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THIS WEEK IN FLYING HIGH

AVION

If you’re a TV junkie, chances are good you’ve heard the music of LA singer/guitarist Steve Bertrand and just didn’t know it—he has penned theme songs for sitcoms starring Christina Applegate (Jesse), Scott Foley (AUSA) and Selma Blair (Zoe). His tunes are a regular background presence on MTV shows. Listeners of old adult-rock FM station KSCA will also recall Bertrand’s acclaimed ’90s power pop band the Tories, who had a minor hit with "Gladys Kravitz."

When the Tories split a few years back, Bertrand did a residency at the Malibu Inn and recruited musicians for his new band, Avion (airplane in French). The quintet’s winsome self-titled debut disc features the Wallflowers’ Rami Jaffe, Sergio Andrade of Lifehouse, Ringo Starr bassist Matt Bissonette, as well as some former Tories.

Avion’s soaring choruses and guitar sounds often recall Dishwalla and Goo Goo Dolls, but don’t hold that against them. The group makes well-crafted alt.-pop music that’s bound to put your significant other in the right mood. Standouts on the CD include "Trinidad and a DC-10" and "Beautiful," a chugging rocker that name checks Disneyland, PCH and Big Bear. And while their yearning ballad "Seven Days Without You" reached the top 20 on Billboard’s Adult Top 40 airplay chart last month, "Bulletproof Glow," an edgy, psychedelic-tinged tune bound to find favor at alternative radio, proves Avion can definitely rock.