The Drums The Drums

On their eponymous 2010 debut The Drums offer up the unlikeliest of hybrids, and stage a clash in their songs between wildly opposing aesthetics and ideas, as though Sun Records and Factory Records had joined forces. "We originally set out to start a band that sounded like The Wake," the group explains, referring to the quintessential doleful mid-80s Factory band. "[But] there's an instant gratification in straightforward music. That's why we love the 1950s. It was the beginning of basic pop music. They did it from scratch and pulled these amazing, timeless melodies out of thin air." It's a combination that may not seem logical, but really hits home when you hear infectious cuts like "Let's Go Surfing," "Best Friend," "Me and the Moon" and "Forever and Ever, Amen."