They Make Beer Commercials Like This [Bonus Track]

Performer: Minus the Bear
Engineer: Matt Bayles
Producer: Matt Bayles
Distributor: Alternative Dis. Alliance

Notes: Personnel: Heather Duby (vocals). Audio Mixer: Matt Bayles. Recording information: Litho (04/18/2004-04/25/2004). The EP THEY MAKE BEER COMMERCIALS LIKE THIS was originally released in 2004 on the Arena Rock Recording Company label. Mixing post-rock electronics with a unique guitar style based on a modified version of the fretboard-tapping technique that was a hallmark of the 1980s hair metal era, THEY MAKE BEER COMMERCIALS LIKE THIS includes fan favorites like "Hey! Is That A Ninja Up There?" and "I'm Totally Not Down With Rob's Alien." Although Minus the Bear's uniformly goofy song titles and album names make the Seattle quartet seem at first like the spiritual descendents of local scene godfathers the Young Fresh Fellows -- besides the sarcastic album title, the best titles this time out have to be "Hey, Is That a Ninja Up There?" and "I'm Totally Not Down With Rob's Alien" -- the funniest thing about them is how straightforward and (relatively) serious their music is. Boasting a slightly rougher sound than the Steve Fisk-produced Highly Refined Pirates, They Make Beer Commercials Like This is nevertheless at least as complex as their previous releases, but with more of an emphasis this time on constantly shifting, tricky rhythms and a more prominent and melodic presence for bassist Cory Murchy to counterpoint David Knudson's typically fluid guitar showcases. This is especially notable on the opening "Fine + 2 Points," which has even more of the chilly but danceable sound of early-'80s post-punk outfits like A Certain Ratio and Crispy Ambulance than the far more celebrated Franz Ferdinand do. [The album was reissued in 2008 with remastered sound and a bonus track: "Houston, We Have Uh-Oh".] ~ Stewart Mason

Alternative Press (p.134) - 4 out of 5 - "[With] great songs. Not to mention sparkling melodies and novel arrangements."

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