Tino Drima - “Pismo”

SXSW 2022 - OEB Score: 7; Popularity Index: 4

Pairs Well With…Har Mar Superstar, Low Cut Connie, Mayer Hawthorne

California indie pop artist Tino Drima continues exploring psych rock modes alongside R&B melodies on his latest single “Pismo”, balancing the comfortable and the weird in a woozy, dream-like state. Classic pop songwriting is shifted and remolded in Drima’s hands, personalized and with a sharp swing. It makes his music fun, almost tongue-in-cheek, but still studied in complex eclecticism for a full, engaging sound. (Kevin McStravick)

2020 Review: Tino Drima’s 2019 EP Suitin’ Up is a woozy, psychedelic take on the soul/R&B genre, transforming classic forms and melodies to some weirder, bedroom pop spaces from a balanced, fusion approach. Studied in throwback rock and roll, Tino Drima leans into his jazz-infused, chillwave grooves in a way that almost sounds tongue-in-cheek, but there’s genuineness in his performance that gives his music an equal amount of grounded charm. Suitin’ Up is the San Franciscan’s second release following 2017’s similarly vibed debut Her Kind of Man, going for more depth instead of breadth in a sound Drima owns with a personable, unique touch.