THUNDERS ON THE INTERNET ON TV SLASH GETFUCKED

2011-06-19T21:11:00.000-07:00

Ryan Reidy
Michael Preuschl
Bake
Beautiful Baby in the Bummer of Love

June 25 - Irving Theater::Indianapolis
July 9 - Kim's House::Bloomington, Indiana

East Coast Tour TBA

no real news to speak of

2010-01-14T09:03:00.000-08:00

i've been talking about this new record for months now, but there isn't much new news to speak of. still in the process of mixing it. no idea when it will be out because that would require some sort of capital investment that i do no have. whatever.

July 2009: Writing New Hits

2009-07-19T10:25:00.000-07:00

Writing new hits ... Writing new hits ... Writing new hits ... Writing new hits ... Writing new hits ... Writing new hits ... Writing new hits ... Writing new hits ... Writing new hits ... Writing new hits ... Writing new hits ... Writing new hits ... Writing new hits ... Writing new hits ... Writing new hits ... Writing new hits ... Writing new hits ... Writing new hits ... Writing new hits ... Writing new hits ... Writing new hits ... Writing new hits ... Writing new hits ... Writing new hits ... Writing new hits ... Writing new hits ... Writing new hits ... Writing new hits ... Writing new hits ... Writing new hits ... Writing new hits ... Writing new hits ... Writing new hits ... Writing new hits ... Writing new hits ... Writing new hits ... Writing new hits ... Writing new hits ... Writing new hits ... Writing new hits ... Writing new hits ... Writing new hits ... Writing new hits ... Writing new hits ... Writing new hits ... Writing new hits ... Writing new hits ... Writing new hits ...

East Coast Tour June2K9 + other thingssss

2009-05-23T13:34:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone on the Internet right now

We are heading out East for three weeks at the end of May ... All the dates, thus far, are on the calendar on our Myspace (and at the bottom of this bulletin). Hey, do you live in Atlanta, Athens or Boston??? We are running into a wall in these places and desperately need help booking shows here on June 2, 3 and 11 (respectively). So, if you wanna, help us out with that. Our kick-off show for this tour will be in Indianapolis on May 29 @ the Melody Inn with Yuki. I'm starting a twitter for this tour ... trying to embrace new technology and all that, yeah yeah.

ALSO ... bunch of new reviews up in the reviews blog (aka ... Nice Things People Have Said About Us blog; which I guess is a misnomer because some of the stuff is just kind of neutral, but completists' sake they're there) and also a really long-winded interview with Ryan.

Getting back from tour June 18 ... this will be the last major push for "The Sympathetic Oscillations EP" before we head into the studio in July to record our full-length ... pretty excited about that one. Got lots of songs to record, lots of ideas for sounds ... Maybe we'll let some of it slip, maybe we won't, who knows, man, who knows.

Again, don't hesitate to contact us if you live in Atlanta, Athens or Boston-area and think you may be able to help.

Take care

Thunders by way of Mark

JUNER OSCILLATIONS TOUR 2K9
May 29- Indianapolis IN @ The Melody Inn w/ Yuki
May 30- Bloomington, IN @ The Statehouse
May 31- Lexington, KY @ Al's Bar w/ Jovontaes
June 1- Nashville, TN @ TBA w/ Turbo Fruits, Heavy Cream
June 2- Atlanta, GA @ help!!!
June 3- Athens, GA @ Go Bar
June 4- Asheville, NC @ The French Bar w/ The Soft Opening
June 5- Greenville, NC @ Spazzatorium
June 6- Richmond, VA @ The Plaza Bowl
June 7- Washington DC @ The Velvet Lounge w/ Doomstar
June 8- Baltimore, MD @ TBA w/ Weekends
June 9- Philadelphia, PA @ The M Room w/ Musicforheadphones
June 10- Brooklyn, NY @ Bruar Falls
June 11- Boston, MA @ All Asia
June 12- Manchester, CT @ Thunderdome
June 13- NYC, NY@ TBA
June 14- Syracuse, NY @ TBA
June 15- Rochester, NY @ the Bug Jar
June 16- Cleveland, OH @ Now That's Class w/ Freedom
June 17- Detroit, MI @ the Painted Lady w/ Qualia
June 18- Fort Wayne, IN @ The Brass Rail

next show after these is July 29- Indianapolis, IN @ Volrath w/ Obits (ex Hot Snakes, Drive Like Jehu) + Disappears ... will be a good one

pretty bad review from delusions of adequacy

2009-05-21T10:51:00.000-07:00

http://www.adequacy.net/2009/05/thunders-the-sympathetic-oscillations-ep/

Is it possible to be dangerous in rock ‘n’ roll anymore? Thunders’ lead singer and songwriter Ryan Reidy certainly thinks so. With the presumptuous swagger and supreme confidence of Russell Brand, Reidy struts and strikes poses throughout the six tracks on The Sympathetic Oscillations EP to tiresome results. Equal parts The Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Dandy Warhols, the Indianapolis, IN quartet finds no new ground to dig and barely manages to tread water with the aforementioned bands’ prima donna inclinations and propensity for drugged-fueled psychedelia. Reidy’s grating drawl slobbers all over Thunders’ wahed, washed out guitars and half-baked drums, sounding more like Wolf Parade’s prepubescent sneers than Marc Bolan’s sensual come-hithers. It results in an EP brimming with attitude and lacking in inspiration.

To be fair, Reidy recorded The Sympathetic Oscillations EP on his own, leaving himself to his own indulgences without the aid of another ear to ground him. He nails the loose bloozy sound he’s going for, but listeners have heard this before. A lot. It’s been done to death so many times before by so many better bands. Reidy tries to channel rock’s best ambassadors of sex and menace but falls short. If he forced himself to go out on a limb every once and a while, he might find himself making music that was a bit more uneven but potentially more remarkable, maybe even “dangerous”.

