The Thermals

With the unbridled spirit of a gang of children tearing up a birthday party, the Thermals are a very fun band with simple, visceral songs that smack the listener in the face like a rake. This is punk rock from a smelly garage, with a little bit of an art...

By Adam Bregman

May 13, 2004

Audio By Carbonatix

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With the unbridled spirit of a gang of children tearing up a birthday party, the Thermals are a very fun band with simple, visceral songs that smack the listener in the face like a rake. This is punk rock from a smelly garage, with a little bit of an art school vibe thrown in.

After playing only a few shows, this trio from Portland, Oregon, wooed the folks at Sub Pop. They quickly went about recording their 2003 debut, More Parts Per Million, in singer/guitarist Hutch Harris' kitchen, spending all of $60 and coming up with one hell of a punchy, irresistible sound.

On Fuckin A, the band is still a one-trick pony, but its one trick is full-throttle, ass-kicking punk that's as raw as can be, and vaguely intelligent-sounding -- a lot of Harris' lyrics sound like empowering speeches for young punks, as if the Thermals were trying to teach them how to properly rip shit up.

Adam Bregman

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