![]() ![]() Devoted to "spontaneous song generation", they feature Keith Moliné on guitar and Andy Diagram on "trumpet through electronics " both make frequent use of MIDI, giving them a broader tonal palette than might be expected from two instruments. I can extend/expand/interpolate those stories." Though the Accordion Club never recorded any albums, two songs appeared on Rē Records Quarterly Vol.2 No.1, and it led to the formation of Thomas's current "solo" project, the Two Pale Boys. I can explore the stories behind the songs. Thomas stated: "I often use the same songs in both projects. While these groupings tended to share a repertoire with Pere Ubu, the focus was smaller. Throughout the 1980s, Thomas maintained a rotating trio dubbed the Accordion Club, which at various times included John Kirkpatrick, Chris Cutler, Garo Yellin, and Ira Kaplan. Thomas's solo activities were diminished, though not extinguished, by the reformation of Pere Ubu. Thomas appears to have been at one point a Jehovah's Witness, an affiliation that has been reflected lyrically in the final song of Pere Ubu's 1979 album New Picnic Time, originally titled "Jehovah's Kingdom Come!" However, in subsequent releases of the album, the song has been re-titled "Hand A Face A Feeling" and then "Kingdom Come" in the albums' lyric sheet, maintained by Thomas on Pere Ubu's official website, the titular line has been changed to "God's Kingdom Come" the song itself has been re-mixed to remove references to Jehovah. This fact along with other considerations led directly into the official reformation of Pere Ubu in 1987, and the group has remained active to the present day. Įventually, several former members of Pere Ubu gravitated into Thomas's group, and by the time of 1987's Blame the Messenger, were sporting a sound distinctly similar to the former band. Some critic asked, "Why all these songs about birds?" And I said to myself, "You think that's a lot of songs about birds?!? I'll show you a lot of songs about birds!" So, for a while, I stuck birds in everywhere I could. Somewhere along the line, I wrote a song that had birds in it. Thomas's lyrics became increasingly whimsical, and birds became a common theme: Lindsay Cooper's bassoon was often prominent, and, when Richard Thompson's guitar was not featured, the guitar would be absent (such as the entirety of 1985's More Places Forever). Initially, his solo recordings eschewed Pere Ubu's "rock" focus. ![]() Along with Rocket from the Tombs guitarist Peter Laughner, he then formed Pere Ubu, which was originally active from 1975 to 1982.Īfterwards, Thomas worked with a variety of musicians including guitarists Richard Thompson and Philip Moxham, and Henry Cow alumni bassonist/oboist Lindsay Cooper and drummer Chris Cutler. Thomas was an early member of Rocket from the Tombs, which disbanded after about a year. You think he's talking to himself until you realize he's talking to you." ![]() Thomas has a distinctive, high pitched voice Emerson Dameron described Thomas's singing as " James Stewart trapped in an oboe", and Greil Marcus writes, "Mr Thomas's voice is that of a man muttering in a crowd. Common themes crop up throughout much of his work, such as the US Interstate Highway system, images of roadside or "junk" tourist culture, Brian Wilson, AM radio, birds, and many others. Thomas has described his artistic focus as being the " gestalt of culture, geography and sound". Though primarily a singer, he sometimes plays melodeon, trombone, musette, guitar or other instruments. He has also released several solo albums. He was one of the founding members of the short-lived proto-punkers Rocket from the Tombs (1974–1975), in which he played under the moniker "Crocus Behemoth," and of post-punk group Pere Ubu (1975–present, intermittently). David Lynn Thomas (born 1953 ) is an American singer, songwriter and musician based in Great Britain. ![]()
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