It’s been an uphill battle for Brooklyn indie rock band the Drums the past few years. Hyped back in 2009 as part of a Beach Boys-revival “surf’s up!” vanguard that included Best Coast and Beach Fossils, the band’s since been swept up by the hip hop and electronic zeitgeist. But evidently, LA-based electronic musician and producer TOKiMONSTA is a fan of the band, and her remix of “There is Nothing Left” from the Drum’s 2014 album, Encyclopedia, shows a “what-if” glimpse into the Drums’ sound if they got jolted with a bit more electricity.
The remix knocks off a minute from the original song and comes off as a more concise and hook-delivering pop number. Whereas the hook in the original takes almost a minute to crescendo, the remix condenses the build-up and gets the hook underway almost immediately. Smoothed out and replaced by a synth production, Jonny Pierce’s crooning vocals get a sweeter emphasis without the hinderance of the band’s guitars. The Drum’s drowning guitars have their charm, but its lack of variety gets mundane quickly. On TOKiMONSTA’s remix, the song gets a refreshing retooling, turning it into a chilly Postal Service-esque melancholy hit.
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