Lawrence.com

A Portland, OR, supergroup of sorts, the Thermals feature Hutch Harris and Kathy Foster of the twee/folk-pop duo Hutch and Kathy and the All Girl Summer Fun Band, Kind of Like Spitting's Ben Barnett, and Operacycle's Jordan Hudson. The group started in early 2002 as a way for its members to play just for the fun of it, but their insistent melodies and punk-inspired urgency won them a local following quickly. Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard was one of the Thermals' first fans and got the group in touch with Sub Pop, who signed them within four months of the band's formation. The Thermals released a single in January of 2003, followed by their full-length, More Parts Per Million, later that spring. Fuckin-A, the Thermals' sophomore effort, marked their first release for Sub Pop in mid-2004.