Suicide Squeeze Records

Minus the Bear plays the Boulder Theatre tonight.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Minus the Bear with Portugal the Man and The Big Sleep

WHEN: Monday, 8:30 p.m.

WHERE: The Boulder Theater

HOW MUCH: $15

When Minus the Bear recorded its first full-length, "Highly Refined Pirates," the members of the Seattle band were heavily into dance and electronic music. With upbeat tempos and a groove-heavy rhythm section, the influence showed.

Later, on the followup "Menos El Oso" and the band's magnum opus, "Planet of Ice," the band began to collectively explore more experimental sounds.

"We all had our dance music phase, then we kind of collectively went into a prog-rock phase," says Cory Murchy, Minus the Bear's bass player.

So what's next for this ever-evolving group of musicians?

"Well, I've been listening to a lot of world music lately," says Murchy without any hint that he is even aware of the negative visions such a statement could have for Minus the Bear's fans.

After all, the band did rise from the ashes of Botch, one of the influential and universally loved hardcore bands ever to stalk the states, as well as Kill Sadie, another mainstay of the Northwest music scene. There's a matter of pride and respect to consider here, and injecting world music influences into a band as solid and creative as Minus the Bear seems, if not blasphemous, at least a little perplexing.

Still, Murchy has faith in the kind of people that come to Minus the Bear shows. Whatever the influences that creep into the band's repertoire, it all gels together into a sound that is uniquely theirs, and the fans respect it.

"We're lucky that our audience has an open mind," he says. "The stuff we do doesn't sound like every crappy emo band out there."

With "Planet of Ice," something else has made its way to the forefront of Minus the Bear's music: carnal lust. A number of songs, particularly the seductive "White Mystery" and "Double Vision Quest" drip of sexual mood and strongly erotic lyrics. Murchy is unapologetic.

"We're a bunch of sexual people, as is everyone," he says. "We're playing music we like and feeling more comfortable with having a sex-funk jam."

One thing that hasn't changed with Minus the Bear is the band's mind-boggling live show. Despite the complexity of the band's songs - where numerous guitar pedals, keyboards, and other electronic sounds come into play along side a tight, groove-based rhythm section -- Minus the Bear engineers all its songs to be played live.

"There's a fair amount of post production (on the record)," says Murchy, "but a lot of the stuff is actually triggered by us. Some of the stuff was written and performed for the record and hadn't been performed live - there's always things you can't duplicate live - but we've been pretty able to pull it off. For the most part, it's us."

Murchy says the band wants to capture that live energy for its next release, a Live DVD.

"Our live show, I feel like you take something away that maybe you don't from the record," says Murchy. "Our live show is where we really shine. Obviously it's not going to be the same as being there, but it will be cool to see what sounds are coming from who."

Contact Oakland L. Childers about this story at (303) 443-6272 ext. 129 or childers@coloradodaily.com