[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJu611UdfxA&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

It seems impossible to believe, but if press releases are to be trusted then the Thermals have been around since 2002 and spent most of their existence in the long, dark tunnel of the post-9/11 Bush administration, in “days of fear, terror, and saliva”. It’s no wonder then that their last album, the Body, the Blood, the Machine was so obsessed with the end times. With all of the change and hope in the air near the end of 2008, then, it isn’t entirely surprising that the liner notes for the continuation of that album (Now We Can See, released on Tuesday by Kill Rock Stars) can sound so catchily upbeat about deaths and devolutions of various flavors.

And so how exciting will it be to see the undead, seven-year-old band tomorrow at Neumo’s in the crush of other upbeat bodies as they finally step out of the political shadows that clouded most of their existence? It will be even more wonderful than you can imagine, especially if they bring hilarious costumes or play “no culture icons” and drive everyone crazy with joy. [flickr] And because we love you (and are jealous that we’ll be on an airplane during the show), we have a pair of tickets for one of you to see them for free. Quick, like a bunny, send an e-mail message to seattle.metblogs @ gmail.com with your full name and “the Thermals” in the subject line. I’ll pick a winner by the end of the day; those who include fun facts about amphibian evolution will improve their odds substantially.

//The Thermals, Panther, Parenthetical Girls :: 8 pm, $15 [neumos]