The Killer Balloons formed in Washington DC in March 2008 after finding each other through a combination of their work in previous bands and Craigslist casual encounters. The band formed with the goal of combining every song every band member had ever heard into a cohesive sound. The result can best be described as post-punk/pre-progressive, or by imagining what a lovechild between Josh Homme, Brandon Boyd, Phil Lesh and Maynard James Keenan would sound like. Since their formation, they have successfully initiated their quest of aural satisfaction by invading the DC and Baltimore music scene with their infectiously catchy sound and high energy, larger-than-life shows. Never ones to sit back in complacency, the band also strives to make each show unique and different, be it through the rearrangment of parts of songs, dropping a mandolin into a rock show, or wearing fake mustaches to conceal their true indentities. Local critics have lauded The Killer Balloons with praise like quot;They start with great garage rock but have a heavier touch as well... They achieve all the bonus points I can give them for combining classic sounds in a modern framework.quot; (dcrocklive.blogspot.com) The band has cut their teeth playing local venues such as the Rock and Roll Hotel, DC9, the Red and the Black, and the unprecedented step of playing an Azalea Festival, Strawberry Festival, and Octberfest in the same year. In the fall of 2008, they completed a music video for the song quot;Angry Hippiesquot;, which can be found on YouTube. As word spread of the band's dynamic live show and music video parody, demo CDs became increasingly in demand. Knowing that would not be enough to satisfy themselves or their fans, they released their first full length self titled album in the fall of 2010. The album successfully captures all of the band's disparate influences and welcomes local musical guests Wes Lanich on Hammond B3 and keys, and Erica Jackson on violin.
