Arlen Thompson is drummer in indie rock band Wolf Parade, hailing from Montreal, Quebec.



Initially using a drum machine for their rhythm section played through computer speakers, Arlen Thompson was invited to Wolf Parade's lineup as the drummer in 2003. The newly formed trio rehearsed as a full band only the day before their first show.



Dante DeCaro, formerly of Hot Hot Heat, joined the grou sometime in 2005 as percussionist (and second guitarist).



As a drummer, Arlen Thompson finds himself in a similar role as some of the timekeepers on the post-punk/New Wave underground of the late '70s and early '80s. Drummers like Alan Myers of Devo, Ced Sharpley of the Tubeway Army, and Joe Nanni of Wall of Voodoo drummed in synth-based bands, but they produced the majority of their beats on acoustic drum kits and percussion instruments.