89.3 The Current presents SURFER BLOOD and THE DRUMS
SURFER BLOOD
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When you think of Palm Beach, Florida, what comes to mind? Palm trees swaying gently in the balmy breeze? Scantily-clad bikini buxom babes rollerblading down an infinite slab of coral-colored concrete? How about anthemic, bombastic, life-affirming indie pop? If the latter didn’t occur to you, let us introduce you to Surfer Blood: they call West Palm Beach home and, while still in their early 20s, have penned an album worth of catchy, summery indie songs that even the most hook-laden power pop band would rightfully be jealous of.....
Comprised of members JP (dubbed “The Mastermind” by the rest of the band), TJ, Thomas and Brian, Surfer Blood met one fateful night at an after party for Miami’s Ultra Festival, though they didn’t attend the festival itself (“We do not like the D’n’B,” they proclaim). After discussing music, what else, for the remainder of the night, JP decided to recruit the three other guys to perfect a couple of songs he had been working on for some time, and thus, the band was formed. ....
Astro Coast was recorded in the band’s dorm room during their Freshmen year at the University of Florida, using musical equipment purchased with scholarship money. The band scrapped the original studio sessions because they didn’t like the way the engineer was affecting their sound.....
If you’re wondering about the name, the band ain’t got no surfer blood in them, and actually denounce the surfer kids of their youth for making their high school experience miserable. As for the moniker itself, one of the band members just randomly yelled it out over the radio in the backseat of the band’s car, which is as good a naming process as any.....
The guys in the band say that others making music is their inspiration for them to in turn pick up their instruments and see what they can create. Their ambitions include “living comfortably while working hard” and “sticking to the indie circuit,” and nothing seems to be standing in their way.
When the whole nation is revving up the nostalgia for the blissed-out indie vibes of the early-to-mid-‘90s, expect Astro Coast to snag some serious fans.....
THE DRUMS
Emerging from Brooklyn via Florida in 2009, The Drums initially caught the ear of the indie world with their Summertime! EP. It was an escapist collection of beach pop fantasies; tracks suffused with a wistful, longing nostalgia that never pandered to cheap sentimentality. Their rise, particularly in the UK, was meteoric. Their terrific self-titled debut LP, released in June 2010, was bifurcated into a first half dedicated to more upbeat pop songs, and a second half revealing a darker, more introspective side of the band. A resounding success, the album has sold 200,000 copies globally to date (90,000 in the UK alone) and found the band touring relentlessly, playing triumphant sold out gigs worldwide throughout 2010 and 2011.
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For the often difficult sophomore LP, the band sidestepped the pitfalls of a slump by recording it quickly, again self producing, often laying down tracks spontaneously in singer Jonny Pierce’s kitchen. Following the departure of guitarist Adam Kessler, drummer Connor Hanwick switched to guitar, and guitarist Jacob Graham picked up his more natural instrument of synthesizers. Titled Portamento, the new album, released just 14 months after their debut, revealed a band tugging lightly at the boundaries of their sound while still retaining their recognizable sonic signatures—sweet rushes of melody, winsome lyrics, and brittle synthesizer sheens colliding with wiry Spector-esque guitar and bass lines. To accommodate the record’s sonic expansiveness, the band have swelled to a five piece live, augmented by two auxiliary members, including Myles Matheny of Violens and Papercranes on guitar and bass.
THE DEWARS
We are THE DEWARS -- twins born after the abortion of our phantom sibling, in the once swampy suburbs of the sunshine state. We spent years in the institutions that slaughter dreams and have survived with 60 weird year'd songs, two chiseled hearts, one dead best friend, and a love for music and art. Won't you give our songs a listen?
Varsity Theater
