Ten years after hatching, Birds at The End of The Road is laying down tracks for an upcoming spring release of its second CD, which remains untitled to this point.

The first CD, Chowderbox, released on the Minneapolis indie label Channel 83, received many approving reviews. The disc contains songs like the raw Eye Your Soul and Zen Camera, both of which have received national airplay. The disc also features five live tunes including Golden Fuzz which was recorded in the cardboard box-sized Elbo Room in Chicago.

Jason Lee, guitarist for Bird, said the musical influences and sounds for writing songs are inspired by bands like the Beastie Boys and Soundgarden. Lee describes the Libertyville natives’ sound as rock n’ roll with a serious groove, Lee said.

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I listen to a lot of rap, he said. I listen to the B-Boys, Public Enemy and stuff like A Tribe Called Quest.

Lee said the harder-sounding tunes come from vocalist Ken Fountain’s own shtick of music.

He’s into heavier sounds like Soundgarden, Lee said. He has enough guitar experience to come up with riffs he likes.

Lees said being hard-rocking with a groove does not mean the band contains a sellout sound.

We are not a Nirvana or an over-the-top alternative act, Lee said.

The band has been playing the regional college circuit, trying to go places they can go back to often enough so people will remember them.

After hitting Carbondale’s Hangar 9 on Thursday, the group will travel down to Arkansas.

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That’s about as far south as we have gone, Lee said. They requested us down there, so we may be going back sometime soon.

Lee’s brother Brian is an SIUC student and has played in local acts Meat n’ Onions and the now-defunct 420 in Progress.

Lee said his brother’s drum playing at an early age gave him someone to jam with before he could join a band.

I started playing guitar about ten years ago, he said. I started listening to music, and everybody wants to get into playing some kind of instrument, so I picked it up.

His mother signed him up for guitar lessons and it just stuck, he said.

The musical influences Lee had back in that day are now mere relics.

I was listening to The Police at the time and then other stuff like Ratt and Motley Crue you know, the weak glam bands of the 80s.

Bird has played at some of Chicago’s hottest venues including The Vic Theater, Cabaret Metro and Cubby Bear. In New York, the band has played CBGB’s, Marquee and The Bitter End. The band has supported acts such as 10,000 Maniacs, Echo and the Bunnymen, and The Connells.

Birds at the End of the Road plays at 9:30 tonight at Hangar 9 , 511 S. Illinois Ave. Cover charge is $2.