Good Vibrations
It's difficult to find a person whose favourite season is winter. Where I live, outside of Venice, Italy, it's not the cold temperatures that get you down- it's the dampness, grey skies and above all, the thick fog that rolls in without warning. You mope around feeling like a depressed prisoner of the weather. Everyone around you seems to complain and longs for the summer when life gets a little lighter and a bit more carefree.
If you feel the way I do at this very moment I would strongly suggest putting on a pair of sunglasses and kicking back on the couch with the music of The Drums to keep you company. Released in 2009, Summertime! is like a perfect summer day. The first time listening to the CD three things come to mind : optimism, blue summer skies and being in love for the first time. Songwriter and lead singer, Jonny Pierce, sings with great sincerity. The lyrics are all about affairs of the heart - joys and agony of love. Yet the songs are upbeat, even if the subject is sometimes painful. Pierce never whines. He just is tries his best to convince you that his intentions are good ones.
Summertime! is beautifully produced to have a raw garage sound. The musical arrangements are excellent. Everything falls into its proper place. Not one instrument over powers the another. Simplicity shouldn't be confused with banality. Sometimes their sound reminds you of the retro 80's with and a mixture of a Beach Boys surfing style.
“Let’s Go Surfing” and "The Saddest Summer" will have you snapping your fingers. "Down by the Water" will have you dreaming of a slow dance beside a bonfire on the beach. "I Felt Stupid" will convince you to run away into a picturesque sunset with Jonny Pierce. He's that convincing and adorable at the same time.
Summertime! will help you get through your winter blues. But if you're in a serious rut, The Drums released a new CD last year called The Drums which is filled with the same excellent feel good music.
Karin Andrea Halliwell
www.myspace.com/thedrumsforever
Artists permanently (and randomly) "on air" at present date:
The Drums(USA), Fauve! Genen a Rhino (Italy), Maika Makovski (Spain), DID (Italy), Massimo Volume (Italy), Senpai (Italy), Dude Plays Saxophone (USA), Toundra (Spain), Maxena Tace (Italy),Sawako (Japan), The Cleopatras (Italy), Hollowblue (Italy), OPA (USA), Nora Keyes (USA), Simona Gretchen(Italy), Facciascura (Italy), hiiragi fukuda (Japan), Stardog(Italy), I Got A Violet(Italy), The Agrarians (USA); Feldmaus (Russia); Red Velvet (Italy - France); Eigenheimer (Holland); Drugs Made Me Smarter (Mexico); Kelvin & Speedy Peones (Italy); Tidy Kid (USA); NIMM (Italy); MorningPaper (Italy), Edgar Graves (Czech Republic), Marshmallow (Croatia), David Morley (England/Belgium); Bancale (Italy); Antony Raijekov (Bulgary); Amélie (Italy); Celestial Aeon Project (Finland); Channel in Channel out (USA); Madrigali Magri (Italy), Gimme 'hat Moonshine (Belgium), Krakenti (Latvia), Wheelchair Discotheque (Latvia), TheOneOnTheIsland (Slovakia), Maok (Slovakia), LaBon (Slovakia), Jordan Jordan (Slovakia), Social Society (Slovakia), Batte (Norway), Orange Crush (Norway), Oriental Music System (Hong Kong), Iamsum (Hong Kong), Rex Cody (Hong Kong), Donkey Valium (Hong Kong), Smiling Buddhas (Hong Kong), O-M (Hong Kong), Hvoya (Ukraine), Automatic Pilot Required (Brazil), Yogi (Brazil), Light Merchants (South Africa), The Slowmovies (Italy); I am this (USA); Kråkvind (Sweden); Planet Brain (Italy); Lebatol (UK); Sarah Schuster (Italy); Krt 963 (Italy-Japan); Flap (Italy); Nicker Hill Orchestra (Italy); Menrovescio (Italy); Annabel (USA); Karmatest (Italy); The Dada Weatherman (France); Diablo Swing Orchestra (Sweden); Japanese gum (Italy); Above the tree (Italy); Volcano Playground (Canada); Linz (Italy); Anomie Belle (USA), Christophe Marc (France), Death Valley Sleepers (Denmark), Jeremy Sparrow (Denmark), Zoon van snooK (England), Systemton (Germany), Matti Bye (Sweden), Manuzik (Japan), Chances (Italy), Hometaping (Great Britain...?), Ping (Norway), Frey (New Zealand), Manhan (Japan), One Chef (Sweden), Mijagi (Poland), Pandacetamol (Scotland), Lu-Sin (Argentina), Thomas Solgaard (Denmark), Wonderboy (France), Los Hermanos Butaca (Argentina), La Biyuya (Argentina), Negro Fluo (Argentina), Sempai (Italy), Riccardo Vianello (Italy), Wolther goes stranger (Italy), Eildentroeilfuorieilbox84 (Italy), Buzz Aldrin (Italy), Stefano Roveda (Italy), Rosso! (Italy); manzOni (Italy).
