---

Saturday, 25 September 2009

Birds of Avolon * Hell City Kings * Fired For Walking

Birds of Avalon - (Raleigh, NC) Yay for dad’s record collection! Birds of Avalon have been doing their homework and are on their way to being accepted at Oxbridge. Well, something like that. Dads aside, Bazaar Bazaar is a good old fashioned, solid rock record, albeit in a slightly School of Rock manner. Most of the time wearing your influences on your sleeve is reprehensible, but Birds of Avalon wear them well. Led Zep, Sabbath, Rush, Pink Floyd, Lynyrd Skynyrd – they’re all detectable, but it is more the spirit of those bands that feature rather than direct pilfering. I found fault with the unnecessary prog-indulgences, the band sound better when they are more straightforward rock. ‘Instant Coma’ is pleasant, but seems a bit lost amongst the rest of the album, or maybe I expect a song of that title to turn into a 20-minute psych-fest? There is a small danger that Birds of Avalon might err towards something approaching The Darkness (‘Superpower’), but ultimately they’re more denim than spandex, which is far preferable! - TourDates UK

Hell City Kings - (Houston, TX) "Rock and Roll is all about your inner chimp – hairy, knuckle-dragging apes on booze and cocaine starting shit and fucking anything that moves. Toss in tattoos, the Marshall powered guitars of Bill Fool and Christian Bakka, the merciless violence of drummer Jared Eville, the whisky soaked bass of Justin The Red, and a lead singer that is likely every parent’s nightmare who simply goes by The GFN and you’ve got the Hell City Kings." - 29-95 "Most descriptions of the Hell City Kings involve cocaine, whiskey and dirty girls, with good reason. Live and on record, the local quintet sounds like every single vice rolled into one greasy rock and roll casserole - like falling down the stairs at Rudyard's after losing a switchblade fight with your drunken girlfriend. This music is grimy and it hurts real good." - Houston Press

Fired For Walking - (Houston, TX) FIRED FOR WALKING is a heavy-pop/hard-indie/whatever-rock band from Houston, Texas. Formed in 2006, after a drunken challenge to start a band, DREW (bass), JOEL (guitar/vocals), MIKE (guitar/vocals) and RICK (drums) set about writing and fine-tuning a batch of songs that were based on the band’s number one rule; play whatever the hell you want. “I don’t care if someone brings in an idea for a neo-classical, death-metal, rap song, we should try and play it.” Joel says, adding, “If it sucks, we don’t play it in public.” With this musical philosophy intact, FIRED FOR WALKING is set to unleash its debut recording in Fall 2008. Released on the band’s own label, Four Letter Music, the self-titled, six song E.P. is a potent example of the band’s ability to maintain a variety of sounds, emotions and energy. It’s loose, focused, bright, and dark; a little bit Foo Fighters, a little bit Queens of the Stoneage, with a touch of Mission of Burma… but the music is always on FFW’s terms. It’s rock and roll that knows what loud amps and good melodies are for. Future plans for the band include regular regional touring, writing more songs, recording, playing more shows, touring farther, writing more songs, recording… You get the picture.

 

Last Update Friday 25 September, 2009