THOMAS FUNCTION "My Empire" 7inch

Over the last year or so the Rocket City boys of T-Func have been nothing but a hit machine. Their past three 45's all had something that, in a perfect world, would be spending months on the top 40 charts and blasting out of cars and around the skateboard parks. It's far, far, far from a perfect world though isn't it? I'm sure if I said "T-Func are pop geniuses" (albeit very oddball ones) around most dorks who consider themselves music fans they'd say "You mean T-Pain, right?" All I know really know about T-Pain his seeing his name as a collaborator in every other music review I read in Entertainment Weekly. Based off that I'm guessing he must be this season's Akon or some shit (who is another who's songs I couldn't identify if I heard one but saw the name in a lot of magazines).
With this, the 4th single in their canon, the Thomas Function aren't showing any sign of needing a hook girl, samples from an 80's pop song or a dude to provide a rap part in lieu of a middle eight. "My Empire" bounces like the Lyres yet broods like those recordings that Television made a bit of a while back before they made "Marquee Moon" but with all the excess baggage tossed out the window and waved bye-bye at. "Earthworm" is like a spaghetti western soundtrack take on a death ballad being interpreted by a dustbowl John Cale. What? That doesn't sound like pop music to you? You must be in a different universe than the one I choose to inhabit.
ps: I used the abbreviated name "T-Func" as an attempt at a joke. Please no one start to actually refer to them as that. Earlier in the week someone asked me if I heard the the new album by "The Head". I thought he was talking the Head single that Goner put out but it seemed kinda off because the person never seemed to be someone who'd ever stumble across something like that. And I was right. They were talking about the new Radiohead lp. Do people actually refer to them as that or was the guy just choosing to do it all by himself?
http://www.myspace.com/thomasfunction