Now Hear This

I’m definitely getting too old for the midweek show. In my twenties I could have pulled off rocking out on a Wednesday night and head in to work Thursday morning without blinking an eye. Right about now I wish both eyes were closed in blissful slumber. But I’m not complaining ’cause the set Raleigh, NC based Birds of Avalon put on at the Hemlock Tavern over in SF last night was worth every ounce of pain I’m feelin’ now. Since they played the Hemlock Monday night too and what with Jay Reatard and the Black Keys rocking different clubs not too far away me and just a couple dozen other folks had Birds, Olympia, WA’s Nudity and local rockers Dzjenghis Khan all to ourselves. Luckily twenty bodies feels like a crowd at the Hemlock and Birds of Avalon killed it like people were hanging from the rafters.

After getting the kids to bed I ended up missing all but the last two songs of Dzjenghis Khan’s set. Their super fuzzed 60′s garaged up punk Cream meets Motorhead wall o’ sound had me regretting I didn’t see more.

The Widow – Dzjenghis Khan (from their 2006 demo)

Nudity’s set was dominated by their epic track ‘The Nightfeeders’. Clocking in at over twenty minutes of Can meets Hawkwind psych rock it lost my attention somewhere in the middle but got me back to a decent head-bob by the end. An edited (and enjoyably concise IMHO) version is streaming at their myspace page.

Night Concentricks – Nudity (a Nightfeeders remix snippet from their current 12″)

I can’t think of a better husband and wife guitar slingin’ punch in the gut than Birds Of Avalon’s Cheetie Kumar and Paul Siler. The former The Cherry Valence members are flat out kill good. Their set last night made it even harder to wait the three weeks are so between now and the show they’re opening for The Raconteurs at Bimbo’s on the 23rd. Check out their website for one of the most hectic tour schedules I’ve ever seen (Visalia?!) and streams of their new album Outer, Upper, Inner (see geeky superfan photo on the right).

Horse Called Dust – Birds Of Avalon (from their debut Bazaar Bazaar)

You have one last chance to check them out before the Raconteurs show (if you were even able to get tickets) tonight over in Oakland at Eli’s Mile High Club, again with Nudity.