Thunderbirds are Now!

Bursting out of Detroit's pollution-and-crime-ridden streets like Robocop after one too many Yellow Jackets, Thunderbirds are Now! deliver catchy, smart, melodic, fast, direct and danceable rock with a nod to late '70s and early '80s post-punk. Keyboards are used not as a novelty, but as a necessity, functioning as an instrument that provides everything from atmosphere to a song's main melody. Guitars are wiry and manic but still direct and not afraid of the occasional delayed part or barre chord. The bass rides an undercurrent, but also jumps out of the foray, delivering alternate melodies and power. Drums are never overcomplicated or flashy, but are instead used to generate a rhythmic pulse that carries throughout the song. Vocals dart in and out of the mix, sung with a sassy intensity. In other words, they fucking rule.

Consisting of Ryan Allen (guitar/vocals), Scott Allen (keyboards/vocals/percussion/samples), Mike Durgan (drums) and Howard Chang (bass) Thunderbirds Are Now! started as a less than stellar tribute to Tool in early 2002. Their musical evolution has been diverse and deliberate, going from a more spastic and rambunctious sound to a more streamlined and focused noise, combining the jittery stance of the Talking Heads with the slightly skewed pop sensibility of the Pixies. Instead of expounding on this comparison, however, TAN! lets their music speak for itself. "We like to let our hot licks and bomb ass beats do the talking for us," they said.

Thunderbirds Are Now!'s forthcoming long player, "Justamustache," is scheduled to hit the streets in Spring 2005. Produced, engineered and mixed by Dave Feeny (Small Brown Bike, Blanche, the Dirtbombs, etc.) this past November at Tempermill Studios in Ferndale, MI, this will be the band's first release for Frenchkiss Records. On their time working with Feeny, Thunderbirds said, "Feeny is not only a great engineer, but also an accomplished musician. He made some suggestions that impacted the songs themselves, and we feel the tracks are better off for it. Plus, he wears fleece more than any other kind of material, and you should always trust a man in fleece." Bruce Templeton mastered "Justamustache" at Magneto Mastering in Minneapolis, MN.

Since 2003, Thunderbirds Are Now! has released three EPs (one self-released, "Another One Hypnotized by" Acutest Records, and the recently issued "Necks" on Conspirators in Sound) and a debut length on Action Driver Records called "Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief." "DLIC" is a 21 minute drag-race, full of the kind of hyperactivity that earned most kids detention in school, and garnered the band some critical acclaim from Magnet Magazine, Vice Magazine and New York's Village Voice. Thunderbirds Are Now! have found a fitting and fruitful home as a new family member of Frenchkiss Records, the New York City artist-run label responsible for bringing bands like Les Savy Fav, Ex Models, The Hold Steady and Detachment Kit to the music stores and halls of this great land. Frenchkiss head Syd Butler said, "Thunderbirds are Now! breathe life into a tired music world. Their live show will be legendary, and they are a perfect Frenchkiss band. They're smart, sexy, sarcastic, energetic, artistic, creative and fun."

With "Justamustache," the key ingredient going into the making of the record was change. "If there is one word that could be applied to 'Doctor, Lawyer' it would be 'sparse.' This time around, though, we tried to do a bit more as far as layering goes, with extra guitar, vocal and keyboard parts, to give the recording a fuller and more realized feel." True enough, "Justamustache" is ripe with vocal harmonies and shout-a-long choruses, dual guitar parts, effects-laden bass and vibrant keyboard melodies. Gone are the spastic rhythms and time-signature changes, and in their place stand compositions that just make more sense. Songs like "Eat this City" and "Harpoons of Love" are steadfast and as close to pop that the band has ever been, while "This World is Made of Paper" and "Cobra Feet" show the band at their most powerful, precise and danceable. At ten tracks in all, "Justamustache" is a snapshot of a band finally comfortable in their own skin.

It should be noted, however, that Thunderbirds Are Now!'s newfound confidence hasn't replaced their sense of humor. For example, the album title "Justamustache" came from a conversation in the band's practice space about Butler and his appearance in a national magazine, where he was shown with a chocolate mustache painted on his face. One Thunderbird commented, "It's just a mustache." Naturally, the mustache motif suddenly became the design concept for the new album (which they are proud to note that bassist Smith designed himself). The band chose to have "Justamustache" read as one word because they think "people hate to read a lot of words... they always prefer one." When asked about their dream tour vehicle, they answered with a similar sense of sarcasm. They said, "Our dream tour vehicle would be a van with an airbrushed bald eagle holding the body of a wolf in its talons. It would be sponsored by Taco Bell and contain a stereo that had Boyz II Men's 'Motownphilly' cassingle permanently stuck in the tape player. The van itself would talk to us, ala K.I.T. from 'Knightrider.' It would use only beer as fuel and occasionally dispense gold from the air-conditioning unit." At press time, the band had no knowledge of the word or concept of a "rider."

Thunderbirds Are Now! have already cemented their reputation as an amazing live band, putting on a dazzling show akin to that of a circus where the clowns and all the lions have taken over, and the ringleader guy can't get a hold on what's going on. In the course of their two-year career, Thunderbirds Are Now! have shared the stage with a slew of notables, including the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, the Rapture, the Stills, Enon, !!!, The Locust, Les Savy Fav, Party of Helicopters, the Gossip, Q and Not U, Prefuse 73 and Deerhoof (among many others.)