“With Thollem everything is always on the table. A singer/songwriter in the broadest sense of the term.”
– Brad Rose, Foxy Digitalis
“A forward vocal delivery that comes a-swingin’ right out of the gate.”
– Tiny Mix Tapes
Though Thollem is primarily known in the experimental music world as a pianist and electronic musician, he’s also written and recorded a lot of songs over the years. As a singer Thollem’s been releasing albums both solo and with various bands, most notably with his Italian punk band Tsigoti and The Hand To Man Band (Mike Watt, John Dieterich and Tim Barnes). In 2016, his post-mortem collaborations with Andy Kaufman Always Put On Your Sincere Face and his first solo album Machine in the Ghost were published by Personal Archives. “These two totally disparate entries into Thollem’s catalog are great reminders of his fluidity as an artist…” – Ryan Masteller, Critical Masses. In 2021 Personal Archives also released Hot Pursuit Of Happiness: This Day’s Called Tuesday, and in 2023 Tsigoti’s No Vacation From Poverty was released on Off-Set Records.
In the rockin’ world Thollem has performed and recorded with members of Deerhoof, The Minutemen,
Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Half Japanese, Wilco, Unwound, Old Time Relijun, Cibo Matto, The Stooges,
Jealousy Party, Stars Like Fleas, Tenderizor, A Love Electric, Can and more.
GODAMMIT TOMMY!
Post-AmericanaSynthPunkGlobalBluesNoiseLounge
Godammit Tommy! is a rock-us trip through autobiographical stories and anarchist philosophy, growing up amongst the on-set of the Silicon Rush. A punkish absurdist bent on history, it’s an expression of solidarity with all of us trying to navigate this vast sea of cruelty-full bullshit. New revolutionary anthems powered with drums by Jacopo Andreini (Tsigoti, Al Mustaqil, Achref Chargui Trio) and samples from The Light Is Real with Nels Cline and Terry Riley.
Somewhere between SynthPunk, GlobalBlues, NoiseLounge, and Post-Americana, Thollem’s response to these times, and somehow also a good time. It’s intended to be inspiring music to face the day, and everything else, with
HOT PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS
“Philosophical koans about the nature of existence.”
– Iggy Pot, LiveEye TV
Thollem’s Songs Albums
• Tsigoti: No Vacation From Poverty with Andrea Caprara, Piero Spitilli, Jacopo Andreini (Offset Records, 2023)
• Hot Pursuit Of Happiness: This Day’s Called Tuesday (Personal Archives, 2021)
• Thollem/Kaufman: Always Put On Your Sincere Face Post-mortem collaboration with Andy Kaufman (Personal Archives, 2016)
• Machine in The Ghost (Personal Archives, 2016)
• Tsigoti: Read Between The Lines…Think Outside Them with Andrea Caprara, Piero Spitilli, Jacopo Andreini (Post-Consumer Records, 2013)
• Whistling Joy Jumpers: Surprising Wooden Clocks with Jad Fair & Brian Chase (Thick Syrup Records, 2013)
• Tsigoti: Imagination Liberation Front Thinks Again with Andrea Caprara, Matteo Bennici, Jacopo Andreini (Post-Consumer Records, 2012)
• Hand To Man Band: You’re Always On Our Minds with Mike Watt, Tim Barnes and John Dieterich (Post-Consumer Records, 2012)
• Tsigoti: Private Poverty Speaks To The People Of The Party with Andrea Caprara, Matteo Bennici, Jacopo Andreini (ESP-Disk, 2010)
• Tsigoti: The Brutal Reality Of Modern Brutality with Andrea Caprara, Matteo Bennici, Jacopo Andreini (Edgetone Records, 2008)
• Thollem/Rivera: I’ll Meet You Halfway Out In The Middle Of It All with Rick Rivera (Edgetone Records, 2005)