LA-based quintet Thumpasaurus continues to impress with their inimitable electro-funk-and-groove persona, original to a group of college students who probably have more fun than you. Coming together at the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music, the founding members of Thumpasaurus have developed an eclectic, homemade aesthetic unlike anything else this side of the Milky Way. With their roving, star-bound home base the Space Barn projected behind them on the stage, Thumpasaurus have honed their ability to get people dancing.
Straight from the insane house parties of the Los Angeles music scene come Thumpasaurus, whose brand of high-energy funk and soul combines with off-the-rails comedy to provide a musical experience like no other. Comprised of Lucas Tamaren on guitar and vocals, Paul Cornish on keys, Logan Kane on bass, Henry Solomon on saxophone, and Henry Was on drums, Thumpasaurus is a force to be reckoned with. Their analog, classic rhythm-section setup recalls 70s funk acts, but the vibes they bring are purely new age, influenced by LA’s up-all-night electronic music scene. Their recent stint at the famed Edinburgh Fringe Festival saw them selling out the Underbelly weekend after weekend, and they returned victorious to their cult following in Los Angeles to open up for KNOWER at a sold out tour kickoff show.
The band’s most recent release is a music video for their single, “Mental Karate”. Dig it below.
“Mental karate is a practice – a meditation of examining the thoughts that pass through our minds,” explains Tamaren. “Karate chopping is breaking into the thoughts and exploring where the thoughts come from, often revealing thoughts behind thoughts. This leads to all sorts of questions and interesting places that might make us say – hey maybe I don’t have to listen to all these thoughts that make me stuck?! Maybe I can grow from the investigation into these thoughts. It’s not about denying these types of thoughts… It’s about accepting these thoughts and putting them into an understanding that might help liberate us from some of the anxieties that enslave us.”
To promote the video, Thumpasaurus partnered up with LA-based comedian, Alan Wagner, for an immersive guerilla marketing narrative about the Mental Karate Dojo, which involves putting up posters around town, a phone number that plays the song and an in-universe website advertising the Dojo and band. Following the video release, Thumpasaurus are also set to play the FOMO Week Showcase at The Echo in Los Angeles on January 5th. For more information, please visit the band’s website.
Thumpasaurus are currently preparing to release their self-produced debut album in 2018. The full-length will serve as a follow-up to the band’s 2017 EP, In The Beginning There Was Thump. For more information on Thumpasaurus, please visit the band’s website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
Upcoming Show: January 5 – The Echo for FOMO Week Showcase – Los Angeles, CA