The songs do little to distract from Reidy’s irritating warble. “83” starts off like Wire’s “Strange” before descending into a heap of guitars buzzing around a bumbling riff like flies on a dog turd. Most of the tracks on The Sympathetic Oscillations EP fail to move beyond this swirling sameness, as if Reidy took a hippie drum circle and replaced the stoned, third rate bongo beaters with stoned, third-rate psych guitarists. If Reidy intended on making a splash with The Sympathetic Oscillations EP, he succeeded only in creating a venue for his own vainglorious ramblings. I’d rather attend an open mic night at a community college coffee shop than listen to another lyric like “We’ve got a love that’s deep in our hearts” ever again. Perhaps the recent addition of other opinionated musicians to fill out Thunders’ live setup will temper Reidy’s knack for hackneyed riffage and warmed over words.

very longwinded and verbose interview with Ryan.

2009-05-09T08:37:00.000-07:00

http://indianapolis.metromix.com/music/article/q-and-a-with/1017438/content

We caught up with Thunders vocalist Ryan Reidy to ask about their upcoming full-length plans and the reception to their first release.

Now that Sympathetic Oscillations has been out for a bit, what’s your take of the reception? Was it what you were hoping for?
Ryan Reidy: I'll answer the second question first, because it will put my answer to the first bit in some context. Considering that the journey from beginning the songs and building my recording rig started a year and a half before it ended up in the hands of Andy and Annie Skinner at A Squared Industries, the gestation period for the vast majority of these songs was pretty lengthy. The sheer amount of time that had elapsed from beginning to end, which included going back to college to finish my degree, kind of made me unattached to the songs to a degree, simply because the time that had passed from initial inspiration to completed song was relatively long. Paradoxically, I feel very attached to the songs simply because they were only mine for so long, but I do not feel that is especially important with relation to the question asked. That's simply my own issue to wrestle with...but I digress.

Since I had, in effect, experienced these songs inside and out, on my own terms no less, for so long, I no longer felt like they really represented any sort of real emotional concepts or ideas that, while incredibly real at the time of writing, no longer seemed even remotely relevant. So, in a very very long, round-a-bout way, I wasn't really hoping for much. My time with the songs had already passed. Having said all of that, I am pretty pleased with its reception. It was kind of an "astronaut without a tether" feeling to the recording of that EP. I honestly had no idea what I was doing.

How much are you guys looking forward to SxSW? Have you been before?
RR: SxSW is a lot of fun. This will be my third time going. I suppose this should also be the place where I say that THUNDERS has never officially played any show associated with SxSW. Corporate sponsorship at the festival has been so prevalent in recent years, the proliferation of day parties with lots of free stuff, propped by a large amount of corporate money has allowed smaller bands - like us - a chance to take part in the fun. I mean, and not trying to sound too presumptuous, SxSW is really a party designed for people in the industry that miss spring break from high school or college. I'm not trying to make any moral stance on that, though. It can be a lot of fun.

What’s the plan for the forthcoming project – I’ve read you’re working on a full-length? Is that right?
RR: Ummmm, yes. We've been working on the full length since before the EP was released. The songs that were chosen to be on the EP were simply because they were the ones that were most completed at the time. We decided to release an EP simply as a way to help get shows and establish ourselves as a band. So, a lot of songs had already been written. Although, the identity of the band began to take shape more - as they so often do - from playing shows. I also began to write newer songs. The older songs were then, mostly, scrapped for some of the newer material that, in some ways, was written for this band in mind.

Prior to that, I feel like I was just writing songs without any real sort of frame of reference. The new songs seem like they are "our" songs, with some input from everyone, while the older ones just seem like "my" songs. Pretty recently the full length seems to be taking shape and getting some sort of identity unto itself. I'm pretty excited about it, actually.

The live show has been described as the best aspect for Thunders. Would you agree with that? Is that the favorite part of the gig for the band?
RR: I'm not sure if I even have an opinion of what kind of live band we are simply because I have never seen us. Of course, I'm not trying to sound cheeky or anything, but even down to how it sounds, I imagine that what I hear and experience is completely different than what other people do. I'm pretty far off into the things I have to do to make the songs happen that I rarely even notice the others on stage, even. I guess what I'm trying to say that it's a wholly different experience for me than it would be for the audience.

However, since a lot of time and care has been taken into the crafting of the songs themselves to stand by themselves, it seems like almost a slap in the face that something like a live show, that really only lasts the time a person sees the band can be the best part of a band. Especially against its record, which can be enjoyed for a lot longer time and under the listener's own control and context. I would really hate to be the kind of person that demands that other's only listen to and enjoy our/the/my music under whatever context we are making available to them. I guess it really isn't that important. There are certainly worse things that can be said about a band.

Speaking for myself only here: playing in front of people can take a lot out of you. Emotionally, physically, mentally... all of it. I often find myself leaving the stage feeling pretty awkward. Nine times out of ten, I want to leave immediately and find a quiet place to go. It's a strange mixed bag of feelings - feelings that I am at a loss to describe. I imagine that they come from the same place that would even motivate to make a record by myself. I think I am, at times, a control freak. Playing live, everything is out of one's control.

Finally, your place in the local music scene – has Indy helped or hindered your progress thus far? Have you thought of taking the act elsewhere or is there a local mission in mind?
RR: I think it's strange that, at least with all of the "local" press I read - which is also representative of the places I've lived, like Muncie - that somehow a question always comes up about where one lives and if they have a mission to "help" or be "hurt" from where they live. Compared to other cities, like say Bloomington or even Chicago, it seems like that question is kind of a non-issue. I think the reason for that might be because Indy and Muncie are comparably under-established as cultural hubs.

