Minus the Bear is a rock band from Seattle, Washington. The band features current and former members of Botch, Kill Sadie, and Sharks Keep Moving. Their sound is a combination of Pele-esque guitar-taps and electronics, with sophisticated time signature composition. The name "Minus the Bear" comes from an inside joke among the band members, referring to the 80s TV show B. J. and the Bear (BJ and the Bear Minus the Bear Equals BJ).On January 2, 2006, Matt Bayles, keyboardist and producer for Minus the Bear, announced that he was leaving the band in order to focus on record production work. His last performance with the band was on January 28, 2006. Subsequently, he was replaced by Graeme McCombe, who previously worked as a sound engineer on Menos el Oso.An album of remixes of songs from Menos el Oso, entitled Interpretaciones del Oso, was released on February 20, 2007, including a remix by underground rapper P.O.S..The band's third full length album, titled Planet of Ice, was released on August 21, 2007, and contains ten tracks. On top of an exclusive iTunes track, a bonus CD was also released containing 2 B-sides, a demo track, and a remix also done by P.O.S..In 2006 the track "We Are Not a Football Team" from their first album Highly Refined Pirates appeared in a TV advertisement for mobile network operator O2 in the UK and Ireland.