the worse it gets the better

New 12" LP with cd
The debut full length record
from the vocally gifted
Oakland based three piece
will bring tears to your eyes
and a smile to your face.
Guitar, bass and
drums, simple and beautiful,
this record is full of
loveable hit songs.
"Melanie meets This bike is a
Pipebomb"-JS Panache Mag
sc023
12" vinyl/cd inside $12

Songs for Moms Reviews
"The Worse it Gets the Better"
Calming, aggressive, and
accessible are words that can
all be honestly used when
discussing The Worse It Gets The
Better. Songs For Moms contains
three women who write beautiful,
strong lyrics and sing them with
their beautiful, strong voices,
while playing acoustic instrum-
ents, beautifully and strongly.
And while at times this album
reminds me of Rumbleseat, or the
Pogues, or even the theme song
from Sealab, Songs For Moms
always maintain ownership of
the music with their uniqueness,
honesty, attitude, and characher.
Even when hopeless romanticism
is handed out in heavy doses,
these songs tell a tale that's
elateable and endearing. I have
yet to play this album for some-
one who hasn't totally dug it.
Daryl/Razorcake

Maybe it's just me but I kind of
dread that first listen to a new
record by a band I've come to
really like from their live
shows. I'm afraid it will sound
overproduced, or underproduced,
or boring, or it will turn out
that they have the worst lyrics
in the world, or... So many
Anxieties and we haven't even
heard the record yet! Well, I'm
glad to report that the SONGS
FOR MOMS LP passes the test with
flying colors. This bay area trio
plays bouncy punk rock with
great harmonies and some odd time
signitures. It's a unique sound
that's also very accessible. I'm
reminded of TIGER TRAP in the
excellant, energetic drumming and
jangley guitars, and a bit of the
country (not "folkpunk") influence
of THIS BIKE IS A PIPE BOMB. The
recording sounds just like they do
live, only better; you can hear all
the parts but it doesn't sound
super professional. There's a
good variety of songs, and the
lyrics totally don't suck. Phew!
PC/Maximum Rock n Roll

The world has always suffered
from a lack of girl-heavy indie
bands: fact. As we sit now in
the doldrums that followed the
dissolution of Sleater-Kinney,
that shortage is almost
alarming, but help is on the
way. The Oakland all-girl power
trio Songs For Moms sprung
forth from the void first with
a modest self-recorded CDr or
two, and now their debut album
The Worse It Gets The Better on
luscious vinyl and bonus CD for
analog haters. Aside from their
first names, that's about all
the real information I have on
them. They're so indie, they
apparently don't believe in
anything like bios, press
releases, or comprehensive liner
notes. Versions of "1906" have
appeared on everything I've seen
them release, and it's easy to
see why. On a more open-minded
and supportive planet, that
three-four timed alternative
rocker soaked in self-
reflection, with the relevant
refrain "why are we so afraid
to die when so many of us are
not living" riding the sweet
spot, would be a number one single.
"My Darling Faye" is another well-
used number in waltz time (of which
most of their tracks are, something
I find actually kinda refreshing),
placing the emotional weight on
somber poignancy among requests to
burn the building down. They've got
a blunt sense of humour about
themselves too, just so you know
it's not the walking Sylvia Plath
stereotype bigotting around in your
brain. Above all else, Songs For
Moms is about honest fun with a
Celtic twang. Though fast paced and
containing an appropriate amount of
cursing, this is really an album of
pop songs at once both lovely and
gritty. They just happen to rock out
and care more about playing with a
vindicated passion than the glossy
turd piles that today's instant-
satisfaction-without-due-thought
society currently cultivates as
rock stars. Trust me, some day The
Worse It Gets The Better will be
considered one of the most important
records ever made by women for all.
Watch for throngs of copycats to
follow.
Filmore Mescalito Holmes/Pop Matters

Live Review
Two Gallants•Blitzen
Trapper•Songs for Moms
Media Club;Vancouver,BC
09-18-2007
It doesn't happen very often Ð
hell, my success rate of being
told I'm on the guest list and
actually being on the list is
barely above 50-50 Ð but
occasionally, I feel like I've
ripped someone off by getting
in free to a show. This was one
of those rare nights. Not that
it started off all gangbusters,
mind you. The doors were
supposed to open at the
standard 8 PM, so my girlfriend
and I rolled in blazed and
mildly drunk at quarter to
nine. With the inside of the
hundred-odd-capacity Media Club
pitch black, the nice man at
the door informed us it would be
at least another twenty minutes
till he'd have some info for us.
All we knew at that point was
the bands weren't there yet. I'm
a stickler for detail myself,
but what can you do? We circled
around Library Square with the
justifiably striking union CUPE
Local 15 till 9:40 when, by some
miracle of fate, the advertised
triple bill fashionably arrived.
They set up with no time to
spare for tuning or proper
mixing and hit the stage without
pause. Rawk 'n' roll!!! There
was barely enough time to grab a
beer before the openers Songs For
Moms landed balls-deep in their
set. With Carey hammering away on
a pared-down kit while Molly and
Alana split the bass, guitar, and
lead vocal duties, they
constitute one of the most
pungent all-girl power trios ever
to come out of San Francisco.
Their songs mostly ran in three-
four time, but they jammed
through their bluntly
relationship-based waltzes and
occasional post-punk, rock jaunts
with all the swagger of a young
Sleater-Kinney. The inadequate
number of female attendees
migrated steadily forward,
feeding on the groundbreaking
vibrations, forcing the guys
to ditch their inhibitions and
join in. Waves of swaying and
nodding ensued. I haven't seen
a vibe like that for an opening-
opening band in years. I gave
the band props at my earliest
opportunity, while picking up
both EPs (a bargain at $8) and a
t-shirt they had for sale. I'll
be keeping my eyes out for these
guys, for sure. Hell, if I had a
label, I'd have signed them
myself. Thank gawd for
nice surprises
Filmore Mescalito Holmes/TinyTapes