Highly Refined Pirates

This is Party Music!!! (4.5 Stars):
MINUS THE BEAR - Highly Refined Pirates - Like many, my introduction to this band was because I heard this guitarist Dave Knudson's new band. (Dave was formerly in a little ol' hardcore band called: Botch) My initial reaction was shock... Wait! Stop the Presses! This isn't Heavy! Then I got a grip on myself and actually listened to the CD.... AMAZING!!! -Honestly if radio stations played music like this I would actually appreciate Pop-Music. Minus the Bear is filled with amazingly catchy, and skillful, guitar riffs, funktastic bass lines, complex drumming, nice elemental prog-inspired keyboards and a great singer who is also is an amazing lyricist. (See, Get Me Naked: Part II) They have oodles of talent and are beyond catchy... I ponder my brain everyday wondering why bands like this and Porcupine Tree aren't at the forefront of Mainstream music... and then I remember... Sometimes it is better we keep these gems to real music fans and not companies that will just exploit and ruin them. Favorite Songs: Get Me Naked 2: Electric Boogaloo, Thanks For The Killer Game Of Crisco Twister, and Women We Haven't Met Yet -4.5 Stars IF YOU LIKED, AGREED OR APPRECIATED THIS. PLEASE CLICK YES FOR: "Was this review helpful?"

Minus the Bear rocks good:
Ok, so by now pretty much everybody has in some shape, way, form, or fashion heard of Minus the Bear. Highly Refined Pirates is probably their best album, atleast in my opinion. The thing about the album is even with all of it's absurd lyrics, the music is simply great. The begining of the album draws you into something you never though you'd hear, and the music is amazing. Everybody knows the band has come from all sorts of various backgrounds. Minus the Bear delivers with this album. Absinthe Party at the Fly Honey Warehouse is without a doubt the greatest song ever written. If you get a chance to this spring go see these guys on tour. They tour with bands that sound nothing like them, but MTB is not one to miss.

Fantastic Background Music:
This is probably MTB's best CD...even if you are not typically into this genre I highly recommend having a listen. It's great background music; upbeat but not too demanding. I especially recommend this as a first-time album if you have heard of Minus the Bear and are looking to give them a go...MTB definitely has their own style and the best of it comes out in Highly Refined Pirates.

Worth it just for "Thanks for the Killer Game of Crisco Twister" Alone:
As any of my -3 readers would know, I already owned "Planet of Ice" by MTB (pretentious abbreviation! yay!) before buying this, but this is the one I really wanted after hearing "TKGCT" online. That song remains my favorite, because it really showcases their trademark sound, namely the complicated, fingertapped guitar riffs. Other favorites: "Absinthe Party at the Fly Honey Warehouse", "Get Me Naked 2: Electric Boogaloo", "Spritz!!! Spritz!!! Spritz!!!" and "Let's Play Guitar in a Five Guitar Band". I hope I rated "POI" five stars, because I still like it better than this one, if only because of "Knights". But this is still freakin' awesome. Heck, even "Hey, Wanna Throw Up?" and "You Kill Bugs Good, Man" are cool, and they're just INTERLUDES(!)

MTB put out the goods every time.:
I wasn't sure what to expect from an album named "Highly Refined Pirates" but I went in with an open mind. What I got was an album full of indie rock at it's grooviest (I know, lame word). The boys in MTB have been in the music scene for a long time and know how to make an album's worth of good material. "Highly Refined Pirates" dabbles into the good life with tales of good times and good friends by way of great songs. If that's not your thing, don't worry; HRP has plenty of dynamics and great, tasteful playing to keep things interesting. Somehow they mix understated electronic elements and the best rhythm section in indie rock with a guitar player (who, by the way, used to play in the legendary metalcore band Botch) playing on a completely different level than the rest of us. In fact, after the first listens I found myself humming the guitar parts as often as I was singing the lyircs. Whether you need good grooves, demand "make you stop and think" lyrics, or just dig good music, this album is a good way to go. *Extra bit of opinion inserted here: Everyone has that friend or relative that says "There hasn't been a good song written since \oenter date here\c." Borrow them a Minus The Bear album. Whether they're a classic rock cat or an indie snob they'll probably like it and they can finally stop playing their old CDs every time they get in their car.