• THE ORIGINAL BROTHERS AND     SISTERS OF LOVE T.O.B.A.S.O.L blend melodic pop with an eclectic instrumental mix, calling to mind some of the bands that have influenced the group: The Beach Boys, Fairport Convention and The Gourds. Too original to merely rip off their heroes, T.O.B.A.S.O.L create a music all their own. The All Music Guide raved about their debut, The Legende Of Jeb Minor stating "comparisons to Tim Buckley, Van Dyke Parks, The Beach Boys, and Harry Nilsson are unmistakable, (but) the Ann Arbor, Michigan, six-piece is too unique for any direct comparisons." The Original Brothers and Sisters of Love were born when Jamie Monger and younger brother Tim began hovering around a four-track in their Brighton, Michigan bedroom. Not long thereafter, the two original brothers packed up their Tascam Portastudio, Alesis Midiverb II, and a couple of guitars and headed North. Inspired by the beauty of Northern Michigan, Jamie and Tim nurtured what was to become the core songwriting team of T.O.B.A.S.O.L., writing and recording in hotel rooms all across the Upper Peninsula. With the foundation of the band strong, the family grew, as families are apt to do. Drummer, firefighter, and restaurateur Martin Juarez joined the band in January of 1997 and the group began recording their debut album. Greg McIntosh was the next to arrive into the world, covering the duty of main guitarist and multi-instrumentalist. In the spring of 1998, longtime friend Scott McClintock joined the band as bassist. The Original Brothers of Love got their first sister, causing the band to slightly re-jig their name, in the winter of 1999. Elisabeth Auchinvole, a young fiddler from New Zealand, impressed the band with her ability to meld fiddle and classical violin without sounding too rigid or rough. She rounded out the sextet and they quickly added her parts to the almost finished record. In the summer of 1999 after two-and-a-half years, the line-up and debut record, The Legende of Jeb Minor, were complete. The band gave a collective sigh and submerged themselves in the cool waters of Lake Huron to recuperate. Now, with the line-up stable and players in place, The Original Brothers and their new sister were set to release the record on the Brooklyn, NY based Telegraph Company….well, almost. Drummer Martin Juarez left and was replaced with Fido Kennington, an experienced pop drummer and multi-instrumentalist who T.O.B.A.S.O.L used to bump into every time they went to go see bands like Jellyfish, King Crimson, or Mr. Bungle. Needless to say, they approved of his record collection and enormous talent. He played three gigs with the band before pledging his loyalty to the organization as a full-time member. With one album under their belt and the second, H.O.M.E.S. Vol 1., out now, The Original Brothers and Sisters of Love continue to prowl the Midwest's rural underbelly.