Maybe there's a collective chip on everyone's shoulders because of that. However, aside from a brief moment in my life where I had "Muncie Pride", I have ceased to have any real articulate opinion of such a thing. As Mark and I have discussed at length, everyone has to be from somewhere. We're from Indianapolis, and that is neither the flag we are waving, nor the name of the chip on our shoulder.

new news

2009-05-04T15:03:00.000-07:00

we got a new drummer. his name is brain dove.

got some shows coming up. got some new songs written. making tentative plans to record this summer. most likely in july. most likely at queensize. it'll be done on a computer because i think recording to tape is fucking dumb. (besides, don't believe the hype about bands that record to tape. that shit is dumped into pro tools when it's mixed and if it isn't then, it's definitely mastered on a computer.)

besides, i think computers are amazing. as a matter of fact, i'm using one right now. where would we be without the internet?

oh, i'm on twitter. you can follow me to get updates about tour. my username is: ryanreidy.

our new drummer and i are contributing to this blog about TONE. sicktone.blogspot.com

here's a great video of dave grohl sitting in with tom petty and the heartbreakers.

some not so nice things

2009-03-31T13:19:00.000-07:00

Thunders
The Sympathetic Oscillations EP
A Squared Industries
Street: 03.03
Thunders = The Velvet Underground + MGMT
I really want to like Thunders. I mean, these guys openly plagiarize Joy Division ("MagicSick"), Faith/Pornography-era The Cure, Jesus and Mary Chain ("Somnambulist"), T. Rex ("83") and The Velvet Underground (everything else), marginally updating each sound with a few tricks and cleaner production. There is a snag, however. Our generation demands a lot: the house that took our parents 30 years to afford, we want it now - and we don’t care how we get it (hence this fake-ass recession). By the same token, saying "baybay" 146 times doesn’t automatically make you Robert Plant or Mick Jagger. Thunders wants the glory of some seriously holy relics, but their empty-headed, cliche-laden lyrics, Ryan Reidy’s ridiculously slurred swagger (note: unless you are Jim Morrison, the word "hair" does not contain five syllables) and the lack of contribution to this template all overshadow any potential. You just haven’t earned it yet, baybay. - Dave Madden

http://www.slugmag.com/article.php?id=1629

the myspace blog is for "nice" things, i guess. but i figured this review deserved some attention, too.

SXSW and other dates

2009-03-08T10:28:00.001-07:00

Heyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy

Here are the dates fr our SXSW tour. After that we are playing a couple scattered shows and we'll be out on the South East, East and North East coast in late May / early June ... Come get wild

Mar 12 2009 @ The Melody Inn (New Demos w/ Entry!) w/ Marmoset Indianapolis, Indiana
Mar 13 2009 @ Cahoots Louisville, Kentucky
Mar 19 2009 @ SXSW @ the Metropolis Austin, Texas
Mar 20 2009 @ SXSW Austin, Texas
Mar 21 2009 @ SXSW Austin, Texas
Mar 22 2009 @ TBA, Texas
Mar 23 2009 @ TBA, Oklahoma
Mar 24 2009 @ Pistol Social Club Kansas City, Missouri
Mar 25 2009 @ the Sapphire Lounge Columbia, Missouri
Mar 26 2009 @ the Uptown Bar Minneapolis, Minnesota
Mar 27 2009 @ Cactus Club Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Mar 28 2009 @ Ottoman Empire House Chicago, Illinois

Italy: Assalti garage e riflessioni noise

2009-03-01T08:43:00.001-08:00

Ci troviamo nello stato dell’Indiana dove facciamo la conoscenza dei Thunders, formazione a stelle e strisce dedita ad un garage rock condito da forti dosi di riverbero. “The Sympathetic Oscillations” è il loro debutto assoluto, un ibrido tra Jesus And Mary Chain e The Stooges.

Le sei tracce in scaletta alternano momenti ad alto potenziale energetico ad un finale (in particolare la conclusiva “Letter to the Priest”) in cui il ritmo tende a rallentare, esibendo una vena melodica non necessariamente evidente nelle composizioni precedenti. Ed alla fine la commistione di rumore e melodia risulta vincente: dalla partenza bruciante di “Magicsick” all’incedere ipnotico di “Somnambulist” l’EP è un continuo macinare di urgenza rock e sottili interferenze sonore.

Attraversato da venature dark in diversi frangenti, il debutto dei tuoni statunitensi rappresenta un buon antipasto per un futuro che speriamo sia brillante.

----Kronic.it

Owl Green in Dub Traffic live in Milwaukee / New Zealand Review / Haiku Review

2009-02-22T08:49:00.001-08:00

---------------------------------------------------

Einstein Music Journal blog (NZ)
"Jangly, scuzzy and grungey tropical sun-stroked garage rock and roll with pop perverses and verses, Thunders come on board yelling and hollering atop clocking percussion and an almost wall-of-noise sound. Their EP is instantly likable, catchy and relatable, and super fun to listen to. I can't really find fault with The Sympathetic Oscillations, with its imaginative name and debauched party vibe, other than that more diverse production could help bring out the songs more from one another. But at the same time the crazy production is one of its highlights! And I'm sure that on a full length LP they would deliver with diversity in spades. In fact the final track, Letter To The Priest, with its captivating hum and finger picking, proves Thunders' willingness to span a range of genres. Psych country/folk/rock/ambient freak outs all ride the rock and roll wave, making the EP thoroughly charming and original. The song 83 is a psyched out stoner glam gem with twinkling tambourines and chiming guitars swimming over watery vocals. With a fake end in the middle and an eerie end that ricochets into the next track, The Sympathetic Oscillations becomes more memorable and adventurous the more you listen to it ... 8/10" ---Sarah

