Music
The best kept secret in music
Press
“Seattle trio generates real excitement on this demo, showing lots of original punk abandon. From the hard-driving opener “Let it End,” to “Dauntless,” to “Sheltered,” these Mothers never let up on low-fi intensity and the fuzzy-gnarly guitar and bass, which we like a lot. Vocals are mostly group efforts, but Eric Balaban’s well-timed screams send each song over the edge. Seeing these Mothers kicking it hard in a live setting must be a Beautiful thing.” – Music Connection Magazine, April 2004, Issue #5. - Music Connection Magazine, April 2004, Issue #5.
"(The Beautiful Mothers) came on fast and hard, with unapologetic vocals and contagious energy. The singer, looking like Stephen Malkmus and convulsing like David Byrne, exhibited a punk-rocker persona; blowing noisy kisses into the microphone, drinking beer straight from the pitcher and appealing to the two female audience members to remove their shirts in exchange for pitchers of their own. The combination of vigorous drums, relentless guitar riffs and swaggering vocals brought each song to a potent, explosive climax. Lest one be misled, it's important to note that theirs is an intellectual hedonism. The song "Among the Suicides," for instance, references Herman Hesse's Steppenwolf, and various other literary and poetic influences are alluded to throughout their lyrical oeuvre." -- Gail La Carbonara/ For The Challenge, NOV 4, 2004 - Gail La Carbonara/ For The Challenge, NOV 4, 2004
A 3-song glimpse at greatness to come. So many bands we hear today need a cattle prod shoved in every orifice just raise their energy level to mediocre. Then you hear something like this. Buzzing, fabulous basslines, crashing cymbals, and vocal screams that tear at the linoleum. This music would sound kickass if it was played through an AM transistor radio pointed at a concrete wall two inches away. I'm saving my real enthusiasm for the full-length, but at this point, I'll say that I haven't heard such fury taken out on unsuspecting musical instruments since early MUDHONEY or Spice's MUSHROOM RIVER BAND albums. Consider yourself warned.
- Peacedogman, 2005 - www.peacedogman.com
Discography
Pop for Charity (comp - 1 song by TBM) - March 2002
Hikikimori (full length demo) - July 2003
Rock N Roll 7" - April 2005
Bring It (comp - 4 songs by TBM) - August 2005
Half American Serviceman LP - October 2005
LA Sleaze Session EP - Spring 2006
Photos
Feeling a bit camera shy
Bio
”AUGUST 2005 - Deep below mainstream rock's glossy veneer, real music lives and breathes. Look way beyond the headlines of Bono's latest political remarks or McCartney's Super Bowl halftime show, and you just may find it. You may have to sift through a lot of samey throw-the-horns kind of bunk, but keep diving down. Eventually you'll come up with something like THE BEAUTIFUL MOTHERS, a Seattle-based power trio whose only gimmick is how quickly they can vibrate the fillings right out of your teeth with their screaming humbuckers. Their sound is impossible to pigeon-hole, as it draws from elements of classic punk rock as well as the gods of the seventies. After hearing their sizzly “Rock ‘n Roll EP” earlier this year and then waiting what seemed like an eternity for the full-length, it would appear that the wait is over. "Half American Service Man" should act as a sunny oasis for those that have been wasting away in a desert of rock boredom.” - Mark Marchman, Peacedogman.com
"First there were the tapes. It was all just fun because Kris would indulge, you know. They weren't supposed to be anything, but Jeff put them out on his Derelict Charity record label (which doesn't exist. I made it up as a matter of metaphor). The demo moved around a little, got played on the radio, and we played out more. The line-up shuffled aound some (see below) and we recorded a 7inch with Jack Endino, Esq. Wheels was in L.A., and when he heard the new stuff he moved to Seattle. " - Eric.
So... TBM are now located in Seattle. Their first CD, Hikikimori, was released in July 2003. Though it was originally only intended as a demo for clubs, labels, and radio, it leaked out into the people’s hands like a juicy rumor. They soon sparked the interest of Seattle’s Jack Endino (of Skin Yard and producer of many great bands, including Nirvana, Mudhoney), who has just finished producing and recording their new full-length, "Half American Serviceman," self released in October of 2005.
But live is where they’re best. They hit it hard, and the energy shoots sparks. And they obviously have a great time. You can see and hear that they love what they’re doing. Front man Eric once played a show, with his usual intensity, with a fever of 102. Twice, he nearly passed out and fell off stage, but almost no one in the club knew he was ill (in fact, some say it was one of his best performances). When you hear them, especially live, all you feel is excitement, enthusiasm and grit.
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