One of the greatest parts of the rise of Twitter is the ability for artists and celebrities to make direct contact with fans. The downside can be causing an uproar for a Tweet like Pink on lip-syncing or getting on the bad side of Justin Bieber fans. Rob Thomas and Kyle Cook of Matchbox Twenty are no strangers to the benefits and pitfalls of social media.

Frontman Rob Thomas explained that he gets in trouble in 140 characters on Twitter, “All the time.”

When asked by Alice@97.3/San Francisco if his Twitter account (@ThisIsRobThomas) is actually helmed by Rob, the Grammy Award winner joked, “Do you see some of the stupid sh*t I Tweet? Like anybody else would you know [Tweet] ‘Pat Buchanan is the Devil.’”

“I get into too many political debates,” Thomas explained. “I tried and stopped being too free with my political ideas.”

Guitarist Kyle Cook had his own run-in with the Twitterverse when he had had a bit too much wine over the Holiday season.

“I had too much wine on Christmas Day and you’re gonna know why it was too much wine. I was excited there was a basketball game on. There had been a strike,” Cook recalled. “And I was like ‘I’m so excited there’s basketball. Screw baby Jesus.’”

Shortly after he regretted that decision.

“That was probably one of those things I probably shouldn’t have sent out,” he admitted before adding, “Like saying positive things about porn maybe not the best idea on Twitter.”

Thomas believes that a lot of the Twitter issues arise out of the limits of the short text medium.

“I realize that sarcasm doesn’t translate,” Thomas said. “If you know us, you don’t realize that we have a horribly sick sense of humor.”

As a band they Tweet as @MatchboxTwenty but as individuals neither Thomas nor Cook were able to secure their names as Twitter handles, Tweeting under @ThisIsRobThomas and @StalkingKyle respectively.

So why did Thomas come up with his signature @ThisIsRobThomas?

“Because @RobThomas was taken. And you know why? Rob Thomas was taken because it is the most common name on the planet earth. On every corner there is a ‘Bob Thomas Ford’ – everywhere you go.”

Matchbox Twenty’s first studio album in almost a decade, North, hits stores on September 4, 2012.

-Bradford Hornsby, Alice@97.3/San Francisco