The Thrillest (April 2016)
UP-AND-COMING NEW ORLEANS MUSICIANS YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT
Meez on the keys! This guy has a serious talent for tickling some ivories (and ebonies, for that matter), and likes to make wonderful mash-ups, like the Beatles with straight-up NOLA bounce. Plus, he also plays with Gravity A, because New Orleans musicians with talent enjoy playing with other New Orleans musicians with talent.
Antigravity Magazine (July 2013)
DREW MEEZ
DRESSED, NO PICKLES
(SELF-RELEASE)
Those of you familiar with local funktronica favorites Gravity A will without a doubt also be acquainted with EJ Andrew Meehan, or as he is known by his friends and close constituents: Drew Meez. After solidifying his place in Gravity A in 2007, Meehan has continued to expand his musical palette with the GA offshoot PYMP, the Big Easy Bounce Band and most recently with his first solo effort, Dressed, No Pickles, a tongue- in-cheek nod to the jazz standard Straight, No Chaser by Thelonious Monk. Combining elements of funk, hip-hop, drum&bass, electro and just about any other genre you can think of, Dressed, No Pickleshas a little something for everyone.
Meez got his start playing music with his brother right around third grade and since then has expanded his range of instruments from piano and keyboards to guitar, drums and melodica. The motivation to do the solo project was simple for Meez: “I really wanted to get my name out there a bit more and open myself up to a variety of styles. Gravity A is very focused on soloing and I wanted to have something a bit more cohesive with less open space.” Meez also states that one of the biggest differences is the fact that he alone composed the music, while GA is a group effort. He cites Marco Benevento, Roni Size, Joe Ashlar and Cash Money Records as major influences, and there are hints of all on the album.
The title track begins as a laid-back groove with smooth piano lines à la Massive Attack, before shifting into a double-time saxophone run similar to the sounds of late ‘90s drum&bass. “Ultimately, I wanted to keep things simple,” he states. “Most of the record is 4/4 and focuses on a party vibe. Even with the ups and downs of the tracklist, I essentially tried to make an album that provides a coherent story for the listener, even if they interpret things differently.” Meehan shows maturity and depth on “A Tear For Stone” of which he said, “I did five takes on that tune before I was happy with the end result.” Each track does a superb job of layering each element and instrument so that it lends itself to another. This theme shines on “Cause Celebre,” a housey throwback anthem with a 303 bassline and smooth guitar riffs reminiscent of late ‘90s house and techno.
Featuring the likes of Mike Dillon, M@ Peoples, Fou and Bru Bruiser from Gravity A, Chris Royal and a host of others, Dressed, No Pickles is a roller coaster ride of musical bliss that will get any party started off on the right foot. The one thing that shines through most about this album is the sound of New Orleans. From the classically “yeah brah” intro to the “Outro: Greatest Song Ever Created,” Meez captures the vibe of New Orleans on so many levels. The album is available at all good local record stores as well as drewmeez.bandcamp.com. When asked for shoutouts, Mr. Meez simply replied, “Plucka-plucka eyelash. Make-a-make-a wish. Teeth under my pillow. In the morning I’ll be rich.” —Graham Greenleaf
Offbeat Magazine (September 2013)
— by Robert Fontenot
DREW MEEZ ON THE KEYS,
DRESSED, NO PICKLES
(INDEPENDENT)
With no less than four, count ’em, four, local bands—P.Y.M.P., Gravity A, Fred and the Big Easy Bounce Band—keyboardist Drew Meez has been, no pun intended, instrumental in bringing urban jazz to the NOLA dance floor, often using some decidedly low-fi tools to do it. Dressed, No Pickles, as the title indicates, is similarly unpretentious; Drew’s first solo disc is as charmingly offhand as a friend’s mixtape.
It’s also somewhat similar to his larger body of work, specifically Gravity A, though, after wandering through underground hip-hop in the first few tracks, he takes some unusual stylistic turns: straight-up punk on “The Breakdown,” for example, and some Motown-flavored sunshine pop on “Good Luck Gambla.” But that low-key approach also means Drew stays grounded. Neither the openly gay disco of “Liberation” nor the closing white-boy gangsta rap of the last two tracks comes off as cheap frat-boy irony. And he drops “A Tear for Stone” in the mix just to prove his jazz-piano chops, which are considerable. Ten songs and not quite half an hour, but only 7 bucks … about the price of a po-boy, come to think of it, and almost as fun and inconsequential, yet satisfying, to consume.
Offbeat Magazine (November 2013)
— by Frank Etheridge
GRAVITY A - NEW BEGINNINGS
(Independent)
Drawn to a unique melding of funky backbeats, arena-rock riffs and the pleasing aesthetics of the Apple-lit jam generation, fans (via a Kickstarter campaign) financed New Beginnings, the first LP from space-rockers Gravity A since adding guitarist Danny Abel and bassist Devin Kerrigan. This investment pays immediate dividends when, three minutes into the opening title track, the raw power and pure intention this promising young band possesses at its peak moments come alive in the stellar synth work of Andrew Meehan, tenacious drumming of Michael Fouquier and blistering saxophone of Khris Royal, who, though not officially a Gravity A member, is a live-set staple and contributes to four tracks on the album. “Funny Face” ushers in an ass-shakin’ dance party, complete with enchanting disco-diva vocals courtesy Mykia Jovan. Abel flexes solid Southern-rock muscle with bluesy guitar leads on “Simple Man,” a seemingly absurd Lynyrd Skynyrd cover that actually works, with Dumstaphunk’s Nick Daniels III’s rich, deep vocals an unexpected treat. Kerrigan’s thump dominates the intro to “2-4-2’sdays”—an extended jam with like-minded musicians in Royal, Derrick Freeman, Tim Green, M@ Peoples and Christin Bradford, whose vocals on “Some1 like You” lend a chilling beauty to the cohesive, yet sonically complex, groove of Gravity A, local funkonauts likely soon destined for orbits far beyond just our own.
Where Y'at Magazine (April 2013)
-- by B.Y. Wilson
Self-described New Orleans funktronica band Gravity A seems transported out of some entity’s syncopated dream. There is so much raw energy and dynamic movement in their music that at times, it feels almost chaotic. Chaos never sounded so good. Gravity A’s musical talents are obvious to anyone who has ever had the pleasure of having their ears blessed by one of their brilliant and stylish auricular fusions. The ferocious complexity and dizzying pace of some of their hypersonic assaults is perfectly balanced by the inebriating depth and beautiful accessibility of their slower compositions. The band members—Andrew “Drew Meez on da Keys” Meehan on keys, organ, and synths; Michael “Fou” Fouquier on drums; Devin “Deving Devine” Kerrigan on bass; and Danny “The Most” Abel on guitar—are all NOLA natives. The band formed in New Orleans in 2004, and it is very clear that the musical heritage of this great city runs deep within them. All that ability, energy, skill, and focus is poured into Gravity A’s live shows in a way that’s bound to ensure anyone a great concert experience. When Gravity A jams out, they really jam out! Some of their shows have been known to keep on rocking until the cock crows. Their raw skill and insane facemelting improvisations are as good, if not better, than any that you’ve ever seen. Gravity A keeps the beat grooving to get your body and your feet moving. When it comes to live shows, it doesn’t get much better than this.