Minus the Bear w/ Velvet Teen

With their twisty, tangled guitars and number-crunching chord changes, Minus the Bear sounds increasingly disconnected from an indie scene that now prefers wishy-washy abstract pop or tranquilized, NPR-friendly troubadours, but by staying true to the brainy indie-rock of yore the group has continued to grow its audience. Of course, it also helps that this Seattle group has honed its craft over recent albums and EPs, moving from the calculated stiffness of early releases toward warmer, sweeter songs. Their latest album, Omni, also introduces new synthesizer and drum-machine textures to their mix.