King Tuff

Kyle Thomas got his start making music while living in Brattleboro, Vermont. That’s where he wrote a great deal of his latest album, a self-titled affair released on Sub Pop earlier this summer. His most high-profile projects thus far have been the psych-folk band Feathers and his stoner-rock band, Witch, with J Mascis. Both groups are a testament to Thomas’s versatility. These days, Thomas is making music as King Tuff; his first album under that name was issued in 2008, and even it contains material that’s considerably different from what’s on his new record. The new batch of hook-laden tunes are as much power pop as garage rock. Live, Thomas and his bandmates play with a fervent conviction that’s increasingly rare these days. A bit of a character, Thomas ought to throw out some good one-liners between songs at Moe’s.