-----------------------

Vue Weekly Haiku Review (Edmonton)
"Spacemen 3? Lou Reed?
These guys pull it off like a
Tank top at Carlyle’s"

Rockitbomb.com audio interview w/ Ryan

2009-01-22T12:32:00.000-08:00

Rockitbomb.com did an audio interview with Ryan ... They played the songs "Gonna Heal Everyone," "Somnambulist" and the new demo "Summer Dream." They then asked him a bunch of questions about each song. You can hear that here:

http://blog.rockitbomb.com/thunders-interview-with-ryan-reidy/

Also check out Ryan's new band, the Get Wild 5, with Derek and Brian of Phoenix Bodies:

UK Press / Free download of "Gonna Heal Everyone" / We have a Facebook page

2009-01-13T14:54:00.001-08:00

Every month, Artrocker Magazine (out of the UK) and Conversemusic. co. uk pick a handful of up-and-coming or whatever bands for a section in the magazine called "NEW BLOOD." They then feature a write-up and free download of one of their songs on the Conversemusic. co. uk site.

For the month of January they picked us and you can now download "Gonna Heal Everyone" here: http://conversemusic.co.uk/downloads/

You'll have to register by entering an e-mail address, but we'd really appreciate it if you did this.

Apparently whoever gets the most downloads over a certain period of time gets to record for a day in some studio in England, which would, at the very least, be good justification for us to tour Europe.

So go download "Gonna Heal Everyone" ... Thanks!

-also-

We have a Facebook page now ... add us or check it out if you're on that: http://www.facebook.com/pages/THUNDERS/56333851092

Forthcoming forthcomings

2008-12-28T10:03:00.000-08:00

We really dropped the ball on this blog ...

Lots of new stuff coming up. Posted a new demo called "Summer Dream" on our Myspace page. You can download it here if you wanna.

There are lots more demos from that same session. We recorded a handful this past October 20088. Something like seven or eight, I don't remember. We have a bunch more ready to go, which will get going really soon.

We are doing a weekend out at the end of January. January 30 @ Reggie's Music Joint in Chicago, January 31 @ Frank's Power Plant in Milwaukee and February 1 @ somewhere in Lafayette. Other than that, we will be heading to Austin in March again for SXSW.

We also are doing a "rerelease" or something of THE SYMPATHETIC OSCILLATIONS EP in March, which will involve a PR campaign or something, cause, you know, we can only do so much.

If you wanna buy a copy of the EP, visit our myspace page here and we have a little PayPal thing set up for you.

Lots more news soon.

day 3 - New York New York

2008-08-30T17:36:00.000-07:00

it was my first time on the subway. i'd never been touched like that before. you were polite and nice; a million chakra's a dozen laughs. hmmm: weren't you the one meditating in the new york stairwell? were we not just enjoying indian food, discussing the happenings of all of our friends? space brothers, uh-huh. sam philips rising AND DMT WILL NEVER DIE. all the names and numbers in the world, i have. yes. that much is true and we can at least agree on that much.

there are many important things in this world, not least of which is three dollar margaritas brought to you in part by beautiful waittresses. piano's: you become the defacto indiana consulate and we loved you as the day was long. (that is, until the three dollar frozen margarita's turned into eight dollar margarita's and the beautiful waittress transformed into a long-haired metal man - but i'm clearly getting ahead of myself here)

save domino at death by audio. beautiful women in straw hats and the new york city skyline's sunflowers. jesus christ jumped out of the speakers and i said "thank you"
new york, godbless. it was 4am when you departed for the subway. i said goodbye the only way i knew how and haven't seen you since.

WOAH WOAH WOAH IM ON FIRE

2008-08-22T23:24:00.001-07:00

WOAH WOAH WOAH IM ON FIREWOAH WOAH WOAH IM ON FIREWOAH WOAH WOAH IM ON FIREWOAH WOAH WOAH IM ON FIREWOAH WOAH WOAH IM ON FIREWOAH WOAH WOAH IM ON FIREWOAH WOAH WOAH IM ON FIREWOAH WOAH WOAH IM ON FIREWOAH WOAH WOAH IM ON FIREWOAH WOAH WOAH IM ON FIREWOAH WOAH WOAH IM ON FIREWOAH WOAH WOAH IM ON FIREWOAH WOAH WOAH IM ON FIREWOAH WOAH WOAH IM ON FIREWOAH WOAH WOAH IM ON FIREWOAH WOAH WOAH IM ON FIREWOAH WOAH WOAH IM ON FIREWOAH WOAH WOAH IM ON FIREWOAH WOAH WOAH IM ON FIREWOAH WOAH WOAH IM ON FIREWOAH WOAH WOAH IM ON FIREWOAH WOAH WOAH IM ON FIREWOAH WOAH WOAH IM ON FIREWOAH WOAH WOAH IM ON FIREWOAH WOAH WOAH IM ON FIREWOAH WOAH WOAH IM ON FIREWOAH WOAH WOAH IM ON FIREWOAH WOAH WOAH IM ON FIREWOAH WOAH WOAH IM ON FIREWOAH WOAH WOAH IM ON FIREWOAH WOAH WOAH IM ON FIREWOAH WOAH WOAH IM ON FIREWOAH WOAH WOAH IM ON FIREWOAH WOAH WOAH IM ON FIREWOAH WOAH WOAH IM ON FIREWOAH WOAH WOAH IM ON FIREWOAH WOAH WOAH IM ON FIREWOAH WOAH WOAH IM ON FIREWOAH WOAH WOAH IM ON FIREWOAH WOAH WOAH IM ON FIREWOAH WOAH WOAH IM ON FIREWOAH WOAH WOAH IM ON FIREWOAH WOAH WOAH IM ON FIRE

WOOOO WOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOO HPOOOOOOO OOOOOOO WOOOO HOOOOO OOOOOO

Friday August 22

2008-08-22T23:19:00.000-07:00

Woooo alright ... Drove from 1 pm-midnight today. Lots of driving. Last night, in Columbus, I saw this written on the bathroom stall wall ...

