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

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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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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