The Thermals' sixth LP and debut for Saddle Creek, Desperate Ground, was produced by John Agnello (Dinosaur Jr, Sonic Youth) in Hoboken, NJ. Agnello and The Thermals completed the record and evacuated the studio just hours before Hurricane Sandy ravaged New Jersey, a fate quite fitting when you consider the product. Desperate Ground is a true scrappy and scratchy return-to-form for The Thermals, with all the raw power and unhinged adolescent energy that made their early LP's so insanely enjoyable. Lyrically, Desperate Ground is a brash and irresponsible ode to human violence, a black celebration of the inevitability of war and death. A dark and yet joyous affair, Desperate Ground tells the (murky) tale of a lone rogue in the night. One man, one path, one sword. An unceasing urge to destroy. A never-ending battle against the forces of nature. A destiny impossible to avoid.
In early 2013 The Thermals signed to Saddle Creek, a label they've known and admired for many years. The Thermals and Saddle Creek have a long history of sleeping on floors together: The Thermals have toured with Cursive and Ladyfinger, and Hutch and Kathy organized the first Bright Eyes show in Portland way back in 1999.
The Thermals were most famous for turning down $50,000 from Hummer, discovering the elusive fourth chord in punk rock (F#m) and for soundtracking that scene in Weeds where Mary-Louise Parker jumps in the pot-filled pool in her underwear.
The Thermals announced they were splitting in April 2018.
The Thermals lineup was Hutch Harris, Kathy Foster and Westin Glass.
No Culture Icons
The Thermals Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hardly starving
Hardly art
Hardly garbage
More coloured liquid
No scent, no skin
More stained paper
No new deafness
No self reference
No cults and
No new stands
No one ideal
Know what I feel
No two the same
Know two with the
Same name
More coloured liquid
No scent, no skin
More stained paper
More parts per million
No new deafness
No self reference
No getting psyched on
No culture icons
No one ideal
No what I feel
No two the same
Know two with the same name
Eyes so deep
You'd never see through
I can't fucking stop
Thinking about you
The lyrics of The Thermals' song "No Culture Icons" convey a rejection of societal conformity and the pressures to adhere to mainstream culture. The opening lines of "hardly art, hardly starving, hardly art, hardly garbage" suggest that the band's music exists somewhere between high and low art, and that the classification of their work as "garbage" is arbitrary and meaningless. The repeated refrain "more coloured liquid, no scent, no skin, more stained paper, more parts per million" expresses a desire for substance and authenticity in a world where everything is increasingly mass-produced and commodified.
The subsequent lines "no new deafness, no self-reference, no cults and no new stands" suggest a rejection of conformity and a desire for genuine creativity and originality. The mention of "culture icons" can be interpreted as a dig at mainstream celebrities and the pressure to emulate their behavior or appearance. The final lines of the song, "eyes so deep you'd never see through, I can't fucking stop thinking about you" suggest that despite their rejection of societal norms, the singer is still consumed by their emotions and personal connections.
Line by Line Meaning
Hardly art
This is barely art
Hardly starving
The artist is not starving (for fame or recognition)
Hardly art
It's barely art again
Hardly garbage
This is not garbage (but it's not great either)
More coloured liquid
More mass-produced, colorful, commercialized products
No scent, no skin
These products lack any real depth or character
More stained paper
More cheap, mass-produced literature
More parts per million
An abundance of these same shallow products
No new deafness
There is no new sense of hearing (i.e. nothing innovative or revolutionary happening in music)
No self reference
Artists are not referring to themselves or their own work
No cults and
There are no new counterculture movements
No new stands
No new artistic or political stands being taken
No one ideal
There is no one perfect, ideal way of living or creating
Know what I feel
Only I know how I feel about this
No two the same
No two people have the exact same outlook or opinions
Know two with the same name
Even people with the same name have their own unique experiences and viewpoints
Eyes so deep
Someone with deep, complex emotions (perhaps the singer himself)
You'd never see through
Others cannot fully understand or empathize with these emotions
I can't fucking stop
I can't stop thinking or feeling this way
Thinking about you
This could be a romantic interest, or perhaps the idea of a deeper, more meaningful artistic scene
Lyrics © TERRORBIRD PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: HUTCH HARRIS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Goofballhero
One of the most underrated bands in existence. I’m grateful to have stumbled across these dudes.
@Articinvolved
100% agreed they are so underground thank God for pillar of salt on skate 3
@ckopen7192
underrated? bruh, pillar of salt was in skate 3 and heres your future is in saints row 2. this album is definitely underrated, but i wouldnt say the whole band is.
@ckopen7192
​@@Articinvolvedheres your future also appears in saints row 2. they really like licensing their songs to videogame i guess, lol.
@blairwitch4412
2020 an it’s still a vibe
@gonzalosimonchillon116
just found out they disbanded in 2018 dude shit
@weezersthebluealbum9479
I’ve been listening to More Parts Per Million again and the raw energy in it is something to behold, The Thermals played in my hometown Belfast once back in 2009, but I was only a kid back then and couldn’t see them. Listening to this album again reminds me how they really were such a major part of my childhood. RIP, The Thermals, I’ll always miss you.
@everlot1000
When I was 8 my mom bought this EP and would play it in the car on the way to school, and I feel like this song kind of shaped the person I grew up to be, as I'd listen to it daily.
@PirateDynamics
i'm so old
@CMM92992
Your mom is a babe