"STRICTLY SHARK FUCS"

What does that mean? I don't know, man, I don't know. There was also a giant painting of a shaman werewolf. Holy shit, holy shit.

Lots of driving today ... Ate some food ... Drinking beers; hanging out on Brooklyn tenement stairways. Playin the gitar, there's fuckin so many dogs here man. There's just two, I was just kidding.

We are playing Death By Audio in Brooklyn tomorrow with my friends Screen Vinyl Image ... We are playing the Cake Shop on Sunday with them and Philly on Monday with them as well. Should be a really, really good time.

Beer bottle guitar slide,

Mark

August 20 + 21: Bloomington, IN + Columbus, OH

2008-08-22T09:08:00.000-07:00

-----MARK-------
Day 1 ... Bloomington, IN @ the Cinemat w/ the Joy Bus, Morrow and another band I can't remember their name.

Pretty good day, didn't feel like day 1, probably because I knew I'd sleep in my own bed that night. One highlight included the funniest condom dispenser machine ever in some gas station in Indiana somewhere. Two particular gems included condoms that literally glow in the dark (as opposed to figuratively) and a hand-scrawled "DOES NOT WORK" in pen above the tingler/cock ring/climax control dispenser.

The show was pretty alright ... The Cinemat is a little theater. After we loaded in we drank a few beers with the Joy Bus guys who were on tour from Austin. Nice guys, nice guys. The show itself wasn't bad; wasn't packed but still had fun. Saw some Bloomington folks I hadn't seen in a minute. Then left the show and drank more, except I didn't because I drove home. Played a lot of this basketball hoops game and watched Cookies completely dominate it. Also saw a guy break a pool cue after scratching a shot and at a couple slices of pizza from a few different places ... All around a pretty wholesome day.

-end-

DAY 2 ELECTRIC BOOGALOO ... Columbus, OH @ the Carabar w/ the Slide Machine, Deer Head

Woke up in Indianapolis and strolled on out of the city. Forgot to bring our Serpentor GI Joe mascot and absolutely had to go back for it. We drove and drove for a couple hours and then made it to the club. Place was cool; the flyer was obviously a charachature of the sound guy. I ate a veggie coney dog before we played. After 10pm we got unlimited free PBR (which means free beer Serpentor worked, man).

Show went well; good amount of people, the place sounded really good. Afterwards kept fooling around with a deer head that clearly belonged to the band deer head. Drank a bunch. Hung around for a little while; watched the other bands. Drank a bunch. Went to Slide Machine guys' house (super nice guys) and listened to music and played Scattergories. Tweeds. Drank more. Last night is kind of a blur. I thought Tony was going to punch a guy that said he'd give him money for a smoke and then just mimed putting nothing into his hand. The sentiment was shitty.

C coc columbus was a success in certain terms. Good day. Leaving for day off in NYC right now.

---------------

Tour blog

2008-08-15T16:51:00.000-07:00

We leave next Wednesday (Aug 20) for a short 10 day trip to New York and back. The last trek had some pretty interesting stuff go on but was only documented in our brains, man. I (or Tony or Ryan or Cookies) am going to try to at least get a post for each day ... Good times.

Oh, and here are the tour dates (as if anyone checks this that hasn't already seen them on our Myspace page)

Aug. 20- Bloomington, IN @ the Cinemat w/ the Joy Bus, Morrow
Aug. 21- Columbus, OH @ Carabar w/ The Slide Machine
Aug. 22- New York, NY @ Coney Island Bong Party Get Fucked Back Slash Dot Com w/ the Bay City Rollers, James Chance + the Contortions, Otis Redding, Primal Scream, Oasis and Iggy Pop & James Williamson performing "Kill City" w/ Zap on talk box
Aug. 23- Brooklyn, NY @ Death By Audio w/ Screen Vinyl Image, Sisters
Aug. 24- Manhattan, NY @ The Cake Shop w/ Pink Reason, Screen Vinyl Image
Aug. 25- Philadelphia, PA @ The M Room w/ Screen Vinyl Image, Music For Head Phones
Aug. 26- Rochester, NY @ The Bug Jar w/ The Winter Sounds
Aug. 27- Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom w/ Freedom
Aug. 28- Detroit, MI @ PJ's Lager House w/ SikSik Nation
Aug. 29- Bowling Green, OH @ The Riot House w/ SikSik Nation
Aug. 30- Indianapolis, IN @ The Melody Inn w/ The Suicide Dolls

FLOAT IN SPACE

2008-07-19T15:49:00.000-07:00

We are playing with Spiritualized on Monday ... Be there

2008-07-19T14:29:00.000-07:00

demos for the new record

2008-07-14T09:37:00.000-07:00

maybe this is a bit premature, but this is a tentative list of all the songs that are/will be worked on for the next record.

