We Are Droid. (No, not the phone.)

How sad it is that every time I hear the word Droid now, I automatically associate it with the electronic telephonic device known as Motorola's DROID. The reality is, that the DROID I'm talking about is more commonly known as the band of Amir Ziv, (drums) Jordan McLean, (trumpet) Adam Holzman, (synthesizers) and Tim Lefebvre, (bass). I didn't really know how to describe their music, so I checked it out on their myspace. Unfortunately, it didn't offer me much help, because under, "sounds like:" it read, "This question has been known to make certain band members froth and the mouth and grow red with horns." After a bit more reading, I found that many credible sources would describe their music as essentially, "improvised music, mixing elements from breakbeat/electronica, to industrial rock and nu-form jazz." (According to their myspace.)

So why do these guys get a blog post all to themselves? Well, I had the opportunity to see them on Saturday night at a show they put on in Amir's apartment in the LES. The space is known to show-goers as the Lower East Side Estate, and it is nothing short of a groovy-candle lit, art-ridden loft space with endless rooms, (including a recording studio?!) and a large kitchen/living space where all the musical-magic takes place. The studio doorway offered as a makeshift $3 beer stand, and red light-bulbs paired with a plethora of scented candles lit the entire space.

As soon as the music began, the audience, (I'm going to say, maybe 35 people crammed into this space) fell silent. Slowly, I began to watch peoples heads bobbing with the music, swaying to the sound and following the fast-paced quick changing drum that Amir completely tore apart. (Not literally. You should hear some of the other words drummers use for playing the drums; "I want to get there early so I can talk to Amir before he eats drums," my friend Jake Amber.) Him and I, along with a couple other friends of ours, got to talk to Jordan before the show, and I discovered that he is the Assistant Musical Director for the Broadway show, Fela! To add, Adam Holzman, is known as the musical director of Miles Davis. The bassist, Tim, was not there tonight, but apparently he has made several musical appearances in big time movies and TV shows.

Uhh...oh man.

To put it simply, there was a distorted trumpet with synth playing over it, keyboards with psychedelic alien sounds, the fastest drumming you'll ever hear, and no vocals whatsoever. The sets were long, and the people were completely drawn in, because nobody said a word, except maybe to yell some sort of praise at any given point. Needless to say, it was an entirely unique experience, that I totally took in with enthusiasm. Between sets, the mood was not that of a concert, but moreso, of a bunch of music lovers together at some really hip party. And a good chunk of the audience were what I would consider to be, older hippies. It was certainly interesting.

My assessment of DROID? I loved them. I love them, I love D'n'B, I love how tall and strapping Jordan McLean was, (far left...) and I loved the new show experience I was able to have. The reality is that I will probably never experience anything like that, unless it's perhaps a basement show. And even that, is a basement. Not a spacious loft in the LES.

I swear this blog is about music, not attractive older musicians...

Anyways, I think you should check out DROID. You'll be in for a treat, I seriously believe it.
Myspace

Be well.

 

(Poorly planned on my part, sans-flash, but that's just a glimpse of the gigantic drum set that Amir uses...if I were to guess, I'd say there's at least 30 different components to it.