Uncle Tom is a guitar oriented hard-edged power pop rock band that writes and plays melodic catchy sing-along type songs, but with highly intelligent lyrics, tons of attitude, and a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor. Some of the influences of the band are The Beatles, early Cheap Trick, the Sex Pistols, The Monkees, and Tom Petty. Uncle Tom was formed in Los Angeles in 1997 after the demise of an earlier band signed to Mojo Records called The Bogus Toms, and is lead by New York born vocalist, guitarist, and songwriter Robert "Beast" Best, who also has a Master's Degree in clinical psychology. Along with Louie Shilling on drums, and Fling on bass and vocals, they released their debut CD late February 1999 on indie Fuse Records.