Silence
diamonds
summer dream*
cote d'ivore*
valley of kings
secret is real
hot love + we can work together
snow white queen
sympathetic oscillations*
universal one
we all go to heaven
with hands
rant in e major*
horizontal subscription*
sister she rides
fool
song 15*
owl green in dub traffic*
islands
see you bleed
don't go to sleep
punk riff in A with dancey beat * (kinda)

(* - denotes song has already been arranged by the band)

Reviews, write ups and nice things people have said about us archiveddd

2008-07-07T11:50:00.001-07:00

Razorcake
"Insouciant rock music that reminds me of some of the alternative bands from the ‘80s who drew from smacked-out psychedelic rock. I think they should open for Spiritualized. They make me want to dedicate a sunny afternoon to getting blurry on can beer and cheap pot. My one gripe is that the songs are catchy, but don’t pick up where they need to. Still, this got played through twice in a row. –CT Terry"
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LEO Weekly
"On The Sympathetic Oscillations EP, Thunders distinguish themselves as a cut above the average garage rock outfit by never limiting themselves to the standard tropes of the genre. The group isn’t shy about showing their influences, but the quality of those influences means this trait works in the band’s favor — a little Joy Division here (“Magic Sick”), a lot of White Light/White Heat there (“Gonna Heal Everybody,” “83”). “Somnambulist” is arguably the record’s highlight, an expansive, psychedelic grind that plays a bit like “Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)” on Nyquil. After this onslaught, the acoustic closer “Letter to the Priest” is a welcome relief, and its sparseness lends yet another wrinkle to the band’s sound. At six tracks, the record is as concise and punchy as you’d expect, and more importantly, it whets the appetite for a full-length." -- Eric Condon

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Two One Five Magazine
"Thunder’s debut EP seems like it was under a lot of pressure from the
beginning. The Indiana-based band is known for stage performances that
leave audiences in a transfixed awe, Reider howls out lyrics with a
style that has often been compared to The Jesus and Mary Chain. The
band sounds like a lot of the garage bands that spewed were created out of the late '80s. This, unfortunately, is a good and bad thing.

Be warned, their debut EP is something to take a gamble on. Depending
on what track and the mood you’re in, such songs as “Magic Sick” might
conjure up images of some of the best days of your youth. The sudden
urge to lay out on a hot summer day with not a care in the world, and
smoking up on your friends beat-ass basement couch come to mind when I
heard “Gonna Heal Everyone.” Unfortunately, the more I listened the
more it sounded like The Thunders were a hit or miss band. Waiting for
feebback-drenched "Somnambulist" to be over was like itching at your
skin when you haven't had a cigarette in a while. The bands
high-pitched vocals along with raw garage-band energy can seem like a
trip down memory lane for some, but to me it just reminds me that
louder isn’t always better."
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Evilneedles.com
"Each song on this EP would be
perfect for a B movie scene where the protagonist stumbles about in a
heroine induced stupor before passing out in an alley covered in vomit.
If you're into the Velvet Underground and Lou Reed you've probably got
a stiffy right now. The Sympathetic
Oscillations is a tripped out overdose of gritty, sleazy, garage
rock for people who know what the fashionable drugs are and where to
get them in towns they've never been to. Sure, these people are usually
douche bags, but they're fun to look at. They're the guys that make
pink
women's bellbottoms look good. And if you hit on 'em they'll either
invite their friends for a gang bang or cry about the time they did
things they never thought they'd do for money. Anyway, yeah, it's a
pretty good album."

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Spectrumculture.com
"I love music with meaning and importance as much as anyone, but you
know, sometimes you just want your music to be intentionally dumb and
fun. Thunders apparently know exactly what I'm talking about, because The Sympathetic Oscillations EP might
just be the most enjoyable release I've heard in ages. I don't need to
settle into it. It isn't complicated. It will never be the topic of
intense scholastic debate and critical reappraisal. It very definitely
will not make you realize that there are HORRIBLE THINGS happening in
the world and you must STOP THEM.

Driven mainly by propulsive beats and bass lines that give your hips
no option but to shake, Thunders want you to forget about the HORRIBLE
THINGS and just dance, dammit. It doesn't matter what the singer is
saying; all that matters is that you let his melodies work their way
into your brain and never let go. It doesn't matter that the guitars
were probably recorded by an over-eager teenager who just found his
instrument; all you need to do is just take joy in the songs' wonderful
simplicity and the devotion to distortion spread throughout each of
each.

To this end, Oscillations is more successful in its first
half, particularly on "Magic Sick," which removes any pretense of art
from Suicide's first album. The song moves like an automobile and,
despite its simple rhythm and structure, features a dangerously askew
vocal that may just make it one of the year's best singles. "Gonna Heal
Everyone" doesn't have any edge whatsoever, but that's alright. With
the drums bravely attempting to keep things from fatally crashing while
the bass gets blown to hell and the guitar jingles and jangles around
the fringes, the song is ready for use as the soundtrack to the house
party that gets you kicked out of the neighborhood for good.

Oscillations' second half is still enjoyable, but leans a
little too heavily on peers like Black Lips and garage band covers of
"Waiting for the Man." There's a certain rambling charm to "83," sure,
but it suffers from its placement after the one-two punch of "Magic
Sick" and "Gonna Heal Everyone." "Thief" is too amateur for its own
good and threatens to ruin everything the rest of the EP has built up.
If you have one song built solely around tambourines and shakers, fine,
but when your tambourine/shaker vs. real drums ratio has reached 50%,
you're asking for trouble.

If nothing else, Thunders have proven with The Sympathetic Oscillations EP
that they're not just a band to watch out for, but one that undoubtedly
must be seen. Even if they're only half as chaotic and fun-filled as
this EP suggests, you're bound to at least come home deaf in one ear
and with a story to tell the grandkids." 3.5/5 - Morgan Davis

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Hybridmagazine.com
"Keith: Like Achtung Baby In A Priest Driven Ambulance with
the Jesus And Mary Chain.

Laurie: As in Johnny? Yeah, plus Stiv Bators fronting the
Bunnymen. That's how you RAWK!

Danny: Mudhoney, MC5, Iggy Pop - Good stuff!

Chris: Synth-heavy motor-city rock… Gritty, ballsy,
cool. Disturbingly, awesomely, droningly, slow."

