6:14AM - Woke up a bit ago from a dream that The Patient Mrs. was pregnant. There wasn’t much action happening — it’s not like she was pregnant and we were in a car chase; that was a separate dream — but it was one of those super-realistic dreams that you’re not sure when you come out of it which side of reality you’re on. Funny shit. I can’t even go to sleep without being hounded to reproduce. You’d almost think my genes weren’t totally fucked.

Anyway, once I was up, the thought of there being writing to do assured I wouldn’t go back to sleep — if you’re awake, you might as well be productive — so here I am. The four hours I got should suffice, or maybe I’ll be lucky and crash back out after this post. I’m not too worried about it. And hey, there’s Cuda, doing “Hellfire.” Who doesn’t want to be awake for that?

It might seem a strange choice to wake up and suddenly say, “I’m gonna go post a Cuda clip!” but it makes sense on some level as I was thinking about the nature of obscurity last night as I started to put together the new podcast — oh yeah, there will be a new podcast this weekend — and was ripping tracks from bands who had vastly different levels of success in their time. I don’t want to give away the theme in advance, but it got me thinking about all the stoner bands that popped up in the period between the mid-’90s and early-’00s and how many if any of them will have the chance to be rediscovered however far down the line.

Cuda was a one-shot offshoot from Bongzilla. Guitarist Spanky and bassist Cooter Brown assembled a four-piece and released the stonerly Hellfire EP on 12th Records in 2001. It’s the only thing they ever put out that I know of. Under half an hour of music 10 years ago and that’s it. Amazing how many acts have come and gone on one official release over the years. Hell, my band did it, if you want to put “official” in quotes.

This coming week, aside from that new podcast I already mentioned, I’ll get that Sungrazer interview posted. It’s not long, but there’s some insight to it that I think is cool and guitarist Rutger Smeets talks about being on tour with Colour Haze and RotoR, which is badass. I’ll also have reviews of discs from El Camino, Nordic Nomadic, The Dive and Russian Circles (and someone else), and in case the podcast isn’t enough audio for you, a premiere of a new track from SerpentCult. Lots of good stuff to come.

If you’ve emailed me in the last week or two and I haven’t gotten back yet, I apologize. Things have been really busy for me between work and school, and I just haven’t had the chance to be on my laptop and conscious at the same time. I’ll hammer all that out this weekend. Hope you have a good one. Be safe and we’ll see you on the forum and back here Monday for more zany fun.

This story pretty much speaks for itself. Much respect and wishes for a speedy recovery to Droids Attack guitarist/vocalist and all around good dude, Brad Van.

Via the PR wire:

Droids Attack has just returned from their latest tour in support of their newest full-length album, Must Destroy, released on Crustacean Records in February of 2010. It was a 15-day trip playing 14 different cities encompassing some of the biggest markets east of the Mississippi including New York City, Atlanta, Chicago, The Twin Cities, Detroit, Philadelphia and others. Including their southern tour at the end of April and numerous regional extended weekend jaunts, Droids Attack has played over 20 states over the course of 50 shows in the first half of 2010 while putting tens of thousands of miles on their late 90′s Dodge van.

Things took a turn for the life threatening on the third to last show of tour when Brad Van, singer/guitarist/songwriter for Droids Attack, began to take ill with stomach pains before their set at the Cobra Lounge in Chicago. He continued to finish the tour in pain and discomfort playing two more smoking sets in La Crosse, Wisconsin and Minneapolis, MN before finally getting to an emergency room Sunday morning at 5AM after finishing the tour at the Triple Rock Social Club.

The doctors diagnosed Brad with a burst appendix and rushed him into surgery immediately. He was finally discharged on Tuesday afternoon and is back home resting and recovering Madison, Wisconsin. Despite the ill health Brad has vowed to play their set Tuesday June 22nd at the Empty Bottle in Chicago opening for reunited and influential Florida doom metal band, Floor. The band is much revered by Droids Attack and considered an influence along with the post-Floor offshoot bands. According to Brad Van, “To me both Floor and Steve‘s other project Torche, are the most important bands I’ve heard in the last 15 years. This reunion show is a very rare and special performance and I can’t believe we got the gig. I’m very honored and excited that they asked us to perform with them.”

Beyond the Empty Bottle show, Droids Attack has a steady stream of regional shows upcoming including being slated to play Chicago‘s legendary Riot Fest Oct 6-10 with details to be announced regarding date and time.

Upcoming Droids Attack shows:
6/22 @ The Empty Bottle Chicago, IL opening for Floor
7/15 @ The Wisco Madison, WI w/ The Fuck Knights and Cloth Sea
7/17 @ Reptile Palace Oshkosh, WI w/ Admiral Black and Bloodhawk
7/22 @ Quenchers Chicago, IL
7/31 @ The Triple Rock Minneapolis, MN w/ 20 Dollar Love, Imperial Battlesnake and Bloodcow

I guess I’d never seen Williamsburg on a Friday night before. I would’ve thought at some point I must have, but as I rolled down Bedford Ave. and bore witness to the hedonistic hipster fashion show — like something out of Valley of the Dolls, but sucky and pretending to be environmentally conscious at the same time — I swear I’ve never seen anything like it. Next-gen aristocrats everywhere pretending to be edgy for each other. The whole place smelled like sex, alcohol and axle grease. Get me the fuck out.

