The Drums

photo via BrooklynVegan.com, live at Bowery Ballroom.

The Drums is a name that has been kicking around my head to the point that i've been on the brink of listening to them for a couple of months now - and having just seen them confirmed on the NME tour alongside The Big Pink, The Maccabees and Bombay Bicycle Club, the time really has come for me to put some sort of post together.

The Drums formed from the ashes of the two New Yorker's earlier projects - Elkland and HORSE SHOES. Jonathan Pierce (vocals) and Jacob Graham (lead guitar) had been playing music together as far back as 2003, back in the days when their electropop project was known as the Goat Explosion. They never really succeeded under this moniker, and after considerable time playing as Elkland, and subsequently a year or so out from music, Pierce and Graham changed their name to The Drums at the end of 2008 and released two new tracks. This time around, they were infinitely more successful.



They have all the laid back attitude of Vampire Weekend, and a very similar voice to match - 60s basslines and steady leads accompany a fast, clicky and dubbed down set of drumming, giving not only a fast paced, but also an extremely laid back feel to their music. Some tracks have quite a synthpop side to them, and parts even dip into powerpop, other songs are much more pop and post-punk influenced. They are not afraid to sing either, quite often their songs end up with finger clicks, handclaps and whistling to accompany their well-frequented two part harmonies. Ultimately, The Drums are rather erratic indie dance band, but to be honest, putting a finger on the exact genre is a difficult task. Have a listen for yourself below, and catch the video to Let's Go Surfing above.

They have a massive amount of shows booked in for February next year on the NME 2010 Tour, and their Summertime EP came out in October. They are soon to set about completing the full album, before a sure-fire jam-packed festival season ahead of them next year.

The Drums - Let's Go Surfing (MP3)
The Drums - Don't Be A Jerk, Jonny (MP3)
The Drums - I Felt Stupid (MP3)

Buy the Summertime Ep (Amazon)

The Drums on MYSPACE.