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Snobsmusic.net
"The Sympathetic Oscillations EP is
the debut release from Indianapolis-based band Thunders. The quartet,
led by vocalist/guitarist Ryan Reidy are preparing their full length
album as we speak.

It's obvious from the opening
squeal and machine gun drums of "Magicsick" that Thunders have a deep
appreciation for feedback-drenched music. Almost each track is soaked
in Jesus & Mary Chain-style unyielding guitar fuzz.

Some
songs are more melodic, like the hook-filled surf viber "Gonna Heal
Everyone". On others the pendulum swings the other way, as on the
drone filled cascade of "Somnambulist".

The
band draws upon their Velvet Underground inspiration for the EP closer,
"Letter To the Priest", which invokes comparisons to the VU's own
"Sunday Morning".

While I remain skeptical of
most band's ability to translate a solid EP into a winning full length,
Thunders are off on the right foot.

Best tracks: "Gonna Heal Everyone", "Letter To the Priest" ... 8.0/10"

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Kronic (Italy)
"(roughly translated through a translator?) Assaults garage noise and reflections
.. We are in the state of Indiana where we are aware of the Thunders, training stars and stripes devoted to garage rock seasoned heavy doses of reverb.

"The Sympathetic Oscillations" is their debut absolute, a hybrid between Jesus And Mary Chain and The Stooges. The six tracks ladder alternating moments of high potential energy to an end (especially the final "Letter to the Priest") in which the pace tends to slow down, producing a melodic vein not necessarily evident in previous compositions. And in the end the mix of noise and melody is clear winner from the start of burning "Magicsick" all'incedere of hypnotic "Somnambulist" EP is a constant grind of urgent rock sound and subtle interference.

Crossed with dark veins in several cases, the U.S. debut of thunder is a good appetizer for a future that we hope will be brilliant."
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Vue Weekly Haiku Review (Edmonton)
"Spacemen 3? Lou Reed?
These guys pull it off like a
Tank top at Carlyle’s"
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Stylus Magazine (wpg) Top Albums of 2008Number five album of the year. "Gonna Heal Everyone" voted #2 song of the year.
check it out here!

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Artrocker Magazine (UK) / Conversemusic.co.uk
Featured in the NEW BLOOD section for artists to watch for in Artrocker Magazine February 2009 issue. Free download of "Gonna Heal Everyone" on the Conversemusic.co.uk site
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The Sympathetic Oscillations EP landed on the Top Regional & Local Release lists for 2009 on both MyOldKentuckyBlog.com and Indy.com
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Einstein Music Journal blog (NZ)
"Jangly, scuzzy and grungey tropical sun-stroked garage rock and roll with pop perverses and verses, Thunders come on board yelling and hollering atop clocking percussion and an almost wall-of-noise sound. Their EP is instantly likable, catchy and relatable, and super fun to listen to. I can't really find fault with The Sympathetic Oscillations, with its imaginative name and debauched party vibe, other than that more diverse production could help bring out the songs more from one another. But at the same time the crazy production is one of its highlights! And I'm sure that on a full length LP they would deliver with diversity in spades. In fact the final track, Letter To The Priest, with its captivating hum and finger picking, proves Thunders' willingness to span a range of genres. Psych country/folk/rock/ambient freak outs all ride the rock and roll wave, making the EP thoroughly charming and original. The song 83 is a psyched out stoner glam gem with twinkling tambourines and chiming guitars swimming over watery vocals. With a fake end in the middle and an eerie end that ricochets into the next track, The Sympathetic Oscillations becomes more memorable and adventurous the more you listen to it ... 8/10" ---Sarah
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What to Wear During an Orange Alert? blog"The Watch List ... Indianapolis is home to this fuzzy jangle-pop group. Their music is fun and fresh..."
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Tough Customer // Wire blog
" ... In this context, the label "garage rock" starts to make a lot of sense for that genre of music. Bands that play under this banner may have more skill than we did back in the salad days, but they still embody the energy and insolence that we were so proud of. Take the band Thunders from Indianapolis. Their new EP "The Sympathetic Oscillations" sounds like the reverb was pounded into it with a baseball bat. The songs bristle with the spirit of a teenager high on whippets. When singer Ryan Reidy yelps, "There's a party in my brain and it won't end" you get the sense that this band has turned (the) garage into a platform for taunting all the party-poopers and angry seniors in their neighborhood. You can put this theory to the test by setting up some speakers in your garage. Open the door, throw on Thunders and turn the volume up to 10. If anybody comes complaining about the volume, remember the classic rock axiom: If it's too loud, you're too old."
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Skatterbrain.org blog
"I tend to not receive too many things in my inbox these days that really interest me, but when I saw all the JAMC and BJM namedrops in an email from Indianapolis' Thunders, I figured I better check it out. The lion's share of their Sympathetic Oscillations EP actually tends to lean far more BJM than JAMC, which was a slight disappointment initially, but yknow, it's still pretty darn good. I'm still not sure how I feel about the vocals – there's just something about them bugging me – but, the screaming guitars and chugging bass, and the vocal melodies, too, on "Magicsick" have me pretty hooked at the moment."

