Who are they?
Thomas Tantrum are not, as you might think, a character in a particularly annoying series of children's books, but a peculiar four-piece band from Southampton who straddle the line between punk and twee with oodles of charm. Put simply, they're a big bundle of great.
Oh really? Says who?
Lily Allen, for one. After hearing the band's DIY pop hip-swayer Shake It! Shake It! on Zane Lowe's Radio 1 show, she put the group straight at the top of her MySpace friends list. Some of you may remember her doing the same with an unknown Kate Nash 18 months ago, and look what happened there.
So who's Thomas, then?
Thomas is actually the surname of frontwoman Megan, who works a fine line in cooing vocals that flutter over the clattering guitars. Be warned, though: if Nash's singing style rubs you up the wrong way, you might not be a massive fan of Megan's somewhat girlish tones.
Where can I hear them?
Their self-titled debut album comes out on August 25 on Sindy Stroker's Records. Until then, you can hear four tracks at myspace.com/thomastantrum. They play the Monto Water Rats in London on Tuesday, as well as the Latitude, Secret Garden Party and Bestival festivals.
