The Drums are good honest indie pop. You’ll enjoy it! Might even develop a tendency to hum them under your breath for a few days. And, like most good honest things, you’ll have forgotten about them soon enough, real clean with no sticky residue or anything messy like that. Ok, this may reflect my own inability to derive lasting satisfaction more than The Drums’ actual shelf life. Hey, if you’re as obsessed with ’50s and ’60s rock ‘n roll as they are, consider booking them an extended stay – you won’t regret it.
What: The Drums live show
When: Thursday, November 12, 10 p.m. – 2 a.m.
Where: Popscene, 330 Ritch
Tickets: All tickets sold at the door, $10 for those aged 21+, $12 for those 18+.
And Jesus, music can be so startling and weird nowadays. And man, the weirder/more startling stuff soaks up all the good vague praise words like “innovative” and “important,” leaving the good honest indie pop with totally lame vague praise words like “good” and “honest.” In response, the Drums say “fuck it!” to Brooklyn (they live there but, from what I gathered in my interview with them, they’re totally over that scene) and what’s trendy and go for what’s simple and comfortable. We’re talking whistles, hooks, clean guitars; there have got to be some hand claps in there somewhere.
“For so long people have been into ‘new sounds’ and abstract music,” they told me, ” and I think it sounds like a bunch of noise so now the craziest thing anyone could do is just try to sound like a normal band.”
Their LP is due not long after 2010. It’s gonna have songs with titles like “Let’s Go Surfing,” “Down By the Water,” and “I Felt Stupid” (which, I must admit, worked its chorus into my brain’s MP3 player and hit ‘repeat forever.’) Their Myspace wall is sprinkled with wishes of “Surfs Up!” and a whole lot of hype from real reputable sources exalting them as refreshingly “energetic” (San Franciscans: keep reading. I promise you won’t have to endure too much optimism or care-freeness. This summer album feels like autumn. You know – “on a brisk night with your friends at a football game, love is in the air, you feel nervous and weird.” Their words, not mine.)
So, you can call them derivative; throw their way whatever fancy dismissals you’ve got. Their music is still going to sound good. I strongly suggest you take a listen and maybe even hit up their show this Thursday at Popscene, cause it’s going to be fun – I would bet on it!
