Bristling with guitar acrobatics and infectious melodies, Minus the Bear’s fifth studio full-length album, Infinity Overhead, due August 28 on Dangerbird Records, is not only a return to form in direction, instrumentation and creation but also the band’s most aggressive and confident. The veteran Seattle-based fivesome reunited with former member and longtime producer Matt Bayles (Mastodon, Isis, Cursive) to create a guitar-laden 10-track record that is heavy both on technicality and pop songcraft and showcases the band doing what they do best – interesting, guitar-based, big sounding rock.
“We wanted to branch out on the last record and explore some more musical directions and work with someone we didn’t know,” says guitarist David Knudson about the band’s 2010 LP, Omni, produced by Joe Chiccarelli. “That was very educational and eye opening but at the same time we weren’t in our wheel house.” Drummer Erin Tate adds: “I look at it like when we started this band we were building a house with the first three records, then with Omni we decided to go to a beach house. Now, with Infinity Overhead, we are back working on our house.” Bassist Cory Murchy succinctly exclaims: “We didn’t go anywhere, but we’re back.”

Philadelphia's Circa Survive was formed by former Saosin vocalist Anthony Green with guitarist Colin Frangicetto -- both of them veterans of the local emo and hardcore scenes looking to indulge in the rule-breaking freedom of the neo-progressive movement of the mid-2000s. After Green and Frangicetto discovered likeminded bandmates in second guitarist Brendan Ekstrom, bassist Nick Beard, and drummer Steve Clifford, Circa Survive recorded their debut album, Juturna (named after a Roman goddess), for Equal Vision Records in 2005. Lots of touring followed, including Warped Tour dates, and the album steadily sold close to an impressive 100,000 copies. A spot on the 2007 Coachella festival led into the late May release of Circa Survive's follow-up, On Letting Go. The band's latest effort Blue Sky Noise was release in April of 2010.