It’s safe to say that The Drums know a thing or two about music. With a critically acclaimed debut and guitarist Jacob Graham’s decidedly misanthropic Holiday Records – a digital release-only label offering free weekly music – they’ve clearly got their finger firmly on the pulse. So we felt pretty confident giving them control of our Ones To Watch section this month.
We asked the Brooklyn quartet to let us in on some of the bands currently tickling their aural tastebuds. And from scuzzy feedback to toe-tapping twee, we’ve been given an exclusive insight into the musical tastes of Brooklyn’s indie darlings du jour…
The Hairs
Something of an understated supergroup, The Hairs draw upon the cream of Brooklyn’s crop.
Being a musician: it’s a tough gig. And with a serious handle on the Brooklyn music scene, The Hairs are envied by thousands of wannabes who defiantly flock to the city each year in search of what they believe is the musical Holy Grail. Alongside contemporaries like The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart, Crystal Stilts, and Vivian Girls, The Hairs are part of one big, happy lo-fi family. But what’s their take on the ubiquitous scene? “I think it’s just an island of very individually minded people who really work hard at what they think music should be,” says Kevin Alvir. “People feel like there’s a solidified sound in Brooklyn and there really isn’t and that’s why it’s so great.”
Kevin has a thing for atonal singing. And musicians who can’t play their instruments properly. “Irresponsible pop made by people with personal problems, that’s our pitch,” he says. And it is this fey humour, present in the lyrical ramblings of bands like Television Personalities, which underlines their work. Maybe this stems from an as-yet-unfulfilled dream of becoming a stand-up comedian, but Kevin’s got plenty of witty anecdotes up his sleeve. “Have you heard the one about the disabled kids and the really bad gig…?” You don’t want to, believe me…
The Drums say: “Holiday Records released them. It’s like the weird child of Knight School and Pains – beautiful, great songs, really jangly noisy guitars. They’re sort of the same concept but maybe a little more poppy and a little cleaner.”
Words by April Welsh
Where: Brooklyn, New York
What: Fuzzy twee-pop
Unique fact: Alex Naidus plays bass in The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart
Get 3 songs: ‘Scabies Babies’, ‘Ghetto Control’, ‘Vikings, Pirates & Dudes’
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Clash Magazine Issue 53
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