Caught The Thermals live a few weeks back for the first time with my good buddy, who is now a 7 time Jeopardy Champion! Although he knew he had already raked in over 150k, he somehow didn't say a word. Apparently, if you tell anyone before the show airs, Trebek tracks you down and kills you and your entire family. I should have known he won since he was so damn happy at the show, but then again, we both dig this band a lot and couldn't get enough of their last effort, The Body, The Blood, and The Machine. A poppy, political, indie punk manifesto, littered with biblical analogies and teen angst. Razor sharp, Orwellian, and anthemic to boot; it screamed for a smarter, saavier generation in my opinion, though without the enormous self pity and loathing that seem a requirement for a rock band to really blow up proper. To my ears, they seem a glorious combo of Nirvana, Television, Green Day, and The Ramones. Their new effort, Now We Can See, is a lighter, airier, poppier, rock confection and is a damn good jogging record; the requirements being, upbeat and grooving with just the right amount of anger.

Looking around the Bowery Ballroom (a great sounding venue that I just had my debut at a few weeks prior!), I was struck by the middle class college kid preppyness of the crowd; banging their heads and bouncing about, albeit in a safe, friendly environment. Twas as if a Nirvana show had been run through a shiny, happy filter. Oh how times change!

The first vid is a live version of Here's Your Future from The Body, The Blood, The Machine and the second, their new vid for the title track of Now We Can See. Enjoy 'em!