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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 17, 2005)
'Aerodronemania’ rocks the Northwest Eugene-based rock band Aerodrone looks to expand its local horizons while achieving rock W roll stardom BY SARAH BIEDAK FREELANCE REPORTER Local rock band Aerodrone used to joke about becoming the next Aerosmith, and now it looks like it's on its way to stardom. In early January, the group will be traveling to Edmonton, Canada to record an EP with Nocturnal Productions. The band finalized this decision after be ing contacted by both independent and major recording companies within the last couple of weeks. The awestruck young rockers at tribute their newfound industry at tention to a combination of network ing and pure luck. Although Aerodrone may act humble, check ing out their recordings, it’s clear that their music is what truly sets them apart. Featuring five high-energy songs, Aerodrone's self-titled demo serves up a unique blend of gritty retro rock with a side dish of smooth, synth driven new wave. The band has a knack for writing catchy hooks that refuse to leave the listener's head. In "Give Up," the demo’s title track, punk-pop takes over as Gary Zon,the band's elusive Russian frontman, reassures his listeners, "I like people. I'm a really nice guy." To experience this song, imagine jug-jug guitars and the melodic "woah-ohs" of Jimmy Eat World be ing sung by a key-tar playing Elvis Costello impersonator. "Don't Speak Up," on the other hand, is a hyperactive pop ditty that demands '80s-style freak dancing. While band guitarist Kevin Patrick stabs at the chorus with choppy, Franz Ferdinand-style guitar riffs, keyboardist Shawn Kilmer pounds out cheesy 8-bit tones that sound like some kid going wild on "Space Invaders" atthe local arcade. Even though the bass part is overly simple and the drums sound a little off at times, this is definitely Aerodrone's best song. Aerodrone rounds out their demo with a low-end dominant piece enti tled "Infinite." Unlike most of their repertoire, this song is slower and showcases a dark and atmospheric backdrop of industrial-sounding keyboards. As the movement pro gresses, more and more levels of in strumentation are added into the mix, building up a wall of sound rem iniscent of Nine Inch Nails. What the demo lacks in mixing Courtesy Gary Zon, left, and Kevin Patrick perform live with Aerodrone at a San Diego club in late October.This Eugene-based rock band is finally getting recognition from record companies and not just fans. and production quality, it makes up for in solid performances. Over the past year, Aerodrone has gigged these demo songs relent lessly, and begun to carve out a sig nificant fan base with the young people of Eugene. "Our scene can seem stale at times," said Dane Sundseth of Minute Morning Magazine, "but Aerodrone is inspiring because they bring about hope of having a music community that consists of more than just jam bands and low-grade punk groups." Aerodronemania was a phrase coined by the band after some of theirfans began to wear homemade shirts that referred to individual members by name. Among other things, band members have been asked to pose forfan photos and sign various memorabilia. "When I sawthem at the Camp bell Club, there was a guy in front of me who appeared to be a relatively AERODRONE, page 10 What do Melissa and her grandmother have in common? They believe in Social Security For 70 years, Americans—like Melissa's grandmother—have counted on Social Security as a safety net. The program has been so successful that 13 million seniors escape poverty each year. When it comes time for Melissa to retire, Social Security should be there for her too. This provides her grandmother with a lot of comfort. Unfortunately, politicians in Washington are pushing a plan that would drastically cut future benefits and leave today's youth with trillions of dollars of debt. This has a lot of Americans concerned, including us. Please tell Congress to protect Social Security for our generation. Take action and learn more at www.studentsforasecurefuture.org Students For A Secure Future jrg * mtKt m ante unx
