In no way whatsoever do I claim to be an aficionado of punk rock music. (The bulk of my knowledge of the genre comes from the No Thanks! box set that came out a few years ago.) But I'd like to think that I know good music when I hear it. And this, the debut album from a group of young punks from Alabama (yes, Alabama) called Thomas Function is, indeed, good music. Bringing together the best qualities of '70s punk and new wave, these guys produce a sound similar to that of other current acts like Modest Mouse, but with a more stripped-down, lighthearted taste to it. Really, they remind me more of some of the originals of the genre, such as Nick Lowe, the Buzzcocks, and even Television -- artists who didn't just play typical thrash-and-burn punk, but added subtle touches and put their own unique stamp on the music. You could see touches of country, or soul, or funk, as well, depending on the band; but at their core, they were just playing solid rock n' roll. Another point: You must admit that it takes some stones to play acoustic guitar on a punk album, but that's exactly what Thomas Function's lead singer and guitarist Joshua Macero does throughout on Celebration! And you definitely need guts to play any music that's this good at such a young age. The lads of Thomas Function are already receiving a wealth of great reviews from indie press throughout the country, but it will be interesting to see how (and if) more mainstream media latches on to this fantastic band. If not, at least you'll be able to say you heard about them early on, and had the opportunity to let their sound take you in. And you'll be able to say you enjoyed every minute of this incredible record. Immensely.
- Dave Bond / NONzine
Joshua & Thomas Function, guys is there anyway I could get promo copies of your cd's to play on my show? The Invisible City will make it's on air debut the first week of September 2008 on 89.3 WLRH. You can hear the show on their website now. Go to www. wlrh. org, click on programs/schedule and then choose audio on demand and you can check out an episode of The Invisible City. I'll be playing songs on Friday nights from 7 to 9, like Modest MOuse, Johnny Cash, M.I.A., R.L. Burnside, My MOrning Jacket, etc.... Tell anyone you might think will be interested to tune in and all your friends in other bands to either drop off cd's at the station or mail them to me. I want to support the local scene as much as I can. My address is 52 strickland lane ardmore tn 38449. good luck on the road guys and I hope to hear from you. -Brad Posey/ the invisible city
Hey, I found a used copy of your album yesterday. It's funny b/c I just heard about you guys the day before and there it was! The good news is, I got the cd for $7. The bad news is, you guys probably aren't gonna get any money from that transaction... but I do hope to attend your Atlanta show.
tonight's the night baby. once i get out of my shitty job. i'll be there. 10ish right? yeah i gotta go to work for a few hours and waste my time because that place is not busy and i make no money.
oh baby, yous guys are really good. I'm glad we are friends! I'm sad that I can't make it to Alabama to see you and king kahn play! That would be amazing. My family is from Alabama so we belong together anyway...
Wow, I lived in Columbus, MS for years. It was such a boring shit hole, but now they are putting on shows in the theater? Sorry for stupid comments, but this is surprising...
Bamalama Milwaukee! Get this, we are coming: Corey, Jim, Katherine, Jason, Logan, Jessica, Langer, Kyle, mary, Addie, brino, jake, miranda, miranda's friend, claire, lisa, matt, josh, then all of Jail, Jazz Music, Holy Shit!, and Karen's van whoever is in there. That puts us above 30 strong! --eric