My timing was meh. I walked into the Charleston first as the band before was on and second after Droids Attack‘s set had already begun (I went to hide my head in the meantime; here I’ll point out that my terror was all the worse in my surroundings because I wasn’t drinking). The “stage” was basically just the end of the room in the basement, which, as far as I’m concerned, rules. If there’s one redeeming value about a small show in New York, whether it’s at Lit Lounge, the Delancey, or back at Club Midway when they put on shows — and at countless others, I don’t doubt — is that the show is downstairs while the assholes are upstairs. I’ll take that every time.

The sound is never great in a basement, what with all the concrete, but the sound is never great anywhere and Droids Attack certainly made the most of it, guitarist/vocalist Brad Van playing through a new Orange amp as well as the Dr. Z you can hear on their Must Destroy album. Van had a couple extended solos and there was a sizable jam at the end of the set — take that, Mr. “This Is Your Last Song” Sound Guy — and bassist Nate Bush and drummer Tony Brungraber locked down killer grooves throughout the proceedings. The vibe was good times, irony and bullshit free, and Droids Attack rocked out with clear love for what they were doing. By the end of the set, I was up front.

It was getting late and I had a two-hour drive ahead of me (as opposed to the prior two-hour drive it took me to get to the Charleston in the first place), but Kings Destroy were quick in setting up their gear, so I managed to stay for their whole set and barely a minute longer. This was, I believe, their third show — remember the first? — and just between the two I’ve seen they already seem more established on stage. Carl Porcaro and Chris Skowronski, both on guitar, played a little slower than in Hoboken, giving an ultra-doom feel to the songs they didn’t have last time I heard them. I recognized a good portion of the material, which if I didn’t say this in my last review bodes well for the full-length to be recorded this summer, and though I wanted them to be a little louder (they were un-miked and competing with two guitar and bass amplifiers as well as the P.A.), Rob Sefcik‘s drums turned out to make the night. Not too many frills in his playing, but a steady hand and some enticing fills that did well accenting Steve Murphy‘s vocals, which also felt more confident over the songs.

If I haven’t mentioned him yet, it’s only because bassist Ed Bocchino was a little lower in the overall mix than I would have liked — doom needs rumble — but that could just as easily be caused by the concrete eating the low end as by an amp needing to be turned up. I also noticed it with Nate Bush during Droids Attack‘s set, so it very well could have just been the room.

When I was over I shook hands and was out quick to hit the road. It was well past one in the morning and I’d be lucky to make it to Connecticut before three — which, luckily, I did — but even taking that into account, and even with the hipster douchery surrounding, I don’t regret having gone to the show. Smaller gigs like that are my favorite, being neither especially friendly nor able to see the charm in having beer spilled on my sandaled feet. The Charleston may have been beset on all sides, but the basement was like a fallout shelter and I was only to happy to soak up whatever sanctuary I could.

It’s a newsly double-whammy for Wisconsin rockers Droids Attack, now supporting their new album, Must Destroy (stream it here). Not only have they got a new video for the most excellently titled song “Great Wall of ‘Gina,” but they’ve just posted tour dates that will bring them all the way out to the East Coast, where you can bet your ass I’ll be seeing them live. Here’s the video and info from the intrepid and timely PR wire:

Following the release of Madison, Wisconsin‘s doom-laden guitar assault that is Droids Attack’s new album, Must Destroy, the band has premiered the video for the song, “Great Wall of ‘Gina.” Produced and directed by Natalie Hinckley of Hinckley Design, and edited by Droids Attack frontman Brad Van, the video features burlesque star Moxie Rhoads.

In addition to the new video, Droids Attack have announced a series of US tour dates taking the band throughout the Midwest and along the East Coast for the first time since the release of their new album.

Droids Attack live:
5/28 – The Dojo, Indianapolis IN
5/29 – Third Street Dive, Louisville KY
5/30 – The Longbranch Saloon, Knoxville TN
5/31 – The Eastside Lounge, Atlanta GA
6/1 – The Reservoir, Carrboro NC
6/2 – The Hexagon, Baltimore MD
6/3 – Sweeney’s, Philadelphia PA
6/4 – The Charleston, Brooklyn NY
6/6 – The Smiling Moose, Pittsburgh PA
6/7 – The Royal Oaks, Youngstown OH
6/8 – Now That’s Class, Cleveland OH
6/9 – The 734, Ypsilanti MI
6/10 – The Cobra Lounge, Chicago IL
6/11 – The Joint, La Crosse WI
6/12 – The Hexagon Bar, Minneapolis MN

Notable apart from its hour-plus length for being the first recorded output of the post-Bongzilla project Aquilonian, who’ve been threatening for a while now with MySpace samples and teases of the like, this split CD between them and Ohio sludge demons Sollubi (whose previous At War with Decency full-length might just have been victorious in its conflict) is two tracks — one from each band, each over a half-hour long — that seems to create an economy all its own. If you’ve ever thought of buying music in terms of “bang for your buck,” I fail to see a better option than getting two short LP-length offerings from these bands. Most splits feel like throwaway tracks. This feels like home.

