You're tired of "Woman" by Wolfmother and pretty much everything by Wolfmother, but you still need some contemporary hard-rock that doesn't suck. Well, I've found just the thing for you headbangers: Birds of Avalon.
They sound just like the "new old", meaning they've stolen everything and produced it well, placing their anachronistic sound in a package that's more Fall Out Boy than lo-fi boy. Their album artwork strikes that weird fantasy chord that's so attractive to the World of Warcraft crowd, but you could definitely mosh if you went to a concert. Bazaar Bazaar, Birds of Avalon's first album, is a strange patchwork of psychedelic, slithering and pummeling, guitar-driven rock. "Bicentennial Baby" makes the whole world love the '80s, a difficult fete to accomplish. Chugging guitars and spurts of solos populate the song. "Wanderlust" mixes "Within You Without You" with "Battle of Evermore", and makes you feel like you could be in a world of swirly twirly gumdrops and magical elves (more chill than Candyland). I must admit that "Wanderlust" in particular is a strange aural experience, but it's followed by "Superpower" which is a shot of energy and contemporary noise after the Dark ages of "Wanderlust". "Where's My Jet Pack" is cool for a few reasons. I think it has one of the best names ever, and it's also a mix of free jazz, jam, hard rock sound. The final song "Lost Pages from The Robot Repair Manual" is a little anthem that best represents the sound of Birds of Avalon. I can't help but imagine little boys wanting to be rock stars. This album is so obviously paying homage to every "guitar hero" whose music these boys loved, but it's also a decent album to introduce these sounds to a new audience. It's nice to know that if you need an injection of rock, you can get it somewhere besides your parents' vinyl.
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