David Thomas (musician)
| David Thomas | |
|---|---|
David Thomas
|
|
| Background information | |
| Birth name | David Lynn Thomas |
| Born |
June 14, 1953 Miami, Florida, United States |
| Genres | Rock, punk rock, experimental rock, post-punk, art rock, art punk, garage rock, proto-punk |
| Occupation(s) | Singer-songwriter, musician |
| Instruments | Vocals, keyboards, musette |
| Years active | 1974–present |
| Associated acts | Pere Ubu, Rocket from the Tombs |
David Lynn Thomas (born 1953 in Miami, Florida) is an American singer, songwriter and musician.
He was one of the founding members of the short-lived proto-punkers Rocket from the Tombs (1974–1975), where he went by the name of Crocus Behemoth, and of punk group Pere Ubu (1975–present, intermittently). He has also released several solo albums. Though primarily a singer, he sometimes plays melodeon, trombone, guitar or other instruments.
Thomas has described his artistic focus as being the " of culture, geography and sound". 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, and many others.
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. You think he's talking to himself until you realize he's talking to you."
Though born in Florida, Thomas was raised in the Cleveland, Ohio area. He was an early member of Rocket from the Tombs, which disbanded after about a year, then he formed Pere Ubu, which was originally active from 1975 to 1982.
Afterwards, 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. Initially, his solo recordings eschewed Pere Ubu's "rock" focus. Lindsay Cooper's bassoon was often prominent, and, when Richard Thompson's guitar was not featured, guitar would be absent (such as the entirety of 1985's More Places Forever). Thomas's lyrics became increasingly whimsical, and birds became a common theme:
...
Wikipedia