Aquilonian go first, which given the built-in interest that will no doubt lead many to check out this split is only proper. The duo of guitarist/vocalist Michael Makela and drummer/vocalist Michael Henry (though neither is particularly busy in the vocal department) have composed “Symphonica de Levita” for the occasion, and with it they put on a master class in how to transpose a groove on top of repetitive riffing. Anyone expecting Bongzilla-type grime will be surprised to find Aquilonian residing in a different, less sludge-laden niche, as though all the stoner in the band was distilled to its essential weedian elements. “Symphonica de Levita” reminds heavily of Sleep’s Holy Mountain, but even more than Makela’s tone or vocals, it’s the drum work of Henry that provokes the association. The ready snare taps that Chris Hakius used to make the best material on that album as memorable as it is, Henry seems apt to employ here, and it works to similar effect. The simplicity of their groove is essential, and even when the track breaks down at about 24 minutes in, it is all the more satisfying when it picks up again to finish with some of its most active guitar/drum interplay.

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Neither Bongzilla, nor the foot of snow that fell on the valley last night (with more allegedly on the way) is subtle. Both are sloppy, and if you’re subject to prolonged exposure to either, it can have a serious effect on your mental state. Hence, “Keefmaster” from the 2003 Relapse Contamination Festival. Dig.

February, in everything but the weather, is winding down, but this was still a pretty busy week, with the Apostle of Solitude interview that went up today and the Cathedral and Ufomammut reviews yesterday, The Brought Low on Tuesday, etc. Lots of great stuff, and thanks for reading and commenting. I know there’s the banner on the side of the page, but it’s worth repeating that if you haven’t checked out the March podcast yet, you should do so immediately because it rules.

Enjoy your weekend and stay tuned. More good times to follow.

Raucous riff and roll from the Midwest isn’t something that comes across my desk every day, so when Must Destroy, the third album from Madison, Wisconsin, trio Droids Attack landed, robot-laden artwork facing up, I was immediately interested. Not only did the record live up to song titles like “The Great Wall of ‘Gina” and “Koko Beware,” but it proved to operate on a deeper level than just that surface goofiness as well. A win all around.

The Obelisk is streaming the album here if you haven’t heard it yet, and of course there’s the review as well, but I thought there might be more to say about Droids Attack, so I dialed up guitarist/vocalist/chief robot constructor Brad Van for a chat about the band’s outlook, past and future. In our extended discussion, presented after the jump, Van details his working relationship with bassist Nate Bush and drummer Tony Brungraber, their writing process, attitude on making music — and yes, robot manufacturing technique.

Please enjoy the Q&A after the jump.

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Share it with a loved one.

Madison, Wisconsin heavy riffers Droids Attack have been kind enough to let The Obelisk play host to an exclusive stream of their third album, Must Destroy, which is out now on Crustacean Records (review here). We all know how long exclusivity lasts on the internet, but yes, I do feel privileged, and thanks to the band — Brad Van, Nate Bush and Tony Brungraber — and Solid PR for making it happen. By way of a cheap plug, an interview with Van is online now at this location.

Until then, whether you want to scale “The Great Wall of ‘Gina” or take on “Koko Beware,” you can do so using the fancy little player below. A personal recommendation? All of them. Enjoy.

Droids Attack on MySpace

Because of its lighthearted approach and riffy goodtime vibes it would be easy to gloss over Droids Attack’s third full-length, Must Destroy (Crustacean Records), as a kind of joke release. Song titles like “The Great Wall of ‘Gina,” “Astro Glider,” “The Unforgiven 4” and “Koko Beware,” while hilarious, support the position. But there’s more to the Madison, Wisconsin trio than goofy lyrics and a robot mascot (although, in many cases, that would probably be enough). They seriously rock.

Guitarist/vocalist Brad Van would seem to be leading the charge, and while one can pick out influences from Melvins to Helmet to High on Fire in his playing, never so specifically as to make the songs redundant. At the same time, they never reach so far beyond the stoner milieu as to be unfamiliar, which winds up adding to the accessibility of Must Destroy. In a way, the party atmosphere is a big part of what helps distinguish Droids Attack, but if one were to experience the album without the artwork, titles or any other context, the music would still stand up. The rhythm section of bassist Nate Bush and drummer Tony Brungraber is a big part of why. Not only do they keep up with Van’s riffing, but they add flavor and personality to the songs. Brungraber’s drums could have stood to be a little higher in the final mix, but even from hearing them as they are, it’s clear the complexity of his playing is an essential element to making these songs work.

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