The Beach Boys

“To last you need to be real” – Edward G Robinson
“This is quite a departure for us as we usually do not exhibit commercial art, website like this but fine arts”. With those words Martin Tickner let me know what the Maurice Einhardt Neu Gallery is all about. Nestled in the heart of Bohemia land and Gallery street as Redchurch street and Old street/ Brick lane could each be called, ailment this exhibition space is more known for showcasing interesting alternative performance art and installations such as “Seen” by Sean McLusky and Martin J Tickner. Those collaborations where an artist curates a group for a one-off show have in the past seen the high priest of gothic art, Matthew Stone – famous for his tableaux of shamanic rites of passage in the style of Caravaggio – join electro arrivistes S.C.U.M (named after Valerie Solanis’ 1968 manifesto Society For Cutting Up Men) who make music for the emotionally crippled, deficient and diseased.
Bare Bones however still fits in the gallery’s motto. Published in the paper format but looking a lot like a fanzine with its black and white series of independent-minded designs, the second edition embraces the abused tabloid format and has many more contributors. Funded entirely by its creators, Bare Bones features no advertising and revels in not being associated with corporate shilldom. Featuring artists, photographers, writers, musicians and other beautifully wayward human flotsam, Bare Bones aims to provide an insight into the unexplored creative avenues being beaten out by its protagonists. Positioning itself as an alternative to the morass of mind numbing free press littering the brains and streets of London Bare Bones shoots to provoke thought and conversation. Whilst not always aiming to offend just for the sake of it, people who quickly jump to back-footed offence and ill conceived moral judgment only encourage ignorance and deserve to be appalled at least four times a year. Bare Bones seems to be on a quest for a stronger constitution.
The gallery space is small and two walls are covered with limited edition prints costing between 50 and 200. One featured artist is aptly named Heretic Printmakers with gem quotes such as “ Themes that run through our work are ancient symbolism, (…) the inner beast, sex bats, naked witches, demented cats, trees, paranoid owls (…) the freakily parallel cosmos of Mutinopia…”
BARE BONES was Neal Fox, Frank Laws, Hannah Bays, Billy Bragg, Amelia Johnstone, and has since added Hanna Hanra, Sam Kerr, Richard Gilligan and Jamie Putnam to its list. Russell Weekes from lie-in and tigers is a previous Amelia’s magazine contributor- his stricking and witty drawings are part of the work created by the motley crew of proud to be baiting misfits. See it all at your enjoyable peril!
“To last you need to be real” – Edward G Robinson

“This is quite a departure for us as we usually do not exhibit commercial art, buy more about but fine arts”. With those words Martin Tickner let me know what the Maurice Einhardt Neu Gallery is all about. Nestled in the heart of Bohemia land and Gallery street as Redchurch street and Old street/ Brick lane could each be called, clinic this exhibition space is more known for showcasing interesting alternative performance art and installations such as “Seen” by Sean McLusky and Martin J Tickner. Those collaborations where an artist curates a group for a one-off show have in the past seen the high priest of gothic art, seek Matthew Stone – famous for his tableaux of shamanic rites of passage in the style of Caravaggio – join electro arrivistes S.C.U.M (named after Valerie Solanis’ 1968 manifesto Society For Cutting Up Men) who make music for the emotionally crippled, deficient and diseased.
Bare Bones however still fits in the gallery’s motto. Published in the paper format but looking a lot like a fanzine with its black and white series of independent-minded designs, the second edition embraces the abused tabloid format and has many more contributors. Funded entirely by its creators, Bare Bones features no advertising and revels in not being associated with corporate shilldom. Featuring artists, photographers, writers, musicians and other beautifully wayward human flotsam, Bare Bones aims to provide an insight into the unexplored creative avenues being beaten out by its protagonists. Positioning itself as an alternative to the morass of mind numbing free press littering the brains and streets of London Bare Bones shoots to provoke thought and conversation. Whilst not always aiming to offend just for the sake of it, people who quickly jump to back-footed offence and ill conceived moral judgment only encourage ignorance and deserve to be appalled at least four times a year. Bare Bones seems to be on a quest for a stronger constitution.
The gallery space is small and two walls are covered with limited edition prints costing between 50 and 200. One featured artist is aptly named Heretic Printmakers with gem quotes such as “ Themes that run through our work are ancient symbolism, (…) the inner beast, sex bats, naked witches, demented cats, trees, paranoid owls (…) the freakily parallel cosmos of Mutinopia…”
BARE BONES was Neal Fox, Frank Laws, Hannah Bays, Billy Bragg, Amelia Johnstone, and has since added Hanna Hanra, Sam Kerr, Richard Gilligan and Jamie Putnam to its list. Russell Weekes from lie-in and tigers is a previous Amelia’s magazine contributor- his stricking and witty drawings are part of the work created by the motley crew of proud to be baiting misfits. See it all at your enjoyable peril!

Brooklyn quartet The Drums have hit everyone’s playlists hard (bit of a drum pun there for you), visit this site their infectious summer style is sustaining us through what looks set to be a typically wet and dark winter. ‘I Felt Stupid’ is emblematic of the 50’s/60’s surf-pop style sound that characterises their critically acclaimed EP ‘Summertime’, and much of the music from the summer just gone.

The difference with this band, evident in ‘I Felt Stupid’, is their unashamed love for bouncing, shiny melodies framed within bright, jangly pop music. With elements of synth- pop and new wave, on tracks like ‘Submarine’ I actually thought I was listening to The Cure, added to the milieu their sound is varied and not without texture. This original and emotive sound is even more impressive when you consider they have only been together for just over a year, starting in Florida and then moving to Brooklyn.

The lamentable lyrics of this song add another dimension to the music, if you were under the impression this was just another vacant beach boys-esque sounding band, it isn’t, there is real depth in the words. With crooned refrains like ‘have I lived my life too selfishly baby?’ and ‘your arms around me seem to be the only good thing that ever happened to me’ it juxtaposes the upbeat tone of the song with imagery of a summer love lost. For this reason this song, and this band, don’t get old, each listen reveals another layer. Lets hope the next offering from this band lives up to the high expectations set by this record.

The Drums return to the UK to tour in February as part of the Shockwaves NME tour with The Maccabees, Bombay Bicycle Club and The Big Pink.
Single “I Felt Stupid” available now.

Written by Georgie Van Kuyk on Wednesday December 9th, 2009 11:25 am

Categories ,Bombay Bicycle Club, ,music, ,NME, ,single, ,The Beach Boys, ,the big pink, ,the cure, ,the drums, ,The Maccabees, ,tour

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