It’s been five years since bassist Paul Siler and guitarist Cheetie Kumar broke ranks from Garage Rock titans Cherry Valence, got married after nearly a decade of dating and assembled their new band project, Birds of Avalon. The pair invited keyboardist/vocalist and old friend Craig Tilley to jam with them, followed in short order by Dynamite Brothers drummer Scott Nurkin and multi-instrumentalist David Mueller.
Steered by a love of The Beatles, Led Zeppelin and John Coltrane and galvanized by a contemporary vibe, Birds of Avalon put all of their energy into touring as much as possible. Their 2007 debut album, the magnificent Bazaar Bazaar, is a brilliant pastiche of gritty Blues/Rock with the best elements of ’60s/’70s Psych and Prog Rock and a shot of Punk adrenaline.
Birds of Avalon’s much anticipated sophomore full-length, Uncanny Valley, is a swirling black-light evocation of bygone days, as delicate as drifting tendrils of incense and as pummeling as a paisley jackhammer.
See them at the Northside Tavern. Get Sound Advice and show details here.
This article appears in Sep 30 – Oct 6, 2009.