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Rick Zeigler, Indy.com; "the Sympathetic Oscillations EP" Review
"Thunders is a local band you must see. The band has great songs, great musicianship, and outstanding stage presence. At their CD release party for The Sympathetic Oscillations EP at Spin last month, the awed and silent (LITTLE BAR-TALK!) crowd stood rapt as lead guitarist and singer Ryan Reidy led the band through a series of excellent compositions that combine garage-rock punch and power with the more wistful and feedback-laden elements of late 80s/early 90s combos like The Jesus and Mary Chain. It is surprising that this combination of styles is rarely heard, as Thunders' propulsion (outstandingly provided by Mark Tester, Brian Allen, and Tony Beamer on rhythm guitar, bass, and drums, respectively) combined with the howling electric lead work and vocals of Reidy, fit together like hand-in-glove. And while their first recorded effort doesn't quite match the dynamism of their live show, it still has plenty to recommend it. Recorded in six different houses and three different cities by Reidy before recruiting the other three members of the band to join his vision, The Sympathetic Oscillations begins with a straightforward drumbeat and, in the background, light guitar feedback. Programmed percussion and Reidy's high-pitched vocals enrapture over a long verse that gives way to an insanely catchy chorus/middle-eight. And as the song progresses, Reidy's guitar comes to increasingly dominate the sound with feedback-drenched beauty. The second song follows with a nice garage vibe again combined with a feedback undertow, but Reidy shows the variety in his songwriting over the next couple of cuts, as acoustic strumming combines with airbourne lead lines and no drums to make a lullaby of melodic noise. And while the focus of Thunders certainly rests squarely on the music, Reidy's lyricism can also demand attention, as on the final cut when he sings "Life is not a fight, it's a stroll into the light…And darkness for me is to fall into deep sleep." Such "gentle" sentiments are not often associated with bands that can call up the vibe of the MC5 or the Stooges at a moment's notice, but such is Reidy's talent. Consider The Sympathetic Oscillations EP as a taster for the coming full-length. And catch them locally while you can, for this is a band destined for greater things."

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David Lindquist, Indy.com; The Cool List 08 "Coolest Indy Band"
"Stack a band with musicians who have played in America Owns the Moon, We Are Hex, Those Young Lions and Ari Ari, and that quartet is guaranteed to receive a crush of attention in the Indianapolis underground. Thunders draws on such influences as the Velvet Underground and Spiritualized. The song 'Letter to the Priest' features the line "(Life) is a stroll into the light.' Thunders founder and vocalist-guitarist Ryan Reidy explains: 'I'm not one to think that life is something you have to toil through as bad things happen. Good things happen, too.'"

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Matt Erler, Nuvo.net
"There was no guarantee that Thunders' set would hit me on any meaningful or visceral level, but when they took the stage, they made it count.

The band's sound — a mix of Jesus and Mary Chain squall, The Stooges driving rumble and messy garage punk — is pretty much a perfect match for those late-starting shows, the ones where you want to kill the opening bands and spend a portion of their sets imagining their demise. It's just unfocused enough to appeal to everyone and just ambitious enough to appeal to those for who bare bones rock 'n' roll just isn't enough.

On Saturday, Thunders celebrated the release of their CD, "The Sympathetic Oscillations EP," but nearly half the band's set showcased its new material, due on a new album later this year. While it's probably too early to tell, the new material seems to showcase the band better than sole songwriter Ryan Reidy's "Sympathetic Oscillations" material, which was written and recorded without the benefit and input of a band.

The new material snarls a little more, hits a little harder, is more dynamic and gives the listener more to pay attention to. For all of the debut album's qualities, variety isn't really one of them. After a few tracks, it stops feeling new.

Live, that problem is effectively stripped away.

Reidy is a great performer, and much of his presence and act seems ripped straight from the book of Iggy Pop, David Bowie and Mick Jagger — and that's OK. Rock 'n' roll is all about cribbing influences, or stealing outright, and Reidy does both very well.

He's also a terrific guitarist — both indulgent and restrained, both flamboyant and mindful to his bandmates. He doesn't overwhelm the band's sound or presence on stage, but makes it clear who the crowd should be watching. That's what rock 'n' roll is all about.

Fatigue set in during the band's spontaneous cover of The Stooges' "Funhouse" cut "Down in the Street," and worried that I might kill myself trying to drive home, I left.

But if the band's set was any indication, Thunders is an act to watch."

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RockitBomb.com
"I had a chance to preview the record and, it is definitely worth checking out. Part White Stripes, part Led Zeppelin, part French Kicks, and part Gang of Four, Thunders opens the EP with some buzzy bass and quick trums on "MagicSick" and follows with "Gonna Heal Everyone" which brings to mind what the Strokes should be. I'll be honest, though, I am sucker for a hook, and the hooks aren't as obvious in the rest of the EP, as some of the songs break into a slow bluesy jam on "83″ and "Take It Like A Thief", a bit psychadelic on "Somnambulist" and the record ends with the quiet, but vocally layered "Letter To The Priest."This is definitely a band to watch."

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Spaceman Brad - Louisville, KY
"You guys like Spacemen 3? I can tell ... No one here likes that band."

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MyOldKentuckyBlog.com
"Ryan Reidy told me about his [ Thunders ] project quite a while ago, but like the a-hole I am, I forgot to check into them. MySpace is an ugly beast anymore to me. Anyway, lately, they've been on the tips of all the local cool kid's tongues. The band seems to have jumped to the local forefront with the addition of former Those Young Lions frontman, Tony Beemer. Beemer will be behind the kit, though, this time around. In case you've been asleep on it, Those Young Lions have disbanded and their drummer, Devon Ashley, has headed out West to play for the Icarus Line.

Anyway, back to [ Thunders ]...Gonna Heal Everyone is my favorite track so far...It's got a very west coast, Dandy Warhols/The BJM kinda feel to it.

[ Thunders ] has agreed to open the My Old Kentucky Blog and Monolith Music Fest present...Cloud Cult on April 12th at Radio Radio! The band has also been added to the bill March 19th, at Birdys, opening for Tokyo Police Club and Eagle Seagull.

If you are going down to SXSW this year, keep an eye out for this band as they'll be playing as much as they can. If you're working a party and looking for some quality to fill it in...give this a listen and get in touch..."