Band : Birds of Avalon

Album Title : Bazaar Bazaar

Label : Volcom

Distributor : Rough Trade - EvilBitch Promotion

Release Date : 05/05/2008

Review : CD

After a 7-year stint in The Cherry Valence, guitarists Cheetie Kumar and Paul Siler felt a growing desire to move on. In a final whirlwind year that saw The Cherry Valence touring Europe multiple times, the couple, Kumar and Siler, got married and left the group. They began playing with Craig Tilley (The Weather), where they laid the foundation for what was to become the first batch of Birds Of Avalon songs. They added drummer Scott Nurkin (Dynamite Brothers) and soon added David Mueller on bass. Since their inception in 2005, Birds Of Avalon have toured extensively, sharing the stage with bands such as The Flaming Lips, Ted Leo and the Pharmacists, The Fucking Champs, Big Business, Oneida, Mudhoney, Valient Thorr, Destroyer, Federation X, and Drunk Horse . .

From the first track “Bicentennial baby”, you really know that you are listening to something special. Birds Of   Avalon’sBazaar Bazaaris a brilliant combination of grunge, psychedelic-, blues-, garage- and stoner rock. This cd is an adventurous and interesting journey on which this US quintet take us. It is impossible to classify ..“Lost pages from the robot repair manual” and “Horse called dust” with infectious guitarleads, steady rhythms and lazy vocals are solid material. Slower tunes like the unforgettable “Think” and “Set you free” have a trance-like quality providing this disc with subtle diversity. “Where’s my blood” and “Instant coma” sounds like something of the Led Zeppelin-albums. Thin Lizzy, TAD and Queenswander through my mind while listening to the more up-tempo boogie tracks “Superpower”, “Taking trains” and “Horse called dust”.

To be honest, when I first heard this band I thought I heard tens of hints and references to several bands of the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s, but Birds Of Avalon is now and they fashioned their sound out of these influences. There’s a lot of shit happening…take it or leave it…I would advise take it cause they deserve it.

90/100

Cosmicmasseiur.