infinity Overhead, all of which did well both critically and commercially, before announcing their retirement in 2018 after the release of their fourth and final EP, Fair Enough.
Formed around the talents of guitarist Dave Knudson, vocalist/guitarist, drummer Erin Tate, keyboard player Matt Bayles, and bassist Cory Murchy, the group released it's debut EP, This Is What I Know About Being Gigantic, on in 2001. Though the bandmembers entered the recording booth before they ever played a show, they toured aggressively in support of the EP, then returned to the studio to record 2002's Highly Refined Pirates, their first full-length album. Their polished and cleverly arranged songs, which were built heavily around finger-tapped guitar riffs mixed with heady narratives, catchy melodies, and unexpected time changes, made them a favorite among the math rock crowd. A pair of EPs (Bands Like It When You Yell "Yar!" at Them and They Make Beer Commercials Like This) arrived in 2004, followed in 2005 by their sophomore full-length effort Menos el Oso. A remix album, Interpretaciones del Oso, followed in early 2007, and in 2009 the band issued Planet of Ice, which was produced and recorded by Matt Bayles, who left the group the year prior to focus on his production work. It marked the studio debut of new keyboard player Alex Rose, and was the first Minus the Bear album to crack the U.S. Billboard 200. For their next full-length, the band moved to and headed into the studio with producer Joe Chiccarelli. The resulting Omni, released in 2010, yielded the fan favorites "My Time" and "Into the Mirror," the latter of which featured a guest vocal from singer/guitarist Rachel Flotard. Matt Bayles returned to produce 2012's Infinity Overhead, which would be the group's most commercially successful LP to date, appearing on multiple Billboard charts - it would also be the last outing for drummer Erin Tate, who left the group in 2015. In 2014 Minus the Bear returned with Lost Loves, a B-sides and rarities collection featuring songs culled from the recording sessions of their previous three studio albums. Arriving in 2017, Voids signaled a return to, and marked the studio debut of drummer Kiefer Matthias. It would also be the band's last full-length effort, with 2018's Fair Enough EP closing the door on Minus the Bear's impressive 17-year run. The group supported the release with an accompanying farewell tour, which yielded the 2021 concert LP Farewell. - James Christopher Monger, Rovi
- Tracks
- 1 Thanks for the Killer Game of Crisco Twister
- 2 Monkey!!! Knife!!! Fight!!!
- 3 Absinthe Party at the Fly Honey Warehouse
- 4 Hey, Wanna Throw Up?
- 5 Get Me Naked 2: Electric Boogaloo
- 6 We Are Not a Football Team
- 7 You Kill Bugs Good, Man
- 8 Spritz!!! Spritz!!!
- 9 Women We Haven't Met Yet
- 10 Damn Bugs Whacked Him, Johnny
- 11 I Lost All My Money at the Cock Fights
- 12 Andy Wolff
- 13 Let's Play Guitar in a Five Guitar Band
- 14 Booyah Achieved
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GRADING
GRADING
Yellow Racket assigns condition based on the Goldmine Standard for grading records.
New (N) (Not typically included in the Goldmine Standard)
New records are purchased directly from the label, distributor, or registered wholesaler. Records are still sealed. Jackets may have slight shelf wear, but media has never been played.
Mint (M)
Still sealed. Never played. No observable flaws. Items have been purchased secondhand.
Near Mint (NM)
A Near Mint (NM) record will play perfectly, with no imperfections during playback. The record should show no obvious signs of wear.
The cover (and any additional packaging) has no creases, folds, seam splits, cut-out holes, or other noticeable defects.
Very Good Plus (VG+)
A Very Good Plus (VG+) record will show some signs that it was played and otherwise handled by a previous owner who took good care of it.
Defects should be more of a cosmetic nature, not affecting the actual playback as a whole. Record surfaces may show some signs of wear and may have slight scuffs or very light scratches.
The disc and LP cover may have slight signs of wear, and may be gently marred by spindle marks, paper scuffs, wrinkled corners, etc.
Very Good (VG)
Many of the defects found in a VG+ record will be more pronounced in a VG disc. Surface noise will be evident, but will not overpower the music. Disc may have light scratches (deep enough to feel with a fingernail) that will affect the sound.
Labels, jackets, and inserts will have visible cosmetic flaws such as wrinkles, cut-outs, slight splitting, etc. However, it will usually have less than a dozen minor flaws.
Good (G)
A record in Good condition can be played through without skipping. But it will have significant surface noise, scratches, and visible groove wear. A cover or sleeve will have seam splits, especially at the bottom or on the spine. Tape, writing, ring wear, or other defects will be present.
While the record will be playable without skipping, noticeable surface noise and "ticks" will almost certainly accompany the playback.
Poor (P), Fair (F)
The record may be cracked, badly warped, or won't play through without skipping or repeating. The picture sleeve may be water damaged, split, or heavily marred by wear and writing.
